Pink Ivy TODOTC.com To Do in the Twin Cities Restaurants Pink Ivy Date: April 5, 2024 712 Main St Hopkins, MN 55343 Phone: (952) 600-7290 www.pinkivymn.com

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Pink Ivy
We get ideas to where to go a dozen different ways. E watches Twin City Live where they introduce new restaurants. We watch Facebook, we talk to people we taste wine with, we surf the web and periodically we simply drive past some place and decide to go there. It’s VERY scientific.

We go to a lot of places. But it’s been six months since we have had place that Phil Hartman from SNL would say: Prepare to be knocked on your ass! That was the case at Pink Ivy.
First Pink Ivy is downtown Hopkins. You remember downtown Hopkins. It’s one of the last 4-5 downtowns left after Mpls, Anoka, Wayzata & Excelsior. St Paul has become a ghost town. Unless you call 7th downtown. Hopkins is the downtown you walked between several bars and vowed never to do this again. Anyway, downtown Hopkins is a fun place with a lot to do.

So, when E said we were going downtown Hopkins I smiled. It’s safe, free parking, clean and we have great memories of the area which continue.

We get asked all the time at North Loop what new place we are going to tonight. We told them Pink Ivy. A few said take us with you! Everyone told us they heard it was great. Staci our wine presenter know Michael and Viorica Shaughnessy the owners and said to say Hi.

At 6:45 we left downtown Mpls for Hopkins. 394 to 169 to Excelsior then about two blocks. I got to park right in front.

The place is simply a corner restaurant you might otherwise walk by. Going inside you can tell it is new by the smells and the look of the clientele. We were greeted nicely and presented a nice wine list, that I would later argue with the owner over. There is no Cab Sav something half of America drinks without looking any further. And there are SO many Cab Sav’s out there pick one. I was told by Viorica Shaughnessy she liked the wines on the menu. Her call, they are fine other than that.

So, I had a Cab Franc and E had a Malbec, just the opposite of what we usually do. Both were good not great wines & pours.
As usual I was busy taking a picture of every portion of the wine list and menus and the place for you. I took 30 pictures in all.

Meanwhile E was figuring out what we were going to eat. She chose a HOT Salad, something I had never heard of, and it was nothing less than a piece of art, great presentation, and even better taste. If you go to Pink Ivy you MUST order the Grilled Caesar Salad for $14 it is to die for. We split it and had more than enough.

Everyone always ask how expensive our meals are.  They really aren’t. I always include our bill and other than the wine we always split everything. Our waistline and wallet enjoy that aspect too.

I could not comprehend a hot salad and perhaps we should call it warm. With tomatoes, a long lettuce leaf and warm cheese & bacon it was an amazing blend.

In addition, we like bread with our meal so we ordered grilled sourdough for $4 which were good.

Then an order of French fries with cheese for $10 which were very good.

Then finally the grilled salmon for $28. The salmon was good, but the presentation was amazing. The chef circled the dish with a bright orange carrot sauce that made the salmon jump off the plate. Thus, proving food can be pretty AND good. The Salmon was $28.
Everything was incredible including the service.

As we are leaving MOST places, we leave our business card from ToDoTC and compliment the meal. We also told Carrie our server that Staci from the wine tasting wanted us to say hi to Viorica Shaughnessy the owner. Within a minute Viorica Shaughnessy the owner was at our table talking about her restaurant for 5 minutes. Something I wish half the owners would do. We discussed the wine list and being in business and its pitfalls. We really felt a part of Pink Ivy after just a couple of minutes talking to the owner. Owners don’t realize how special that time is. And my experience by being on BOTH side of that conversation people are always nice. It’s rare you get a jerk, and it sure does help business.

Contact us Dennis@ToDoTC.com