SAINT PAUL, Minn., Aug. 3, 2011 – Today new entrées will be added to the menus for the 14 Saint Paul-area restaurants that are participating in the 2011 Taste of Visa Championships, a restaurant competition held in conjunction with the 2011 Visa Championships, Aug. 17-20. Area residents will have the opportunity to enjoy the savory meals in the lead-up to the Visa Championships and during championships week.
As part of the contest, each restaurant has created a tasty, but nutritionally sound, meal with a gymnastics theme. The goal is to impress a panel of judges led by legendary gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, who will taste and judge each of the entrées during championships week. The judges will critique the entrées for taste, presentation, nutritional value, creativity and its "gymnastics tie-in," through the name and presentation of the dish. Karolyi will officially announce the contest winner during the Visa Fan Fest at Rice Park on Saturday, Aug. 20.
Each restaurant and its crafted dish are listed below (in alphabetical order).
| American Burger Bar | |
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Heal Drive Burger Ultra lean bison burger on a toasted wheat bun, with fresh vegetables and a side of broiled asparagus and a baked Russet potato rolled in sea salt. 354 Wabasha – 651-222-2123 |
| Cork’s Irish Pub | |
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Soul Circle Curry with Uneven Chicken and Apple Sausage bars—Unparalleled! Char-grilled chicken sausage served on Napa cabbage, apples, scallions, and garlic – mixed with curry sauce. 175 10th St E – 651-224-5111 |
| Eagle Street Grille | |
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Lemon Halibut Arabesque Served over spaghetti noodles with a side of fresh spinach and sundried tomatoes. 174 West 7th – 651-225-1382 |
| Great Waters Brewing Company | |
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Best All Around Duck Grilled boneless, skinless duck breast over wild rice – served with diced carrots, steamed broccoli, grilled zucchini and a balsamic vinegar drizzle. 426 St. Peter – 651-224-2739 |
| Headwaters Cafe | |
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Flyaway Fritatta Fluffy egg whites combined with grilled asparagus, roasted red bell peppers, fresh herbs, salt, pepper and low-fat ricotta cheese. Prepared with low calorie cooking spray and served with heart whole wheat toast. 175 W. Kellogg – 651-726-8804 |
| Kincaid’s Fish, Chop & Steak House | |
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Seared Scallop Salto Seared scallops in pea cream with radish and daikon sprouts garnish – served with a side salad tossed in vinaigrette dressing. 380 St. Peter – 651-602-9000 |
| The Liffey Irish Pub | |
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Salto Salmon Penne Salmon fillet sautéed with diced garlic, shallots, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and served over penne pasta. 175 West 7th – 651-556-1420 |
| M St. Cafe | |
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Seared Salmon & White Bean Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette Sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with salt, and pepper. 350 Market St – 651-228-3855 |
| Pazzaluna Urban Italian | |
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Arabesque Grilled Chicken with Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta Sautéed in olive oil with cauliflower, poached tomatoes, and garlic. 360 St. Peter – 651-223-7000 |
| Restaurant 11 | |
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Tumbling Seafood Salad Crab meat and shrimp on top of fresh greens, mixed with carrot ribbons, peppers, onions, tarot, and zucchini ribbons – served with mango citrus dressing and a cheddar biscuit. 11 E Kellogg – 651-292-1900 |
| St. Paul Grill | |
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Unparalleled Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad Served with potatoes, cooked green beans, sliced red onion, quartered boiled egg, anchovy, marinated tomatoes and olives. 350 Market St – 651-224-7455 |
| Sakura Restaurant & Bar | |
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9.9 Almost Perfect Two pieces of salmon with the super white tuna – served with wasabi ginger, lemon and soy sauce. 350 St. Peter – 651-224-0185 |
| Senor Wong | |
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The Round Off "Chile Rellenos" with a Double Back "Smoked Chicken & Quinoa" Dismount Roasted poblano pepper stuffed with hot quinoa and smoked chicken, in a black bean puree with adobo sauce, guacamole moose, pico de gallo, and queso cotija. 111 E Kellogg – 651-224-2019 |
| Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub | |
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Pecan Crusted Walleye Served over steamed wild rice with a side of poached sweet potatoes and fresh blueberries sitting in skim milk for dessert 258 West 7th – 651-292-9916 |
The special event is a joint effort between Visit Saint Paul, USA Gymnastics and St. Vincent Sports Performance, a national sponsor of USA Gymnastics, to promote healthy eating.
The 2011 Visa Championships, USA Gymnastics’ national championships, features the country’s best gymnasts vying for national titles and spots on the U.S. National Team in men’s, women’s and rhythmic gymnastics. Men’s and women’s gymnastics will be held at Xcel Energy Center, Aug. 17-20, and rhythmic gymnastics will be at Roy Wilkins Auditorium Aug. 19-20.
Tickets for the four-day event are on sale now, with individual session tickets, as well as multi- and all-session ticket packages. Tickets may be purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 800-745-3000, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. In recognition of Visa’s sponsorship, USA Gymnastics is proud to accept only Visa at the 2011 Visa Championships, along with cash. For ticket and event information, go to www.usagym.org/visa.
Additionally, USA Gymnastics will be connecting with fans on Facebook (facebook.com/USAGymnastics) and Twitter (@USAGym), providing live updates and exclusive content including videos and photos from the Visa Championships. Gymnastics fans can follow the action easily on Twitter by using the official hashtag of the 2011 Visa Championships, #visachamps. Event information is also available at usagym.org/visa.
Background information
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Visit Saint Paul. The mission of Visit Saint Paul is to generate economic growth for Saint Paul by effectively marketing the RiverCentre campus, Saint Paul and the region as a preferred convention and tourism destination.
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St. Vincent Sports Performance. St. Vincent Sports Performance is the first and largest hospital-based program of its kind in the United States, which includes 19 physicians, 47 nationally-certified athletic trainers, 12 certified strength and conditioning specialists, two sport psychologists and one sports dietician. The Indianapolis-based program currently provides comprehensive care to professional teams and athletes in an array of sports including: USA Gymnastics, U.S. Diving, USA Track and Field, Indy Racing League (IRL), NFL, NBA, and WBNA. St. Vincent Sports Performance also provides support for three universities and 30 high school and middle school athletes in central Indiana.
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USA Gymnastics. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.