There's something cozy and familiar about Rachel's, in the former Bobino's location on Hennepin Ave NE. Nestled between Punch Pizza and a coffee shop, this quaint space will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, especially with a patio space adjacent to Punch. The Rimarcik's are fairly familiar with the area and the temporary menu that we ate off of on Tuesday seems to be a hybrid of foods familiar to the era that Rachel's harkens too (think ham salad, corned beef hash) and a local favorite, the Monte Carlo (also owned by the Rimarcik's). Some of the classics from the Monte Carlo, chicken wings, burgers, etc. are done as well as the original. The new dishes, Peel 'n Eat Shrimp, mussels, corned beef hash, are simple but well executed. Portion sizes were good and with few customers in the new space, John and Tony brought over a couple complimentary glasses of 2008 cabernet sauvignon from Argentina. While the red didn't pair well with the mussels, the shellfish themselves were good and served with nicely toasted baguette pieces and french fries. Love french fries.
For dinner Jenny had the plaza burger, cooked perfectly medium with a bit of pink. They initially forgot the cheese, which she added on, but they fixed the mistake right away under the broiler and even gave her a new bun. My corned beef hash was delicious, only wish it had one more fried egg. The fried egg was cooked nicely over easy and the hash was as good as a dinner hash can be, meaty and filling. We chatted over the remnants of our glasses of wine, admiring the green checkered table cloths and natural tones. The space still feels a bit empty, but I'm sure it will pick up as people catch wind of their opening. It will be interesting to see how well Rachel's fares with Masu Sushi and Robata opening up this week just a block down the street. I'm sure we'll be back, especially if they keep the Monte Carlo chicken wings on the menu. I'll admit I have a bias for the Monte Carlo that dates back at least a decade to my time in the North Loop, before it was cool to live a block away from Deja Vu, Sexworld and the other late night neon lights.
For dinner Jenny had the plaza burger, cooked perfectly medium with a bit of pink. They initially forgot the cheese, which she added on, but they fixed the mistake right away under the broiler and even gave her a new bun. My corned beef hash was delicious, only wish it had one more fried egg. The fried egg was cooked nicely over easy and the hash was as good as a dinner hash can be, meaty and filling. We chatted over the remnants of our glasses of wine, admiring the green checkered table cloths and natural tones. The space still feels a bit empty, but I'm sure it will pick up as people catch wind of their opening. It will be interesting to see how well Rachel's fares with Masu Sushi and Robata opening up this week just a block down the street. I'm sure we'll be back, especially if they keep the Monte Carlo chicken wings on the menu. I'll admit I have a bias for the Monte Carlo that dates back at least a decade to my time in the North Loop, before it was cool to live a block away from Deja Vu, Sexworld and the other late night neon lights.
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