Restaurants – Page 6 – Simply Norma

Ray J’s American Grill in Woodbury

We went to Ray J’s American Grill last evening for dinner.

It feels and is a sports bar although the bar section is on one side and the restaurant is on the other. It was pretty busy when we arrived.

We ordered onion rings which were delicious. Unfortunately, they got gobbled up before I was able to take a picture.

The three entrees we ordered are below.

Ray J’s Angus Beef Hamburger

Angus beef is used for this hamburger. Normally that’s a good cut but this was almost tasteless. One pickle on the side was all you got along with the french fries. No lettuce, no tomatoe, no onions. It did state on the menu that there was nothing but a pickle with french fries but we didn’t read the menu that closely and just assumed the hamburger would be like all the others with the normal “sides.”

Chicken Marsala

I heard no complaints about the Chicken Marsala which came with garlic mashed potatoes.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

The chicken in the dumpling soup was a little dry but otherwise the soup okay.

Chicken Pot Pie

The chicken in the pot pie was also dry and they used frozen vegetables instead of fresh. Not a good rating for this entree — maybe a two on a scale of five.

We’ve been here one other time and the food was good so maybe another trip would be fine.

Ray J’s is located at 9854 Norma Lane in Woodbury, MN.

Chipotle Restaurant in Woodbury, Minnesota

Since moving to Minnesota, I have had the opportunity to visit different restaurants. I have to say that I am not overly impressed yet with the selection here.

I recently went to Chipotle Restaurant in Woodbury, Minnesota. I was told that it would be better than Taco Del Mar in Seattle, Washington but unfortunately I didn’t find it to be so.

The corn chips are really good. About the same as the ones offered at Senor Moose in Seattle.

Burrito Bowl

I ordered the burrito bowl which is like a tostada but not. It is a layered dish with lime-cilantro rice, beans (pinto or black), a meat of your choice, cheese, lettuce and pico de gallo sauce.

I had wanted the pinto beans but asked if they had any meat in them and was told that they have pork. Eeekkk! That’s weird. So I had the black beans instead although those aren’t my favorite.

When asked what kind of sauce I wanted, I opted for the pico de gallo which I was told was mild. Arrgghhh! Another surprise. It was medium hot.

The chicken I ordered was mildly flavored and was good.

Because I went during lunch time, it was crowded and I was lucky to find a place to sit.

I did find the toothpick wrap and napkin interesting.

Anna Maria’s in South Beloit, WI

We encountered this wonderful little Italian restaurant as we made one stop for dinner before arriving at our daughter’s house prior to Christmas Eve. If only they had restaurants like these everywhere we went. Well, okay, maybe not. We’d be really rolly polly then.

I had the Mostaccioli. This oversized pasta meal was enough to feed three people. It had the right blend of a meat tomato sauce (perfect), cheese and a hint of basil.

What a treat! If you’re ever in the area, you need to stop at this restaurant. A five out of five rating.

Anna Maria’s
823 Gardner St
South Beloit, IL
815.389.2645

Mostaccioli

Noodles & Company

Pad Thai

On the way to Chicago for the holidays, we stopped at a restaurant in Woodbury, MN called Noodles & Company. I ordered the Pad Thai which tasted different than what I’m used to in Seattle. The chicken pieces didn’t have much flavor. I don’t believe they cook them in the sauce. It also lacked the peanut flavor I was used to.

Our son had the Pesto Cavatappi. The noodles were bland. One could have boiled their noodles at home, added salt and it may have tasted the same.

Pesto Cavatappi

Tomato Basil Bisque

I was pleasantly surprised by how much flavor the Tomato Basil Bisque had. Not too much “tomato” taste and just the right hint of basil.

Overall, I’d probably give the restaurant two stars even though the price is right.

Thanh Truc Restaurant

We went to a Vietnamese restaurant last night called Thanh Truc.

We were the only ones there when we arrived. The atmosphere was very nice and peaceful. Service was great.

To start, we had Lemon Grass Chicken Wings which were very good.

I then had the Egg Drop soup which was also good however it had chicken in it which was surprising to me.

Our two entrees were:

Cashew Chicken

The Cashew Chicken which was good although it tasted a little salty to me. I asked the waitress if they used MSG and she said “a little.”

One has to be careful with MSG as it can cause migraines.

Both myself and friends I know have gotten migraines after eating food prepared with MSG.

Our second entree was the An Nam Chicken. This was really good. It had the taste of sweet and sour chicken which I really like.

An Nam Chicken

The chicken is lightly battered and sauteed with vegetables.

The restaurant is located at:

2230 Eagle Creek Lane, Suite 300G
Woodbury, MN 55129
651 436.3431

Current hours of operation are:

Mon – Thur, 11 am to 8 pm
Fri – Sat 11 am to 9 pm
Sun 4 pm to 8 pm

They also have take out. Visit them at:
www.thanhtrucrestaurant.com

On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best, I rate it a 4.

Enjoy!

Lombardi’s Restaurant

Heard on the news yesterday that Lombardi’s in the neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle, WA will be closing.

What a shame!

This Italian restaurant has been around for years in the same corner spot next to Starbucks.

We will definitely miss it.