Orders from the Top
what the owners and managers of area restaurants order
Trevor Kupfer, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
It’s easy to ask friends and acquaintances about their favorite foodstuffs and eateries, but what about the owners themselves? What do they like to order off their own menu? And where do they like to go on the rare occasions that they eat elsewhere? And what do they order when they do? Here’s what we found out.
Linda Mogensen, Stella Blues
Favorite dish on your menu: Right now it’s the Blue Angel Pasta
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Sushi from Shanghai Bistro
Gina Gonzalez, Tacos Juanita
Favorite dish on your menu: Sopa Azteca (Chicken Tortilla Soup)
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: The Shrimp Tempura Lunch Bento Box from Fuji Sushi & Steak House
Yeng Yang, Pad Thai
Favorite dish on your menu: Thai Drunken Noodles
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Buffet at Old Country Buffet
Brenda Hopkins, Duncan Creek Wine Bar & Grille
Favorite dish on your menu: The New Orleans Pasta with sausage and chicken
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Our family really likes the seafood from Manny’s Cocina
Joanne Palzkill, Draganetti’s and Taverna Grill
Favorite dish on your menu: Chicken Marsala, unless I have a pizza craving for our House Special with banana peppers and no pepperoni. At Taverna I have Italian Beef with homemade fries or the Sicilian Spinach Salad.
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: It has to be Manny’s. I love the Fiesta Salad with shrimp or seared tuna and the seafood dishes are fabulous, particularly the halibut.
Jeff Dary, Chick-A-Dee’s
Favorite dish on your menu: Eggs Benedict
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Barbequed ribs from Famous Dave’s
Laura Girolamo, Court’N House
Favorite dish on your menu: Bacon cheeseburger with fries
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Grizzly’s Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Tacos Juanitas – singled out the Sopa
Azteca (Chicken Tortilla Soup) as her
favorite item from her own menu.
Barry Anderson, Mike’s Smokehouse
Favorite dish on your menu: Barbeque Burrito
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: The Bleu Ribbon Burger at Red Robin
Bill Konkoly, Foster’s Cheese Haus
Favorite dish on your menu: Our wood-fired Bleu Cheese Spinach Pizza with caramelized onions and walnuts.
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: The Spanish Omelet from Obsession Chocolates
Ryan Miescke, Kim Chi Café
Favorite dish on your menu: Raboki
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Draganetti’s 21-Clove Garlic Pasta and their Roasted Garlic appetizer
Lindsey Baker, Raw Deal
Favorite dish on your menu: The Raw Lasagna (when in season)
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Hummus Hoagie from Acoustic Café
Mark Johnson, Zanzibar
Favorite dish on your menu: I just switch around so much that it’s hard, but the Meatloaf Mignon is really big right now.
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: I like to eat tapas style, so I like to go to Manny’s Cocina to get 4-5 appetizers with their awesome guacamole, salsas, and queso.
Sam Almadhoun, Water Street Deli
Favorite dish on your menu: The Chicken Kabob
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Fajitas from Cancun
Sheldon Gough, Lucy’s Delicatessen
Favorite dish on your menu: Half sandwich and a cup of soup. The reuben, Chippewa Hot Beef, and tuna melt are to die for, and we had a white bean chicken chili today that was fantastic.
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: Steak or seafood from either Houligan’s or Duncan Creek
Scott Rogers, Gloria Jean’s
Favorite drink on your menu: Iced mocca with skim milk, extra ice, and no whipped cream
Favorite dish on someone else’s menu: I have three big ones: Famous Dave’s Not’cho Ordinary Nachos Grande, Shanghai Bistro’s Hunan Beef, and Grizzly’s Honey Basil Spit-Roasted Chicken Sandwich.
