Spill the Wine: Minneapolis, MN

Spill the Wine

1101 Washington Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Website: http://www.spillthewinerestaurant.com/

What Makes This Place Unique?

It's a very neat wine bar that has a good small plate menu but to be honest, I hadn't heard anything about the chef, food, or wine selection and reacted on an urge to buy a $50 Groupon for $25 there and give it a chance!  

I even tried to find a bio about the Executive Chef or something unique about their business online or through a magazine review but besides being recognized for the atmosphere and the restoration of the building...I was unable to find anything.  If Spill the Wine is reading this, put up something on your website or an "About Us" section!  No background or connection to what you're trying to do!

What Do They Serve Here?

Spill the Wine offers a wide variety of small plates, as well as a decent selection of larger lunch and dinner portions.  As far as dishes, pretty predictable for a wine bar but good.  Small plates that caught my eye include: roasted baby beets with goat cheese, pecans and balsamic, duck rillettes and fig marmalade, chorizo & ham, machego and piparras, mussels & curry broth, ahi tuna.  Prices range from $4-13 and like I mentioned, they are pretty predictable but there is a variety.

Bigger plates include: pork belly burger with parsley aioli and pickles, lamb chops with a sage brown butter, truffle gnocchi with foraged mushrooms peas and brown butter.  The menu also offers a tasting menu and over lunch they did have a soup and sandwich option that wasn't listed on the online menu.  Pricing ranges from $11-19 on the bigger plates.

Their drink menu and wine list has a TON of wines (duh - it's a wine bar) and according to an article that I read online, they do offer a lot more wines by the glass than many wine bars in the area and are known for their intuitive drinks, to which I can attest. 

What Did We Get?

Well, I had a Groupon and so I had to spend $50 over lunch so my coworker Shannon and I headed over to do just that, let the binging begin! 

Ginger Rogers: Hendricks gin, mint, ginger syrup, lime juice, ginger brew ($9)

Roasted Baby Beet Salad: beets, goat cheese, pecans, balsamic ($7)

French Fries: no description on the menu but they are actually truffle fries, amazing ($9)

Tuna Small Plate: olive tapenade with greens and olive oil ($13)

Shannon also ordered the lunch combo which was a grilled skirt steak that has a celery root, onion and apple slaw with arugula and was served with cup of chili.  That day they had chili and minestrone for soups as I recall and the combo was very reasonably price (under $10).  

As far as taste, the truffle fries were the clear star for me.  They were awesome; I would get them again and that's a lot to say about fries that cost $9!  The Ginger Rogers house cocktail was also very unique and mixed well with the right amount of booze. The rest (beet salad and tuna) was on par; the flavors and textures were all there for me and I have nothing bad to say about the food.  It met the standards that I have for food priced out where it was.

The atmosphere was very warm and inviting with great restoration elements but there was something that wasn't so warm and fuzzy.  The server situation that we had was one of the worst service experiences that I've ever had.  My coworker tipped her 20%, but neither of us was sure why.  Maybe we felt like she was just having a bad day or something, but, I wish that I would have asked or told her some of the following questions and thoughts about our extremely poor experience:

1. I have a Groupon, and obviously telling you that at the beginning of the meal was a BIG mistake.
2. If we ask if we can get the soup that was ordered with the sandwich before the meal with the appetizers, is that really that big of a deal? Alright, well as you said, apparently you usually don't do that so let's NOT be flexible.  You hold your ground.
3. If we ask "What's good?" and you tell us "Everything.", then you should probably try something on the menu.  You're at a wine bar and there are probably foodies in your presence...try something on the menu and be able to speak to it...
4. Would I have had a $50 bill and then tipped you 15-20% of that on a normal lunch day?  Then why are you being so rude to me?
5. Another tip: If you want a diner to have a good experience, maybe you shouldn't say things like "you're going to get that too?" when I'm ordering a dish.  Yeah, I'm a fat cow.  THANKS.
6. Last tip, I promise: Stopping by the table might help.

While I understand that was pretty harsh, I was a server for quite a few years and if there is one thing that I can't stand it's situations like this.  I feel terrible for the owners and chef because they weren't privy to seeing this behavior when it happened but if I'm seeing it, other people are too...and if your ratings aren't where you want them to be, then how else can you find out but through resources like this?  The good, the bad and the ugly about the internet.

I've seen that in most cases Groupons are used as a marketing tool to get people through the door for a great experience and to get these first time customers to become patrons...and this server was not helping your mission and it's sad because little did she know that we worked right down the street (within walking distance) and if we would have had a rockin' experience, then we probably would have been back.

Would You Go Again?

I want to say yes, but, the answer unfortunately is no.  Until I start seeing more positive reviews online and a more inventive food menu I probably won't be back.  There are just so many options over on that side of town and if I don't have good service or an inventive menu....nine times out of ten I'm not going to leave my house for wine alone.

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Operation Fridge: Crappy Surgery Fast Track

I've decided to go through with writing about a pretty common medical condition (but not for someone my age or in my health) that I’ve dealt with for the last few years.  While I don’t want to seem like an elderly person writing one of those depressing Christmas card, if I am able to help just one person that was like me, embarrassed about having pretty severe acid reflux issues/GERD at such a young age and that lives a pretty healthy lifestyle but not sure where to go from there, then it will have been worth it.

While it might not seem like a big deal this next paragraph should put it into perspective.  An article that I recently read gave a list of the worst foods for people with acid reflux issues and I've taken the liberty of highlighting ones that I absolutely love and can not imagine living without: tangy citrus fruits, tomatoes, garlic, onions, spicy foods, peppermint, cheese, nuts, avocados, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, carbonated beverages.  Let's just say that it sucks.

How am I supposed to say no to a face like this?

So here beings the journey down the GERD road, while be it a nasty one.  A few years ago I started noticing that I felt pressure in my chest, like there was a lump sitting there, found myself short of breath and yawning a lot but not being tired quite a few times during the day.  While I thought that it was all normal or just blamed it on something that I ate, the more time that I spent in the working world, the more that I realized that it wasn't normal and that it was getting more and more in the way of my daily life.  After looking into it, exploring the fact that it might be asthma, cutting soda almost entirely out of my diet, and other steps…nothing seemed to be working.

Goodbye to you too soda.

From there I did more research and realized that I might have acid reflux.  For example, I have not felt good enough to have a glass of orange juice for over 3 years.  I love orange juice…and thinking about it gives me a sad puppy face!  So then started the endless attempts of various PIP’s (proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec).  Then cutting out coffee, then tomatoes when I could part with them, and spicy foods.  Still with no big changes.  For example, I would have a glass or water or a bowl of cereal and have the same symptoms. 

Then began the tests.  The first one was the esophagogastroduodenoscopy or an upper GI endoscopy, where they put you almost all the way under with sedatives and shove a little scope down your throat to your stomach, checking to see if there has been acid burn damage or if you have Barrett's esophagus, both of which can lead to cancer.  Another thing that they look at while down there is weather or not your lower esophageal sphincter works.  The concluded that I didn't have burning yet but that they really wanted to do another test after seeing an potential issue with the lower esophageal sphincter. 

Well the next one, called a esophageal pH test was a really fun one.  You don't take your heartburn medicine for 7 days (oh my goodness this was horrible).  Then they put a tube from your nose and run it all the way down to your stomach, and leave it there for 24 hours while you carry around a little computer with an arm strap.  They also let you know that you can eat things that you have issues with then hit the buttons and keep a journal every time that you have a symptom (heartburn sensations, reflux, puking).  Let's just say that I ran out of lines and had to add my own sheet.  

GREAT look while doing my pH test.

It turns out that, in the easiest explanation, I have GERD and my lower esophageal sphincter is broken and instead of what is in my stomach staying there, it goes back up because it's not sealing shut.  So after lots of research on the options, reading feedback from people with the same condition, scary phone calls with my friend Josie that sees post-op patients as a nurse and thinking about this as a lifelong decision...a choice is finally being made that has been pondered over for a year. 

I'll be going through the recommended surgery that they call a Nissen Fundoplication where they'll take the upper curve of my stomach and wrap it around my esophagus so that it actually closes.  The hope is that everything goes as planned and it will be done by five small incisions on my stomach laparoscopically and I will be in the hospital for just one night and recovering for a few weeks.

Few things that majorly suck about this:

• That it's surgery...and surgery is freaking scary
• The fact that there is a chance that they can't do this via scope and they need to do it via a vertical incision which is a much more intensive recovery timeline
• That they fill your body cavity up with CO2 and from what I have read it hurts really bad for a few days, especially in your shoulder
• That I can't go to Zumba or yoga class for 4-6 weeks (No!  What am I supposed to do without you Leslie!?)
• That it's surgery...and surgery is freaking scary

Oh yeah, and I can't have solid foods for essentially two months.  Minor details.  Like I said to Adam, what a crappy reason to get on the Operation Fridge fast track...surgery.  The diets that I have seen go from a clear liquid diet, to pureed foods, then up to items like cream of wheat or mashed potatoes for the first 6-8 weeks.  Bring on the protein shakes packed with vitamins because I just don't see myself being able to go through a normal day on chicken broth alone!

Yummy?

But onto the great news...I won't feel like I'm going to puke every time that I eat spaghetti and meatballs or want to enjoy a glass of red wine :) and here are some more things that I will LOVE after this:

• Bloody Marys.  I still indulge sometimes but MAN do I pay for it.
• Meetings...being in meetings can be kind of scary for people with this condition
• Not having that disgusting acidic taste in my mouth all the time
• Public speaking...I used to love it but having this has made me more nervous about it
• That I don't have to bring my toothbrush into the bathroom at work (people probably think I'm behlemic or something!)
• Not worrying as much about having gum at hand ALL the time
• Eating what I actually want!
• Vino

Lastly, I don't want this to be a downer or a recommendation of what you should or shouldn't do...I'm not a doctor and I simply want this to be an informative post to let other young adult that are embarrassed and unsure that it's alright!  It's a big decision and it's different for everyone but you're not alone!  There are more of us out there dealing with this and if you have any questions, please feel more than free to email me at annmariescupoftea@gmail.com and I'm sure there will be more about what is going on post surgery once I'm up to it! 

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Kramarczuk's: North Minnepolis

Kramarczuk's

215 East Hennepin Avenue 

Minneapolis, MN 55414

(612) 379-3018

Website: http://www.kramarczuk.com/ 

I grew up with Czechoslovakian Grandparent's on one side in Northern Wisconsin so I'm a woman that can appreciate cabbage, poppy seed noodles and some hand-crafted sausage.  No pun intended.  So I was excited to hear that my coworker and friend, Dusty, was taking me to a Eastern European deli. 

What Makes Kramarczuk's Unique?

Per their website: "In the late 1940s, Wasyl Kramarczuk and his wife Anna traveled from their beloved Ukraine to the United States in hopes of achieving the American dream, and after years of hard work, they founded Kramarczuk’s.  Wasyl with his skills in sausage making, Anna with her skills in cooking and baking, and their idea of making the best possible products, created the Kramarczuk’s that today is considered a Minneapolis Landmark".  

Honestly, how can you beat a place that has stood the test of time and kept their American dream living on for generations?  Kramarczuk's is also not only a restaurant, but a bakery, sausage counter and delicatessen as well!  

Kramarczuk's restaurant line and a busy employee!

Kramarczuk's Dining Area

What Do They Serve at the Restaurant?

Kramarczuk's restaurant is cafeteria style and the day that Dusty introduced me to the restaurant it was right before Christmas and quite busy.  But, what was I expecting?  I'm going to a ethnic food spot right before the masses come to pick up their Christmas sausages and baked goods!

The restaurant serves a variety of foods including Eastern European dishes like: cabbage rolls, goulash stew, Ukrainian meatballs (the size of a softball), and verenyky (dough dumpling stuffed with yuminess).

Some of the Eastern European dishes

Some cold salads

How good does that special sound?

Hungarian Meatballs over noodles: huge, hearty and hittin' the spot

Soups and salads include a savory (not spicy) chili, borscht, chicken noodle, and both kinds (German and American) of potato salad.  Highlights on the sandwich menu include: the Cossack (Ukrainian sausage served with kraut and Swiss cheese), the Reuben, and a pulled pork sandwich for those of you feeling less adventurous.  For dessert there are a few great items listed that I saw but I only have one word, kolachi.  And if you don't know what a poppy seed kolachi is then you need to come to my family's place over the holidays. 

Say it with me, ko-la-chi.  Yum-ee.

Would You Go Again?

Yup!  I love this place because it reminds me of home and the holidays.  While I know that it's bias since I have family associations with this food, I recommend you check it out at least once to see hustle and bustle, try some authentic Eastern European food (which is slightly neutral in nature but very hearty), and get some homemade sausages to take home. 

Also, don't forget to pick up some poppy seed bread or a poppy seed kolchi on your way out!  You won't regret it!

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They Call it Puppy Love

So in my last post I mentioned that I stopped at a Panera a few weeks ago.  What it didn't mention were the following facts:

• Panera is located directly next door to a Petsmart
• Petsmart doesn't have dogs at their locations
• We aren't going to get a dog until this summer
• Sometimes I go in there and look at dog items (even thought I don't have a dog) because I'm crazy

Well, two Saturday's ago I was having that crazy urge to go look at things that I can buy for my imaginary dog.  So, I begged my fiance to let us go in there and scope out items (to which he caved).

Upon walking in, I heard dogs barking and saw that they were having an adoption drive.  No big deal, we've handled walking away from plenty of these.  We scanned over the dogs, patted a few heads...and then we saw him. 

Ruh-Roh

We pet him for approximately 1.5 minutes, Adam commented about how mellow he was and was the kind of dog that we should get this summer...and then we both decided that we should leave immediately.  We got to the car, looked at each other, and asked the obvious question "are we going to get that dog?".  We both said "absolutely not" and "we're not ready for a dog" and "we don't even have anything for a dog" and "it's winter!".  Psssshhhh, that's crazy that we even thought that!?

Fast forward 24 hours.  All I can think about is that little dog so I google "petsmart adoption drive minneapolis".  The internet is a beautiful thing...I ended up being led to a shelter's site that had profiles for all of the pets at the drive...and there was his face again.

LD's little doe eyes (Little Dude, or LD, was his old name but that HAD to go for very obvious reasons) haunted my dreams, brought me to tears and I hoped for the next few days that somehow Adam would read my mind and pick up this dog and it would be waiting at home to greet me.  But he can't read minds and finally I let him know that I had been thinking about the dog all week. 

I thought for sure that he would give me the "no go" but when he saw his picture...it was puppy love.  But we realized that before being able to make any decisions we should see if he had been adopted.  I make the phone call and the consensus was that "there is an adoption paper out on him".  I could have cried; they told me that we would have to wait 24 hours to find out if it went through.  Our puppy (that isn't even ours yet), going to someone else's home.  I was heartbroken.

Then I get an email the next day letting me know that he has NOT been adopted and that we can come look at him if we would like.  Well, as my brother-in-law to be, Jay, said about the pup "get the jam cuz' I'm jelly".  After spending about and hour and a half with him at the shelter watching him get his butt kicked by a group of husky/lab puppies and being a complete gentleman with us, we signed the papers, cut the donation check and had a date last Friday to pick up our new family addition.

Our visit to the animal sanctuary

I'm not sure what we were thinking, but, we're not looking back!  We're one week into having Wallace and while this week has been extremely tiring waking up in the middle of the night and coming home when we would have been doing other things, little things like watching him pounce on a ball or sleep on our legs is worth all of the sacrifices.  We've learned so much about being a dog owner and about each other in the last week...and still so many more years of surprises, ripped up items, dumped over trash cans and more fun to come!

If you don't think our dog is the cutest puppy in the world, then you're wrong.  No arguing.  It's just that simple.

Also, while he's very cute...he's a lot of work so don't think that it's all unicorns and rainbows.  If you're thinking about getting a dog you REALLY need to do lots of research and save up a little doggy savings account.  With so many great sites online, I suggest spending lots of time looking up articles about the breed and about overall training in general before even thinking about getting a dog. 

I PROMISE that there are many more of these shots to come...

 

In closing, this last week and a half have been crazy.  Our schedules were completely altered, we've both made time sacrifices...and with those time sacrifices came bad some food decisions but also us running around so much that we didn't have much time to eat.  The good news is that we're getting the hang of things and I have started logging my food again as well as gotten over the guilt and went to work out after making sure that he's all taken care of.  All and all, Adam and I have both lost weight between then and now so we're still on the right track (even though the track has changed slightly since what it was two weeks ago)!

Operation Fridge Weekly Update

So, the plan was to write every week about how things are going with my plan to lose some pounds and get myself that fridge.  Well, needless to say, life happened.  Which I'll write more about in my next post.  But here were my thoughts on summarizing my overall success two week ago:

Goals

• Work Out Five Times a Week
• 1200 Calories a Day
• 500 Calorie Out-to-Eat Meals

Results 
Worked Out: Four Times
I made it a point to get out to the gym (no matter what the weather or parking situation is) this week and get er' done.  I even got up early on Sunday morning to catch my favorite Zumba class before the football games started so that I could indulge a bit while watching my Packers shoot themselves in the foot.  Thank goodness I did because I needed those hard ciders as it came to turn out.

Stayed Within 1200 Net Calories: 4/7 days
Quite honestly, this week was not great for me food-wise (as you will see more about below) and I need to do better this week at planning.  While I was with 40 calories two of the days that I missed my caloric goals, getting on track this week is more important than ever to ensure my success. 

Here's something that did NOT help me:

Yeah, that's a caramel filled center cupcake.

500 Calorie Out-to Eat Meals: Fail
Epic failure on all fronts.  Panera, fail.  Town Hall, fail.  Buffalo Wild Wings, fail.  Pittsburgh Blues, fail.  Rocky Rococco's (yes you heard that right), FAIL.  While at all of these places I tried to make good choices, I need to just say "no" to going out to eat and remember that I can have popcorn and a chickpea patty for dinner and be pretty darn happy...and will feel happy, healthy and guilt-free about it afterwards.

For example, Saturday night was pretty snowy and icky.  Adam was going to go to Pappa Murphy's and I had picked out one of their "DeLite" pizzas to still have something that I wanted but in moderation.  Well, he goes upstairs to grab a coupon and what does he run upon?  A coupon for Rocky Rococco's. 

Those of you that grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Minnesota can feel my pain on this one.  Until last week I didn't even really know that there was a Rocky Rococco's in the Twin Cites.  What was I going to say?  No?  Not a chance in h*ll.

If you're not from Wisconsin...you just can't understand it.

Things to Work 
Well, stuffing my face with Rocky Roccoco's certainly isn't helping my situation and I know that I have LOTS of things to work on in order to get this fridge.  So here's to sticking to my plans above and just saying "no" to going out to eat unless I have a plan around what is going to be good for me.

Greek Girl's Night Dinner: 500 Calorie Challenge

Situation
Monday night was girl's night; where my group of small friends get together to watch the train wreck that is "The Bachelor" every Monday.  "The Bachelor" this year is something for a completely different post since I have a few tidbits on what it has become over the last few seasons (unfortunately) but onto the food.

While there was definitely wine, mocking of catty women and laughing, last night was a little different...the goal was to make a meal under 500 calories that would be good enough for my foodie friends!  Tough challenge.

I had a garlic sauce that I wanted to use as a marinade so I decided to make the whole theme Greek:

• Appetizers: Olives, Feta, Hummus and Pita Chips (these are not part of the 500 calorie meal - are extra)
• Main Course: Garlic Chicken Kabobs (148 Cals) with a Hummus Dressing over Spring Greens (94 Cals), Served with Greek Rice (144 Cals).  Also made some gyro meat available since I wasn't sure how many people were going to come which is not part of the calorie count.
• Dessert: Deconstructed Baklava Yogurt (154 Cals)

The total for the main course and dessert came to 540, so while I failed at hitting under 500 I got pretty darn close and think that I found a balance between healthy and tasty.  By no means as good as the risotto or creme brulee (one of my favorites) that we had last week I tried darn it!

Garlic Chicken Kabobs, Greek Rice and Creamy Hummus Dressing over Spring Greens and Cucumbers

Deconstructed Baklava Yogurt

Garlic Chicken Kabobs
Serves 4
Ingredients

• 2 Chicken breasts, cubed into 1 inch cubes
• 4 cloves of ground garlic
• 2 TBSP of olive oil
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 4 Skewers

Directions

1. Marinade cubed chicken breast overnight with garlic and olive oil in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to "broil - high".
3. Stab chicken cubes with skewer and place on broiler pan.
4. Cook chicken for 15-20 minutes, watch chicken since you will need to rotate it for even grilling.

_________________________________________________________
Greek Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients

• 2 Cups Uncle Ben's Standard White Rice (NOT Instant)
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock
• 6 tsp butter

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in sauce pan and bring to boil.
2. Turn down heat and simmer with the cover on for 20 minutes.
3. Take off heat and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 ________________________________________________________
Creamy Hummus Dressing (care of Carrie on Vegan)
Serves 10
Ingredients 

• 1 can garbonzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 TBSP tahini
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2. Serve over spring greens or romaine, great with sliced cucumbers and a lemon wedge.

_________________________________________________________
Baklava is very very naughty.  Like 25 grams of fat per serving naughty.  But who doesn't love it?  The walnuts, the honey, the cinnamon, the phyllo...it's all so tasty and I created this dish to capture all of the flavors while still trying to stick to my 500 calorie challenge.

Deconstructed Baklava Yogurt
Serves 8 
Ingredients

•  2 lb container of 99% Fat Free Vanilla Yoplait Yogurt
• Vanilla extract to taste (start with 1 tsp)
• Cinnamon (start with 1 tsp)
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (Pepperidge Farms)
• 1 egg
• 4 TBSP of honey (or agave)
• 8 TBSP of crushed walnuts

Directions:

1. Thaw puff pastry overnight in your fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
3. Beat egg with 1 TBSP water to make an egg wash.
4. Cut puff pastry sheet into 1x1 inch squares.  On a greased cookie pan or parchment paper, place the squares and brush with egg wash.  Bake in oven 12-15 minutes until light brown.
5. In a large bowl stir the yogurt, cinnamon and vanilla to taste.
6. Serve in ramekins or bowls putting the yogurt on the bottom, then a few puff pastry squares, 2 TBSP crush walnuts, drizzle over about 1 TBSP of honey (or agave) and then a little bit of cinnamon for decoration.

Check out these little nuggets!

Low Calorie Version of Baklava?  Yes Please.

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Chin's Asia Fresh: 500 Calorie Challenge

Situation
While running errands yesterday it got to be pretty late and  I was faced with my first restaurant challenge of keeping my meal under 500 calories.  I'm proud to say that it was a successful day at Chin's Asia Fresh.

And while I realized how many calories are in rice I still had sticker shock about it.  The rice in the dishes alone was 427.5 (2.5 servings of 171 calories), then on average the chicken and sauce on top of that was about 200-250 calories depending on what choices were made so I decided to go another route.

What Did I Have?
For my meal I chose the following dishes that totaled less than 496 calories (since I had the dressing on the side and used hardly any of it).

Chin's Thai Basil Salad with Dressing on the Side (321 calories and $3.75)

 

Chin's Fresh Spring Shrimp Roll (175 calories for 2 and $4.95)

Lessons Learned
After doing this exercise I realized that Americans are IN A RUSH, which is part of our problem.  We are in a rush in the parking lot, we are in a rush to order and we are in a rush to eat...before we take time to actually think about what we are putting into our bodies.

Another part of our problem is that we don't want to inconvenience anyone or be SEEN AS WEIRD.  So instead of asking questions to the server about what is in our food, asking for a nutrition list (which almost all fast food or chain restaurants have), asking for condiments on the side or researching the menu with your smart phone before ordering...we make quick and dumb decisions instead because we don't want to be seen as being "picky", "strange" or inconvenience anyone.

I might have been the person in the entry way searching through Chin's online nutrition menu on my phone that didn't order for 5 minutes but guess what?  I felt great about what I was ordering AND I felt confident about what I had eaten after the fact and about the decisions that I made.

In short, MAKE time to research and make good decisions.