Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews

by Marilyn Hagerty

  When I ordered the gyro beef dish, I had no idea what I was getting for $8.99. The menu said only, “Tender slices of beef and lamb in spices.” It was served on a square black plate with thinly sliced lean meat and hummus along with a light cucumber sauce, a tomato slice in one corner and cucumber slice in the other. There was a small cup of salad on the plate along with a pleasing cucumber sauce for dressing. The meat was tender and tasty, though a little too salty. The combination of tastes was nice.

  It was a complete meal. With it, I had a cup of Arabic tea (99 cents) and, for dessert, a Ladies Arm, described as “curled dough with cream and pistachio.” On the menu, it says $7.50, but Thamir said that was a mistake. Well, whatever.

  The Ladies Arm turned out to be three small rolls of very nice mild flavored pastry—not too sweet and not too much. I finished the meal thinking I would certainly go back. If for nothing else, I would go there for Arabic tea and Ladies Arm in the afternoon. The tea was exceptionally good and so inviting, served in an ornate teacup with a tiny sugar bowl on the side.

  I was having lunch with Maggie McDermott (MM), who enjoyed gyro chicken ($6.99). And MM found the pressed, thinly sliced chicken to be some of the best ever. She ordered Arabic coffee (99 cents) and found it very good. We wondered where else you can find coffee at that price.

  Babylon is a small family business run by Thamir and Waffa Khadim with help from some of their five children. It’s the same facility that has been the site of other restaurants in recent years—most recently Bella Vino. Some people remember the location as the lounge of the Dacotah Hotel.

  There is a high back table with chairs down the center with three tables on one side and six roomy black wooden booths on the other side. The new owners have enriched the decor with artwork from their homeland.

  The family, originally from Iraq, came here by way of Turkey two years ago with help from the United Nations. They have been learning English, and Thamir, who had graduated from college in Iraq, said his family feels safe in Grand Forks.

  Babylon continues to operate, in a new location, in Grand Forks.

  Kon Nechi Wa’s Japanese Cuisine Goes Well Beyond Sushi

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  MAY 4, 2011

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  They started out 10 years ago in Grand Forks selling egg rolls, fried rice and Japanese doughnuts at the downtown Farmers Market. They moved on to a little takeout place in Grand Cities Mall. And five years ago, Sadako (Sachi) and Lester MacGregor opened Kon Nechi Wa’s at 3750 32nd Ave. S.

  Today, they offer a daily special of chicken- or beef-fried rice, egg roll and beverage for $4.95. And they go far beyond the special, with Japanese cuisine concepts such as sushi, sashimi, edamame and harumaki. Their menu offers smoked salmon sushi, eel sushi with cucumber and avocado and items such as orange masago sushi crab meat.

  The whole restaurant is tastefully decorated with Japanese art. Many of the pieces were brought by Sadako MacGregor, who came to the U.S. after she met her husband, a U.S. serviceman, on duty in Japan.

  Their restaurant has quietly grown and flourished with the help of family members over the years. Twin daughters—Cathy Haines and Sandy MacGregor—are on the serving staff along with a grandson, Steven Haines, 15, who is starting out as a busboy and hopes someday to take over the business.

  Cathy Haines was our waitress when I went with a group for lunch. She explained the choice of chicken- or beef-fried rice with egg roll and beverage choice on the special. She told us of the gluten-free meals served at Kon Nechi Wa’s. She explained the series of sauces so we could decide how sweet or how hot we wanted to make our rice.

  The menu draws diners who seek out appetizers such as calamari, coconut-breaded shrimp skewers and yaki-tori. There are several tempura offerings among the appetizers. There is a teriyaki stir-fry section, which comes in several versions. Some of the dinners feature steamed red snapper, walleye, chicken or crab legs. Entrees are in the $14 to $16 price range.

  With the coming of spring and summer, Kon Nechi Wa’s will add more sushi. Sushi platters, which start at $14.95, are made up in a wide variety of choices. The most expensive on the menu is Platter 9, with a half rainbow roll, Caterpillar roll, California roll, Philly Smoked Salmon roll, spicy tuna roll and hamachi, tuna, sake, ika and shrimp nigiri for $49.95.

  The entire menu is there to meet the fancy of diners who want to explore the cuisine.

  Kon Nechi Wa’s continues to operate in Grand Forks.

  Cajun Cooking, Hot Wings Draw Diners to Parrot’s Cay

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  MAY 11, 2011

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  Curiosity led me to an amazingly interesting adventure in eating at Parrot’s Cay, just east of South Washington Street on 36th Avenue South.

  Actually, it’s an eating and drinking establishment that seems away from the crowds. But when I drove up to it around 6:30 P.M. on a Wednesday evening, I had a hard time finding a place to park within a block.

  Once inside, I was looking around for a friend. Before I knew it, a man came over and asked if I wanted a seat. There were no empty places in the booths or tables. The man stood by his friend, Dawn Acker. They made sure we had a place to sit. And Dawn told us about the hot stuff on the menu.

  At Parrot’s Cay, they talk in numbers of heat you get in food items. Although the wings run from 3 to 15 in heat level, I decided on a 7 for my wings. The menu says 13 will make you sweat. All I wanted to do was eat. I ordered some fried dill pickles and a bottle of light beer to go with the wings.

  My friend, who loves Cajun-style food, ordered a pasta with crawdads that comes with green peppers, onions, mushrooms and black olives sautéed in Parrot Cay sauce. This is served over a bed of angel hair pasta and topped with Parmesan cheese. You can get this for $11.99 or a half-size version (which is plenty) for $6.49.

  I found the people friendly and helpful. They told me about the hot-wing eating contests held there, and pointed to the pictures on the far wall of those who had survived the wing contest.

  Rob Drahovzal, who has owned Parrot’s Cay for the past nine years, is around most of the time, mingling with the customers. A friendly man, he was wearing a colorful Cajun-style shirt. He said his chef, Geoffrey Stallard, comes up with more recipes than they can put on the menu. And the assistant chefs are full of ideas for wings, pasta and lavosh. He’s proud of winning a wing competition at a creative barbecue contest last year in Buffalo, N.Y. The big menu at Parrot’s Cay claims this is the “home of the best damn hot wings in town.”

  On the menu, which says a cay is a small, low island composed largely of coral and sand, there are appetizers, house specialties including salads, poor-boy sandwiches, lavosh and burgers. The Phat Guy Burger is described as a half-pound beef patty with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, fried onions, American and Swiss cheese and topped with the special Phat Guy sauce. All for $8.99.

  The menu also lists red beans and rice served with Andouille sausage, bell peppers, onions, celery and spices. The Cay also serves a bowl of corn covered in Cajun butter for $1.

  Food is served with utensils wrapped in a napkin. But on the table where we sat, there were a couple of rolls of paper towels that came in most handy. You need something like that when you are eating wings.

  Parrot’s Cay continues to operate in Grand Forks.

  Diners Find the New and Old Appealing at Mexican Village

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  SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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  Mexican Village is one of those places that’s always there. It’s been around for decades and is always a good place to meet and eat. Mexican Village is the offshoot of the first Mexican restaurant opened downtown in Grand Forks in the 1960s by Bob Mora, who stayed in this area after retiring from the U.S. Air Force.

  It’s the home of the Norwegian taco ($5.59), a lightly deep-fried pita bread topped with beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream. It has a steady following here since it was introduced by Mae and Ray Gordon, who operated the restaurant before selling it
to Angie Green 10 years ago. She had worked for them, and with her partner, Joe Egstad, carries on the same traditions as the Gordons.

  My order recently for a late lunch was for a small beef quesadilla ($5.09) and a diet cola in a bottle—not one of those humongous glasses—($1.89). As I waited, I demolished a half basket full of chips with some very, very mild salsa. The quesadilla also was mildly flavored with a pleasing combination of lettuce, green pepper, beef, olives and tomato.

  The menu said, “Real Mexican foods are not overly hot, just seasoned well enough to satisfy the taste for something very exciting.” That is why many people enjoy the food at Mexican Village. And it also has been the subject of criticism from some who prefer more hot and spicy fare.

  Among the specialties is a Mexican pizza. This is a crisp flour tortilla topped with beef, cheese, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and black olives. The small version is $5.49, and the large is $6.49.

  Desserts are there for those who want a sweet finish to a meal. They include Mexican fried ice cream, apple cinnamon delight and sopapilla, which is fried bread dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and served with warm maple or chocolate syrup for dipping ($3.19). And then there’s cinnamon ice cream.

  Mexican Village has daily lunch specials ranging from $4.09 for a flour tortilla with cheese to a medium burrito for $5.19. A small Mexican pizza is featured for $4.89. Kids eat free off the children’s menu Sundays.

  Mexican Village stays pretty much the same from year to year. However, the new chicken pepper gravy has taken off on burritos, according to Green.

  Mexican Village continues to operate in Grand Forks.

  Ruby Tuesday’s Vast Menu Offers Many Healthy Choices

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  DECEMBER 21, 2011

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  My yearning for lobster was satisfied on a recent visit to the new Ruby Tuesday restaurant. I don’t need a huge amount, and the small lobster tail served with the Shellfish Trio was perfect. It was served with a lump crab cake and three jumbo shrimp.

  The cost for the shellfish trio dinner is $17.99, and with it, you have a choice of two fresh sides. I chose steamed broccoli that was done just right—not that mushy stuff that often shows up in restaurants. And I had another side of grilled green beans. There was a tiny biscuit served with the meal.

  The decor is warm and inviting, with dark wood and brown tones throughout. Soft lamplight provides a cozy feeling. Servers look professional in all-black shirts and trousers.

  Ruby Tuesday features lobster specials on weekends, including a lobster tail served with petite sirloin steak ($17.99). Other specials include lobster mac and cheese and garden bar ($14.99). The “shareables”—or appetizers—include Asian dumplings and Southwestern spring rolls. There are chicken tenders and quesadillas.

  I would go back and order the grilled salmon salad ($13.99) that comes with fresh greens, peas, grated Parmesan cheese and croutons—a person would become familiar with them after a few visits.

  I chose a late-afternoon time on a Saturday in December to try out Ruby Tuesday, one of five in North Dakota and 1,200 around the country. And even at 4:15 P.M., the parking spots in front of the new restaurant were filling up. It has received a warm welcome here. The menu at Ruby Tuesday is vast, varied and full of healthful choices. At the same time, it is mind-boggling at first.

  There was little to criticize in this beautiful new restaurant. The only thing I noticed was watermarks on the steak knife that came wrapped with a fork and spoon in a nice clothlike paper napkin.

  One plus for the restaurant was found on the menu saying, “We don’t add automatic gratuity for groups. We believe the amount you reward your server should be your choice.”

  Ruby Tuesday continues to operate in Grand Forks.

  Positive Vibes Permeate in Newly Refurbished Whitey’s

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  DECEMBER 28, 2011

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  The newly remodeled version of Whitey’s in East Grand Forks is up and running. And sometime in January, there will be a grand opening, according to Tim Bjerk, the new owner.

  He lists such house specialties as braised beef short ribs, Italian roasted chicken and pasta dishes. And the new menu offers a series of dinner choices including salmon, walleye, shrimp, lobster tail, steaks, prime rib, pan-fried chicken, stuffed pork chop and baby back ribs.

  When asked how things are going, Bjerk shook his head and said, “I’ve got a lot to learn.”

  When I went there for lunch Dec. 17 with my daughter Gail (DG), from Bismarck, we agreed Whitey’s is back on track.

  We remember the days long ago when Whitey’s was a wide-open place full of people from all ranks and ages. The old horseshoe bar is still the center of activity. A game room sports a Schwinn bicycle hanging by the entry. A formal dining room with white cloths and desirable round tables is an important part of the new Whitey’s.

  But it’s the food that matters. DG and I found our lunch visit quite good. Chef Michael Rude is turning out appetizers, including chicken liver pâté, long a trademark of Whitey’s. When I found the Riverboat sandwich on the menu, I had to have it—for old time’s sake. I found this version very satisfactory, served with onions and mushrooms on crunchy grilled ciabatta bread for $11.99.

  I was especially pleased with the coleslaw as a side. I had, in fact, inquired about it since I don’t believe it should be cabbage swimming in sloppy dressings. Our waitress offered to bring me a sample in a tiny cup before I made my choice.

  The Whitey’s coleslaw is great—crisp, with a light dressing. And often I think that as the coleslaw goes, so goes the menu.

  The luncheon special of beef tips, onions, mushrooms, pepper and red wine gravy on mashed potatoes ($9.99) was DG’s choice. She was pleased with the basic, good taste and commented, “The idea here is we won’t eat for the rest of the day.”

  We decided to share dessert and chose the chef’s own version of tiramisu. The traditional layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in espresso syrup and a whipped Mascarpone mousse was $6.99. It was heavenly to taste and beautifully presented, with tiny puffs of whipped cream and a tiny mint leaf.

  There is a positive feeling about the food, the kitchen, the service. There is a general hope that the restaurant—one of the oldest in this region—will succeed.

  Recently added is a large, new black-and-white painting by Patty Kobetsky that is a study of the history surrounding the Wonderbar of days gone by. It stirs memories for some customers.

  Marilyn reports, “Whitey’s is still open and doing OK as far as I can tell. It has lots of competition but the advantage, too, of being in what we call the Boardwalk, or ‘restaurant row,’ above the Red River in East Grand Forks. With its long history, it is a place people go to when they come back for visits or reunions.”

  Southgate Serves Up Tasty Food, Fun at Bargain Prices

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  JANUARY 11, 2012

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  Southgate Casino Bar and Grill has entrenched itself as a place where people go for good food as well as bingo and games. On the first day of January, I joined a group of friends to visit and eat at Southgate, a laid-back type of place where people go for good times and good food at bargain prices. Our server was Rachel, and she did a very good job of keeping a large group with varied orders happy.

  When I ordered the clubhouse sandwich with fries, I feared it would be too much for one person. The sandwich was nicely presented, and the fries were as good as they get—light golden in color and lightly salted. My idea of a club sandwich is turkey, bacon, tomato and lettuce in a toasted double-decker format. The Southgate version has all of that, plus some bland cheese that seems unnecessary. But it is good, and it is excessive. Half of it went home to join other leftovers in the refrigerator. My check was $8.49.

  Others in the group were eating Walleye Chunks ($9.99) and Walleye Subs ($10.99). After a discussion, they decided the walleye fillets were preferable to the chunks, which had a heavy coating. In fact, the fillets w
ere rated quite high.

  The Southgate soup stood up to its standards in the potato dumpling version available.

  Customers seem to find their favorites at Southgate. And they wait for the specials that show up—such as the French dip and fries Wednesdays, which is sometimes offered for $1.99. That is, if you also purchase a drink from the bar.

  The No. 1 seller is the sirloin tips with mushrooms, onions and peppers. The deluxe version is $11.49 for a small order or $16.99 for a large one. These come with garlic toast and creamy red potatoes. Otherwise, you can get the tips and reds for $9.99.

  If it’s a dessert you seek, forget it. Southgate doesn’t list any on the menu. Otherwise, the Southgate menu is fairly complete, with burgers, Mexican food, soups and salads, chicken, wraps and appetizers and lavosh—along with Southgate specialties. These include the steak sandwich, Reuben, Southgate Philly and a steak or chicken chipotle melt. There is also a “Poutine” item on the lavosh menu. It is described as fries and cheese curds topped with gravy ($16.99).

  Creativity Helps Blue Moose Stay Ahead of the Game

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  JANUARY 18, 2012

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  The concept of tapas (small plates dining), which originated in Spain, is doing quite well at the Blue Moose in East Grand Forks. The current tapas menu promotes sharing, and provides different tastes to a meal.