0 Soup ‘n Wraps – Eden Prairie, MN

I’ve heard (from people I trust) that there’s this new amazing Indian fusion restaurant. But it’s filled with wraps and bowls. Yes, my intrigue-level was ramped up very quickly. I finally got a chance to sneak there (despite missing out on multiple invites I’m now kicking myself for). When Fire Wally told me this place is in a strip mall, I knew it was going to be good.

When I walked in, the woman asked if she could help me, and I confessed I hadn’t been here. I recommend doing this, frankly, so you get the full treatment and don’t miss out on something amazing. She explained all of the options. I could get a bowl - which I’m pretty sure is a Styrofoam to-go container with two entrees and rice; you can get a “business lunch” – which is kind of a sampler platter; or you can get two wraps with any ingredients inside. The very patient and kind woman explained the vegetarian options and also the meat options. They’ve got palak paneer, various dals (lentils), aloo gobi, butter chicken, chicken reshmi, tikka masala, lamb curry, and chicken 65. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but chicken 65 is my favorite of all the numbered chickens. I needed some chicken 65.

They also had samosas, which I almost got. And a samosa wrap – I can’t even picture what that would be!. And chai. And Mango Lassi. They apparently have everything (except kheer). This place is wonderful.

I decided to go with two wraps. Each one with different fillings. These aren’t small wraps, either. They’re 8 inch crosses between naan and tortillas. I don’t know what they’re called, but they’re plenty big and hearty. I got one with chicken 65 and one with lamb curry. They asked if I wanted cabbage – yes, I did. They asked if I wanted sauce – yes, I did. One was a chili paste, one was a chimichurri, and one was an unnamed dark brown sauce. They warned me the chicken 65 was medium hot, but I had them add the chili paste anyway. They wrap it right in front of you, so you can see what you’re getting. Then they give you a small side dish of yogurt in case you need to dip your wrap into something cooling. The whole thing came to $7.50. That’s amazing.

The lamb curry wrap was really quite good. The wrap didn’t get soggy and held up, even with my erratic dipping into the yogurt sauce. No bones, a touch of cinnamon, and some heat from the chili paste. Wonderful!

The chicken 65 wrap was even better!!! Wonderfully flavorful chicken bites with no gristle at all. It had some pretty solid heat, so if you’re not a heat person, don’t get the chili paste. I loved every bit of this thing. I even considered getting another pair of chicken 65 wraps. It was a tough call, frankly. When I got up to clear my tray into the garbage, I warned the staff (the chef had come out to chat) that I would for sure be back. I can’t wait to tell everyone about this place. And, they extended their hours so they’re open for dinner most nights, as well. I’m not sure what the fusion part of this place is (maybe wraps), but this is one of the best lunches I’ve had in a really long time. Hit this place up as soon as you can.

6403 City West Parkway

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

www.soupnwraps.com

Detail: Soup ‘n Wraps – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Panino Brothers – Eden Prairie, MN

We had a “new girl” starting at the office this week (it’s Trash, so she’s not really a new girl, but I do love to haze), so our team decided to go to lunch together to welcome her back to the flock. I was told to pick the place, so I went with a place close to work and someplace I hadn’t been before. I hadn’t’ ever heard anyone talk about this place, but I figured it was worth a shot.

First off, it’s difficult to tell where the entrance to this restaurant is. The restaurant itself is on the backside of a small business (restaurants and gyms) office/strip mall, so it isn’t readily viewable from the main road, and there’s no indication which door to go through once you find their part of the parking lot. No signage, no awning, no carpet out front. A little confusing. Once we got inside, there was a sort of roll-able counter top (maybe a host(ess) stand pushed back against the wall. Was this place even open? One of my co-workers (M.Giant)(yes, it’s a close-knit company consisting of only my closest friends), asked me if I had reserved the entire restaurant. So much for beating the lunch rush. Obviously, we got seated right away by a really cheerful and helpful server. She was fantastic the whole time we were there.

The menu has some burgers, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and appetizers that you’ll likely recognize as “nicer” bar food. But I wanted the reason for their namesake – a panino. I had no idea what that was, even after reading the description on the menu. It sort of sounds like a calzone, but is more like a flatbread wrap than a calzone, as it turns out. They have a ton of kinds of paninos, or you can build your own with any of their ingredients. They also get bonus points for having both Pepsi and Coke products, including Diet Dew.

I’ve been watching old episodes of The Sopranos recently, so I went with the 3-Meat Gambino Panino. It makes me laugh just to say it, but it had everything I wanted for lunch that day. Roast beef, chicken, ham, swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, and BBQ sauce. It sounded awesome.

I didn’t think the food took that long to come out, which is good, so you won’t have to wait long if you’re in a lunch rush – maybe because the place wasn’t that busy. The Panino is a large wrap. SERIOUSLY large. No one even came close to finishing theirs (except for me, but I am a big eater). Two people could have split this thing, so really consider ordering their smaller size panino – you’ll be glad you did. The meat was pretty thick cut, which I thought was awesome. There was a lot of cheese on here, and the BBQ sauce was plentiful. It was a little drippy, but the whole thing held its structure pretty well. Nothing slid out and I didn’t end up with any on my shirt. All in all, the wrap was pretty delicious and ULTRA filling. Be forewarned.

The waffle fries were pretty average, but the seasoned sour cream dipping sauce that came with it was fantastic. I really liked the combo, and I’m usually a ketchup guy.

Like I said, everyone went home with take-out boxes and were still stuffed. I saw the biggest plate of cheese fries I’ve ever seen, and a mega massive chef salad. Everyone seemed to be pretty happy with the taste of their food and I’m pretty sure people were happy with the size of their meals.

Overall, Panino Brothers is better than fast food, and more affordable than a fancy restaurant. They’ve got a bunch of beer specials (since it’s sort of a sport bar sometimes, and they have bands, so there’s definitely reasons to come back. It’s worth a visit if you’re in this neck of the woods, or if you’re at the Eden Prairie Mall for shopping or a movie. You might fall asleep in the movie because you’re too full, but at least the food is good. I just wish the outside of the place was more inviting.

Top 5 things about Panino Brothers
1. 3-Meat Gambino Panino
2. Seasoned sour cream dipping sauce for fries
3. Pepsi and Coke products
4. Really nice server
5. Pretty quick for lunch

Bottom 5 things
1. Confusing and uninviting entrance
2. It’s pretty dead inside, even during the lunch rush
3. TONS of different paninos to choose from
4. Maybe a photo of a panino on the menu would help
5. Just a little bit too hidden for easy finding

www.paninobrothers.com

Detail: Panino Brothers – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Quesarito from Taco Bell – Eden Prairie, MN

Taco Bell’s newest creation is the Quesarito. It’s a burrito and a quesadilla rolled into one – literally. I had to check this thing out.

It’s got your choice of beef, chicken, or steak, and then Latin rice (which just has some green flecks in it), chipotle sauce, reduced-fat sour cream (which is handy, since you’d hate for this thing to push past 10,000 calories), and wrapped in grilled quesadilla with melted cheese. The cheese is there to make everything stick together.

I hate showing people the insides of the concoctions that Taco Bell creates, mainly, because they all look like a dirty diaper. That being said, you really need to unfold it to see what’s going on here. It’s a quesadilla wrapped in a burrito tortilla. There really isn’t any bad – unless you can’t do carbs or gluten (then there’s a bad).

Frankly, it’s delicious and very filling – thanks to two tortillas and Latin rice. There’s lots of cheese packed into here, though. Enough to kill a small child, certainly. So cut it into bites for said small child. Overall, the thing isn't as large as it looks in television commercials, but it's still a solid menu item. Again, as per usual, nothing mind blowing, but I feel like the test kitchens are really working for filling and palatable, rather than mind-blowing and appetizer-y. I’m not complaining, I assure you.

Nice work, Taco Bell test kitchen.

Detail: Quesarito from Taco Bell – Eden Prairie, MN

0 The Prairie Tap House – Eden Prairie, MN

A-Wow and I were catching a movie at the Eden Prairie Mall and thought we needed a little happy hour after work. We were seeing a movie that we needed to pre-game for and I thought we should go someplace where we wouldn’t have to drive afterwards to the theater. I hadn’t been to the Prairie Tap House since they opened last year, so this was the best reason I could think of to check it out.

It happened to be snowing (no surprise there, right?) so traffic held up A-Wow a little bit. By the time he got there, I had already received my “Ready For Summer” beer flight – Wasatch Belgian White Ale, Lucette Shining Dawn, Magic Hat #9, and Lift Bridge Farm Girl. A pretty solid showing and with happy hour prices, was $6 total. A-Wow was pleased with the prospect of multiple choice beer imbibing, so he also did a Ready For Summer beer flight.

We thought we should order some happy hour-cheap-ified appetizers and then maybe split the sandwich. After some deliberation, we got the Maple Glazed Pork Belly, and the Thai Dragon Lobster Egg Rolls. Then, when a place is known for its Baltimore Pit-style beef, you get the pit beef – this time, in sandwich form.

And then, since you’re finished with your beer flight too fast, you get a Johnny Jump-up. Cider beer (in this case, Cider Boys’ First Press) with a generous helping of Jameson whiskey in it.

The food came out quickly, which was fantastic – even though we had plenty of time before the movie started. The appetizers were solid.

The Thai Dragon Lobster Egg Rolls were perfectly crispy and you could taste each of the ingredients. Nothing was over powering. The lobster tasted like lobster should – not fishy, and both the peanut dipping sauce and the dragon sauce were quite good. I didn’t even prefer one over the other – they were just different from each other and delicious.

The Maple Glazed Pork Belly was really good. It’s hard to mess up pork belly, to be honest with you. It was covered in a spicy peach marmalade which was fantastic. Though it was a bit heavy handed, so you had to scrape some of it off to have the correct ratio. But that was ok, since the pork belly slices were on a bed of pulled pork, which you could then continue eating with the spicy peach marmalade. It also came with a couple of toasted baguette slices. We tried to make little sandwiches out of them, but then decided the ratios were better if you just ate the bread on its own. Overall, still very good, however.

The Pit Beef Sandwich was probably better than the online reviews give it. The thin-sliced beef has obviously been sitting in its own juices for hours and is seasoned pretty amazingly. The creamy horseradish sauce was a thin layer, so it enhanced, rather than overpowered the sandwich. Incredibly tender meat and they had cut it into two equal pieces so we could both have our own sets of fries. A-Wow thought the fries may have been a tad over-seasoned/salted, but I’m a salt fiend, so I found them about perfect.

And then, of course, I needed another Johnny Jump-up. Hahaha. I probably could have used a few more for the movie we saw that night…

I really liked the Prairie Tap House. The happy hour deals are pretty considerable, and it’s really close to my work. I’d suggest anything you can get with that pit beef and be adventurous with the sides. The folks here are really nice and there’s usually 4 or 5 specials, so ask about those before you decide, or you’ll be in a world of confusion.

Top 5 things about Prairie Tap House
1. Pit Beef Sandwich

2. Happy hour deals

3. Maple Glazed Pork Belly

4. Thai Dragon Lobster Egg Rolls
5. Decent beer list and beer flights (though, I honestly expected more from a Tap House)

Bottom 5 things
1. Spicy Peach Marmalade was too generous
2. Not a ton of “healthy” options on the menu, but that’s not why you’re here, is it?
3. Portion sizes are pretty large here, just as a warning. If that’s your thing, then this shouldn’t be in the bottom 5
4. It isn’t a cheap date night, but if you hit up happy hour (until 7pm – which is generous), it’s quite affordable
5. The website raised an eyebrow from my cubemate at work – it’s standard issue pin-up style, but some work places are a little more conservative

www.theprairietaphouse.com

Detail: The Prairie Tap House – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Taco Bell Triple Steak Stack – Eden Prairie, MN

I enjoy trying the new products that Taco Bell test kitchens launch to the general public. Most of the time, I’m pretty pleased with them, and I’ll stand behind the fact that these guys are one of the most regular new product champions in the fast food industry. The Triple Steak Stack is something they launched back in 2011 and apparently have brought back.

First off, this thing isn’t cheap – it’s $4.99, but I figured since the commercials make the thing look like it is the size of a baby, it might be worth it. It is, in fact, smaller than a baby and even smaller than the marketing advertises. That isn’t to say it’s small – it isn’t. It’s close-to-a-foot-long flat bread filled with lots of steak. Not as full as the commercials let on, but it IS full. I can’t remember that far back, but I feel like this Triple Steak Stack is longer than the one they rolled out a few years back. Maybe I’m making that up in my head.

Aside from cheese, there isn’t anything else in this thing. Just steak and cheese. I’m not complaining, but most of Taco Bell’s inventions have some sort of sauce or sour cream in them. This has none. I’m glad I got a couple packets of fire sauce to jazz it up. The steak in Taco Bell’s products always surprises me. I expect gristly and overcooked pieces of pseudo-meat and I have always gotten flavorful thinly sliced restaurant quality steak. I really don’t want to like the steak at Taco Bell, but I do, I’m sorry. There is also a lot of cheese on this thing. Maybe they figured the melty cheese could replace the sauce.

I’ll be honest, this sandwich is better than I expected it to be. I’d recommend biting both ends off first, to ensure you’re getting a consistent level of meat throughout. And make sure you put some sort of sauce on it for another flavor component. The flatbread isn’t my preferred method of holding ingredients to push into my face, especially at a Mexican place, but it works in this case. It isn’t messy and it holds up just fine (better than some of their taco shells, honestly).

Yeah, I’d recommend this Triple Steak Stack. But be warned, some people will get bored eating it about halfway through. It’s kind of a one note pony without any sauce or lettuce or tomato or anything. So try this – put one flavor of sauce on one half and then another flavor of sauce on the other half, then you’ll feel like you’re getting two different sandwiches. Trick yourself into not getting bored.

I tried to look at its price and compare it to things I usually get. Would this same $5 sandwich fill me up like five items on the value menu? In this case, I would say it’s pretty close. I generally don’t eat FIVE of anything at Taco Bell, but I was as full at the end of this sandwich as I usually am when I get multiple things. I’m going to say the price is worth it for the size and quality of the sandwich. Again, just my opinion.

Not Taco Bell’s best showing (it doesn’t have any bacon – dur), but it’s a solid performer and something I’d get to fill my guts.

Detail: Taco Bell Triple Steak Stack – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Teque Arepa – Eden Prairie, MN

I’m a big fan of arepas. I’ve had arepas from maybe ten different places, so I’m not an expert or anything, but I know what I like. For those not familiar, arepas are sort of like tacos, but on a corn starch circle of bread that looks like a large English muffin or a pita. They’re hold-able sandwiches filled with a variety of toppings. Arepa shells (are they called shells? that, I don’t know, actually) are either deep fried in oil or cooked on a flat-top.

A new Arepa place opened up in Eden Prairie in the old Roly Poly (which I was super sad to see leave) and I was dying to try it. I pulled into the parking lot and there was a car next to me with the menu held to the dashboard with a band-aid. That guys is SERIOUS about trying everything on the menu. I like your style, good sir.

The menu on the wall of the restaurant is comprehensive (the photo is from the small take-home menu). Lots of different fillings for your arepa, lots of sides, and lots of juices and drinks. A very nice gentleman at the counter welcomed me and asked if I had had Venezuelan food before. I told him I had had arepas before but not some of the other items, and I was looking forward to trying them. I ordered a Pabellón arepa (he said they were his best seller) and some Queso Blanco Empanadas. Sadly, the man told me the fryers weren’t working right now and I couldn’t get those, nor the fried plantains, nor the fried desserts (tequeños). He seemed as bummed as I did. But he did suggest, “maybe you just order two arepas!” – and that, I did, my friends. So I went with the Rumbera arepa. I had heard people raving about the lemonade with sugar cane in it, so I got one of those as well – called a Papelón con Limón. He asked if I wanted hot sauce or garlic sauce, and then he said, “maybe I just put them on the side. You can choose how much.” Great idea and thank you!

I was a worried when the order came out because the drink looked like a tamarind drink I saw some people drinking. Thankfully, it wasn’t – I’m not a fan of tamarind, no offense. But this was like a lemonade I’d never had before. Very sweet without being sickeningly sweet. The sour of the lemon balanced it all out – I was extremely pleased with this beverage choice. Although, next time, I want to try the soursop shake and pretty much every juice smoothie and shake they have.

The Arepa Rumbera was packed full. Sliced roasted pork and cheddar cheese busting out all over the place. I tried a bite to see if it was as good as it looked. The shell wasn’t greasy like some of the arepas I’ve had before at other places. Very light and just slightly grilled on each side, leaving marks. Crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The meat was extremely tender and flavorful and I just couldn’t get enough. I tried some with the garlic sauce – Winner. You need to use the garlic sauce. I tried some with the hot sauce – Winner. You need to use the hot sauce, as well. It isn’t like a salsa, it’s like a South American version of Frank’s Red Hot. Vinegary with heat, but also good flavor. Fantastic arepa!

The Pabellón was even better. I think this one is more traditional, based on others I’ve had. It has black beans, shredded beef, white cheese, and sweet plantain slices. I loved that with every bite, there would be this delicious sweet plantain flavor right at the end of the chewing. This one got a little messy, but only because it was packed full, like the first one. Again, the garlic sauce and the hot sauce jazzed it up (not that it needed it) just right.

There was a Venezuelan guy sitting behind me explaining all things Venezuelan to his coworker. Normally, I would have been annoyed, but he was extremely knowledgeable and thorough. I soaked it all up. He talked about how he makes arepas the easy and fast way for his kids every Sunday morning, but Teque Arepa makes them the traditional and better way. They were also playing Venezuelan music on the speakers inside and he commented that what they were actually playing was traditional Christmas music in Venezuela – he was amused.

There were tons of Spanish-speakers eating lunch here, which I was really happy to see. The dining room was decreased since Roly Poly moved out, but there are still 6 or 7 small tables to sit at – all of which were full. Man, I hope this place stays open forever!

I think I just found my new favorite lunch place.................


Top 5 things about Teque Arepa
1. Pabellón arepa
2. Rumbera arepa
3. Lemonade with Sugar Cane - Papelón con Limón
4. Really friendly staff
5. Very generous portions

Bottom 5 things
1. Bummed about the fryers not functioning – but totally forgivable
2. I wish I had a fork. None was brought out and none were provided near the counter
3. Very small dining room
4. So many things, it’s hard to decide – just keep going back!
5. This place is far from my home, but very close to my work. Dang it, now I’m going to want to go to work ALL THE TIME…

Teque Arepa
7733 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 405-8092

Detail: Teque Arepa – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Cora’s Best Chicken Wings Foodtruck – Eden Prairie, MN

My company has started to try to healthy its workers up, so they have been doing a farmers market in the parking lot during lunch every other Thursday. It isn’t much of a market. In fact, there’s one vegetable booth with produce from Aramark (the people that run our office cafeteria), a lady selling jewelry, a booth with a sno-cone machine, and bread from some health food store. Recently, they’ve gotten a few food trucks to show up, as well.

I went outside in the 800 degree heat and found two food trucks today. One from Stanley’s in Northeast and one from Cora’s Best Chicken Wings – a restaurant I’m familiar with from St. Paul – I’ve reviewed it before. I wasn’t going to hit up Stanley’s without D.Rough, so I went to Cora’s.

The menu had some unique things on it, including a Filipino dish I wanted to try (Beef Afritada) – which they were out of. It took me a while to find the chicken wings on the menu, but there it was at the bottom of the list without any sort of flare. That’s ok – I knew not to get the wings. They were out of Canton Steak, as well, so I went with the Nacho Relleno Fusion. I love nachos, so this was sure to be my best bet.

My food showed up quickly, as it is pretty simple preparation. I went back into my building to get out of the heat. The dish looked pretty good, actually. Ground beef, lettuce, sour cream, plenty of jalapenos, but not many tortilla chips. Hmmm.

I dug for the chips and found they were buried in a pool. Of grease. I’m normally not grease-adverse, but this was a surprising amount, even for street food. It hadn’t even sat 60 seconds and there was already a pool of grease a half inch deep in my waxed paper basket. Yikes. I tasted it to see if it was chili oil or something adventurous, but it wasn’t. It tasted like grease.

I only found about 7 or 8 chips in the bottom of the basket, none of which had the slightest amount of crispiness left in them. They were sogged through completely. That’s a pretty disappointing number of chips for an order of nachos. The meat itself was actually pretty flavorful and seasoned well, as long as you ate from the part of the meat mound above the grease line. Once you got below that, it wasn’t the best. The lettuce and jalapenos were good, again, above the grease line.

I was sad after I ate as much as I could from the basket. I didn’t finish it. I didn’t feel very spritely after I ate this, either. In fact, for the rest of the day. I’m guessing a few other people in the office got slowed down as well. I’m surprised the company I work for didn’t suggest people make healthy dishes since this whole farmers market Thursday thing was intended to get people to eat better.

I don’t think I’ll hit up the food truck from Cora’s again anytime soon. But I will likely be back to the actual restaurant in St. Paul for fried rice and chicken nuggets, however….

Not enough for a top 5 on this one.

Detail: Cora’s Best Chicken Wings Foodtruck – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Crumb Gourmet Deli – Eden Prairie, MN

I was going to meet someone for a little business discussion over lunch this week and he told me I should choose the location. I suggested Crumb since I’ve been hoping to eat there for some time. It’s very close to my office and easy for him to get to, as well.

The inside (and outside) of the place is modern and fairly open and inviting. You stand in line in a sort of Chipotle-ish flow and figure out what sort of hot or cold sandwich or salad you’d like to order. You tell the person your order and then can add or subtract ingredients as they make it in front of you. To be honest, the whole thing was a little less gourmet than I expected, but it was a better atmosphere than Subway or Chipotle.

I got the Empire sandwich – grilled chicken, swiss, tomatoes, romaine and asiago Caesar dressing on toasted ciabatta. They cut it in half for me and asked me if I wanted fruit, coleslaw, or chips with it. I went with fruit. I thought I’d get a cup of fruit salad of something, but I got handed an apple. I laughed when I thought of Trash telling me about an airplane trip where they took away the meal they had brought her initially because she’s a vegetarian. They gave her an apple. Hahahahahahahaha.

We had to stand with our trays of food while we waited for tables to be freed up. This place is really busy during the lunch hour. I was surprised. We stood for 7 or 8 minutes until someone left and we sat down. We talked business for a bit, while we ate. My sandwich was just alright. The ingredients were fresh and bright, but the flavor of the chicken was bland. There was also a lot of bread compared to the rest of the sandwich. I know this place is all about living well and eating well, but I don’t want a bread sandwich. I was a tad disappointed overall.

I thought the “gourmet” part of the name would involve some sort of interesting ingredients or high end cheese or something uncommon or unusual. It didn’t. It just meant smaller, cleaner, and more expensive. I’m not angry that I tried it and I’d probably go back, since it’s close. However, I won’t hinge my bets on the gourmet portion of the sandwich. I also won’t get the apple again – I love apples and I ate it, but I can grab an apple at work and pay less for it. It’s just an apple.


Top 5 things about Crumb Gourmet Deli
1. Modern and inviting atmosphere
2. Big menu
3. Staff were really nice
4. If it isn’t cold, the patio seems nice
5. Plenty of parking in the strip mall

Bottom 5 things
1. Empire Sandwich
2. Fruit is just an apple
3. Still has a nicer Subway feel
4. Waited a while to get a seat and had no place to stand where we weren’t in someone’s way
5. Gourmet just means more expensive

www.crumbgourmetdeli.com

Detail: Crumb Gourmet Deli – Eden Prairie, MN