Both are in the Grande Marketplace location on the northwest corner of
Burnsville Parkway and Nicollet Avenue. Jensen's opens to the public
at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow (March 30) for breakfast and lunch only (until
2:00 p.m.). PARK IN THE RAMP, not in the Wells Fargo parking lot.

And every Tuesday (only) the International Chefs' Culinary Center
<www.grandemarketplace.com> is open for lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45
p.m. Yeah, one hour.

The ICCC place is kind of interesting -- it's $5 cash for lunch. You go
into the kitchen and Chef Jeff tells you what he's serving for lunch
that day -- three choices, pick one. Varies from week to week, no
advance notice, no printed menu. Just show up. He fills your plate
from his warmers, etc., and you take it to the barebones banquet room
and sit down and eat. Bus your own dishes, pour your own water, get
your own flatware. He's been doing this for maybe three-four Tuesdays
and the number of customers has gone from 5 to more than 50 today. Word
of mouth. Now word of net. :-)

Today was barbecued beef on a bun with baked beans, roast beast sandwich
with potatoes and gravy, and penne pasta with either Alfredo sauce or a
primavera sauce. I had the pasta primavera and it was pretty good,
though the pasta itself was only barely warm. A big fruit plate was at
the end of the line with a tray of scones. There was also a Caesar
salad but I think there was an extra charge. Huge portions for $5.

I sat with a couple different people at a table for six -- a couple
women I'd referred to the ICCC because they were turned away at
Jensen's; then moved to another table because I want to talk to the
Burnsville police officer who was sitting there. Wound up chatting with
the other folks at that table, too. (I am such a shy person I amazed
myself.)

Tomorrow Rob and I are going to Jensen's bright and early for
breakfast; today was training day and they refused to let me in because
I didn't have a reservation and/or invitation. They refused! No
cajoling (first attempt) or whining (remaining attempts) on my part
worked to get me in the door. Da bums. "-) Jensen's menu looks pretty
good. We'll see.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Arizona vacation pics added 3-24-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.