Indulgent Dinners at Broders’ Pasta Bar

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Several years ago, The Husband and I had dinner at Broders’ Pasta Bar in southwest Minneapolis. To be honest, it was so long ago I can’t remember a thing about it aside from us admiring the light fixtures. Time after time, we tried to go back but the wait was always so ridiculous that finally I snorted at the mere suggestion of eating there.

After all this time, it turns out that the secret to a delicious meal at Broders’ is getting there before they open. What you do is park your car and then go press your face against the window every few minutes until they finally unlock the door. Other would-be diners will be sitting IN their cars, but heed my advice and plant yourself squarely in front of the door. The restaurant was full shortly after we were seated so don’t waste a moment because if you do, you’ll miss out on a delicious dinner. Inspired by our luck, we took it as a sign to indulge ourselves and I encourage you to do the same.

We started with the Bocconcini:

Fresh mozzarella with walnuts, dried cherries & celery
Fresh mozzarella with walnuts, dried cherries & celery

Our server recommended the Penne Rosa al Rosmarino with vegetables for me. It was sensational:

pasta with fresh rosemary, cream & tomato with vegetables (vegetarian)
pasta with fresh rosemary, cream & tomato with vegetables (vegetarian)

When she described the Gnocchi con Manzo e Tartufi as “to die for,” The Husband’s entrée decision was made:

house made herb & ricotta gnocchi with peppered beef tenderloin, crimini mushrooms, leeks & truffle cream
house made herb & ricotta gnocchi with peppered beef tenderloin, crimini mushrooms, leeks & truffle cream

Everything had been so good until this point, we figured we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t order our own desserts. Options with fruit always top my list and I had to try the Pear Cranberry Crostata:

cranberry red wine reduction & vanilla bean ice cream
cranberry red wine reduction & vanilla bean ice cream

The Husband was delighted with his Pistachio Cheesecake:

house made chocolate sauce & toasted pistachios
house made chocolate sauce & toasted pistachios

There’s a reason why it’s so hard to get table at Broders’ and it’s because every bite is beyond awesome. Fortunately, we made the most of this visit so it will tide us over until next time. And if you see a blond girl with her face pressed eagerly against the window, you’ll know why.

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Heidi Van Heel

Heidi Van Heel

Writer, freelancer, and believer in magic living in Minneapolis. In my free time, I love reading, exploring the great outdoors, and experimenting in the kitchen.

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