Gourmet Cooks would Love Chez Foley
If you're a typical Minnesotan not used to tastefully prepared dishes using lots of herbs and spices, you may only want to dine here during brunch or lunch. Out door sidewalk cafe-style seating with a lake view is available on warm days, which we thought was a nice touch.

However, if you've ever eaten at our favorite restaurant, SOLERO, and loved their flavorful food, you'll love the food at Chez Foley, though it's French-like instead of Spanish.

If you have a sense of adventure culinarily-speaking, don't waste a minute getting there. If you like great live music - that's a plus, too.

After trying just about every restaurant in Minneapolis and Maple Grove, my husband and I were about to give up our quest for a restaurant that cooks the way we do. Chez Foley uses the freshest and finest ingredients and herbs in all of their dishes.

Everything we had was outstanding. The soups ($3.50 per cup) were a little strong to me, though we ate every spoonful. My husband ordered a vegetable soup that he probably would have licked from the bowl had we been in the privacy of our home. I ordered a seafood chowder that rivals my own and we're FROM the coast originally. The server is happy to bring soup "samples" to the table if you have any trepidation about trying them or simply don't know which to order.

We split a baked brie appetizer ($8) with fresh delicious strawberries and a very fresh spring mix salad ($6). Both were hefty portions even when splitting them. We ordered the salad with a citrus viniagrette which was delightful and probably very low cal.

My husband ordered a sizeable filet mignon ($24?) for his entree, which until then we could only recommend ordering at Blackwoods Grill (our second favorite restaurant before Chez). His filet came with basil mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. He loved the potatoes. I really liked them also, but prefer the garlic mashed potatoes at Blackwoods Grill.

I ordered a creamy Sun-Dried Tomato-Basil pasta dish ($21) with scallops, artichokes, carrots, brocolli, mushrooms and parmesan that was out of this world! Most restaurants serve 75% pasta and 25% sauce. Chez Foley definitely does not skimp on the sauce, nor the calories in them, which is probably why it tasted so good. A regular order of Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Diablo costs $12 and $16 for breast of chicken.

A basket of bread and butter is also served at the table -- I think we ate two. We ended up boxing up the pasta and taking it home, which I'm now savoring every bite as I write.

If you like Chuck Mangionne-Type jazz, you will love the live soloist.

Each entree on the menu is matched up with a recommended wine. We ordered a Cavit Pinot Grigio ($27) which was excellent paired with my seafood dishes.

Chez Foley has an impressive and extensive menu for brunch, lunch and dinner, which they were happy to give us a copy of. We live 30 minutes away, though we won't think twice about calling ahead our order and jumping in the car to grab a casual brunch or lunch. And we honestly can't wait to try it again for dinner soon. We will make reservations next time to guarantee a table!    [04 Apr 2004 21:19:49]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Filet Mignon, Sun-Dried Tomato-Basil Diablo Pasta

     ­D. Williams, Monticello, MN   captaincallis at netscape dot net