Carefully crafted Italian

I began my journey by dining at Broders' Pasta Bar in Minneapolis with my good friend, Laura. We had dined here previously and found it to be just as good as before, with some refreshing surprises.

This restaurant does not take reservations but you are able to call ahead and be placed on the list. Often times, you still have to wait once you arrive but it is well worth the wait. The restaurant is small and the bar area is a fun place to eat if you are dining by yourself or with one other person. The evening we dined here there was a mix of single people, couples and families with younger children.

The server was well informed about wines as well as the food options. The menu was varied enough to appeal to a variety of diners yet small enough that it wasn't overreaching.

I enjoyed the white wine which was similar to a chardonnay but with a slightly sweet taste. (Notice the wine dispenser at the bar. I would love to have a smaller version of this in my home some day!)

The bread basket was a perfect blend including flatbread and focaccia. The flatbread was far from bland, unlike most flatbreads in a bread basket.

The quadrucci con pollo dish was a perfect blend of flavors and textures - large pieces of flat house made pasta, field greens, asparagus, chicken, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar and mascarpone and finished with almonds.

Laura enjoyed the ravioli di zucca, which was refreshingly light and not as sweet considering how naturally sweet this dish can be. I have had some overly sweet butternut squash ravioli in the past and this surpassed my expectations while maintaining the traditional ingredients of this dish.

There were two gentlemen dining next to us at the bar who highly recommended the risotto del giorno. One of them ordered it and said it was the best he has ever had and he makes it quite frequently at home.

The dessert was beautiful both in taste and presentation. I appreciated the tiramisu in the way it was made more like a piece of pie rather than a square piece (and the crust on the edge was made from two large ladyfingers). There was just enough rum in the bottom layer to remind you of tiramisu but not enough to overpower or overwhelm the palate.

I would highly recommend this restaurant, but be prepared to wait (with somewhat limited elbow room while waiting) or go early.

www.broders.com

Making a reservation for my journey

As I was reading an article in Mpls. St. Paul magazine entitled "50 Best Restaurants: The essential guide to eating in the Twin Cities right now. Dig in.", I realized how many restaurants were listed I hadn't yet tried. Since I enjoy food and going out to eat, I decided to embark on a journey which would bring a few of the things I love altogether - good food, great friends and a sense of adventure. Thus began this journey.

I work a lot (up to 12 hours a day) so I often come home exhausted and don't particularly enjoy cooking after a long day (although I love to cook and bake when I have time and energy). I am lucky my husband is willing to cook dinner so it's often ready when I arrive home. Or, I will stop on the way home to pick up some quick dinner. However, after realizing that this wasn't working in terms of trying new food (as I tend to rely on whatever is convenient and on my way home), I decided it might be better to truly focus on eating at home as much as possible and then be intentional about how we spend our "eating out" dollars by trying restaurants that are new, different and exciting.

I was speaking with a colleague about it and decided to be a little bit organized about how I was going to embark on this journey. I didn't want to be so rudimentary that it took away the fun of the process, but I also wanted to plan enough that it would diminish some stress that could be associated with the journey.

I created a Google doc and sent it to some friends, whom I know enjoy going out to dinner or are willing to try new places. Next, they were granted access to the Google doc which lists all 50 restaurants. They were to choose as few or as many restaurants as they wanted to try and add their name next to the restaurant(s) they wanted to try. They could also choose a month in which to go. There were a few restaurants I had already filled in with months knowing some restaurants had great patios (and thus wanted to take advantage of our short patio season here in Minnesota!).

Guidelines to consider:

• Pick something out of your comfort zone or a restaurant/cuisine you have always wanted to try

• Diners are responsible for their own expenses

• 4 person limit per dining experience (adults only, please)

• Treat it as a dining experience (attire, conversation, time)

• This is not to be an exhaustive list of culinary experiences, instead it’s a starting point for exploring restaurants in the Twin Cities

I don't pretend to be someone I am not - I am not a trained chef and I am not a writer who makes her living from writing. I am a person who loves food, who enjoys learning, would like to engage in writing on a regular basis and most certainly enjoys spending time with friends and family.

My hope for this year-long experience is that I become better acquainted with the food scene in the Twin Cities and have a deeper appreciation for all that our beautiful area has to offer.

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine - 50 Best Restaurants 2014

Note: I do not have any relationships with any of the restaurants on this list.