There is a little gem of a restaurant in Richfield!

I vaguely recalled hearing about Lyn65 a time or two; but I seem to get it mixed up with all the other similar restaurants and place names:  LynLake, Lake & Irving… Okay, so maybe that’s only two others; but I know the difference now that I’ve searched for those links!

It was late afternoon on a beautiful spring day in Minnesota. I had just finished a run and was reading a Mpls-St. Paul Magazine on our back deck. I was reading about a new list of best burgers. Lyn65 was on the list.

Not long after, Rob came out to join me.

“Do you want to do dinner out tonight?” he asked.

To be honest, I just ran. I was tired. I was hungry. Cooking pork chops and broccoli didn’t sound fun nor appetizing. So the thought of dining out sounded good… as long as it didn’t take too much, well… more thinking.

“Where were you thinking?” I asked.

He hesitated in contemplation. Then he looked up at me inquisitively. “Restaurant Volley?” he asked. It was a game I had recently created that we’d only played a few times prior.

We started off pinging and ponging with all of our usual suspects – the nearby tried and true dining spots. We were both hungry and didn’t want to venture too far.

Then I thought of Lyn65. I had just read about it. And really, Richfield wasn’t that far. I pulled it out as my next move in Restaurant Volley. First Rob said, “Hmmm…” And then, “Yes!”

~

I was a little leery about being able to get a seat right away since it was a bit later than our usually Early Bird hours. I had a feeling that Lyn65 was a smaller restaurant, sort of like George & the Dragon. {Have I really not written an Impression about that one yet?!}

But we got lucky.

When I walked in, I asked the host if they had any seats at the bar. “We sure do!” he said and pointed us in that direction.

Yes, two seats, together, right in front of the tap handles. Aw yeah. That’s it. Their beer list wasn’t 100% up-to-date, but it didn’t matter because the bartenders were supremely attentive and informative! I love, too, that they serve half-pours.

Our bartender recommended the Pryes Miraculum IPA – a local brew that we had not yet had. She gave us a little background on the brewery and offered a taste. Rob declined and just ordered the pint. He should have taken the taste because he wasn’t all that impressed. He followed it up with the Surly Abrasive, which is anything but! IMHO, it’s a very smooth DIPA. I don’t recall seeing it on tap before either.

I, on the other hand, was inspired by the almost summer-like weather and opted for a Paloma:

I know that I’m still pretty new to Palmoas, but this one was absolutely fantastic.

It had a little kick of spice to it from the black pepper. It would be difficult to order something else next time! They do cocktails craftfully here. They focus on a small number, but the expert care they take in putting them together is apparent. I felt like we were back in NOLA again, except for the fact that the bartenders talked with us here. If felt like real genuine warmth, not just “Minnesota Nice”, which often just equates to politeness.

I did get a shot of some of the tap handles, but Rob was more impressed by that mug sitting on top. He tried to find a replica on Ebay. For himself? I don’t know, really. But alas, he was SOL. Though the way his hands are mirrored in this photo, it does look like the mug is sitting atop his hands!

Lyn65’s menu is separated into five sections:

• Neapolitan Pizza
• Salads & Vegetables
• Pasta & Grains
• Meat & Fish
• Bar Food

They change the menu every few months with the exception of the burger and fried chicken which we are told is sort of what they are known for. For only $35, you can try a tasting menu, in which you choose one from each of the Salad/Veg, Pasta/Grain & Meat/Fish sections. I had a *really* hard time choosing! That often happens when I’m really hungry. But, oddly, I didn’t think I was hungry enough for three courses.

I gave the gal an idea of a few of the dishes that I was considering; but I always throw servers off when the items are so different. That evening, I couldn’t decide on the Spring Pizza, Wild Mushroom Pizza, Mussels, Crispy Fried Egg Salad or Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

She indicated that the salad wasn’t truly a full meal. So in the end, I chose a half order of the chicken. I have no idea why my photo turned out so blurry. It absolutely did not have anything to do with my lack of photography expertise. Perhaps the chicken did not want to be photographed? Yes, that’s it!

When the chicken arrived, I had flashbacks to my high school days working at KFC. It smelled so good. And the half-order included three pieces of chicken – a keel {breast along the breastbone}, a leg and a thigh. Yeah. That half-order was a lot of food. One the side are your basic grits and a coleslaw that I didn’t even try. Before I even took a bite of my chicken, one of the bartenders plopped this in front of me. “You’ve got to try this!” he exclaimed.

But first, I had to try the chicken sans sauce. {I know I’ll be comparing it to Revival when I make it there!}

Verdict: It was very good. The meat was hot, moist and juicy. {No apologies if any of you don’t like those words. Some things are hard to describe otherwise!} I liked the flavor, too. Still, I’d definitely order something else next time. It wasn’t something I’d say you’d have to get if you go to Lyn65. The hot sauce had a nice kick, though!

Rob was wavering over a few dishes, too. Our bartender warned us that the pasta dishes were smaller portions than what most people expect. We prefer that! So that is why Rob chose this dish…

And she was right. This is a smaller portion of pasta, but not meal-sized. I wasn’t thrilled with the dish. I found it a little boring. However, Rob loved it; there was just not enough. {The bowl is deceiving because it’s very shallow.} He was still a bit hungry. So if you’d like to get the pasta here, I’d recommend you get something else to go with it.

While we were eating, some pizzas were delivered to our neighbors. Rob immediately had ordering remorse! “I’m getting that next time!” he said. That was a Grilled Asparagus Pizza with prosciutto, mushrooms and a soft cooked egg.

For “dessert” I had some sort of stout or porter by Bent Paddle Brewing. I’m so glad they started distributing throughout the Twin Cities. Duluth has a winner brewery up there!

But not long after I ordered it, we were asked if we wanted a complimentary homemade soft serve cone. YES PLEASE! It was a cute little cone and a perfect little end to dinner. It’s a little something special to make Lyn65 stand out. I had read about the complimentary cones online somewhere; but wasn’t sure if it was something they did all the time. I’d say to just wait patiently and see if you are asked… 😉

I had no idea the little gem that is Lyn65 could be found in an unassuming strip mall nestled on the corner of Lyndale Avenue and 65th Street in Richfield.

We found the service at the bar to be impeccable. We’ll be back. I’m betting that we’ll be ordering that pizza. But maybe we can do a burger, too, and split the dishes. Yes, that is a good idea since Rob can’t eat the duck fat fries. Those’ll be all mine.

Question for you – fried chicken: plain or with hot sauce?

Cheers~
Carrie