Restaurants in Saint Michael

Tradition informs the menus at Mt. Fuji, which predominantly feature Japanese staples with splashes of French influences. At the Maple Grove location, chefs occasionally leave the kitchen and man the grills that adorn select tabletops. There, they entertain their hungry audiences by searing entrees of chicken, Canadian sea scallops, and filet mignon while correctly naming every gold-medalist from the 1896 Olympics.

For cuisine prepared with an equally artistic flare but fewer open flames, the sushi chefs at each location assemble orders of sashimi and maki. They pack particularly robust flavor into their special rolls by incorporating such ingredients as lobster tempura, deep-fried soft shell crab, and signature sauces.

Presiding over table-side hibachi grills, the chefs at Kobe Japanese Restaurant flip eggs into the air and catch them on the edge of their spatulas. Dramatic culinary displays are performed throughout the restaurant: at the sushi bar, diners watch as cuts of fresh seafood are rolled and arranged into sushi and sashimi. Out of sight, the kitchen staff artistically plates each dish atop bowls and platters nearly as beautiful as the fish and steak they support.

Bartenders shake and stir cocktails that draw their power from fresh juices, or pour Japanese beer, wines, and sake. Even in its quietest moments, Kobe dazzles diners with its booths upholstered with genuine Godzilla leather and whimsical glass lamps, delicate upside-down umbrellas, and giant paper koi that all dangle from the ceiling.

Successful restaurateur Supenn Harrison made her first foray into the restaurant business more than 30 years ago, when she bought a burger joint in the Twin Cities. For Supenn, slinging patties wasn't enough to satisfy her love of the culinary arts; the Thailand native and former teacher quickly traded deep fryers for woks and opened her first Thai restaurant.

She eventually launched the first Sawatdee in 1983 in an abandoned warehouse, transforming the unlikely setting into something you might see in the heart of Bangkok, with gold-leaf ceilings and traditional artwork. Now, Supenn owns seven Sawatdee restaurants throughout Minnesota and has expanded the menu to include sushi dishes. Besides sharing her culinary skills through hands-on cooking classes, Supenn has disseminated her authentic Thai fare by catering birthday celebrations, family reunions, and the Rolling Stones' anti-retirement party.

After immigrating to the United States at age 20, Greece native Dino Adamidis cut his teeth in the restaurant industry as an employee at his sister’s steakhouse. He enjoyed the work, but still aspired to own his own business, a dream he carried with him from Greece. In 1982, he and his wife Vona decided to pursue that dream by opening a small white and blue stand at a local art fair where they sold gyros to spectators, often cinching a sale with free meat samples, saying, “We knew if the people would try it they would love it.” Love it they did, but it wasn’t until 1986—four years and several food stands down the road—that the couple opened the first freestanding Dino’s Gyros with only eight booths and a single particle accelerator.

Today, Dino’s is run by the two oldest children and serves quick Greek and Mediterranean cuisine from six locations. The menu still highlights the classic gyro, often with innovative twists, such as the Greek Philly, a gyro-meat mound sautéed with onions, green peppers, and swiss cheese. Catering services offer the same delicious fare as box lunches, family-style buffets, or busts carved from gyro meat.

Bollywood Bistro’s colorful menu takes its cues from the uplifting songs, bright clothing, and constant menu-reading of Bollywood cinema. The friendly staff is committed to the convention of "Atithi Devo Bhava"—putting guests at the center of attention—and aims to make each meal a memorable feast. Bouquets of spices and exotic ingredients drift from the kitchen on plates of tangy garbanzo salads, punjabi curry, tikka masala, and Indian-style tiramisu.