JANUARY 18, 2012
The concept of tapas (small plates dining), which originated in Spain, is doing quite well at the Blue Moose in East Grand Forks. The current tapas menu promotes sharing, and provides different tastes to a meal.
New on the tapas menu are an olive-and-cheese platter ($8) and chicken pâté served with butter crackers and garnished with red onions ($5). Then, there’s a barbecue rib taster ($8) that has “Blue Moose Norwegian barbecue sauce.” The menu claims that sticky fingers never tasted so good. Also among the tapas choices is a Mini Mac classic ($4).
The Blue Moose keeps switching and offering changes. In March, Chef Nate Sheppard promises a new section of the menu offering beer pairing choices.
Sheppard, who has become well-known as a chef in the Greater Grand Forks area, is one of the new owners of the Moose. With Patrick Boppre, the front house manager, he is in the process of buying the restaurant from manager Dave Homstad, Lyle Gerszewski and Greg Stennes.
Boppre is a native of East Grand Forks and has worked his way up at the Moose, starting as a busboy. Sheppard, who grew up in Grand Forks, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Ore. He has been featured in healthful cooking classes in the area. He stresses use of fresh ingredients and a minimum of salt and fat. He employs about 30 in the kitchen at Blue Moose.
The Moose moved to its present location along the East Grand Forks “boardwalk” of restaurants after the Flood of 1997. Before, it was on DeMers Avenue.
The Blue Moose fares well as an independent restaurant, one of several non-franchise operations in East Grand Forks. While it misses out on the national advertising for chain restaurants, its owners believe they fare well because of their creativity.
While several restaurants run buses to UND hockey games on weekends, the Blue Moose has no bus. Owners said they wouldn’t know where to put the extra people, since 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Fridays is already a rush.
The restaurant was pleasantly busy Jan. 9 when I stopped for lunch to savor their soup, advertised for $4. I chose chicken fajita ($4), and it was almost a meal in itself. It was piping hot, very rich. It came with just the right amount of crackers.
Because its menu is so varied, people stop for quick lunches, afternoon repasts and dinner. The menu features New York Strip Steak ($22), a flat-iron steak ($14) and a bone-in ribeye ($27). They offer chicken and seafood.
The menu is folksy and fun in a newspaper format, although it’s a little hard for the occasional diner to follow.
The Blue Moose continues to operate in East Grand Forks.