• Artichoke crab dip - Creamy artichoke heart and fresh crabmeat, parmesan cheese (shared) $10.00
• Crab-stuffed walleye w/ wild rice pilaf and roast red pepper aioli $17.00
• Chocolate banana pudding $5.00

Thistles replaces 13 Moons in Robbinsdale. It has remained very similar to what 13 Moons with a updated decor.

The food was mixed. The artichoke crab dip was really too greasy to eat, so while it tasted ok if you could enough oil off, it was not that appetizing. My walleye was excellent, I enjoyed it very much. My dessert was only ok again. It sounded great banana and chocolate pudding what a great combination, but it did not have enough of the banana or chocolate taste to work, so it was disappointing.

• Beef burgundy - Beef tenderloin medallions, burgundy mushrooms, parsnip puree, béarnaise sauce $22.00
• Profiteroles $4.00

I really wanted to love Thistles. In the end, I'm lukewarm about the restaurant. The food was uneven. The artichoke-crab dip and the bread were good enough, but a little too creamy and greasy for my taste. For the price, the beef medallions were the highlight of the meal. But even that was not as good as it could have been. The beef was just above average, cooked to the right temperature, but the sauce was not as appetizing as it sounded on the menu. When I read burgundy mushrooms, parsnip puree, and béarnaise sauce, I expected something really amazing. It came out really so-so. The dessert was awful. The profiteroles were stale and the filling was blah. Skip it, even though it is a dollar or two cheaper than other restaurants.

Little service foibles would hardly be noticeable to someone who doesn't dine out much. Not that the service was bad, just average. Let’s just say that I expected more from the service given the total bill and the atmosphere. The server was personable and down-to-earth, but seemed to be rushing us a little more than I prefer. One final note: I hope that the restaurant can iron out the rough spots because the atmosphere is beautiful, a real asset for downtown Robbinsdale.