Black Sheep Pizza

Black Sheep Pizza, located smack in the heart of the action in the Warehouse District, claims to be the first coal-burning pizza joint in Minnesota. I don't know if that is true, and I don't care. The pizzas that comes out of their giant beast of an oven is the stuff dreams are made of. Not that I dream about pizza a lot. I am actually not a pizza fanatic, so if I am going to have pizza, it has to fulfill certain requirements.

First, it must be on the Neopolitan-esque variety. Super thin crust that is both crispy and chewy, topped with simple, fresh, top quality ingredients like tangy sauce, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil. Although Black Sheep's pies are not techincally Neopolitan (they would be baked in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire to qualitfy), it certainly fit the bill for me. The crust was crowned with blackened bubbles that gave way to tender, bready dough with an unsurpassed yeasty flavor. We got ours topped with tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. It was salty, sweet, crunchy, soft creation that made us both giddy. I wanted to clap after the first bite. I should have, why not?!

The young couple to our right ordered their "usual", they explained. A giant calzone oozing with mozzarella and ricotta cheeses and served with marinara sauce. I was rude enough to ask if I can take a photo, but not rude enough to ask for a bite. Dang.

To our left was a woman who had dragged her two teenage kids from Orono to sample a taste of the city. Between texts, they raved about the meatball pizza, and Mom loved the roasted red peppers and fennel sausage. It looked fabulous and smelled divine. Next time.

I have to talk about the space for a minute. Black Sheep takes exposed pipes to a whole new level. There are huge contraptions in the main seating area that scream "litigation", but they add a feel of authenticity to the urban space. The concrete floors are clearly original to the building and not just splattered with paint by a designer going for the "weathered" look. Although the restaurant is in the basement level, the tall windowns and corner location give patrons a unique view of the buzz of Washington Avenue.

The service was superb, especially considering they had a constant hour wait during our visit. A true sign of good service is not in its perfection, but how problems are handled. We had ordered two small pizzas, but our first pizza arrived big and beautiful. We simply cancled the second pizza and proceeded to happily devoure the one in front of us. But our server only charged us for one small pizza, and comped my husband's beer. Seriously? Her "mistake" was to give us too much of a good thing, and she feels badly about it? Now this is top notch service in my book.

Busy busy.

Can you smell it?

Larger than life calzone.

Speaking of next time, my husband coined the phrase "the Alex litmus test": if I am already planning the next order before finishing my first slice, the restaurant has earned a post on my recommendation blog. Yes, I know exactly what I will order next time.

F.A.Q

Pricey?
Even without the generosity of our server, the bill would have been more than reasonable.

Family friendly?
Depends on when you go. On Saturday night, we waited almost an hour. While it was well worth it for us, small children (those not yet versed in the art of gaming and/or texting) might be better off enjoying Black Sheep on a week night.

Web site
Click here.

Little Tel Aviv

Every so often, I crave a taste of home. So what's a girl from Israel living in the Land of 10,000 Uses for Cream of Mushroom Soup to do when the taste for down home cooking strikes? I head across the river to a strip mall (gasp!) by Lake Calhoun. There, in Little Tel Aviv, I find exactly what I am craving: garlicky hummus, crispy falafel balls tucked into warm pita bread, tea naana (tea with fresh mint) and chatty, friendly service with just enough Israeli chutzpah to remind me of the cafés back home.

One of the best things about this sunny spot by the lake is owner Teddy Nachmias, an Israeli native and a perfect mix of Minnesota nice and Israeli spice. Teddy's little Minneapolis shop serves a bountiful selection of sandwiches, salads, authentic Israeli dishes, and decadent desserts with a dash of enthusiastic conversation and sass.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite culinary memories from my childhood are my dad's French fries, sizzled  in an ancient frier we brought with us all the way to Minnesota many years ago. So far, I've only found two places that serve fries of equal grandeur. One of these places is Little Tel Aviv (the other is Mim's, in St. Paul). Little Tel Aviv makes the crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, amber colored French fries by hand from real live potatoes every day and fries them to order. It's a labor of love and we love them for it.

Another must-try are the velvety Burekas, made with delicate layers of phyllo dough and filled with potatoes, ricotta, or spinach and feta. Sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked to golden perfection, the pillowy pastries melt in your mouth and make a lovely companion to the zesty hummus platter. Finally, be sure and top off your meal with Botz (mud), an ultra thick coffee that stands the pencil test. Yes, it will keep you awake for days, but it's worth it, trust me.

These are the foods of my youth. There are many variations around town, but for the dishes that send me back to my seaside home town and my best friend's Mom's kitchen, only Little Tel Aviv will do.

Hummus, burekas, and a dark beer. Lunch is served!

Hummus sandwich. 

Alon Sandwich, named after one of the owner's SEVEN children. And he seemed so sane. 

Check out the height on this baby. Falafel balls galore. 

Napoleon: Puff pastry, cream filling, a dark chocolate ganache topping. Need I say more? 

So good, it deserved two photos. 

F.A.Q

But I don't know Israeli food.
It's basically what you might know as Middle Eastern food with a lot of comfy Eastern European thrown in. A little of this, a little of that. So go, don't be a putz.

Kid friendly?
The guy's got seven kids. There is nothing your toddler can throw at him (literally or figuratlively) that he cannot handle. Bring Bubbe too.

Web site?
littletel-aviv.com

Nina's Coffee House

I love living in St. Paul. I like Minneapolis fine, but St. Paul's old soul pulls me out of my self, out of my routines, out of the doldrums of an ever-lasting winter, just by allowing me to spend a part of a gray frozen day in the warm cocoon of one of its many cozy coffee shops.

One such classic gem is Nina's Coffee Cafe in the mansion studded Cathedral Hill neighborhood. It's royal entrance opens up to sky-high ceilings, grand windows, and exposed brick walls. There are long benches where you can plant yourself with your laptop for the day, or cozy arm chairs for a chat with your friends. There is even a VIP-like section up a flight of stairs where you can go if you are feeling anti-social, or just really important for some reason.

The service is quintessential Minnesota Nice. The coffee is good and strong, and the very popular oatmeal is a giant bowl of creamy goodness. The fact that they serve a full menu ranks high with me, since I love to work from coffee shops and get irked if I have to pack up and leave at lunch time. It's a win-win. I don't have to brave the elements for lunch, and they get more of my money. Perfect.

I went there recently for a send-off coffee with my friend who left for New York. And what do you know, they had a giant likeness of the Statue of Liberty hovering over our table as if to say, "please don't leave Anna, we have all you need right here in Saint Paul."

Yes, they have donuts. What more could you ask for?

A generous helping of warm-you-down-to-your-toes oatmeal worth the 20 minute wait.

See! There she is. Who needs NYC anyway?

Grab a seat. Stay a while. 

F.A.Q

Child-friendly?

Kind of. It's big enough to drown out little voices, and there are lots of fun things to look at, but there is not a specific kids' play area and no room to run. Not that you should let your kids do that anyway. Who would do that? Shame on you.

Price range:

I thought the coffee was a bit steep (get it? Steep?) at over $2 for a small cup, but it is refillable and the food prices were in line with other coffee shops in the area.

Parking:

Street only, and beware of the 2 hour parking signs. They are everywhere.

Do they have a web site?

No, but they do have a Facebook page. Doesn't everybody? Nina's Coffee Cafe