Wikimedia Commons

Sticky business: BWW lets you order wings from an iPad

​After successfully completing one phase of testing at a Toronto store, Buffalo Wild Wings announced plans to launch a second phase of testing of its proposed tabletop iPad ordering system at an undisclosed Minneapolis branch, reports Computer World.

More >>

Solera's expanded wine list features 85 bottles from Spain

​I've finally stumped Jay Viskocil. For the last hour, Solera's general manager and beverage aficionado has been giving me a tour through the restaurant's expanded wine list, which now boasts 85 bottles from over 20 regions. As I've pelted him with questions about everything from Rioja to Rueda to Ribera del Duero, he's volleyed everything back.

Until now.

Dressed in a tailored dark jacket, he looks appropriately mid-day casual. And as the gray winter light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows at his back, he thoughtfully taps his fingers on the copper tabletop between us.

"It's so hard to choose..." he muses. And then finally, looks over and gives me a smirk:

More >>

Sea Change Raw Bar

​Holly Carson grabs a clean white towel and nestles an oyster inside. With a few firm flicks of the knife, crack!, she's in. And I bet she could do the next one with her eyes closed.

Since Sea Change opened in 2009, Carson (chef at the raw bar) has probably shucked thousands of oysters--and I've just ordered a dozen more. She neatly arranges the half-shells on a bed of crushed ice. And since I'm sampling three different varieties, she adds a lemon wedge to signal where one ends and another begins.

As she places the plate in front of me, wine director Bill Summerville grabs the seat to my left. He'll be my personal guide this evening, talking me through the finer points of wine and oyster pairings--which is a very good thing, because I've just been poured three glasses of white. And I have no clue what they are.

Which is exactly how this is supposed to work.

More >>

Yael Grauer

Social House's Albunai roll: More style than substance.

​Social House is exquisite. The decor, that is. The restaurant, however, may still be a bit of a work in progress.

We arrived to the buzzing Uptown eatery at around 8:30 p.m. on a Thursday, and were promptly asked if we were only there for the bar. We in fact wished to dine--Social House's website promises "intimate, four-star dining experiences with remarkable service," after all--and were quickly seated.

More >>

What's new on the Meritage brunch menu?

​Chef Russell Klein is hitting the refresh button on brunch just in time for 2012. With classic favorites and a few surprises, the revamped menu will be on full display at Meritage's New Year's Day Brunch--complete with
2-for-1 drink specials to cure any excess Auld Lang Syne-ing.

More >>

​Kinsen Noodles and Bar had a free food and sake pairing last Wednesday to celebrate it new sake list.

According to sake master Chris Griese, pairings for sake are not as regimented as those for, say, wine. Restaurant employees put the pairings together by eating and drinking, and then deciding which sake complemented various noodle dishes.

More >>

Debbie Tallen

Now you don't have to wait for dinner to get your Italian on.

​Rinata, "a little piece of Italy in Uptown," has been pleasing guests and critics alike since its opening on Hennepin Avenue in 2008 with its affordable but excellent Italian cuisine. Fans had to content themselves with a dinner menu, until now. Rinata recently announced its expansion into brunch territory, dipping a toe in with just one day a week (Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). The Hot Dish stopped in to sample the new brunch menu. Here's what we found.

More >>

Lucia's was acknowledged for its great service. See who else made the list

​Zagat posted its picks for local restaurants with the best service last week. No surprise, the back of the house matches the front of the house; each restaurant is well regarded for serious attention to the food coming out of the kitchen. They are, in the order listed by Zagat:

More >>

"Are you still working on that?"

​The front of the house is what makes the back of the house dance in the footlights. What would Meritage be without Desta Klein? It's her touch of genius to create an atmosphere in which the lovely French-kissed food coming from the kitchen is delivered to the right table at the right time with the right flourish. At 112 Eatery, Nancy St. Pierre's leadership out front provides a stage for showcasing chef Isaac Becker's culinary highlights. One happy similarity between these two very different restaurants: wait staff who understand the food and the customer.

The flip side, of course, is the restaurant where it seems wait staff are brought in off the street. The attitude seems to be: If you're breathing, you can wait tables. And due to the code of niceness to which we have sworn allegiance, Minnesotans are forced to put up with the most annoying conversations when all we want is a good meal and a pleasant experience. To wit:

More >>

Photo by Haute Dish

A bustling bar makes Sunday brunch fun

​The next time you're looking for a Sunday brunch spot, consider Haute Dish. The brunch menu, while small, is chock full of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs goodness. With generous portions and a creative cocktail list to pour over, dress in your comfortable pants and plan to stay awhile.

We waltzed through the front door around noon to an almost entirely packed house and were relieved to spy two empty seats at the bar.

More >>