Secrets of the City

George makes a good coney at the Gopher Bar, but his drink prices have always been a little too high for what you get. If you are easily offended (and George and his pals ARE offensive), it’s not the place for you.

Me? It takes more than the Stars ‘n Bars over the bar and a vulgar t-shirt to keep me away from the best Coney in town. I don’t have one often, but they are one of my “bad food” guilty pleasures. I prefer to give my trade to nicer and saner people, but George is his own worse enemy. More people (like max and aaron) might visit his place if he didn’t turn it into a showcase for his moronic, racist, and just plain crazy political views.

As I mentioned before, this “champion of smoker’s rights” and communist hater has turned into our best snitch. He complained to the St. Paul City Council when he noted roadies smoking at the X before a concert. He was right, that was a violation, and the Xcel Center recieved a citation for violating a city & county ordinance.

Heh!

Not that I was offended. I enjoyed the signs. I quite like Saint Paul’s conservative streak (though I think it’s idiotic. . . just look at any Pioneer Press comment thread). This side of the river, we’ve got places like the Gopher, or Costello’s, or pretty much anywhere over on the East Side.

I wonder if parts of Minneapolis have similar leanings? There’s that gun shop on Chicago, but that’s about all I can think of . . .

I quite like Saint Paul’s conservative streak.

Conservative? Er, have you noted how Saint Paul votes? A couple of yahoo bar owners do not a “conservative streak” make. As for the comments in the PiPress, it tends to be the same old idiots, everyday.

In that aspect, it is much like MNspeak.

How Saint Paul votes, via the PiPress.

Well, if it isn’t BeelzeBOB!

Conservatives left St. Paul years ago, and with them, took its prosperity.

Those people at the Gopher aren’t “conservative,” they’re just anti-wimp. St. Paul used to be a tough, working class town populated with irish catholics who worked in factories. That part of town had a boxing gym or a pool hall on every block.

They smoked, they drank, they still wore their high school letter jackets, they drove trucks. And they voted democrat.

this is ouuuuuuurrrrrr country.

jus sayin

I’ve never been to the Gopher, though it is the watering hole nearest my office. I guess it’s just never looked inviting, apparently by design.

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It is a bit interesting that we have a Godwin’s Law stating that comparing anyone or anything to Hitler is an automatic loss, but accusing anyone with a view contrary to your conservative bona fides is a dirty Red is just fine.

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If this dustup was really about property rights, wouldn’t Kappas and other “rebel bar” operators have been operating without health/safety inspections or liquor licenses for years?

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I do notice little pockets of conservatism on the stretch of Marshall between the river and Central High. Excluding Macalester, because they are all “communists,” there is still a decent decent population of not-from-here St. Thomas and Concordia nonresidents living along that corridor. My personal favorite bumper sticker along that stretch is “ABSTINENCE PAYS – Who wants genital warts?” You’ll be finding that one at Northern Sun any day.

There are still plenty of places in Saint Paul without lattes on the menu, maz. The Spot Bar on Randoph. Tin Cups on Rice Street. There are also boxing gyms (on Western) and pool halls (Rack ‘em Up on 10th St.).

Many Saint Paulites are still driving trucks (filled with E85, natch) and are still voting DFL.

And virtually all the republicans have moved to the burbs.

So the guy puts up crank signs with obscene language in his window, displays confederate flags, and then wants to blame other things for business problems. Sounds like a whiner to me.

And virtually all the republicans have moved to the burbs.

Where they’re about to be overrun again by Democrats.

When conservative people moved to the suburbs to take advantage of more property, less taxes, and better schools and to escape the high taxes, over regulation, school failures and general collectivist attitude of democrat city governments, they were labeled as racists and worse.

Now that people who vote democrat are moving to the burbs, what are they being labeled?

Republicans should have picked off the last few Democrats when our numbers were down. heh

They’ll regret that

Early to say, but David could be on to something there. My wife said the DLFer outnumbered the GOP participants 4-1 at our suburban caucus, and it tends to vote red most of the time.

Clearly there is an “enthusiasm gap” in the candidates being offered. Who knows what the score will be in November, when the vote really counts.

Who knows what the score will be in November, when the vote really counts.

1 – 0

The enthusiasm gap is obviously being driven by the black guy from illinois. When are you people going to quit fawning over that empty suit and drag our gal mrs. clinton over the finish line?? This cult worship is getting a little ridiculous.

Obama and Clinton could hobble into the General Election each missing limbs.

This is not a discussion about Obama or Clinton.

Back to topic: anyone else in town(s) serve a decent coney other than the Gopher Bar?

Clinton and Obama walk into the Gopher Bar and order a couple beers.

“That will be $10, please,” said owner/bartender George, staring at the two Senators. “Excuse me for staring, but we don’t see many %#@!ing Democrats in this bar.”

“Keep charging $5 for a lousy bottle of Grain Belt, and you won’t see many more,” Hillary said.

“PS: Your flag sucks,” Obama added.

That part of town had a boxing gym or a pool hall on every block.

Don’t know St. Paul. Is the Rice St. Gym in that area? People tell The Rat he might not be welcome there. Especially if they found out he worked out at the gym where the womenfolk teach boxing.

I own a jersey. It’s a red hockey jersey. It’s a replica of an olympic hockey jersey from years ago. I went into Gopher in this jersey, and people looked at me like I had shot them, now I know why.

See, it was a jersey from the Russian team – so it had a large CCCP on the front, and the name of the hickey player in Cyrillic in the back.

Similar to this:

Also from MPR (and releated to global climate change) is the sharp increase in ag exports, fueled by the weak dollar and growing consumer buying power of nations like China and India.

This high export demand, and the sharply higher cost of petroluem and other fossil fuels, is likely a much greater factor in the price of grains and soybeans than ethanol production.

There’s more direct evidence. Edina went blue in 2006. The mayor switched from the GOP and is running for the DFL nomination for Congress. Ramstead’s district has steadily moved from a safe GOP to toss up.
The Strib had an article either last Sunday or the Sunday before that talking about the increase in the number of Democrats there. One Republican lady griped about how you used to never see a DFL yard sign, and now they’re all over her neighborhood (she also complained that they used to ban car washes and convenience stores, but they’re present now).

Now that people who vote democrat are moving to the burbs, what are they being labeled?
Democrats. Unless they’re filled with self loathing and hatred. I believe I read that the largest demographics moving to the ‘burbs now are minorities and immigrants.

Sorry! Wrong thread.

Ha! They must have thought you were Dave Thune, jpavleck!

Me? I go into the Gopher dressed as Carrie Nation, waving a hatchet and screaming in a shrill, falseto voice: “No smoking, you horrid beasts, you!”

Back to topic: anyone else in town(s) serve a decent coney other than the Gopher Bar?

I’ve always liked Chris & Rob’s (formerly Joey D’s). I assume the two locations serve the same (I’ve only been to the Friudley location at Osborne/E. River Rd.)

“Keep charging $5 for a lousy bottle of Grain Belt, and you won’t see many more,” Hillary said.

Anyone see the Newsweek profile of McCain? It mentioned that on an overseas trip that McCain and Hillary had a vodka drinking contest. I’m sure if one of them had drunk the other under the table, they would have said, so it must have ended in a draw.

More on that drinking contest.

Don’t know St. Paul. Is the Rice St. Gym in that area?

No. The Gopher’s downtown. The Rice street gym is out Rice street (way north of there). You would have loved downtown St. Paul back in the day, Rat. High school boys from Mechanics, Harding, Washington, etc. would skip class during the day to work out in the 7th street gyms for their Golden Gloves matches that night at the old St. Paul armory. The blood flowed like water and the Mechanic Arts girls would screen for their heroes to take out those bastards from Harding. heh

Boxing was a huge part of the working class culture and evryone’s old man was “going to make a comeback.” Today’s latte-laced culture is 180 degrees out of phase with those days.

screen = scream. duh. too many punches to the head.

What are you talking about?

I’m a contender.

Coneys were the drunks 2am food of choice in Detroit, so I consider myself a bit of a Coney Dog Snob. As such, I prefer the coney dogs @ Bullwinkle’s over those @ the gopher bar. the butter grilled bun @ the gopher gets in the way….the only crunch should be from the fresh chopped onions and the quick pop of the weiner skin (yes, I just said that) and i don’t really dig the whole gopher bar “look at us! look how tittilating we are!” vibe.

I was a boxer for about six months in Los Angeles. I trained pretty rigorously. Finally, I got good enough that they let me spar with a 16-year-old Mexican boy who probably weighed 90 pounds. He hit me so hard in the head that I thought he had given me brain damage. That was it for boxing for me. Never went back.

I still take kung fu lessons now and again though. Wing Chun.

Worst thing that’s happened to me is losing feeling in few fingers in my left hand after one big guy hit a nerve on the right side of my head. Tingling shot right through my left shoulder and arm. It just lasted a couple hours.

Don’t know St. Paul. Is the Rice St. Gym in that area?

the Rice st. gym is actually on Western in st paul. (only in st. paul, right?) jason litzau from rice st gym has a huge fight next saturday for the featherweight title on showtime.

i’m shocked that max didn’t take to boxing.

Everybody Wing Chun tonight.

Answers:

Saint Paul’s Conservative Streak: Admittedly, just a streak, like the band of white in the Bride of Frankenstein’s bouffant. Even in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, at least 25% of the population votes conservative, is conservative, will be conservative in the distant future. Then there are the Randy Kelley democrats . . . the Rich Stanek supporters . . . certainly not homogenous

Where to get a decent Coney: The Weinery on Cedar (West Bank Minneapolis) … maybe Lil’ Frankys?

The Rice Street Gym: NOT on Rice Street!

jason litzau from rice st gym has a huge fight next saturday

Jason “The American Boy” Litzau!!!

I’m out of town. Wish I could see it. Litzau’s a hoot.

Today’s latte-laced culture is 180 degrees out of phase with those days.

I love the thinly veiled homophobia here.

It’s even funnier given the almost homoerotic fetishism old Maz conjures up when describing the good old days when St. Paul boys would strip to their boxers and beat the crap out of each other as their naked torsos glistened with sweat and blood.

Hello, Bruce Weber!

Eh, I have never picked up a homophobic vibe from Maz. Anti-metrosexual, perhaps.

And for the record, boxing, wrestling, and MMA do look homoerotic, but there really isn’t a sexual vibe at all when you’re participating rather than watching.

Tell that to Chuck Palahniuk!

Can’t imagine a whole lot of erotic thoughts entering you mind when someone is throwing several combinations of punches at you.

Boxing is a great sport for kids, though.

But the latte-culture that Maz mentions gives them both medals, when the whole idea of the sport is: Two people walk in, one walks out.

Oh, if I want that, I go to Thunderdome. It makes boxing look like slap fighting. But, what can I say, times are tough in Bartertown, what with embargo and all, and a man’s gotta do something for fun. Besides, bust a deal, face the wheel.

It makes boxing look like slap fighting.

I suppose it does. But when brutality is the only end, doesn’t the sport lose its poetry?

… Lil’ Frankys?

Uncle Franky’s? just west of Central on Broadway?

doesn’t the sport lose its poetry?

What kind of poetry is “…one walks out?”

Blank verse, I’d say. Maybe a sort of dactylic hexameter.

I love the thinly veiled homophobia here.

Must. Reach. Straws.

And homophobia looked smashing in that thin veil, too!

Have you been working out, homophobia?

As an odd confluence of ideas, jpavleck did walk into the Gopher Bar with a Soviet jersey just across the street from Dave Brooks’ tribute to his brother Herb, the east side St. Paul native who happened to coach the American hockey team for a little thing called the “Miracle on Ice.”

But then I could be going out on a limb putting Rice on the east side and not Frogtown. And “east side” could mean “mansion on Dayton’s Bluff.” I’m tired.

Uncle Franky’s. Yes. The one with the moustache.

That could describe your Uncle Bob as well.

(outstreached arms)

“Come and Get It!

Great place,great coneys, everyone needs to visit. Too many people are afraid to tell it how it is!!! George on the other hand is not. I received a coney one time with a orange deli sticker on the paper that read “Eat a coney at the gopher bar or get FUCKED” I love it!!!

It’s been 20 years since I’ve been there.

I live south america now.

I could well be described accurately as a communist.

Other than the traitorous Stars and Bars… which has no place in the great state of MN, I would dearly love to have another coney there again before I die.

I’ve been all around the world …and I have maybe never found anyplace that I have missed so much. I only lived down the street for 2 years.

Everybody told me when I arrived in MN… that they pegged me for the “wrong side of the river.” Not me. There was no doubt that St. Paul was gonna be MY home. I never regretted that decision.

Best coney in the world …and having come there from Detroit …I thought I knew all about ‘em!

The smoking ban be damned! But does this young whipper-snapper that owns that fine ol’joint really think that the Reaganites and their Reagan-Democrats didn’t lead to that? Makes me wanna travel 10,000 km to talk some sense into him.

St. Paul and MN is a better place than that …and I’m sure that I wouldn’t have a problem at all (other than that NASCAR piece of shit on the wall!) drinking, talking and gettin’ in on a meat-raffle with the realest people on earth.

Wish me luck,
Yanqui Mike
Buenos Aires Argentina

(man! my mouth is watering all over my keyboard.)