Dude Weather Subscribe to Secrets Minneapolis / St. Paul
Alex's Italian Ristorante, in the little strip mall at 2738 Nicollet Ave. isn't just the first Italian restaurant on Eat Street - it just might be the first Italian-Laotian restaurant in the world. (The Twin Cities do seem to have a knack for breeding exotic gastronomic hybrids - T's Place at 27th and E. Lake in Minneapolis features Ethiopian and Malaysian cuisine.
I was by myself the other day when I stopped in for lunch at SerenTori restaurant, 5748 34th Ave., Minneapolis, so I could only try one dish, which made it kind of a tough choice. The $6.95 lunch specials didn't sound that appealing - they're mostly Chinese take-out classics like Sesame Chicken, Egg Foo Young, and Mongolian Beef (all come with fried rice and choice of egg roll or cream cheese wonton).