TOUS les JOURS cloud cake
BY STEPHANIE FOX
At the intersection of Nicollet and 66th Ave. there are three malls, one on each corner, offering a huge variety of shops. For those who have learned to go around round-abouts, it’s easy to visit one and then move on to the others.
TOUS les JOURS at 6601 Nicollet is a unique franchise restaurant focusing on cakes, breads and wonderful pastries to eat on site or take out. You won’t find food like this in many places. It’s an inspired fusion of French and Korean cuisine, but don’t expect Korean BBQ or noodle dishes. Pastry choices include guava Danish, spinach feta Danish, garlic and cheese croissant, and yuzu pie (yuzu is a citrus fruit, specifically a hybrid of lemon and orange, popular in East Asia). Their sandwiches include egg and bacon cheese croissant, tuna salad and chicken club.
The fluffy cloud cakes are more unusual, offering delights such as blueberry yoghurt, earl grey, or mango and mocha. Some cakes are decorated for parties, while some are sold as some single serving slices.
Next door, is Dragon Pot restaurant. This is more than a typical all-you-can-eat place ¬– it’s an Asian dining experience. Diners pick up a large pot, a set of tongs and get to fill their own pot, choosing from a variety of broths, meats, seafood, vegetables, choices of rice and noodles and dipping sauces. There are dozens to choose from.
It’s recommended that you show up with company since this a communal meal. Part of the fun is that your foods arrive carried by a robot. Plan ahead as there is a two-hour limit to how long you can stay and eat.
Across the street, stroll down the narrow sidewalk for a choice of some long-standing eateries. El Tejaban Mexican Grill has been in Richfield for 17 years “and counting” said Dianna Hernandez, the restaurant’s general manager. When it opened in 2008, it was one of the few Mexican restaurants in Richfield. The foods are inspired by the family’s recipes and they pride themselves on
Fresh produce at Rong Market
serving authentic Mexican cuisine. They are family focused, specializing in grilled meats, and they offer specialties such as molcajetes served in a hot stone bowl with choices including grilled chicken and steak, seafood with shrimp, or tilapia and scallops. They also have Taco Tuesdays and Wednesday kids’ specials where children ages 13 and younger eat for free.
In the back of El Tejaban is a full bar specializing in tequila cocktails. Mocktails are also available. During Happy Hour diners can also try appetizers like nachos and taquitos, along with a margarita, wine or tap beer.
Another long-standing restaurant, family-owned for 23 years, is American Pie Pizzeria. New owners are making changes, with plans to be open all day and night, seven days a week. They’ll be adding Mexican tortas to their tacos, pastas and sandwiches. They are also one of the few places in the Twin Cities that serves broasted chicken, a deep fried pressure-cooked classic.
A lot of their business comes from catering for big business events and it’s not unusual for their delivery driver to head off with 200 or more pizzas.
Right now they are takeout only, but they are working on a remodel with a mural and new seating for in-store customers and plan to have an official reopening soon.
Rong Market is a full-sized neighborhood Asian supermarket carrying Chinese/Korean/Japanese/Vietnamese foods of all types. The frozen food section has ready-to-cook dumplings, rice cake corn dogs and a large choice of dim sum. The produce section offers fresh fruits and vegetables, including fuji apples, logans, and mushrooms at great prices. There are even tanks of live seafood like crab, lobster and stonefish.
Looking for a chance to try an exotic flavor of potato chips? You can try
Lay’s brand flavors in roasted garlic oyster, Italian red meat sauce, Tokyo yakitori, grilled ribs, scallop and many, many more, all delicious. In the frozen meat section, you can find pork snout and beef blood. The staff is friendly and shopping is always a (good) adventure.
GameStop has more than video games
The HUB Shopping Center opened in 1954 and is still a popular place for local shoppers. At the HUB you can find national chain stores but there are also many locally owned smaller specialty shops.
At GameStop, if you show up when a new version of a popular video game is arriving at midnight, fans begin relaxing in chairs outside the store by noon, each planning to be among the first to go home with the game. Not only are the newest games available, but also vintage games and related gear.
For comic book fans, this Hot Comics location is a great place to browse for favorites, new or vintage. Find the latest titles as well as old school comics like Archie or Casper the Friendly Ghost, as well as collectables. They have monthly Pokémon Saturdays for fans of all ages.
The HUB includes two shops focusing on hair. One, BL Braiding and
Comic books for all ages can be found at Hot Comics.
Beauty Supply specializes in working with black hair, creating Box Braids, Twists, Cornrows, Feed-In Braids, Goddess Braids, Crochet Styles or whatever a customer wants. They also sell hair care products, extensions, natural oils, and accessories to keep hair healthy.
Nearby is LV’s Barbershop. The barbers there offered free haircuts on June 30 prior to their grand opening and are now hoping to serve the greater Richfield community for years to come. Their old shop was located near Lake St. but was burned and looted during the riots. They are hoping that the new location will thrive. Co-owner Andy Acevedo said that by coming to Richfield to open his own shop is returning to his roots. Acevedo grew up in Richfield and said he wanted to come back to his hometown to give haircuts to his community. LV’s is a family affair.
Acevedo is a cousin of Lamberto Vergara who opened the original LV’s barbershop. Lamberto is also the owner of the Minnesota School of Barbering on Lake Street.
LV’s Barbershop in Richfield
The shop focuses on men’s haircuts and styles but they also do undercuts for women. Acevedo says that his shops are offering the best haircuts customers have ever had and that he and his fellow barbers are excited to be at the HUB.
At the HUB, you’ll find Walgreens, Michael’s (supplies for crafters and makers), Rainbow (the clothing store, not the grocery store), Dollar Tree, Marshall’s discount store, and fast-food chains like Dairy Queen and Burger King with drive-through lanes for take-out.
Also located at the intersection, there is an Army Recruiting center, a jewelry store selling gold jewelry to primarily Muslim customers, a new age center, the National Cremation Society, and much more.
Parking is easy and free at 66th and Nicollet, where you can find just about any kind of shop you need.
