Ring in the New Year Woolley's Style!

That's right, our famous Steak & Lobster special is back for the entire New Year's weekend!

 

For just $90 per couple ($45 per person), you'll receive: 

• Freshly Baked Bread 
• Salads
• 6oz Certified Angus Beef Filets 
• Fresh Lobster Tails
• Vegetables Du Jour & Scalloped Potatoes
• PLUS, as an added holiday treat, couples who order the special will receive a bottle of house wine or champagne compliments of Woolley’s! 

We'll also be featuring live music from the Kenny G Trio from 6 to 9:30pm on New Year's Eve, and the full regular dinner menu will be available throughout the weekend for those that are hungry for something other than steak or lobster.

Beginning on Friday, December 30 at 4:30pm, join us for a feast worthy of ringing in 2012! Reservations are strongly recommended. Reserve your spot online at Open Table or by calling Woolley's at 952.854.1010. 

Happy New Year, everyone! 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

 (Woolley's style)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, when all through the room

Jazz music was playing, and conversations bloomed.

The steaks were all plated, prepared with such care, 

In hopes that our guests would enjoy them there;

Families and friends all merry and fine, 

Enjoying their meals and half-off sparkling wine!

This Christmas Eve join your loved ones and be our guest on Christmas Eve. Dinner service will run from 4 to 10pm, and we'll be featuring live jazz music from 6 to 9pm.

The full regular dinner menu will be available, plus holiday specials prepared by our Restaurant Chef, Adam DeSanto. Take advantage of a special Christmas Eve Wine Lovers' Night as well when you take half off any bottle of champagne or sparkling wine.

Make your party's reservation online via Open Table or by calling Woolley's at 952.854.1010.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good steak!

Holiday Dining Deals

From now through the 23rd, Woolley's is offering some amazing holiday incentives as a treat for our valued guests! Bring in a party of four or more for dinner during this time and receive bonus gift certificates you can use in the New Year.

• Bring in a dinner party of four and receive a $20 dining certificate, 
• Bring in a dinner party of six and receive a $35 dining certificate,
• Bring in a dinner party of eight and receive a $50 dining certificate, or 
• Bring in a dinner party of twelve or more and receive a $100 dining certificate! 

Dining Certificates received may be redeemed February 15th to Dec 15th, 2012. Please mention or note Holiday Dining Deals when making your reservation, so we can have your certificate waiting for you! 

To make your party's reservation, please contact Woolley's at 952.854.1010, or book online at Open Table, noting Holiday Dining Deals in the 'Special Requests' section. 

Happy Dining, Happy Deals, and Happy Holidays! 

Notes: The Holiday Dining Deals offer is valid for dinner guests only. Reservations must be made for dinner from Dec. 8th through 23rd, 4:30pm - 10pm. All guests in your party must order dinner to receive the certificate.  

Company Days

As you're undoubtedly aware, Woolley's loves to support the community. Through acts of service, giving, and more, we just can't wait to get involved. From this, Company Days was born.

Our traditional Company Days promotion allots patrons that work in the City of Bloomington 25% off any regular priced lunch or dinner entree (at Woolley's or The Corner Bar) for that employee and a guest.

However, in the holiday spirit and all, we've decided to kick things up a notch. We're offering an extra 5% off for employees of specific Bloomington businesses on certain days of the week. Thus, the offer is good for 30% off the employee and a guest's lunch or dinner entrees. The schedule below highlights the specific companies that qualify for the 30% off on the respective days of the week.

Mondays

EFCA

Tuesdays

ICSI, Park Nicollet, 88th Readiness Command, Interstate Systems

Wednesdays

City of Bloomington, Ceridian, Thomson, Executive Suites/International Office Plaza, Prime Therapeutics, Boyum Barenscheer, Cisco, US Bank

Thursdays

Health Partners, Toro, Appletree Square, First Command (financial planning), Best Buy

Fridays

Any airline or airport employee, Department of Veterans Affairs

This is just our way of saying thanks to our neighbors and keeping it local. 

Happy Holidays!

**Please note, our Company Days' offers are not valid with any other offers, discounts, or promotions. Let us know if you feel that your Bloomington company should be on this list!**

Holiday Gift Card Deal

This year, take advantage of Woolley's Holiday Gift Card Deals in December!

Not only does a Woolley's Gift Card make the perfect gift, but this year, we're gifting the giver! Whether you plan to gift one and keep the other, or just stock up for yourself, these deals can't be beat!

From now through December 23rd:

• Receive a $10 gift card free with $50 gift card purchase,
• Receive a $25 gift card free with $100 gift card purchase, and
• Receive a $75 gift card free with $225 gift card purchase.

(Gift cards must be purchased in person at Woolley's, and there are no restrictions on gift cards. Gift cards do not expire).

So this season add yourself to your holiday gift list.

Merry Christmas!

Top Ten Pie Varieties

While Pumpkin Pie is a given for your Thanksgiving dessert spread, you may wrestle with indecision as you try to determine the other pie varieties. Some swear by apple, others pecan, but we decided to share Food & Wine's Top Ten All-Time Favorite Pies, to add some other less well-known favorites into the decision mix this year.

1. Georgia Peach Pie - Flaky crust, sweet peach filling, what's not to love?! Finding good peaches in Minnesota right now, perhaps? 
2. Coconut Custard Meringue Pie - Cool, creamy coconut custard topped with heavenly clouds of meringue? Yes, please!
3. Deep Dish Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - A perfectly Midwestern treat. If your Rhubarb is done for the year (or covered with snow, look, for it at your favorite specialty grocery store (or even try to sub in some frozen rhubarb). 
4. Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie - A spiced graham cracker crust filled with perfectly sweet Dulce de Leche ice cream (try Häagen-Dazs®) and topped with your favorite sundae toppings. The kid in everyone will be screaming for ice cream. 
5. Chocolate Cream Pie - Sandwich a rich velvety chocolate pudding filling with a dense chocolate crust and vanilla-flavored whipped cream and you have a smash hit on your hands, my friend.
6. Yogurt & Apricot Pie with Crunchy Granola Crust - A sweet and tart pie that's good for both the tastebuds and the heart? Your health-conscious, sweet loving guests will be thanking you all the way until Christmas (when they ask you to make it again). 
7. Flaky Pear Pie - A beautiful, flaky (lard-based) double-crust pie with a lightly sweetened pear filling. Just a hint of spice will land this pie the spotlight in your Thanksgiving Day spread.
8. Chilled Grapefruit Caramel Meringue Pie - This seemingly disastrous combination, with its layers of pink grapefruit curd over graham cracker crust, caramel sauce and delightful meringue is actually not good, it's simply delectable. If you're looking for a unique pie to add depth to your dessert table, you've found it in this one. 
9. Chocolate Pecan Pie - While traditional pecan pie is a staple around the holidays, the addition of dark chocolate creates a rich, fudgy texture and an irresistible treat is born.  
10. Lime Cream-Blackberry Pie - The delightfully tart combination of freshly made blackberry jam topped with a cool lime cream inside a sweet and buttery graham cracker crust is a solid complement to other pies and adds a hint of summer flavor to your autumnal feast. 

Happy baking, happy eating, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Thanksgiving Plans

We're getting quite excited for our bountiful Thanksgiving Day Champagne Brunch! All of the details may be found in our blog post, Thanksgiving Brunch, from last week. If you missed it, make sure you go back to take in the huge menu that includes all of your breakfast, lunch, and Thanksgiving favorites, hours, and pricing.

We're also excited to announce that the Kenny G. Trio will be serenading our Thanksgiving Brunch guests with some lovely live music.

If you can't make it to brunch, Woolley's will also be open for regular dinner service from 4:30 to 10pm on Thanksgiving. We'll be featuring some great Thanksgiving specials, as well as the full dinner menu. All bottles of wine and champagne will be 50% off the entire night!

Reservations are recommended and can be made by visiting Open Table online or calling Woolley's at 952.854.1010.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Brunch

Last year, our Thanksgiving Day Brunch was such a hit, we decided to do it all over again! From 10:00am to 2:00pm on Thanksgiving Day, leave all of the cooking and cleaning to us and enjoy all of your breakfast, lunch, and Thanksgiving favorites at our Thanksgiving Day Champagne Brunch.

Thanksgiving Champagne Brunch Menu

Breakfast Staples

Fresh Sliced & Whole Fruit

Granola & Yogurt Parfait with dried and fresh toppings

Fresh Baked Muffins, Croissants, & Caramel Rolls

Cooked to Order Omelets

Scrambled Eggs

Eggs Benedict

Waffles with assorted toppings

Bacon & Sausage

Lunch/Thanksgiving Staples

Jell-O Salad

Pasta Salad

Crudités & Pickled Vegetable Platter

Hot Dinner Rolls with Butter

Shrimp Cocktail

Oysters on the Half Shell

Smoked Salmon

Honey Glazed Carrots

Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese

Sausage & Corn Bread Stuffing

Traditional Pan Gravy

Braised Red Cabbage

Swedish Meatballs

Whiskey Orange Marmalade Glazed Salmon

Baron of Beef

Chef Carved Turkey & Ham

Traditional Cranberry Chutney

Dessert

Fresh Baked Pies - Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, Blueberry, & Cherry

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Rum Sauce

Caramel Fondue

Cascading Chocolate Fountain with traditional accompaniments

Join us this Thanksgiving as we celebrate everything we have to be thankful for in a bountiful culinary display. Adults: $28.95, Kids 4-12: $14.95, Kids 3 & Under: Free. Reservations strongly recommended. To make your party's reservation, visit Open Table online or call Woolley's at 952.854.1010.

Dining on a Dime - Part 4: Outstanding Dining

The last post in our four-part series, Dining on a Dime, is dedicated to a group that not only helps people save their dining dollars, it also helps the community as well.

Outstanding Dining, the brainchild of our very own Director of Restaurants, Ben Berry, is a website that sells online restaurant certificates at a discount. Yet, it doesn't stop there. Outstanding Dining also donates 10% of sales to different non-profit partners.

Further setting themselves apart from other discount certificate sites, Outstanding Dining is committed to three main goals. First, they seek to save consumers money by offering a great deal on certificates to local, independent eateries. Second, they want to help non-profits through their commitment to donating 10% of sales to various non-profit partners. Third, they want independent eateries to thrive by splitting the remaining proceeds of the certificate sales 50/50. No price gouging and leaving the restaurants to foot the bill.

At this time, you're able to purchase Woolley's Certificates as follows; a $25 certificate for $12.50 and a $50 certificate for $25.00. Check out Outstanding Dining this week for other amazing deals to great local restaurants, and make sure to look for them on Facebook as well. Through Friday, Outstanding Dining is taking entries on their Facebook page from fans who share a memorable dining experience. The comment with the most likes by Friday (November 4) at 12am wins the $100!

Dining on a Dime - Part 3: Using Happy Hours to Your Advantage

After many years of dining out and scrutinizing other menus, I'm convinced that Happy Hours are probably as the restaurants that offer them. Some have ridiculously good deals, some don't. Some include food, some just beverages, and some even have a whole separate menu devoted just to the occasion. 

For our third installment of Dining on a Dime, we've decided to expose another great way to stretch your dining dollars, Happy Hour. 

First, your goal is to find a Happy Hour that includes both food and drinks for maximum savings. Look for restaurants that offer cheap appetizers or even small portions (mini-meals) of their regular entrees for a value. Then, ensure that the restaurant is also offering a good deal on drinks. We're not talking $1 off Miller Lite, but full-on deals on a variety of beverages, so that everyone in your party can participate. 

Thrifty Hipster is your friend in locating Happy Hour deals. As a website dedicated to finding Happy Hour deals, their whole goal is meeting your needs. You can search by location, date, or even your favorite bar to see what specials are being offered. 

Once you decide where you're going, make sure you specify that you're there for Happy Hour, so you don't mistakenly sit in the restaurant if Happy Hour's only offered at the bar, etc. Additionally, some restaurants offer both an earlier Happy Hour and a later Happy Hour, so if you can alter your dining time off the beaten path a bit, you can save big bucks!

Here at Woolley's, we love Happy Hour and offer the following deals between 4pm - 6pm, Monday through Friday.

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS:

$2 Domestic Beer Taps & Bottles

$3 Import/Craft Beer Taps & Bottles

$3 Forest Glen House Wine

1/2 Price Specialty Martinis (and all other Drinks)

1/2 Price Bottles of House Wine Selections

HALF-PRICE HAPPY HOUR APPETIZERS:

Calamari, Walleye Fingers, Shrimp Cocktail, Onion Rings

Mozzarella Sticks, Chicken Wings, Chicken Quesadilla

Crab Cakes, Diablo Bites, Artichoke Dip

Fruit & Veggies, Combo Platter, Pot Stickers

Chicken Tenders

So stop on by this week and get happy, and good luck scouting out the best Happy Hour deals in town! 

Restaurant Week Is Back!

We're beyond excited that 'Restaurant Week' has been expanded into a multi-annual affair! After our foray into this tradition in March and again in July, Woolley's has this down. As such, we've got some great summer fare planned to delight your palette!

For those of you unfamiliar with Restaurant Week, it is a week-long celebration put on by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine during which participating restaurants present fabulously priced meals for lunch, dinner, or both. Lunch options are priced at $10 or $20 while dinner options are priced at $15 to $30. These multi-course meals sometimes come with an optional wine flight that may be purchased separately to pair with the meal. Restaurant Week is a great way for restaurants and their chefs to showcase their menus and attract newbie patrons to their locale. For this latest installment, Restaurant Week will run from October 23 to 28. 

Once again, Woolley's will celebrate Restaurant Week with offerings for both lunch and dinner! Adhering to the $20 and $30 price points, Woolley's has six separate entrée choice options slated for lunch and dinner respectively. Lunches start with our bountiful soup/salad bar and include a complimentary glass of house wine or non-alcoholic beverage. Dinner begins with our house French Onion Soup or choice of salad, and all meals are sweetly finished with three options for dessert. Also, while we do not have wine flights, we are offering 50% off any bottle of wine in celebration!

To see our full Restaurant Week menu, please click here.

This is one event your taste buds will not want to miss! Make sure you secure your reservation now by following this link. We'll see you then!

Dining on a Dime - Part 2: Specials!

Everyone knows that the best things in life are free, right?! It should be no different in your dining experiences. Often, people assume that they should only be granted a free meal or a discount if they experience a service shortcoming.

What about specials and freebies that simply require you to show up on a certain night or order a certain item? That's a whole new ballgame! Our second recommendation for dining on a dime, is to look for deals! Here at Woolley's, we offer deals on Wednesday and Sunday evenings in the form of Wine Lovers Night. From 5:30 to 10pm on those days, any bottle of wine off our award winning list is half off with your dinner entree purchase.

We also offer a Tri City Passport Program that gives patrons the opportunity to dine at Woolley's and our two Tri City sister restaurants to earn punches on their passport cards. Once the card has been stamped for each location, diners will receive a free dinner at the Tri City restaurant of their choosing.

A great way to learn about your favorite eateries' specials and freebies is to follow them on Facebook, twitter, and/or sign-up to be on their mailing lists.

Good luck and happy eating (and saving)!

Dining on a Dime - Part 1: $20 Dining Cheques

As a participating Open Table restaurant, Woolley's diners have the option to make online (or mobile) reservations. Then, they earn Dining Rewards Points when they honor those reservations at Woolley's and other participating Open Table restaurants.

Points then accrue and may be cashed in for Dining Cheques, which can be used at any Open Table restaurant. Once guests have accumulated at least 2,000 points, they are able to cash them in as follows:

• 2,000 points - $20 Dining Cheque
• 5,000 points - $50 Dining Cheque
• 10,000 points - $100 Dining Cheque

These points accumulate a lot faster if you take advantage of Open Table's 1,000 point reservations. Here at Woolley's, our 1,000-point reservation times are outlined below:

• Sunday - 9:00pm-10:00pm
• Monday - 11:00am-2:00pm, 8:00pm-10:00pm
• Tuesday - 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm
• Wednesday - 11:00am-2:00pm, 9:00pm-10:00pm
• Thursday - 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm
• Friday - 11:00am-2:00pm, 4:30pm-6:00pm
• Saturday - 4:30pm-6:00pm

By making and honoring only two reservations that fall in any of the above timeframes, you can earn a $20 Dining Cheque. (Open Table rules and restrictions apply, so make sure you review the information on their website).

That's just one easy way to stretch your dining dollars! 

Apples, Apples, Apples!

Apples are plentiful in Minnesota this time of year. Aside from simply eating them raw, what can be done with this delightful and versatile fruit?

Options abound, from sweet to savory, warm to chilled, and everything in between! For starters, there's the quintessentially American favorite, Apple Pie. With nearly as many variations for crust and filling as there are people in our great nation, you should be able to find a recipe that suits your skill-level and tastes perfectly. My personal favorite is a very traditional pie recipe, Bon Appetit's Classic Double Crust Apple Pie. The filling is made with vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon for a perfectly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth finish, and the crust is flake-y perfection.

Beyond pie, there are tarts, crisps, streusels, breads, pancakes, and more if you're looking for some sweet apple carb-y goodness! However, if you're looking for a savory use for apples, chicken can be a perfect partner. Chicken and apple dishes are surprisingly delicious. From a Chicken Apple Skillet meal to an Apple and Cheddar stuffed chicken breast, there are many, many ways to incorporate apples into your favorite chicken dishes.

Pork also pairs nicely with apples. An herbed pork loin accompanied by homemade cinnamon apples is a wonderfully warming dish for those cold nights!

So get thee to your nearest apple orchard. Not only will it be a fun couple hours with the fam, but you can put those apples to good use when you get home!

And don't forget to let us know about your favorite apple recipes!

Oink Outings

In August, our very own Chef Peter Christenson was named the chef for the Minnesota Pork Board's last Oink Outings tour of the season.

Oink Outings tours are a wonderfully educational experience during which food producers are paired with food preparers and joined by moms to allow open communication along the food chain (so to speak). This unique group starts their tour in a local chef's kitchen to learn how to prepare a pork recipe. Then, the group heads out to the farm, where the farm family showcases modern life as a pig farmer.

For Chef Peter's tour, he highlighted several pork recipes, incorporating prosciutto and pork loins in a variety of manners in a nod to the versatility of pork. Additionally, when guests headed off to the Hugoson Pork farm, they were welcomed by Kevin, Mary, and Eric Hugoson. In their farrow-to-finish operation, the Hugoson's (who are fourth generation farmers on their property) not only take care of their animals, but employ upwards of 20 people full-time.

It was a great day of learning, eating, and experiencing. A hearty thank you to the MN Pork Board, the Hugoson's, and all of the guests for such an interesting day!

September 29 - Robert Hall Wine Dinner

Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 29! Woolley’s will be hosting a seven-course Robert Hall Wine Dinner in a culinary celebration of Paso Robles’ most renowned winery. Adding to the excitement of the occasion, Robert Hall himself will be presenting for the evening.

The event will kick off at 6:30pm with a social reception and butler passed hors d’oeuvres. Dinner service will follow at 7:00pm. Each featured wine will be complemented with an expertly prepared menu course from our own Executive Chef Peter Christensen.

Robert Hall Wine Dinner

$55 per person

2010 Viognier

Social

Butler Passed Hors d'Oeuvres

2010 Chardonnay

First Course

Fresh Diver Scallops

Heirloom Tomatoes, Candied Bacon

2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Second Course

Foie Gras

Crab Apples, Fresh and Candied Cranberry and Arugula

2008 Syrah

Third Course

Maple Glazed Quail

Pumpkin “Spiced” Risotto

Sorbet

Concorde Grape

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Main Entrée

Certified Angus Beef (two ways)

Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato

Seared Tenderloin with Root Vegetables

2010 Orange Muscat 

(Margaret's Vineyard)

Dessert

Buttermilk Pannacotta

White chocolate, Blackberry

Reservations are required, as space is limited. To make reservations or for more information, please contact Woolley's at 952.854.1010. 

Who Likes Molasses?

I visited a trendy, newer Minneapolis restaurant last Friday night with a party. The service went from barely attentive to completely disinterested. Granted we were a large group; however, we had reservations and we called ahead to confirm that they a) had no problem accommodating us, and b) could easily facilitate separate checks.

The wait times between server visits and to even receive our meals grew steadily. By the time we received our dinners, we had no choice but to finish them promptly to abet the now persistent hunger pains. The server was not concerned with how we enjoyed our meals, and at the end of the meal (which came about rapidly), when many in our group would have liked to order espresso or even a dessert (or several), she completely vanished for almost half an hour to work at the arduous task of settling our checks.

It was a bummer on several levels. For our group, it was frustrating as we would certainly have liked to order additional drinks or after dinner add-ons, such as dessert. Additionally, for the restaurant, they had 18 captive diners to impress that night at a single table. In one fell swoop (and in spite of the stellar food quality), I doubt a single person will return due to the poor service. Not only did the service prevent the restaurant from repeat clientele, but they also completely ruined their own chances at higher check amounts that visit, since they did not check back to refill drink orders or inquire at the end of the meal.

The final icing on the cake involved when the checks were presented. All of them had a 20% gratuity tacked on. I know mandatory gratuity is standard for large parties. I'd consider myself a generous tipper with 20% being my standard, but we really would have appreciated the heads up from staff that the gratuity was added to avoid mistakenly adding one's own, as well the opportunity to compensate for the level of service commensurate with our experience.

This experience is reminiscent of a post from last September, where we debated the likelihood of returning to a restaurant if the food quality and/or service was lacking. To read that post, click HERE. I argued that I'd be hard pressed to revisit a restaurant at which I received lackluster service and a great meal, but would give a restaurant a second shot if I received great service and a less than stellar meal.

How about you? What are your biggest dining pet peeves? Would you give the restaurant I visited another chance on the basis of their food quality, chalking it up to an off-night on service)?

(An interesting aside is what diners consider acceptable for tipping. Our sister restaurant, Chez Daniel, had a lovely discussion about that on their blog, Bienvenue. To read: Tipping, Tipping, Tipping).

Happiest Hour in Town!

Dubbed, "The BEST Happy Hour in Bloomington!", The Corner Bar wants to be your first choice neighborhood watering hole.

With fantastic (and frugal) choices for both drinks and snacks, The Corner Bar's got your Happy Hour needs covered. Stop on by between 4pm - 6pm, Monday through Friday, and get officially happy!

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS:

$2 Domestic Beer Taps & Bottles

$3 Import/Craft Beer Taps & Bottles

$3 Forest Glen House Wine

1/2 Price Specialty Martinis (and all other Drinks)

1/2 Price Bottles of House Wine Selections

HALF-PRICE HAPPY HOUR APPETIZERS:

Calamari

Walleye Fingers

Shrimp Cocktail

Onion Rings

Mozzarella Sticks

Chicken Wings

Chicken Quesadilla

Crab Cakes

Diablo Bites

Artichoke Dip

Fruit & Veggies

Combo Platter

Pot Stickers

Chicken Tenders

With deals like these and a welcoming atmosphere, what's not to love?! We hope to see you one afternoon this week, and then again next week, and then the week after that!

The Great MN Get Together

This Thursday marks the beginning of the annual end of summer rite known as the Minnesota State Fair! An iconic tradition of food and fun since its inception 152 years ago, the Fair runs through Labor Day, so you have plenty of time to get your grub on.

Even Woolley's is getting in on the action, since Chef Peter will be at the Fair conducting some great cooking demos. Make sure you plan your visit accordingly, and you can see him in the flesh! All demos will be conducted in the Dairy Building. (All the easier to help yourself to a delicious milkshake while you enjoy the show!)

Chef Peter's Cooking Demos - Held in the Dairy Building

Thursday, August 25 - 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30pm

Wednesday, August 31 - 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30pm

Thursday, September 1 - 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30pm

We'll see you at the Fair! 

Weekly Specials - August 15th - 21st

Everyone wants to be special and our entrees are no different. This week, we've got a few special features that aren't gonna last long, so get 'em while they're hot!

Lunch Entrees

Almond Strawberry Salad - Mixed greens tossed in a marcona almond vinaigrette with strawberries, Boursin cheese and grilled chicken breast

Flank Steak Tacos - Tequila lime marinated flank steak, grilled and sliced thin, served on flour tortillas with guacamole, spicy tomato salsa and cilantro rice

Dinner Entrees

Grilled Pork Tenderloin over bacon lentils, grilled nectarine, smoked nectarine ice cream and pancetta crisp

Swordfish grilled over sweet corn risotto with putenesca sauce and micro greens 

(Limited quantity, try it before it's gone!)

Plus, when you stop in to try one of the dinner specials on a Wednesday or Sunday evening, you get half off your bottle of wine for Wine Lovers Night! 

Don't forget to pick-up your Passport while you're here, either, so you can start eating your way to that free dinner.

See you soon!

Tri City Passport Program

Woolley's is owned and operated by an independent restaurant management firm, Tri City Restaurants. Tri City works with the property group that owns and operates three of the Embassy Suites properties in the Twin Cities to lease their restaurant space.

As such, Woolley's also has two sister restaurants, Chez Daniel (located within the Embassy Suites Bloomington) and Cork's Irish Pub (located within the Embassy Suites St. Paul).

With three great restaurants under their belt, Tri City is excited to unveil their brand new passport program! Dine at any one of the three Tri City restaurants to receive your passport card and your first stamp! Then, try out the other two restaurants and earn a stamp after dining at each of those restaurants as well.

Once your passport is completed (and you've received a stamp for dining at all three locations), simply present your passport at any of the three restaurants for a free dinner!

It's a pretty easy way to try out some great new places (and get a free dinner in the process)!

Stop in to Woolley's this week to pick up your passport and earn your first stamp. We'll see you soon!

Wine Lovers Night

Every Wednesday and Sunday evening, Woolley's celebrates wine lovers by setting aside a night just for them! From 5:30 to 10pm on those days, any bottle of wine off our award winning list is half off with your dinner entree purchase.

(With so may wonderful options for both dinner and wine, our Evening for Wine Lovers, is the perfect excuse to get out of the house and celebrate with your fellow aficionados).

Join us on a Wednesday or Sunday for a prime cut of Woolley's beef, our fish special, or your favorite pasta dish and take half off that bottle you've been dying to try!

Wow! We love our employees!

Here at Woolley's, we love our guests, and we love our employees. So we really love it when our employees show our guests just how much we love them. We call that a 'Wow'!

This week we had so many great Wows, we just couldn't resist sharing. As a thank you for a job well done, here they are!

A party has been coming here for 14 years and always requests Grandma Sue. They said Grandma provides excellent service, and they feel the menu has upgraded a great deal. They love to bring new people here for dinner. 

Jaime took care of a party in the piano lounge who had attended a funeral. A guest said, "Thank you for the great service, Jaime is very kind. We enjoyed the wine and the fish special". 

Bethany had a table ask her for chocolate truffles. She tried to sell them on the lava cake, but they wouldn't take it. Therefore, Bethany picked up truffles from the gift shop and presented them with two hot towels. 

Another guest went out of his way to let management know how wonderful Bethany is. He said she has a great sense of humor. 

A diner in the bar said he has been here for three nights and Brandi has been the best yet. 

A frequent guest in the bar told me, "As far as bartenders go, they don't get any better than Adam." 

Finally, I would like to give Bethany a Wow for the lunch shift this afternoon. She had 30 walk-ins arrive almost all at the same time, and she handled it very professionally and received very nice compliments at table touches. 

A hearty thanks and some serious love to everyone for another great week! 

Weekly Specials - July 18 - 24

Hope everyone's been able to beat the heat and stay cool! (You don't actually have to travel to the Amazon to feel what it's like in the rainforest anymore).

If the weather has you in the mood for something tropical this week, you don't really have to go far. Take in the tropical scenery of our garden atrium while enjoying the delicious cool of our air conditioning. This week, our fabulous specials will certainly make your trip worthwhile. 

Appetizer

Soft Shell Crab - $12

Breaded and pan-fried on a bed of arugula with caper and chili remolade

Entrees

Ahi Tuna - $29

Seared Ahi with quinoa in a sweet chili vinaigrette and wasabi grilled asparagus

Braised Short Ribs - $27

With goat cheese pancakes, sweet corn succatash, braising jus, and crispy leaks 

Dessert

Peach Upside Down Cake - $5.95

Seared with fresh peaches and rum caramel sauce

Beer

MGD 64 Lemonade - $3.50

We'll see you soon! (Hopefully the humidity and temps will subside just a bit, so we can get back to enjoying the few months of summer we get). 

The Taste is Back!

The sixth annual Taste of the Twin Cities Originals is right around the corner. From 6-9pm on Thursday, July 28, Twin Cities Originals' member restaurants will be showcasing their best dishes at TCF Bank Stadium! 

From appetizers and entrees to desserts and even wine, attendees will be able to sample and taste to their hearts' (and their stomachs') content. As an added bonus, all attendees receive complimentary Riedel crystal wine glasses for attending this year's event.

Tickets are going fast, so make sure you get yours before they sell out! You may choose between regular admission tickets for $40 each or VIP tickets for $80 each. VIP tickets include $200 in gift certificates to member restaurants as well as early access to the event.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.tcoriginals.com/.

Restaurant Week Redux!

We're beyond excited that 'Restaurant Week' has been expanded into a semi-annual affair! After our foray into this tradition in March, Woolley's is now an old hand at this. As such, we've got some great summer fare planned to delight your palette!

For those of you unfamiliar with Restaurant Week, it is a week-long celebration put on by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine during which participating restaurants present fabulously priced meals for lunch, dinner, or both. Lunch options are priced at $10 or $20 while dinner options are priced at $15 to $30. These multi-course meals sometimes come with an optional wine flight that may be purchased separately to pair with the meal. Restaurant Week is a great way for restaurants and their chefs to showcase their menus and attract newbie patrons to their locale.

Woolley's decided to once again embrace Restaurant Week with offerings for both lunch and dinner! Adhering to the $20 and $30 price points, Woolley's has six separate entrée choice options slated for lunch and dinner respectively. Lunches start with our bountiful soup/salad bar and include a complimentary glass of house wine or non-alcoholic beverage. Dinner begins with our house French Onion Soup or choice of salad, and all meals are sweetly finished with three options for dessert. Also, while we do not have wine flights, we are offering 50% off any bottle of wine in celebration!

To see our full Restaurant Week menu, please click here.

This is one event your taste buds will not want to miss! Make sure you secure your reservation now by following this link. We'll see you then!

Mimosas & Champagne are Calling Your Name!

We're seriously enjoying our new brunch feature. From salty to sweet, breakfast to lunch, and everything in between, we've got all your brunch needs covered! To introduce Woolley's Brunch en masse, we decided to offer unlimited FREE champagne and mimosas for all brunch goers.

So, stop in for some brunch with some of your closest friends, family, and maybe even neighbors. If you're curious as to what we've got to offer (and missed our post last week), feel free to check out our Brunch Menu.

In the meantime, we'd love to know, what was some of the best brunch you ever had? What made it so divine? Do tell, get hungry, and then come see us for some brunch!

Get Your Brunch On!

As you may already be aware, Woolley's is bringing breakfast back! (Well, not just breakfast, but lunch too, with the unveiling of our revamped Sunday Brunch). Every Sunday from 10am to 2pm, we invite you to join us in a celebration of the best of breakfast and lunch. Get your brunch on!

BREAKFAST ENTREES

The Continental

 Homemade organic granola (MN maple syrup, oats & honey roasted almonds, dried fruit) yogurt, strawberries. 

Three eggs Omelet 

Choose 3: bacon, ham, sausage, onion, green bell pepper, tomato, spinach, cheddar. With hash browns & toast. 

The Spa Omelet 

Egg white omelet, sautéed spinach, roasted red bell pepper, Feta. With grilled tomato slices & rye toast.

Quiche of the Day 

Prepared with seasonal ingredients. With fresh fruit. 

Woolley’s Prime Rib Hash 

Prime rib, potato, onion, bell pepper, eggs sunny side up, toast. 

Eggs Benedict 

Canadian bacon, hollandaise sauce. With hash browns. 

Woolley’s Eggs Benedict 

Tenderloin medallions, hollandaise. With hash browns.

Crabby Benedict 

Crab cakes, sautéed spinach, chipotle hollandaise. With hash browns. 

Stuffed French toast 

Raspberry cream cheese, vanilla batter, warm maple syrup, fresh fruit.

Texas Skillet 

Scrambled eggs, potatoes, chorizo sausage, Pico de Gallo, green onion, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese, corn tortillas. 

Hueveros Rancheros 

Black bean w/ lime, garlic, shredded pork, cheese, tomatillo sauce, sunny side up egg. 

All American Breakfast 

Choice of two eggs with hash browns, bacon or sausage and toast. 

BREAKFAST SIDES 

Applewood-smoked bacon, Applewood-smoked Sausage, Hashbrowns, Two eggs prepared to order, Warm Cinnamon Roll, Side of fresh fruit 

LUNCH ENTREES

Grilled Salmon 

Spinach, bacon, orange segments, hard boiled egg, red onions, balsamic. 

Fettuccine Alfredo 

Garlic Alfredo, parmesan. Add Grilled Chicken or Add Shrimp

Black and Bleu Pasta 

Spicy beef tips, red onion, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, linguini, Southwest sauce, bleu cheese. 

Baked Mac and Cheese 

Cheddar cheese, fried tomatoes, crispy pancetta. 

Martini Steak 

5oz Grilled flat iron, martini seasoning, bleu cheese, green olives. 

Filet Mignon 

6oz Filet Mignon, roasted shallot demi-glace. 

Woolley’s Burger 

Smoked aged cheddar. 

Tuna Salad 

Red onion marmalade, havarti dill, seven grain bread. 

Crab Cake Sliders 

Lemon aoli, arugula. 

Fish Tacos 

Blackened Tilapia, tomatilla, corn, black bean salsa, flour tortilla. 

Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich 

Marinated tomato, mozzarella, basil aioli.

Chicken Salad Sandwich 

Red grape, pepper bacon, smoked cheddar. 

Grilled Chicken Sandwich 

Choose from: Cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, bleu cheeses, mushrooms, onions, green and red pepper, bacon. 

TO SHARE 

Shrimp Cocktail 

Chilled Shrimp, cocktail sauce. 

Crab Cakes

Spicy lemon aioli. 

Calamari 

Buttermilk marinated, breaded, lemon aioli, spicy marinara 

Beef Skewers 

Grilled, bleu cheese fondue

BEVERAGES 

Caribou Coffee, Café Mocha, Café Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso, Chai Tea, Hot Chocolate, Milk, Fresh Juice, Tea,  Pepsi, Iced Tea, Strawberry Lemonade, Arnold Palmer, Aqua Panna, San Pellegrino, Bloody Mary, Martini & Rossi Asti, Mumm Napa Brut, Cordoniu Cava, Tap Beer (Domestic), Tap Beer (Imported)