Friday, July 30, 2010
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque
http://www.smalleysbbq.com/
I visited Smalley's this evening and I enjoyed it very much. I have passed the place many times while visiting Stillwater, MN without giving it much thought. Then, I read this article in Minnesota monthly that made me give the place a try. This is a pirate themed bar with a 6 page rum menu. It's good fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the food and libations I had there. I started out with a drink called a "dark and stormy" which was made from ginger beer, lime and rum. VERY GOOD. I could drink these all night. Then, we got the plaintain and tortilla chip appetizer with queso and habanero salsa. Good! I love plantain chips, and these were good. The habanero salsa was hot, but tolerable.
Then came dinner. Mmmmmm. I ordered the coal fired pork shoulder plate, and my husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich. When you order meats here, you can have them made regular barbeque style, or jamaican jerk style. Go for the jerk. Its amazing. An interesting fact is that all the meats at Smalley's (and all true jerk meats) are smoked over pimento wood, which was banned from import to the U.S. until recently. Smalley's importer for the wood is a minnesota company!
My pork shoulder was very good, and an ample, but not overwhelming portion. The meat iself had a mild favor, and is served unsauced, with jerk and bbq sauces you can use at the table. The meat by itself was moist and spicy, with very little fat. The sides I chose were pork and beans and macaroni and cheese. The beans in this side were an afterthought! But still very good. The mac n' cheese was creamy and delicious. It also came with a piece of cornbread that contained some sort of mild green pepper or chile. It was good, but not spicy.
My husband got the pulled pork. It came with a pirate brand in the bun! (see above!) He got the close slaw. Very enjoyable he says.
For dessert we got a "drunken banana chocolate cake." WAY TOO RICH. Share this with 3-4 people if you get it.
I would definitely go back to this place if I was in the Stillwater area.
Cocoa & Fig
http://www.cocoaandfig.com/
A coworker brought in goodies from this bakery, located in Gavidae Common in downtown Minneapolis. Addiction has already set in.
The bakery serves a variety of things, from many types of exquisite cupcakes, to scones, housemade granola, french style macarons, and cake pops!
The macarons were a delight to me and something I have never had before. Essentially, they are a thin, sugar wafer with cream and flavoring in the middle. There are many flavors, most common being chocolate, raspberry, and my fave pistachio! These are unique in that you bite into them and you get immediately a slightly crumbly texture from the wafers breaking up a bit, followed by the creaminess, and then an unexpected chewiness afterward, which you wouldn't expect after the crumbly. These are VERY GOOD and not overly sweet. A must if you visit.
The cake pops are another interesting find. They are covered in EXCELLENT chocolate, and the cake inside is so moist that it just melts in your mouth. They come in chocolate and vanilla. I have had both and I must say that I prefer the vanilla, but both are grand.
The cupcakes are also really good, with a lot of interesting flavors that vary by the days that you visit. Very beautifully designed as well. These would be great for a fancy party.
This place is excellent. Go. Eat macarons. Be thankful you are alive!