The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Wow. What's a restaurant like you doing in a place like Chanhassen? It's almost a rule of gastronomy that you can't find great ethnic restaurants in far-flung exurbs, so I was a bit skeptical about reader Dave B.'s assertion that he preferred the Szechuan cuisine at Tian Jin in Chanhassen above Little Szechuan in St. Paul, or the Tea House in Plymouth. (Dave asked me to not use his last name, because most of his friends don't know that he is a closet foodie, and he wants to keep it that way.)

I don’t do ten best lists, but looking back over the last year, I can recall some memorable dining experiences. For now, at least, I am going to limit myself to the new places – the list will just get too long if I try to work in more than just a mention of old favorites like the Grand Café Vincent, and Atlas Grill.