Grand Forks offers great and diverse dining options
From Canadian donut holes to prime rib, the food choices in Grand Forks are plentiful.
We enjoyed a nice dinner at The Blue Moose in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, on Thanksgiving. I was the only one in the party to go with the traditional turkey dinner. My daughter Mallory and her mom each had a Chicken Meisner dish – a grilled chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese.
We started with appetizers featuring tapas of Norwegian-barbecued ribs, spicy corn casserole, black and bleu meatballs and jammy grilled cheese sandwiches. The ribs are called Pig Wings are tender pork shanks with a spicy barbecue sauce. The corn casserole consisted of cream corn with bacon jalapeno bits. The meatballs had a Cajun flavor with their bleu cheese creamy sauce. The grilled sandwiches were very small slices and included Swiss cheese, prosciutto, and mustard mixed with strawberry jam. It was all delicious!
The Blue Moose originally was located across the river in Grand Forks. The 1997 flood destroyed its building. Plans for a new flood wall ran across the restaurant’s property. So, The Blue Moose reopened a few blocks away on the Minnesota side of the Red River.
The Blue Moose has a bar on one side of the restaurant, as well as a main floor for dining. We ate in the bar area, which had plenty of tables for dining comfortably.
The restaurant has an outdoor theme. As you approach, you’re welcomed by two blue moose sculptures outside.
Inside, a stuffed bear looks over the dining room. Guests can purchase souvenir T-shirts.
The bar area has stuffed animal heads on the wall. Everything could be northland-related except for one – a rhino. I got a chuckle out of it.
For more information on The Blue Moose, please visit www.thebluemoose.net.
One night, we had dinner at Sanders 1907. It struck me as a cross between an upper class sports bar and restaurant. The front of the restaurant has a bar, with booths for dining.
The restaurant has a very nice looking wine room. The design on the door was unique.
Sanders took its name from the first owners. The father of one of the owners finished the work on the restaurant. His name was Sander, so Sanders seemed like a good name.
The restaurant was affected by the 1997 flood. It was displaced to another area of Grand Forks, before it was relocated back downtown afterward.
The restaurant has a unique take on some of the food. The chef adds his twist to items, such as French dressing and horseradish sauce. The French dressing on my salad was soooo good. I asked the server why it tasted so different. She advised it was because the chef added tarragon to the dressing. It works!
My dining partners each had steak. Kathy had a filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce. She enjoyed it. Mallory enjoyed a filet.
I had the Swiss Eiger beef (prime rib). The prime is made with a slight twist on other prime ribs. It marinates in a mixture of special sauces. It was truly moist and delicious. The horseradish sauce is made fresh. You can tell the difference from others.
The restaurant has a great selection of art to admire. The pieces were created by area artists.
A party room has North Dakota sports memorabilia on the walls.
For more information on Sanders 1907, please visit www.sanders1907.com.
We switched up food choices one morning and grabbed some Tim Horton treats and drinks. Tim Horton is a wildly popular chain in Canada. It recently opened its first standalone store in Grand Forks.
We tried Timbits, which are donut holes. They had a great variety, including pumpkin spice, chocolate and birthday cake. We enjoyed some cold and hot drinks with our goodies. They have an excellent French vanilla coffee.
Disclaimer: Thank you to the Greater Grand Forks Visitors and Convention Bureau for the gift cards to The Blue Moose and Sanders 1907. However, all opinions and views are mine.
