A staple to moving to a big city is the wide variety of restaurants you can now try. And the Twin Cities is no different. So let’s take a virtual food tour, shall we? (Also, all these places are local, so even better!)
New Fresh Wok: www.newfreshwok.com
This is the only place I order Chinese food from. New Fresh Wok is located at Snelling Ave. and Larpenteur Ave., right in between Hamline’s campus and the Roseville Target. They’re open for lunch and dinner everyday, and have an AWESOME lunch deal — six bucks for a whole meal. The portions are bigger than normal too, which means leftovers. And honestly? Their egg rolls are the only egg rolls I like. My go-to order is to get two different meals, and an egg roll, and if I feel like treating myself, an order of cream cheese rangoons. It’s about $15, and I can get three meals from this. And who doesn’t like leftovers? Even better – they deliver.
Zait & Za’atar: www.zaitzaatar.com
Next up on the list is Zait & Za’atar. This place is located right by the Snelling and Selby intersection and has some awesome Mediterranean food. Your choice of meat with a coinciding sauce, fries, and a pickle (!) are included inside all sandwiches wrapped in pita bread. A pickle sounds strange at first, but it combines with the rest of the goodies so well, and adds a little crunch too! My go to order here is a chicken shawarma, which has grilled spiced chicken, fries, a pickle, and a garlic mayo sauce all wrapped together. Make it a combo and you can get a side of fries and a drink with it, and you’re set for the night!
Groveland Tap: www.grovelandtap.com
Groveland Tap is my burger joint. Located at Saint Claire Ave and Fairview Ave, it’s a local hotspot for Macalester students (don’t let this deter you, though, the food is worth it). My go to order here is their Western Burger, which has onions, BBQ, bacon, and cheddar cheese on it. It comes with fries, but you can substitute onion rings or sweet potato tots if you’re feeling it. They’ve got a lot of other wraps, burgers, and sandwiches that I still have yet to try, but BY FAR, their appetizers are number one on their menu. They have your typical bar appetizers, but they are WAY better: nachos, pretzel bites, cheese curds, onion rings, and the best of all are their fried pickles. Instead of slices, they deep fry pickle spears, which I love. They give a good crunch which I appreciate more than the slices, that for me, have always been a little flimsy.
Pizza Luce: pizzaluce.com
Everyone needs a pizza place. And Pizza Luce has some pretty good pizza. This place is a local chain, so they’re all over the cities. They’ve got all sorts of different, unique types — my favorite being the Baked Potato Pizza. Instead of typical sauce, it’s mashed potatoes, with cheese, broccoli, bacon, and comes with a side of sour cream to dip it (I don’t use it though). This place can get a bit expensive though, so I only go here when I’m really craving it, or if I want to treat myself a bit. When I do order, I usually will get a medium, so that I have leftovers. (Again, who doesn’t love leftovers?)
Pho Pasteur VN: phopasteurvn.com
Finally, we come to my favorite place for the winter. Pho Pasteur is literally a block from Hamline’s campus (such an easy walk over), and the takeout I’ve gotten is always ready within 15 minutes. My best friend introduced me to this place, because they would go there at least once a week for lunch last year. We went there for dinner, and it was the first time I had ever had pho. And man, was it delicious. I ordered a chicken and vegetable pho, and since it was cold, the warmth broth of it was delightful. Afterwards I felt full and content, and since then, I’ve been going back on particularly rainy and cold days to feel that warmth and content again. To top it all off, the woman who owns the place is so nice and sweet, and makes you feel welcome every time.