Restaurant and MOA recommendations

We are staying at the Country Inn and Suites Bloomfield West on American Blvd the weekend of April 18th for my niece%26#39;s volleyball tournament.

I am looking for recommendations on moderately priced restaurants ( although not fast food) conveniently located to this hotel. We will have a car, but are not familiar with the area and don%26#39;t want the stress of driving long distances to eat.

The hotel offers free breakfast of which we will take advantage, but would appreciate any information on where to eat dinner either near the hotel or at the MOA. I can%26#39;t seem to locate detailed information on dining on the MOA website, although I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;s there.

I am unsure as to where the tournament is held, and will probably need to have lunch in that area but will have to figure that one one when we arrive.

Also, I am looking for information on these coupon books. An older post suggested bloomingtonmn.org for 4.95 MOA coupon book, but the website is unclear as to how to purchase it, and when I call the 1-800 number, the people who answer the phone have no idea what I am talking about. They keep asking me if I want ';The Big Ticket'; and are unfamiliar with coupon books. Maybe the coupon%26#39;s are not worth trying to obtain at this point.

Restaurant and MOA recommendations

I%26#39;m afraid I can%26#39;t help you on the coupons.

On the topic of restaurants ... unfortunately, it%26#39;s a very limited selection there -- anywhere in Bloomington for that matter.

The two that spring to mind are chains. Fridays and Chilis (not my cup of tea).

The alternative is to eat inside the mall. But be warned, the prices in the mall are pretty consistently inflated because it%26#39;s in the mall. Look at the mall directory for your options inside.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Bloomington is about as suburbia as it gets.

Restaurant and MOA recommendations

Thanks for the info. I%26#39;m glad you warned me about the suburban atmosphere, but that%26#39;s okay. I am primarily looking forward to spending time with my sister, mother, niece and daughter which is rare, and with the volleyball tournament as the main attraction, won%26#39;t have time to venture out, anyway.

My sister is not what I call an avid traveler, and she would probably prefer to eat at Friday%26#39;s or Chili%26#39;s. I don%26#39;t normally eat at chains when I%26#39;m out of town, especially if we have them in Kansas City, but this is going to be a different kind of trip.

Thanks again for the response.

You might like this place -

David Fong%26#39;s Restaurant

9329 Lyndale Ave S

Minneapolis, MN

…citysearch.com/profile/5595132/minneapolis_…

Is this the coupon book you are looking for? You can purchase them at the Mall: mallofamerica.com/adults_coupon_books.aspx

I%26#39;ll try to think of restaurants and post again later.

joe sensors is a really cool sports bar with good food and lots of big tvs. its not too far from the mall.. take 494 west to france then go south to american blvd and turn right...

Would this sports bar be appropriate for teens? I know that we have sports bars in KC with a separate restaurant side from the bar and am wondering if this is the case here?

Sensor%26#39;s is a bar/restaurant is very family friendly IMHO, I%26#39;ve brought my kids there (currently ages 14 %26amp; 12) there several times and there are always families there with kids of all ages.

http://www.sensers.com/

';Would this sports bar be appropriate for teens? I know that we have sports bars in KC with a separate restaurant side from the bar and am wondering if this is the case here?';

Absolutely.. its sorta like Chammps but bigger with better food (get sensor fries) and better TVs (20 or so HD projection screens).

If you will have a car, you could easily drive into either St. Paul or Minneapolis.

My suggestion would be to drive up toward minneapolis and 55 west.

You can almost immediately enter park land and drive up the west side of the mississippi. In just a few miles you can be at our family%26#39;s favorite restaurant : the longfellow grill

2990 W River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55406 (Longfellow Grille)

There%26#39;s also Macaroni Grill near Southdale and Denny%26#39;s on the main strip next to Hampton inn

~JS