Coalition, Excelsior, MN

If you haven't been to this quaint, downtown hamlet, I would highly recommend a day or evening trip. They don't only have offerings like great tacos, ice cream, and lots of shopping, but they have a few nicer restaurants along the same three-block strip. You can easily make an afternoon or an evening by heading over to one of the most popular breweries in the area, Excelsior, and then stopping into one of the restaurants for a really great dinner.

We decided to hit Coalition after doing just that. Father's Day gave us both the opportunity to do something out of the house, and the brewery was a great first stop. Then, on to Coalition. 

It seems easily, both outside and in, like one of the nicer restaurants in this strip. We also liked the menu and smells of plates going by right off the bat. 

Having just stopped at a brewery (read: tipsy) and after seeing some of the offerings and speaking with the waiter, we nailed down or choices quickly - green apple Brie salad, cauliflower, roasted chicken and their Coalition burger. 

This has us at "Brie croutons", awesome summer freshness, crisp Bibb lettuce. 

The cauliflower had an Asian dressing and was very flavorful, though we were a bit surprised it was fried. 

Delicious chicken, interesting to see "pork sausage" (aka, Kielbasa) along side, and always fun to eat hominy. Their description of "slightly spicy" was underestimated - it was spicy even for me. A heavily spiced, crispy tortilla served on the side was not understood and went uneaten.

Solid burger and fries. No brainier. 

In a nutshell - We like this place. We chose what we wanted, but thought they could add something on the menu or when be more accurate when describing the dishes, to make sure you get something you can handle. Then again, even if they change nothing, I'd say it's likely we'll be back.