Wayzata, then Alaska, now Nordeast

Last update: March 21, 2008 - 3:42 PM

The fastest-growing name in the restaurant business isn't Chipotle or Dunkin' Donuts. It's Taher Inc. The Minnetonka-based school and corporate food-service giant got into restaurants last year with the Wayzata Eatery and the Alaskan Eatery. Now it has added a third to its portfolio with the Nordeast Eatery.

The industrial park location means that the counter-service operation is focusing on daytime traffic. The morning menu includes buttermilk pancakes, strawberry-stuffed French toast, corned-beef hash topped with poached eggs and a grilled Polish sausage paired with potato pancakes and scrambled eggs. Breakfast's top price is $7.95.

At lunch ($7 to $12), the quick-service offerings include a dozen sandwiches -- a smoky chicken salad, grilled Reubens, a thick burger, brats boiled in beer and heaped with sauerkraut and onions -- along with blue-plate special-style choices such as open-face turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy, quiche and a beef and Guinness stew.

Don't leave without something sweet ($4.25 to $6), because pastry whiz Carrie Summer, who made dessert a don't-miss experience at Cue and Spoonriver, has joined the Taher team. She's keeping busy, producing pretty desserts (love that super-moist almond frangipane) for the restaurant as well as for Taher's other Eateries.

The generically pleasant dining room is not unlike what you'd encounter at your friendly neighborhood Courtyard by Marriott. If the charming man running the kitchen looks familiar, it's because he is; he's Paul Laubignat. He and his wife, Laura, most recently owned Nancy's Landing in Waconia.

RICK NELSON

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