Zander Cafe

My wife and I went here for a special dinner. We usually go to the Craftsman in Minneapolis, which we love. We shouldn't have strayed. Food was exceptionally mediocre. Rabbit was cooked improperly, with the saddle was cooked as if it was rabbit breast. This left the dark meat rubbery, tough, and greasy. Rabbit was served in a bright yellow, viscous sauce that tasted of salt. No herbs, no aromatics. Sauce looked and tasted like snot. Beet salad was underseasoned- dressing only on the greens, none on the beets. Creme brulee, mercifully, was fine. Wine list was nice. Server was competent, but anxious. I cannot overstate how visually ugly the food was here. The woman next to me got the arctic char ""fusion"" dish, which was served with various pools of taupe, brown, and beige substances on the plate. Gives the impression of a restaurant that thinks the food is much better than it actually is. Pros: Nice atmosphere Cons: Inconsistent, mediocre food more

I have loved Zander Cafe for years. \r \r A coworker approached me asking for recommendations on restaurants in St. Paul. He and his wife rarely get a night out alone and he wanted something special to surprise his wife with. I recommended Zander with confidence.\r \r Unfortunately, something must've changed at Zander. They drove in from Stillwater only to be completely ignored by their server. They tried repeatedly to get some attention and finally he got up to ask the host for help. He was assured that someone would be right over. They sat and watched as the tables around them were waited on and finally they gave up and went back to Stillwater.\r \r I am so embarrassed! Luckily, they took my other recommendation, Cesare's in Stillwater, and had a blast. more

First and foremost, the food was wonderful. Everything had complex flavors that delighted the senses. We ordered an appetizer of mussels in a coconut curry sauce which was fresh and flavorful - the spice was balanced perfectly with the coconut . My fiance ordered the jambalaya which was definetly spicy, but the flavors where still there. I had a seared duck breast. It was cooked perfectly and served with an aromatic sauce that 'awakened' my senses. Our server was very nice, knowledgeable of the menu, and attentive. There was live jazz that night, however our seating made it difficult to hear and we could not see him, so that was a dissapointment. But overall, I had a great experience and would go back. Pros: food, parking, value Cons: seating arrangement more

I'm not a writer, it's not going to translate well how neglectful and absent the service was, but here are the bullets. With reservations we were seated promptly, but waited patiently for 9 minutes (quite literally) for water or a hello. The server that seated us came back, offered excuses for who are server was to be and took our drink order. When our server did arrive, we had to ask the specials as none we offered, had to ask for bread twice even after it was offered (it arrived well after the salad and apps via the wait assistant). Our server asked if we needed anything, but walked away as my wife ordered another wine. Needless to say the wine did not arrive (go figure). \r \r This had been one of my wife's favorite's and as a former server, manager and owner of restaurants, I always try to be impartial. The musicians made it a point to stop by three times to ask for requests and hint for gratuities, yet the server was never present when needed. \r \r To add insult to injury, it was my wife's birthday. Her best friend had preordered and paid for a dessert that night by credit card, but it never arrived. All in all, if a restaurant is going to run without a manager present at 8 o'clock on a Friday night, they had best be on their game. They weren't. It's time to retool because their system is seriously flawed. \r \r Our calls and messages to recoup the friends money have gone unanswered. more

My fiancee and I love Zander Cafe. We had our first date there, we had our post-proposal romantic dinner there, and we go out on a date at Zander Cafe when we crave a special night out. Recently, we enjoyed our superb food and wine and were also entertained by a wonderful Jazz Trio. Zander is one of a few restaurants that maintains creativity, delight and excellence all the way through the meal. The service is prefectly paced and relaxed. Zander Cafe is our favorite! more

My one trip here was with a larger group for a birthday party...we had 10 people. Everyone raved about the appetizers and salads, while rating the main courses as only average. I would go back and give it a second try, but would more likely start here for drinks and an appetizer, then head off to somewhere else for dinner. Pros: Appetizers, Service more

My wife and I get out to a decent eatery about 1x every other month. So when we do get a sitter, we try to go to the best. Most of our locations are reccomendations from the NY Times paper. So far the have been right on - Aquavit (we miss that one), Vincent, etc. Zander's was next. Food for the money is excellent. Their home made ""tobasco"" on the Jambalia(sp?) and the dish itsself are top notch. Two tops are put too close together, so expect to be part of your neighbor's meal. The entire meal was great, until the dessert. They even list a pastry chef on the menu and it was beyond poor. Skip it and head somewhere else for coffee and sweets. Otherwise, for the dollar - very good. Pros: food, value Cons: , seating when just 2, dessert more

Picked this place out of the 'Best of' list and was not dissapointed. The amibiance and food were great and the live jazz was very enjoyable! We'll be going back! Pros: Food, Live music Cons: Front sidewalk! more

The friendly service and laid back feel of the place was its best attribute the night I visited. The host and our server were both very nice and friendly. The food was only so-so. Both my girlfriend and I had dishes that contained seafood, and neither tasted extremely fresh. This is not to say that the seafood was bad it just seemed a tad old. The decor sort of funky, and nice for a casual dinner. Pros: Location, Service Cons: Food just ok more

This place almost rated an eight: I will have to eat more here to take that extra step. But what I had (the scallop ""BLT"" and the caesar salad), was perfect. My companions were very happy also. I had expected (based on reputation) that the food would be precious, but somehow nothing tasted that way, in contrast to Heartland for example. Pros: food, atmosphere, service Cons: pricey more

I've been there three times now with guests from out of town who have a variety of tastes and all of us have walked away each time totally in love with this place. Nice, friendly service is just the beginning. The food is creative, expertly prepared, and also has a good choice in wine. All of this for what I think are very reasonable prices. Bonus that they have jazz on some nights. One of my friends was completely awed when one of the musicians, while taking a break, took the time to chat with customers. My friend, a huge jazz afficianado, was thrilled to talk with him. My sister, a very strict vegetarian, found plenty to choose from while my uncle, who loves things such as eel and sweetbreads, was equally pleased. I bet even a steak and potatoes person would find something to order. Pros: ambience, food, attentiveness Cons: parking more

How can you not love this place. They have some really nice music just about every night of the week. The food has always been excellent. You can usually find a decent glass of wine for a pretty standard price. Definitely check out Johanne Funk on thursday nights or the friday and saturday night band. And I've been told Z cafe across the street has an excellent sunday brunch. more

Finally, a small and unique bistro-style place with great food and wine (the wine list oddly represents most countries well with lesser known selections except France.) The menu is simple, easy to understand with great preparations and value pricing for what you get. The decor is odd with plywood flooring and close-quarter seating arrangements but live jazz on the weekends makes up for it. Service by artisanal-style waitstaff is good but not great. . .we never lacked for anything but there were pregnant pauses between courses. Compared to other restaurants of its genre, this is clearly above most and will definitely get my repeat business. I recommend the lamb shank and the brownie dessert without hesitation. Anyone who can't find something on the menu to like should really check themselves for a pulse! Pros: Live weekend jazz, Decent wine list, Free parking Cons: Quirky decor, Crowded seating more

We decided on Zander as our pre-play dinner. My wife and I were set for a wonderful evening. On the way to the cafe my wife realized the Ordway tickets were for the following week. So our evening out would begin and end at Zander. I believe our mood reflected our opinion of the restuarant. We both thought the food was only ok. She had the salmon but did not care for the sauce that accompanied the dish. I had the scallops and they were done quite well. For the price, the food was decent. We were a bit disappointed in the atmosphere. Our table was very close to the couple next to us, so we really did not have any privacy. Overall, it is probably a great place to go before a play but not our choice when dinner is playing the central role in the evening out. more

One of our favorites, they come through every time. People griping about poor value here should go to MickyD's. All entrees are priced the same -- $16. For gourmet fare at a chef-owned restaurant, that's a steal! Servers are fun and know what they're doing. Food is fantastic -- well prepared and innovative without being too showy. Add in live jazz on the weekends, and we're there!! Unfortunately, the latest remodel took away a lot of the charm. Pros: great food, fun servers, inexpensive Cons: decor, parking, noise level more

I don't know what all this 9.2 is about, but my first experience at the supposedly famous Zander equated to no more than adequate. The onion and goat cheese tart was supposed to have carmelized onions, but they were barely more than limp. The Vegetarian Chef supprise was ""salt"" and others, like vegetarian food deserves more salt to supplement for something. And the Lamb Shank special was served on a bed of beans. Talk about a protein overload. The service was fine, but If I am spending 70+ on dinner for two, I at least expect good food. I will probably not return. Pros: Location, Wine List Cons: Food more

My sis and I were there last night and it was delicious. We were greeted right away and didn't have to wait for a table. Crab cake appetizer was out of this world...both our entrees were perfect. Forget the small portion comments--I was STUFFED. Pros: Menu selection, Wine selection, Taste more