This is the category I was most excited for when it came to exploring Restaurant Week with Visit Greater St. Cloud. The “Unique Finds” category is all about the things that you can only get in our area, or twists on classics. Things that are weird, but in a good way.
Restaurant Week 2023 is ay 15th-21st, and it is the second year that Visit Greater St. Cloud has hosted this event. Local restaurants selected one menu item to submit for this year’s categories:
- Monday: Health Conscious
- Tuesday: Seafood
- Wednesday: Pasta
- Thursday: Sweet Treats
- Friday: Beverages
- Saturday: Unique Finds
- Sunday: Sandwiches
Boulder Tap House: 3950 2nd St S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Of course, the Boulder Tap House had to shine a spotlight on their massive cube-shaped cheese curds. These things are legendary, and when my friends and I were deciding which places to go, this was a top pick right out of the gate. These cheese curds can come in three different flavors, cheddar, pepperjack, or white cheddar and they are sure to please. The cheese pulls on these things look like they are from an animated movie.
Taco Chon Mexican Grill: 2956 W. Division St, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Taco Chon is another new restaurant in the area, and they have some KILLER Mexican cuisine coming out of their kitchen. Their “Unique Find” item is a Macheton. It’s like a mix between a giant hard-shell taco and a quesadilla. Made with a giant corn quesadilla, your choice of meat, onion, cilantro, sour cream, and served with a side of salsa. This thing is another that will give you a legendary cheese pull. Also, the smallest one you can get is a foot long, so be prepared to share, or be really full.
Pickled Loon: 715 W St Germain St, St. Cloud, MN 56301
The Pickled Loon might just be my favorite stop of Restaurant Week 2023. Their featured menu item is a Shrimp Burger. A unique spin on a classic staple “hamburger”, this is a hand-pattied shrimp burger topped with house slaw, avocado, lettuce, and roasted garlic aioli served on a pretzel bun. Shrimp Burgers were a popular mid-century dish, but are harder to find in 2023. The Pickled Loon’s take on it featured large, plump shrimp, and the coleslaw and aioli on it helped cut through the richness of the seafood. Plus I’m a sucker for anything on a pretzel bun, so I was in total heaven. You will need both hands to hold this burger at all times, it is massive.
More restaurant week content will be coming out as the week goes on. To see a full list of participating restaurants and get involved with the giveaways going on to celebrate, visit the Visit Greater St. Cloud website. And check out The Small Town Tourist Podcast for a deep dive into Restaurant Week and the St. Cloud food scene.
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