• For $10, you get $20 worth of French-American cuisine at brunch or lunch. • For $20, you get $40 worth of French-American cuisine and drinks after 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Restaurant's blend of fine French recipes with hardy American ingredients increases gustatory alliances at tables sprinkled throughout its homey dining rooms. In a contemporary take on the timeless roasted duck a l’orange, Grand Marnier and seasonal fruit accompaniments simmer next to a crispy quarter of tender duck ($16). After being pan seared and flambéed with cognac, the steak au poivre's black-peppercorn-encrusted fillet bathes in delicious blend of crème fraîche and bordelaise sauce next to a potato, pasta, or vegetables ($20). The salmon mosaic weaves strips of wild Alaskan salmon and fresh Canadian walleye into a replica of Starry Night before a light poaching and drizzle of lemon beurre blanc and dill ($18). Capturing the essences of classic French cuisine, the chicken coq au vin slow cooks locally raised chicken with bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms in a red-wine sauce ($19 for dinner, $13 for lunch).
Housed in a charming red-brick building, Bilotti's Italian Village churns out a menu of American favorites and old country specialties to silence grousing stomachs. Nestled cozily within casual environs, diners can oil rusty jaw hinges with starters such as the fried clams ($5.99 for a small order) and Italian pasta's archenemy, Italian antipasta ($10.99 per two-person platter). Sink saucy incisors into a smattering of entrees, including the chicken italianne ($10.99), featuring fettuccini pasta fraught with chicken, marinara, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions, or the amphibious Sea & Shore ($16.99), which marries a 6-ounce fillet of walleye pike and a 7-ounce tenderloin steak to form a delightful duo, like a silent, edible Sonny and Cher. Meanwhile, the pizza oven fires up dough disks, including the Bilotti's Ultimate ($21.24 for a 14-inch pie), on which a righteous triumvirate of pepperoni, canadian bacon, and ground beef dance across a field of green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and pineapples. Offered all day, breakfast dishes, such as steak and eggs ($11.99), confound morning news anchors and goad cadres of confused roosters into crowing at sunset. While enjoying delicious bites and discussing the proper way to braid spaghetti, wash down a mighty meal with selections from Bilotti's wine list.
From its humble origins as a soda fountain in 1930s Saint Paul, Green Mill Restaurant and Bar has grown into a franchise with more than 28 locations all over Minnesota and the Midwest. As TV screens blast sports news in the background, patrons at each eatery dine on a menu of classic American and pizzeria fare. Thick, hand-pressed burgers form bunned towers with hefty toppings such as smoked bacon, haystack onions, and chipotle mayo. Families looking to bond can practice fractions on regular, deep-dish, or thin and crispy pizzas or group juggling acts with samplers of 27 juicy wings. In addition to pastas and salads, each location's bar carries a varied drink menu that includes draft beers such as Blue Moon and Samuel Adams alongside wine, martinis, and margaritas.