Restaurant/hotel review: DoubleTree by Hilton, Bloomington MN

For years, it was the Radisson South. Then the Sheraton. Now it has the mouthful name of DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis South.

It’s the recognizeable building at 494 and 100. Towers they used to call them. Not like New York’s Twin Towers, or even the Carlson Towers in Wayzata. Just a single building that looks the same on both ends.

Longer ago, there was even the issue of the hotel building straddling the city limits boundary, which mean different liquor ordinances for different portions fo the building. That has been since resolved.

This was another occasion of a business event at a hotel including a meal function, meaning it’s not a true restaurant experience. Neither is it a full hotel experience, as I was welcomed to be on the property for the portion of the day I was awake.

Feeding several hundred people at the same time is a logistial challenge, but the staff did well in getting plates out as well as removed.

Maybe I’m softening in old age, but instead of joking about the chicken being left over from last year’s event, I simply enjoyed it – a heavily-breaded chicken breast with peach sauce, on a bed of rice pilaf acccompanied by zucchini. Actually, not bad.

My only gripe: understanding the guest speaker cost was built into the ticket, it was still $33 a plate, with no dessert! There should be dessert. For five cents, as the Peanuts characters would say.

Hotel review: Fairfield Inn, Mankato MN

There’s something about sitting in a hot tub and being able to look out the window at snow-covered trees. Sort of a one-up on winter.

Besides the view, Fairfield Inn’s hot tub was a good temperature and in working order, with of course, plenty of chlorine, so make sure to shower. Best of all, the pool area had a tile floor that wasn’t that false-gravel texture that hurts tender bare feet.

The room and bed was clean and comfortable, but with several small half-pillows on each bed. Worked sort of nice for being able to adjust them for comfort, but a new concept we hadn’t seen before.

There were several all-commercial cable channels, with only brief interruptions of actual programming. (Or is cable tv like that all the time now?)

Highlight of the stay was the morning breakfast – a wide variety of waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage patties, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereal, breads, rolls, muffins, etc. Keeping in the mind that it’s prepared in bulk and served over four hours, it was very well done for a hotel breakfast.

Hotel coffee can run in a very wide range from motor oil to delicious. This, too, was on the excellent side of the spectrum.

The only catch was, even with a decent-sized seating area, it was full to the point of having to sit and eat on a couch without a table. Good things draw a crowd.

All in all, for a pre-tax rate of $89, Fairfield is an excellent value in hotel choices in Mankato. Here's more.

Restaurant/hotel review: Oak Ridge Conf. Center, Chaska MN

Got the opportunity (obligation) to attend a fundraising event at Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center in Chaska.

An evening of rubbing elbows with well-dressed old rich white people. Now I know why I was there: I fit three of those descriptions, just not the one they were really looking for.

Step one was putting on my suit. A check of the pockets revealed where I’d been last in it – a co-worker’s funeral three years ago.

This muddies my blog categories because although we ate there, it was a banquet-type setting rather than a restaurant, and although it was at a hotel, we were there only for a few hours of an event.

Oak Ridge is an elegant facility. You can poke around for more details here.

Geographically, it appears to be the hotel that would be associated with any major events at Hazeltine National Golf Club, which is just a triple-bogey to the east.

The three-course meal was served by white-gloved waiters and waitresses over a period of time equal to seven innings of a Twins game.

Ahhh, fine dining. As I buttered my dinner roll, I smiled at the irony of why eating a hard, crusty piece of bread while wearing a tie is thought to be enjoyable. All in all, the food was fine, but realistically I could have gotten the same menu items from Perkins for one-quarter of the cost, albeit without the wine.

I’ll give ‘em one point for the dessert – which no one at our table was able to exactly identify, but it came closest to chocolate cheesecake embellished with whipped cream.

The best moment of the evening was the opening prayer, including a request that we let go of our entitlement mindset and focus on giving. Appropriate words for any time.

Hotel review: Americinn, Winona MN

To find the Americinn in Winona, just follow the main drag across the lake (Huff St.) all the way to the end. It technically isn’t under the Mississippi River bridge, but you could hit a 9-iron over the bridge from the hotel parking lot. There’s even a convenience store right next door in case you need anything convenient.

It was what you’d want from a normal hotel stay. Room clean, air conditioner actually cooled the room to desired temperature, no glitches with anything. Mattress may have sloped a bit into center, but otherwise was comfortable. Hot tub was moderate hot, not the kind where you boil yourself ala lobster.

Breakfast was a good spread – large bagels, fresh muffins, a waffle maker, quick-fix french toast and eggs, cereal, oranges, yogurt. Plenty of choices, not just a platter of rolls. Open 6-10 am.

Lots of bikers and fishermen in for the holiday weekend.