Bites Nearby: Muddy Waters Clearly Uneven

Can you trust a restaurant review? Not always.

I remember a local newspaper columnist who doubled as a restaurant critic -- though he was rarely critical. Trouble was, everyone knew him, and when he walked into an eatery, they trotted out their largest steak and fillled platters to overflowing -- which he would praise in the review. My husband and I would try the places he extolled, and discovered that for ordinary customers, the steaks were average size and the platters meager.

Another St. Paul reviewer raved about the onion rings at a Rice Street dive. I am a fan of onion rings, so we went to savor what she'd touted so glowingly. The instant the rings arrived at our table, I knew they were straight from the frozen food truck. The cornmeal-crusted coating was thick and stiff and the onion inside weren't rings -- they were chopped up bits. I asked the waitess if the restaurant made their own onion rings or if they came in frozen.

"Frozen," she confirmed.

I tell you this because I read reviews with not just a grain of salt, but a whole shaker-full.

But I was desperate to find a place where my Ladies Who Lunch group could go to celebrates two birthdays -- a place we hadn't tried before.

Just then, I received the latest edition of "Minnesota Monthly" and read Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl's recounting of her experiences at the newly-reinvented Muddy Waters Bar & Eatery. What was formerly a south Minneapolis coffee shop has moved and expanded into a full-fledged gastro-pub restaurant.

"Let's try it," I told my friends, though I wasn't sure I would order the hot dogs mit kraut that Grumdahl has praised -- even if the sauerkraut was flavored with fennel and the mustard was made with Surly beer.

Muddy Waters waitstaff immediately earned our gratitude by ushering our group of five to a small private space where the banquet-size glass table rested on an antique door and the chairs were covered in Moorish leather. We could see the patio from our room's windows, yet we were protected from the buzz in the bar. That alcove was perfect for our girly gossip without having to scream to be heard.

The lunch menu is not lengthy, and it is slightly revised for the dinner crowd. I was about to order mussels with intriguing seasoning until I realized I was reading the evening list.

When I inquired about the daily soup, our energetic waiter said they didn't have one. He returned minutes later to tell us the soup was ready, and he described a North African-style blend of garbanzo beans, curry, peanuts and herbs. It was knock-out delicious and the bowl, just $5, was enough for five of us to share, with seconds.

But don't get too excited -- the soup changes daily, so your chances of being there when it appears again are limited. I suppose you could call ahead and coincide your visit with its next apparition.

From the simple menu, two of us chose the Fish Tacos ($7), but don't expect them to be a la Mexicana, aside from grilled tortillas. Two per plate were wrapped around a finger of fish coated with Brooklyn Lager tempura, but no salsa, guacamole, cheese and other typical taco toppings. Instead, a subtly-spiced cabbage mixture and a creamy sauce helped fill the wrapper. Not bad, but I had my mouth made up for something with a bigger blast. 

Another chose the CFBLT ($7.50)  and if you need a translation, it's a BLT sandwich in which the "B" is chicken-fried with a crunchy coating. Muddy's Burger ($9) also includes CFB, fried onions, barbecue sauce and blue cheese. One friend ordered her beef rare, and I didn't hear any complaints from her.

The standout, ordered by one of the birthday girls, was the Rock Shrimp Po' Boy ($8) which included such a boatload of shrimp she had to deconstruct the sandwich and eat it with a fork. She was happy with her choice.

Had we enough appetite, we might have tried the roasted golden beets with vanilla hazelnut butter, yogurt and champagne vinaigrette, or the yucca fries with lime, avocado and chimmichurri sauce.

But we were saving room for dessert, which had to include cake for the celebrants. We chose the chocolate torte ($7) with bourbon toffee sauce and creme fraiche.

In my enthusiasm, I dumped the entire pitcherful of sauce over the cake and it proved to be too boozy. Our favorite lunch finale was gingersnap banana pudding ($4.50) topped with torched meringue. It was old-fashioned good.

According to reviewer Grumdahl, "I didn't find a single dud on the new Muddy Waters menu."

That may be an overstatement. Maybe she didn't peer deeply enough below the surface of what could be a fun place if a few adjustments were made.

Muddy Waters; 2933 Lyndale Ave., Minneapolis; is open daily, with incredibly long hours, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. They sleep in until 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, but stay open as long. Phone is 612-872-2232. Check out their menus at www.muddywatermpls.com