Minnesota - Where to Eat?

MSPD,

It could get worse. We could devolve further here with those Ole and Lena jokes.

It's all ongoing. We'll work through this lutefisk and move on, but maybe lutefisk will live on here as a reference as long as the thread remains viable. Right now it seems it is 2 to 1 in suggestions in Wisconsin's favor. Wanderingjew may never make it this far west if that favor remains. If he drives instead of flies he could stop at the Norski Nook in Wisconsin.

MSPD
 
I agree with you 100% . Just like the similar Cinci thread which is more than just about about 5 way chili and goetta, the Minnesota thread should be more than just about Lutefisk and Hot Dish- All kidding aside, I've made it plainly clear previously that I have no desire to try Lutefish, well, I wouldn't go out of my way to find it
 
Now if Davydd, would stop INSTIGATING!!!!
 

 
 
 

So MSPD, how did your kids get hooked on lutefisk?  (I'm always interested in how you get kids to eat certain things.)

Nancy...first off, the bakery down the street from Maria's is Franklin Street Bakery.  It's very good.  Not the best in town, but worth a stop if you're by there.  (As is Maria's for their cachapas venezolanas...corn pancakes).  Just east on Franklin at Bloomington is a little dumpy Halal market that makes some of the best gyros in MSP (on a good day) as well as some tasty goat.  Further east about a mile is a wonderful stretch of Franklin in the Seward neighborhood.  There's the Himalayan, True Thai and a beautiful co-op right there.  You're also very close to the Cedar Riverside neighborhood which is full of great Roadfood joints.  All in about a 2 mile radius and all easily walkable from the light rail platforms (2 stops).

Honestly, I think our "no nonsense" approach to food/dining has helped develop well-rounded eaters.  We make what we make, covering balanced nutrition, and they either eat or they don't.  We don't accept fussing and we don't make special things if the kids don't like what we made.  It's really that simple.  So when there's something new, they try it.

I was serious when I said lutefisk done right is outstanding.  I grew up in Rhode Island and the DC area and have a lifetime of seafood eating as well as catching my own.  As ridiculous as people will say it is, perfect lutefisk reminds me of lobster tail, sea bass, black cod (like the famous preparation at Nobu), and those types of fish.  It's buttery (even without the melted butter you put on it) and has a slightly chewy (in a good way) texture.

Lutefisk was an easy sell on the kids simply because it tastes good.  Now....I *will* be curious to see the reaction to the beef tongue that I'm about to get out of my freezer (we get our beef direct from the farm).

p.s. -- I appreciate the joking and know it's ongoing...I just would hate if the MN info got so diluted that it was hard for a newer person to actually find useful info.

MSPD,

Out of all this you are probably the first one that has seriously endorsed lutefisk. As you know Alton Brown stormed through on Feasting on Asphalt and made fun of it and our own local guy, Andrew Zimmern, has taken shots at it on two shows, his own Bizarre Foods and Man vs. Food. It seems no one can resist the potshots. We do the same with hot dish. It's casserole anywhere else yet Prairie Home Companion and the like have elevated it to humor.

You have to understand, it is a long running leg pulling wj and I do to each other all in fun, at least from my end. It should culminate with him coming out to our new Target Field next year and it should be a great time if we can get together. I wouldn't even mind if he went to Grumpy's Bar for that tater tot hot dish. Grumpy's is a fun place. The last time I was there was just before a monster trucks show at the Metrodome and it was overrun with dad's and preteen boys.

There seems to be a concentration of Scandinavian ethnic restaurants on Highway 8 east of I-35 over to the Wisconsin border. I've never stopped at any of them since going through there is always at the beginning of a road trip on the last leg before hitting the metro area returning home.

I wondered about the Franklin Street Bakery--is the halal market you're talking about the one with the sign in the window listing all the various animals and organ meats they sell?  I passed that probably four times trying to get a good picture without holding up traffic and couldn't.  (This is an actual problem--when I went back up to take Hennepin back out of town an officer pulled next to me to ask if I was lost.  /embarrassed) 
 
Sounds like you've done a great job raising adventurous eaters!

Davydd


MSPD,

Out of all this you are probably the first one that has seriously endorsed lutefisk. As you know Alton Brown stormed through on Feasting on Asphalt and made fun of it and our own local guy, Andrew Zimmern, has taken shots at it on two shows, his own Bizarre Foods and Man vs. Food. It seems no one can resist the potshots. We do the same with hot dish. It's casserole anywhere else yet Prairie Home Companion and the like have elevated it to humor.

You have to understand, it is a long running leg pulling wj and I do to each other all in fun, at least from my end. It should culminate with him coming out to our new Target Field next year and it should be a great time if we can get together. I wouldn't even mind if he went to Grumpy's Bar for that tater tot hot dish. Grumpy's is a fun place. The last time I was there was just before a monster trucks show at the Metrodome and it was overrun with dad's and preteen boys.

There seems to be a concentration of Scandinavian ethnic restaurants on Highway 8 east of I-35 over to the Wisconsin border. I've never stopped at any of them since going through there is always at the beginning of a road trip on the last leg before hitting the metro area returning home.

Oh, Davydd, you know it's all in fun from my end too....Grumpys seems like a fun place to check out- I've seen their reviews on yelp- they actually have a hotdish happy hour on Tuesdays from 5-9 pm- according to their website- all the hotdish you can eat for a buck- although it's still a year off- it's very unlikely my visit to the Twin Cities will fall on a Tuesday although I'm sure I'm going to spend at least 3 or 4 days there.

Nancypalooza


I wondered about the Franklin Street Bakery--is the halal market you're talking about the one with the sign in the window listing all the various animals and organ meats they sell?
 

Yes.  Kidneys, liver, camel meat, goat meat, chicken, etc.  All listed right there on the window.

Lifelong Minnesotan, here.  But I orginated on the other side of the River from Davyyd so I know next to nothing of the restaurants he speaks of and even less of downtown Minneapolis. 

St. Paul, I know!  And of course, Dick's Bar in Hudson (being that it is east of the twin towns!)  Red's Savoy, it is surprising to me that they list four locations.  There is only one:  it's on east Seventh Stree in St. Paul.  The others are imposters.  Equally surprising is that they also opened another imposter in Hugo over a year ago and that one wasn't listed.  Oh well, not missed either.  The original is a hoot!  I have visiting out of towners (Florida, Denver, NY) who ask to go there.  All but the Floridians who are native Minnesotans, were surprised to see the pizza cut into squares.
 
Some of my favorite resturants are ones that do not offer linen napkins or have websites.  We recently ooohed and aaaahed again over the Swedish Inn in Lindstrom.  Hubby had steak & shrimp, I had an open faced turkey sandwich and my company from Denver had an open faced hot beef sandwich, all with homemade thick sliced bread and homemade potatoes and gravy.  Steak & shrimp was 9.99 and the sandwiches were 7.99.  The steak and shrimp came with unlimited salad bar and homemade soup. 
 
The Cornerstone Cafe in downtown White Bear Lake is one of our favorite breakfast restaurants.  I always get the Italian Hash and two poached eggs, it is 7.99 and well worth it.   In the summertime you can sit outside and have a great view of the park with its little gazeebo and beautiful landscaping.

Someone on this thread mentioned the Pannekeouken; I adore that place.  Now I wish I would have brought the friend from Denver there.  I must go soon.

I must say that the friend from Denver loved Obb's Bar on St. Paul's East Side.  We had the Fish Fry there two Friday's ago.  It is always a hit.  We went exceptionally early (around 4:30) and got one of the last seats.  Usually there is a wait, that's what happens when you get a reputation over 50 years.   For ten dollars and all the fish you can eat I will call Obb's my steady Fish Fry as long as they stay in business. 

There are plenty of roadfood places outside of Minneapolis and the airport area.  They don't have the patent on Minnesota.  And it isn't always "down to the cities" I know plenty of people down New Ulm and Sleepy Eye, Mankato way that say they go "up to the cities".  And they are about as Minnesotan as it gets!!!!

MSPD

Nancypalooza


I wondered about the Franklin Street Bakery--is the halal market you're talking about the one with the sign in the window listing all the various animals and organ meats they sell?
 

Yes.  Kidneys, liver, camel meat, goat meat, chicken, etc.  All listed right there on the window.

Do they raise camels for food in your neck of the woods or in the USA at all?

Twin City-ites,

Years ago - gosh, now that I think about it almost 40 years ago, I used to go to a tavern in Minneapolis named Maazlax (I'm sure the spelling is wrong) which had FANTASTIC roast beef sandwiches. Carved from garlic studded steamship roasts, on a kaiser style roll, and dipped - they were soooo good. I remember folks queueing outside in mid winter to get one.

Their motto was  'Nobody beats Maazlax meat".

I doubt it is still there, as it surely would have been mentioned. I'm curious as to their fate.

Thanks,  Doug 

It was Mayslacks, a bar in northeast Minneapolis. It is still there but 40 years ago you may have been served directly by the late owner, Stan Mayslack. Stan Mayslack was a former pro wrestler and a giant of a man. In order to get your roast beef sandwich, which was larded with garlic BTW, you had to stand in line with your plate. The bun nearly filled the plate and Mayslack would ladle the roast beef on it. If you didn't have both hands under the plate he would not serve you. The Seinfeld Soup Nazi was a piker compared to Stan.

The lines were indeed long and usually out there door. In 1978 I resigned from my job at an architectural firm to go on to another. For my going away lunch the whole office of about 20 went to Mayslacks early expecting to get in and out at about 11:30 AM. We didn't get out of there until after 2:00 PM. There were no repercussions to the employees. My old boss and owner of the firm was among them.

I haven't been there since Stan Mayslack died several years ago. The place is still open under his name.

NYPIzzaNut

MSPD

Nancypalooza


I wondered about the Franklin Street Bakery--is the halal market you're talking about the one with the sign in the window listing all the various animals and organ meats they sell?

Yes.  Kidneys, liver, camel meat, goat meat, chicken, etc.  All listed right there on the window.

Do they raise camels for food in your neck of the woods or in the USA at all?

It's possible, but I seriously doubt it.  Actually, I'd be interested to know where Halal camel meat sold in Minneapolis comes from.  Maybe I'll ask them next time I'm in. 

Great looking park!

Davydd, thanks so much for the Mayslacks memories. That was a truly great roast beef sandwich.

Another spot I enjoyed from those days was Lindys,  a steakhouse which was located, I believe, in the Arden Hills area near the Control Data plant where I worked while on my trips there. We always stayed at the Paul Bunyan.  

D'Amico Cucina in the Butler Building closed, Morton's Steak House in Gavidae closed and Oceanaire Seafood Restaurant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday but did not close in Minneapolis. However they did close Oceanaire restaurants in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Seattle and Philadelphia. Those are all top end restaurants in their categories. If the economy doesn't start getting better there could be some more major surprises.

I think Oceanaire expanded maybe a little quickly.

My wife and I met BuddyRoadhouse at the Black Forest on 26th and Nicollet tonight for dinner. We hadn't been there in over 25 years and the place doesn't look like it changed one iota. We sat out in the outdoor beer garden.

Saturday night (7/11) we are getting together again at Little Szechuan, 422 W University in St. Paul at approximately 6:45 PM. Anyone care to join us feel free to do so. The more the merrier.

Catching up because I have been busy designing brick ovens in 3D...





and then I went into the wilderness of Whitewater State Park in Minnesota away from cell phones and the internet eating from the fire pit...



We did meet BuddyRoadhouse at the Black Forest Restaurant in Minneapolis. I had only the iPhone camera with me to record Buddy...



My wife Nancy...



...and the Apple Strudel we all shared...



I probably hadn't been to the Black Forest since the very early 1980s and the place appeared exactly the same. We sat outdoors in the biergarten and it most definitely looked the same. The Artists Quarter bar and grill used to be across the street and it is long gone replaced by a new building housing the Bad Waitress restaurant. Black Forest is on the corner of 26th and Nicollet in the heart of what is now called Eat Street for the explosion of ethnic restaurants. If I am around in another 25 years I might check it out again to see if it changes.

We did meet again at Little Szechuan on University Avenue in St. Paul. The food was good but the jury is out for BuddyRoadhouse as to whether it is any better than Tea House. I gathered Buddy preferred the smoked duck at Tea House better than this...



Nancy ordered the Crispy Chicken which tasted good but was chewy and bacon like and not at all like we thought it would be (nuggets?). The waiter tried to warn us.



I ordered the Chili Scallops which I liked. We shared the dinners along with a couple of excellent appetizers.



Buddy gave us samples of his Southern Sunset bar-b-que sauce which we used to make our own pulled pork sandwich stock to take on our camping trip. Southern Sunset is not available in the Twin City stores.

Today is Manic Monday at Lord Fletcher's in Spring Park on Lake Minnetonka. Every Monday during the boating season outside on the dock from 2 to 9 PM Lord Fletcher's has a $4 ($5 for Cheeseburgers) promotion serving half-pound hamburgers with all the trimmings from a cafeteria outdoor grill setup where you dress your own. For the price, and an honest half-pound from an outdoor grill, it was a great deal. They also sell MGD and Miller Lite in bottles for 99 cents. Beware, though, you'll probably pay more for a basket of onion rings or a beer more to your liking than for the burger and beer deal. It's a good deal. There is a lot of people and boat watching to make it fun. There are a lot of boat slips to pull into but there are many more boats that just like to parade through the channel to be seen and see alike. Two weeks ago the place was packed and you had to stand around and wait for a table to open up. That wasn't too bad, they sold the 99 cent beers from carts spaced around the dock.

Agree w/ Davydd re: dated MN news.  Does anyone have current info about the Brainerd / Cross Lake region?   ** also, just started new thread for this particular area, hope you can help one place or the other, thx **

Minnesota Food Chatters - -
 
I read all 82 messages in one sitting yesterday to get a feel for those offering opinions and insights, and to gain information about Minnesota Roadfood restaurants.
 
Although I am a twenty year resident of Minnesota, have eaten at six of the fourteen listed restaurants, and still refer to my 1983 purchased edition of GOODFOOD for reviews, I have not seriously explored the listed in-state establishments.
 
I pledge to do so. 
 
And I challenge everyone to begin anew your conversations.
 
Gary Wassam

Davydd, I've been bouncing around this thread; definitely have a vested interest in the subject, being a frequent visitor to the Twins, but just too busy to sit down and read every single post.  I did see your comments on our last get together at Little Szechuan, and have to say that Tea House is still my favorite for Chinese in general in your fair metro area.

For me, everything about Tea House is more inviting than Little Szechuan.  Food, service, ambiance; it all comes together better (IMHO) at Tea House.  BTW, after we left Little Szechuan, I did stop at that mobile taco stand on University and had an outstanding al pastor taco for dessert.  Crispy, flavorful bits of al pastor generously stuffed into a soft, warm taco with a zesty shot of salsa verde and sprinkle of onion and cilantro put a very satisfying cap on the evening's repast.  They park in two locations, the second one escapes me at the moment.  I think the University spot, several blocks east(?) of Little Szechuan is their weekend location.

As for Black Forest, it never disappoints.  Our meal there was excellent and the apple strudel was inspired.  More than enough for three previously well fed people to share.

One last thing, your recommendation for picking up brats a Karmarczuk was spot on!  Not only did I get some excellent brats (they placed fairly high in the recent Wisconsin Brat Cook-Off), but I also found a wonderful old world cafeteria style restaurant attached to the butcher shop (you knew I would, didn't you?).  I was trying to grab some lunch before leaving town and with Al's Dinky Town Diner packed to the rafters, Karmarczuk was in the right place at the right time.  At first glance I thought they were a bit pricey for a cafeteria, but the amount of food I was served (I don't think I made it halfway through the sampler platter) was definitely a good value.

Thanks again for yours and Nancy's company, and for some excellent Roadfood suggestions.

See you soon,

Buddy

For your viewing pleasure.  We made our annual outing to Wisconsin for a delicious lutefisk supper.  Moe Lutheran Church near Clear Lake, Wisconsin.

Great post MSPD.

It was Wisconsin and not Minnesota.

Should we put out an alert for wanderingjew?

Paging wanderingjew!  Paging wanderingjew!

Davydd


Great post MSPD.

It was Wisconsin and not Minnesota.

Should we put out an alert for wanderingjew?

Paging wanderingjew!  Paging wanderingjew!

Come on, you know I have no interest in seeking out lutefisk. What I find comical is that if you factor the Twin Cities metro population of say 3 million versus the NYC population of say 20 million. With only 50 or so (I think I'm being generous on the figure) kosher and kosher style delis in the entire NYC area,  per ratio there are actually more restaurants in Twin Cities metro that are serving hot dish and swedish meatballs (and scandinavianesque specialties) than jewish and kosher delis in the NYC area, yet if you venture into the discussion of the "museumesque and touristy" delis in NYC, the locals on the forum are fooling themselves into believing (and having you believe) that they are, flourishing and packed with locals (yeah....right- lots of sarcasm in that tone)

wj,

Relax man. We're having fun. I thought New York was Italian as in pizza.

Your logic may be flawed. It could be possible with that logic for the Twin Cities to have more Jewish delis than NY since the Twin Cities has had and has a fairly prominent Jewish community. The Coen brothers just released a movie on the subject in A Serious Man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serious_Man

Anyway, my all-time favorite Jewish deli was Bernie's in St. Louis Park, MN. Unfortunately, it closed many years ago. Mid 70s I believe. St. Louis Park Historical Society said 1966 but that is in error since I didn't move to the neighborhood until 1971.

http://www.slphistory.org/history/mtka4212.asp

Hi !  Altho have enjoyed the pix, the sarcasm & the 'abuse', still NO ONE has responded to original question about good food  in & around Cross Lake / Brainerd region.  Is there nothing special there ?  thanks...

Davydd


wj,

Relax man. We're having fun. I thought New York was Italian as in pizza.

Your logic may be flawed. It could be possible with that logic for the Twin Cities to have more Jewish delis than NY since the Twin Cities has had and has a fairly prominent Jewish community. The Coen brothers just released a movie on the subject in A Serious Man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serious_Man

Anyway, my all-time favorite Jewish deli was Bernie's in St. Louis Park, MN. Unfortunately, it closed many years ago. Mid 70s I believe. St. Louis Park Historical Society said 1966 but that is in error since I didn't move to the neighborhood until 1971.

http://www.slphistory.org/history/mtka4212.asp

I know, I'm just pointing out something that I find quite ironic.

It wouldn't surprise me if there were more Jewish Delis' in the Twin Cities per capita than there are in NY, I thought there were probably more in Cleveland as well.

As a just former Wisconsinite now displaced in NC, I am not sure what to think about Minnehaha food.  Like any great metro area, the Minneapolis/ St Paul area has some great ethnic places to eat.  But I also see a bunch of fake cosmopolitan wannabes that want to be the Hollywood of the Midwest. I mean come on..they live on a great big body of water with barges and have great ports/beaches and one of the nastiest climates in the Midwest.  Plus a college team named after a "tough" rodent.  Thats not to mention that their pro football team plays in a gym with an oger that blows a stupid horn because the fake pumped in crowd noise isn't loud enough.  Fake snobs is what I think of when I am there. But when it comes to local culture, that Letefisk stuff is just nasty.... And svedish meatballs??  Please! I have an ongoing rivalry with a large portion of my family which now lives just west of Minneapolis. When I call them on the phone, I revert to my Minnesota/ Fargo movie talk...and I don't want to hear any arguments from you people that live there....you do sound like this... I see it first hand when I go there and it crosses all financial barriers... How ya do'in Ollie?  Not bad Helga. How's the ice fishin' don't ya know? Whatch ya doin'? Yah der hey!  Eh?

NC Cheesehead


As a just former Wisconsinite now displaced in NC, I am not sure what to think about Minnehaha food.  Like any great metro area, the Minneapolis/ St Paul area has some great ethnic places to eat.  But I also see a bunch of fake cosmopolitan wannabes that want to be the Hollywood of the Midwest. I mean come on..they live on a great big body of water with barges and have great ports/beaches and one of the nastiest climates in the Midwest.  Plus a college team named after a "tough" rodent.  Thats not to mention that their pro football team plays in a gym with an oger that blows a stupid horn because the fake pumped in crowd noise isn't loud enough.  Fake snobs is what I think of when I am there. But when it comes to local culture, that Letefisk stuff is just nasty.... And svedish meatballs??  Please! I have an ongoing rivalry with a large portion of my family which now lives just west of Minneapolis. When I call them on the phone, I revert to my Minnesota/ Fargo movie talk...and I don't want to hear any arguments from you people that live there....you do sound like this... I see it first hand when I go there and it crosses all financial barriers... How ya do'in Ollie?  Not bad Helga. How's the ice fishin' don't ya know? Whatch ya doin'? Yah der hey!  Eh?

 
Hey, hey, don't knock those "Svedish Meatballs" I luv em' !

NC Cheesehead


As a just former Wisconsinite now displaced in NC, I am not sure what to think about Minnehaha food.  Like any great metro area, the Minneapolis/ St Paul area has some great ethnic places to eat.  But I also see a bunch of fake cosmopolitan wannabes that want to be the Hollywood of the Midwest. I mean come on..they live on a great big body of water with barges and have great ports/beaches and one of the nastiest climates in the Midwest.  Plus a college team named after a "tough" rodent.  Thats not to mention that their pro football team plays in a gym with an oger that blows a stupid horn because the fake pumped in crowd noise isn't loud enough.  Fake snobs is what I think of when I am there. But when it comes to local culture, that Letefisk stuff is just nasty.... And svedish meatballs??  Please! I have an ongoing rivalry with a large portion of my family which now lives just west of Minneapolis. When I call them on the phone, I revert to my Minnesota/ Fargo movie talk...and I don't want to hear any arguments from you people that live there....you do sound like this... I see it first hand when I go there and it crosses all financial barriers... How ya do'in Ollie?  Not bad Helga. How's the ice fishin' don't ya know? Whatch ya doin'? Yah der hey!  Eh?

Davy,

Just giving you a hard time.  I do the same to my family that lives by you .  Unfortunately, UGHHHH!!,  many are now Viking fans!  Hope you are enjoying your new quarterback!  :-)  I like the area you live in.  I find certain cultures interesting where I live down here in NC ( Livermush, BBQ everything, fried everything, collard greens, fried chicken in every possible way etc )and am actually going to try to make country ham and biscuits as part of my dinner tonight.  Just out of curiosity, is Marc's Choo Choo Bar still around in Laredo Minnesota?  They had the best damn Chicken Wings I ever had in the 70's.  They had a very unique marination and then fried.  We used the do a caravan snowmobile run there from Mooney Lake in Plymouth(my uncle had a place he built there).  My cousin is the editor and owner of a major magazine in Wayazata that covers lake living.  I tease them all the time but they did it back to us Wisconsinites....but now I live in NC.  Is that Twins stadium going to have a retractable roof?  And where are the Vikings going?  The gophers have their new home.....albeit not that big or great in my opinion.  My brother was there and gave me the breakdown/opinions at the last Badger/Gopher game.  

NC Cheesehead,

The Choo Choo Bar in Loretto is still there. Their walleye sandwich is on my web site.

http://web.mac.com/davydd...alleye_Sandwiches.html

The Twins stadium will not have a retractable roof. Access to the stadium is by directly driving into town and parking at adjacent ramps with freeway entrances. Also the light rail extends to the field and a second light rail is planned from the southwest suburbs. A bike path that extends all the way out to my home 20 some miles away also goes directly to the field. The extensive downtown skyway system spills right out onto a big entrance plaza to the stadium. It's going to be a cozy sized stadium. It is shoe horned into a tight site so there will be no stand back and look at it view from the outside. However the view from homeplate looking out toward center/right field will be a spectacular close-up view of downtown.

http://minnesota.twins.ml...ballpark/seat_view.jsp

The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

The "Bank" or the Minnesota Golden Gophers new stadium is designed for expansion so is not big. That's because they suffered through 26 years off-campus in the Metrodome and declining attendance. It is wait and see for the U of MN but one needs to remember prior to the Vikings coming to town they were a perennial national powerhouse. If the Vikings left the U of MN has the potential to return to those glory years because being number one in the fall again will be a overwhelming recruiting tool in a pretty good metro setting.

gnat


Hi !  Altho have enjoyed the pix, the sarcasm & the 'abuse', still NO ONE has responded to original question about good food  in & around Cross Lake / Brainerd region.  Is there nothing special there ?  thanks...

gnat,

Culinary wise the Brainerd Lakes region is not noted. At least I haven't noticed any rave comments or must go places here or at other food forums. There was a recent thread covering Brainerd located here with some mentions of places...

http://www.roadfood.com/F...Minnesota-m545280.aspx

As I mentioned in this thread when I go to the area I stay at a private association on a lake and rarely leave. I don't think I ever ate a meal in a restaurant in the Brainerd Lakes region.

Davydd


The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

That would not surprise me.  They took the Lakers, why not the Vikings? 

NC Cheesehead, I hate to tell ya, I can't really tell the Sconnie accent too far apart from the Minnehaha one.

I too am a big fan of Dicks.  I come from St. Louis Mo for the Bloody Mary's and the super blood sludge breakfast. Gotta love the hollandaise sauce!

I love The Big Ten in Stadium Village. It's on Washington across from the Radisson.  The whole menu looks good, but the first thing to try is one of their subs.  I always get the salami, my husband the "assorted".  Also, a half is plenty.  They're pretty simple, but excellent.

A friend raves about the walleye at Tavern on Grand in St Paul, but I've never been.

Nancypalooza

Davydd

y
The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

That would not surprise me.  They took the Lakers, why not the Vikings? 

NC Cheesehead, I hate to tell ya, I can't really tell the Sconnie accent too far apart from the Minnehaha one.

Nancy, I am afraid you are right.  More so though when you are in the Milwaukee area where I was born and raised.  When I lived near Madison, people didn't quite have that much of a pronounced accent to the extent that they do in Milwaukee.  Especially on Milwaukee's south side.  But now I'm down south here by you and they all look at me like I'm from another planet.  Interesting how regional people from different areas sound.  When in Boston, I asked for change once for a dollar bill and asked for 4 quarters.  He called them Kwatahs.  My friends from Boston rib each other about our regional accents but it's all in fun. 

NC Cheesehead

Nancypalooza

Davydd

y
The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

That would not surprise me.  They took the Lakers, why not the Vikings? 

NC Cheesehead, I hate to tell ya, I can't really tell the Sconnie accent too far apart from the Minnehaha one.

Nancy, I am afraid you are right.  More so though when you are in the Milwaukee area where I was born and raised.  When I lived near Madison, people didn't quite have that much of a pronounced accent to the extent that they do in Milwaukee.  Especially on Milwaukee's south side.  But now I'm down south here by you and they all look at me like I'm from another planet.  Interesting how regional people from different areas sound.  When in Boston, I asked for change once for a dollar bill and asked for 4 quarters.  He called them Kwatahs.  My friends from Boston rib each other about our regional accents but it's all in fun. 

I can tell the "Scahnsin" accent from the "Minnesoooda" accent. The Milwaukee accent specifically is much more obvious to tell apart because it has alot of the "Great Lakes" characteristics which Minnesota lacks (the hard vowels and broad a's) as well as the Minnesota characeteristics of the rounded "o's" and "long a's sounding like long e's" which the great lakes accent lacks. In other words the Milwaukee accent incorporates some of the "Chicago" characteristics which Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota lack.

Davydd


NC Cheesehead,

The Choo Choo Bar in Loretto is still there. Their walleye sandwich is on my web site.

http://web.mac.com/davydd...alleye_Sandwiches.html

The Twins stadium will not have a retractable roof. Access to the stadium is by directly driving into town and parking at adjacent ramps with freeway entrances. Also the light rail extends to the field and a second light rail is planned from the southwest suburbs. A bike path that extends all the way out to my home 20 some miles away also goes directly to the field. The extensive downtown skyway system spills right out onto a big entrance plaza to the stadium. It's going to be a cozy sized stadium. It is shoe horned into a tight site so there will be no stand back and look at it view from the outside. However the view from homeplate looking out toward center/right field will be a spectacular close-up view of downtown.

http://minnesota.twins.ml...ballpark/seat_view.jsp

The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

The "Bank" or the Minnesota Golden Gophers new stadium is designed for expansion so is not big. That's because they suffered through 26 years off-campus in the Metrodome and declining attendance. It is wait and see for the U of MN but one needs to remember prior to the Vikings coming to town they were a perennial national powerhouse. If the Vikings left the U of MN has the potential to return to those glory years because being number one in the fall again will be a overwhelming recruiting tool in a pretty good metro setting.

Awesome to see the Choo Choo Bar is still there.  I remember as a kid eating in that train car that's attached to the restaurant.  I need to get up by you and pay it a visit.  I just remember those wings having a very unique taste I had never had before and have never had since.  That walleye sandwich looks great.  The walleye is one thing I miss about the midwest....that and perch, whitefish, and smoked salmon/trout from the great lakes.

I was hoping they (twins)were going to put a retractable roof like they did in Milwaukee.  It sure made openings days in Brew town during April that much more bearable due to the unpredictable weather that time of year.  They said it would help the Brewers late in the year as well but then again, the Brewers have not seen more than one round into the post season since it was built but that's a sore story for another day....They raised the local sales tax in Milwaukee to help finance that thing.  It's still a controversy in Milwaukee. 

I agree about the Gophers....they are always on the verge of becoming a power house these days and like any team in the big ten, you can never ever take any team lightly.  Just ask Ohio State that just took one on the chin from Purdue.  Hope the new stadium helps. It was smart to make it to expand.

I don't want the Vikings to leave Minnesota.  It's become a rivalry for the Packers.  I remember going to a game as a kid at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington where I had the chance to see Fran play.  (Where that great Mall you helped build once stood!)  I also remember going to see the Minnesota "Kicks" pro soccer team that ultimately folded. I remember my uncle just complaining like crazy when they moved the Vikings downtown because now all the tailgaters had no place to go except a few prime rooftop spaces.   And my uncle was the owner of a restaurant food distribution business where he had an RV and quite a spread for tailgating. He loved to entertain clients that way.  Besides, if the Vikings left Minnesota, what else would us Packer fans have to bitch about?  (Well, besides you having Favre now, maybe the bears.)

Another Irish pub opens in the Twin Cities. Kieran Folliard, an Irishman and owner of the Liffey in St. Paul and Kieran's and the Local in Minneapolis opened another pub in St. Louis Park, a first tier western suburb of Minneapolis. The pub and restaurant is called Cooper reviving the name of a popular theatre that was nearby that closed in 1991.

The bar and furnishings were built in Ireland and shipped to the United States for assembly and installation. Nicely done. The food is standard pub fare and the most expensive item on the menu is $17. Fish and chips came with a choice of salmon, shrimp, cod or walleye. My wife chose the walleye. A friend had the half pound regular hamburger and I had the walleye sandwich. The walleye sandwich was OK but no where close to the best I've had in the Twin Cities.

wanderingjew

NC Cheesehead

Nancypalooza

Davydd

y
The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

That would not surprise me.  They took the Lakers, why not the Vikings? 

NC Cheesehead, I hate to tell ya, I can't really tell the Sconnie accent too far apart from the Minnehaha one.

Nancy, I am afraid you are right.  More so though when you are in the Milwaukee area where I was born and raised.  When I lived near Madison, people didn't quite have that much of a pronounced accent to the extent that they do in Milwaukee.  Especially on Milwaukee's south side.  But now I'm down south here by you and they all look at me like I'm from another planet.  Interesting how regional people from different areas sound.  When in Boston, I asked for change once for a dollar bill and asked for 4 quarters.  He called them Kwatahs.  My friends from Boston rib each other about our regional accents but it's all in fun. 

I can tell the "Scahnsin" accent from the "Minnesoooda" accent. The Milwaukee accent specifically is much more obvious to tell apart because it has alot of the "Great Lakes" characteristics which Minnesota lacks (the hard vowels and broad a's) as well as the Minnesota characeteristics of the rounded "o's" and "long a's sounding like long e's" which the great lakes accent lacks. In other words the Milwaukee accent incorporates some of the "Chicago" characteristics which Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota lack.

Yes you nailed this one right on.  Wanderingjew, you are either a linguistics instructor or you need to quit traveling around so much!

NC Cheesehead

wanderingjew

NC Cheesehead

Nancypalooza

Davydd

y
The Vikings may become a good candidate for Los Angeles. There is not much movement by anyone to publicly finance a stadium for them.

That would not surprise me.  They took the Lakers, why not the Vikings? 

NC Cheesehead, I hate to tell ya, I can't really tell the Sconnie accent too far apart from the Minnehaha one.

Nancy, I am afraid you are right.  More so though when you are in the Milwaukee area where I was born and raised.  When I lived near Madison, people didn't quite have that much of a pronounced accent to the extent that they do in Milwaukee.  Especially on Milwaukee's south side.  But now I'm down south here by you and they all look at me like I'm from another planet.  Interesting how regional people from different areas sound.  When in Boston, I asked for change once for a dollar bill and asked for 4 quarters.  He called them Kwatahs.  My friends from Boston rib each other about our regional accents but it's all in fun. 

I can tell the "Scahnsin" accent from the "Minnesoooda" accent. The Milwaukee accent specifically is much more obvious to tell apart because it has alot of the "Great Lakes" characteristics which Minnesota lacks (the hard vowels and broad a's) as well as the Minnesota characeteristics of the rounded "o's" and "long a's sounding like long e's" which the great lakes accent lacks. In other words the Milwaukee accent incorporates some of the "Chicago" characteristics which Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota lack.

Yes you nailed this one right on.  Wanderingjew, you are either a linguistics instructor or you need to quit traveling around so much!

 
actually neither,
 
Part of it is my friend Julianne- originally from the Milwaukee suburbs and the perfect case study of the "Scahnsin" dialect, and the other was 3 years of listening to my North Dakota and Minnesota transplant coworkers when I lived in Seattle. I knew the "Fargo" accent before the movie even came out!

A taste of Minnesota at the new Twins ballpark. Here is an article on foods that will be served at Target Field starting this spring. Walleye sandwiches, porkchop on a stick, wild rice soup, juicy lucy burgers and Murray's steak burgers will be some of the offerings.

http://www.startribune.co...:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

I just came over here to see if anybody posted that article--our mouths are already watering.  So what's the holdup about the Dome Dog?  Just the name?

"This will be my 11th opening day of Major League Baseball and my fourth club and I've never seen anything on a stick, except maybe a corn dog, anywhere else," said Pete Spike, general manager of food services at the Twins new outdoor ballpark in downtown Minneapolis.

I wonder if other ballparks don't serve things on sticks because in the hands of a drunken fan one could easily become a weapon or instrument of self-injury.  You just know someone's going to try to eat a pork chop on a stick and walk at the same time.

Imagine the body count if stick food was offered during a Yankees-Red Sox series!
 
Brad

Food on a stick is a Minnesota State Fair tradition and probably why the food company is picking up on that theme. Last count more than 50 items at the state fair were sold on a stick. That's far more than anywhere else I have experienced. I was at the California State Fair last fall and found just one single item on a stick - a corn dog.

Nancy, I don't know why they are still debating the Dome Dog other than maybe they would obviously no longer need to call it that at an outdoor field.

The food company is an out of state company but it does appear they've done their homework in trying to develop Minnesota specific foods. I'm sure wanderingjew will be disappointed. There was no mention of lutefisk in the article.

/imagining trying to tie lutefisk to a stick

Davydd


Food on a stick is a Minnesota State Fair tradition and probably why the food company is picking up on that theme. Last count more than 50 items at the state fair were sold on a stick. That's far more than anywhere else I have experienced. I was at the California State Fair last fall and found just one single item on a stick - a corn dog.

Nancy, I don't know why they are still debating the Dome Dog other than maybe they would obviously no longer need to call it that at an outdoor field.

The food company is an out of state company but it does appear they've done their homework in trying to develop Minnesota specific foods. I'm sure wanderingjew will be disappointed. There was no mention of lutefisk in the article.

 
I'm just surprised that they won't include a taste of the majors theme and include those unique only in Southern California Specialties called "burgers" whent the Angels are in town, actually better yet, let's not call them burgers, lets just call them"In and Outs" for now on!
(theme of sarcasm throughout the entire response)

Curious about Walleye? The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Taste section this week ran an article about commercial walleye fishing in Minnesota. There is some though most all walleye commercially comes out of Canada. There is a firm in Redby, MN, Red Lake Fisheries that ships Minnesota walleye. Interesting read.

http://www.startribune.co...c:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Since there is no longer going to be a dome at a Twins baseball game the Dome Dog will no longer be sold. That got everyone in a tizzy when it was announced that Hormel would no longer supply that favorite eat. Today they announced a new lineup of 4 new hot dogs by Schweigert. The all beef quarter-pound Twins Big Dog will replace the Dome Dog.

http://www.startribune.co...aUac8HEaDiaMDCinchO7DU

St. Patrick's Day is coming up so we checked out McGarry's Pub in Maple Plain, MN once again. I had the McGarry's Juicy Lucy which was different than most. It was ground lamb stuffed with goat cheese and topped with mushrooms.

I'm running out of free space on my Photobucket account and am now experimenting with other sites. One is my Apple MobileMe Gallery that ties directly in with iPhoto on my Mac. The McGarry's Pub photos were the first. They came from a gallery of 136 (as of this typing) Twin Cities area food photos that can all be viewed here...

http://is.gd/afffV

It doesn't get any better than late July and August in Minnesota. The summers are usually perfect in not being too hot or too high of a dewpoint. Plus, the bugs disappear. So as not to lose out dockside eateries are the favored way to eat. I've been to four different places on Lake Minnetonka this summer and all are within a couple of miles from home. We used to boat to them but we sold our boat after getting an RV. We did kayak once to one but most we can just walk to.

The first is on the Lake Minnetonka Regional LRT Bike Trail that I often Nordic walk on. It is the Bayside Grille in Excelsior, MN. Excelsior is a small community of 2,400 people on Excelsior Bay. A little secret. If you know your history of Excelsior founded in 1853 you know that is really where Garrison Kiellor probably got his inspiration for Prairie Home Companion and Lake Wobegon.

This is the dockside wharf with the restored streetcar steamboat, The Minnehaha, docked in the background. The Minnehaha used to pick up streetcar passengers in Excelsior and ferry them around the lake to large hotels and Big Island where there was an amusement park. The boat was deliberately sunk in 1926 to dispose of it, was salvaged in the 1980s, restored and put back in service in 1996. Excelsior also has a rail streetcar that travels from a town museum to the Bayside Grille about 5 blocks.


Dockside food generally is bar type food and often a more limited menu than what you can order if you sit inside the adjacent restaurant. Lighter fare such as this Walleye Wrap is typical of the Bayside Grille.


Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge is north of our house in Spring Park. Lord Fletcher's has an upscale entree restaurant, and indoor casual restaurant and a huge wharf. So you can pick and choose what you desire. On Monday during the summer they have a special called Manic Monday where they set up a grill on the wharf and sell full half-pound hamburgers for $4, cheeseburgers for $5 and Miller bottled beer for $1.75. Anything else you can order through a waitress but the burgers are had by going through a line, pay your money upfront, grab a color coded basket for cheeseburger or hamburger, get the burger from a server and then add your own condiments of lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. The place is incredibly packed so when you get there you have to cruise the dock and wait for someone to finish. People watching is great. Boat watching is even better. There is a small island that creates a channel next to the dock that has slips. So boats constantly cruise around and around in a parade until a slip opens up. Reminds me of back to the 50s when cars used to cruise around and around at the drive-ins.

Lord Fletcher's dock




Here is a Lord Fletcher's Manic Monday cheeseburger.


The next place is back in Excelsior right next door to the Bayside Grille. The place is Maynard's. Maynard's is the closest to a TGIFridays kind of place to give it a description. Again, outside the menu is more limited to burgers, salads and sides. They serve the burgers in a basket similar to Lord Fletcher's but they have ample offerings of salads as well. This is their grilled chicken salad.


The last place visited recently is right in my hometown of Tonka Bay and even smaller community of 1,400 adjacent to Excelsior. We actually have three restaurants in Hazellewood Grill & Tap Room, Joey Nova's New York Style Pizzeria and Deli and The Caribbean. The Caribbean is part of a boat marina on Lake Minnetonka. It is hidden away in an eclectic residential area of million dollar homes on the lake and small former summer cottages now full-time residences intermixed together. The Caribbean was closed for several years but re-opened last year on weekends only during the summer boating season. This year they are open 7 days per week starting at 5 PM during the week and noon on weekends. The menu is pretty much limited to bar food that you can eat with your hands and is served in a basket. There is no silver ware. Again, the half-pound hamburger is the norm.

Sitting on the dock watching the boats come in. They will serve you on the boat. A boat boy is on duty to assist in tying up which is typical of all the establishments.


The dock is considerably smaller than the other places.


The menu is simple and comes on this placard.


The burger in the basket.


The Fish & Chips turned out to be a very generous serving.


This is not gourmet food by any means from any of these places. What you get is a great summer evening outdoors with great people and boat watching. In Minnesota you have a short window to take advantage of that. There are a few other places around the 14,000 acre, 114 miles of shoreline lake but these four I can walk to or kayak to with ease.

The Twin Cities has several classic drive-ins. There is the Dari-ette in St. Paul, Wagner's in Brooklyn Park, The Galaxy in St. Louis Park (formerly a Wagner's), The Minnetonka Drive-in in Spring Park (Lake Minnetonka) and the Peppermint Twist in Delano, MN. Porky's in St. Paul is no longer a true drive-in if you are wondering.

We went to the Peppermint Twist this week to treat our 7 year old granddaughter to a bygone era and something better than McDonalds even though she got her chicken nuggets.

The building with a walk up ordering window


The drive-in parking where you order from your car


Looking back at the Peppermint Twist from the extensive picnic/playground area


The posted order menu at the drive-in parking with speaker phones


Representative examples of their outstanding onion rings, breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and famous peppermint twist shake


It is worth the drive to Delano on US Highway 12 at the Hennepin County and Wright County border especially in these dog days of summer when the weather is perfect to eat in your car with the windows down or more comfortably at a picnic table. It seems to me modern cars with drastically curved windows just are as convenient for holding those classic aluminum trays. It used to be a lot simpler back in the 50s with squarer windows and bench seats.

If you are wondering, wanderingjew is exploring the upper Midwest including Minnesota right now so will have an interesting upcoming report. I met wanderingjew at Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge on Lake Minnetonka for a beer last week. We did not partake any food since he had an ambitious schedule already set out. I know a walleye sandwich was one item on his list and I think maybe we missed an opportunity. I went back the next day with my family visiting from the Washington DC area and had perhaps one of the better walleye sandwiches in a while.

Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge walleye sandwich


They also served walleye as a wrap

The Minnesota State Fair is underway for 12 days ending Labor Day. My favorite food stand is Giggles Campfire Grill at the north end in an area called North Woods where they put on shows like logging competitions.



They have a distinct north woods menu probably unlike anything you will find elsewhere.


Yesterday we had the Boat Load of Sunnies, sunfish (panfish) filets lightly battered and deep-fried with a lingonberry dipping sauce.


We also had the Walleye Fries, deep-fried Canadian Walleye strips served with an herb and lemon tartar sauce.

If you are looking for a deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at the Minnesota State Fair there are a couple of places. The Jurassic Stand across from the Pet Barn at the very north end of the fair has one. This year I tried the one at Spamville, the Spam booth. They serve Spamburgers but I passed on them to pursue my hobby. I was afraid the pork tenderloin might have been a processed product like spam but it wasn't. It was a true breaded pork loin. They showed it to me before they fried it.

The Spamville booth across from the Education Building


The deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich


The building behind the booth houses Spamville selling Spam products, museum and Spam souvenirs. Spam is a Minnesota product.

We made an encore visit to the Minnesota State Fair Monday. It was Senior Day and we got in cheap. It was also a convenient way to meet up with my brother in town from El Paso, TX/Chelem, Mexico. So I had more dining opportunities this year.
 
We started early at Giggles Campfire Grill again for their breakfast served from 7 to 10. We split this boat load of Chicken Fried Bacon. The dipping sauce was a cinnamon flavored sauce.

 
And we split this Heartland Sandwich that was BBQ pulled pork, American cheese and fried egg on a toasted hamburger bun.

 
The rest of the foods were eaten by someone else but I got the photos.
 
Deep-fried Pickles

 
Mouth Trap Deep-fried Cheese Curds in the Food Building

 
Big Fat Bacon. Deep-fried honey glazed bacon on a stick.

 
The classic Pronto Pup, a corn dog equivalent started at the fair in 1947. There are several booths throughout the grounds. This one is shown with a Summit Octoberfest Ale at the outdoor Ball Park Cafe.

 
The fair also serves Chicago Style Hot Dogs in the Food Court. There is another stand that sells Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches but given the sensitivity of Philadelphian area natives I avoided the place.

 
I started another thread for Scandinavian specific items for wanderingjew's benefit. I might add, but did not have it, that Giggles Campfire Grill serves a Foot Long Walleye Sandwich.