Secrets of the City

Does Aaron miss many meals?

The pizza is probably better for Aaron than the stuff I eat.

You’re junk food eating vegetarian?

You need to go to Vienna, Max and let a bunch of people write a few reports on you.

I AM a junk food vegetarian.

I think Aaron is filling a needed niche in this down economy. Every Tom, Dick and Dara is reviewing the fancy spots in town. Let the rest of us eat pizza, I say.

I think Geoff is right. We need more like Aaron and Jim Norton at City Pages, doing the cheap eats. I think someone should start a blog just devoted to reviewing downtown Minneapolis skyway eateries.

What about a Cracks in the Sidewalk blog?

A guy walks around Minneapolis/St. Paul pointing out areas where the sidewalk is particularly cracked.

People could trip on those things, you know.

I did a high percentage of my underage drinking in Willernie, at the Wildwood and the Dug Out. My favorite moment was watching the famous Kerri Strug vault at the Olympics on a television in the dark bar of the Wildwood in the summer of ‘96 with my buddy Churchill. When Kerri stuck the landing, some rummy in a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned to his navel intoned, “Well, it’s never going to get better for her in this life. It’s all downhill from here.”

“Well, it’s never going to get better for her in this life. It’s all downhill from here.”

That’s both a happy and sad thing. A dichotomy. A conundrum. A handy desk dictionary.

The thing I would add to the “Odd Ingester” series, is purchase place. That way, those that want to French kiss a hippo will know where to go.

I once saw Max eat a can of Play-Doh.

What color? Because the blue stuff is vile — what???

It’s been heard that he eats paste, too, J.

as a matter of fact, I think we need not only a cheap-eats blog, but a kid-friendly dining blog just to further piss off all of the humorless kidless assholes who are bound to react to this comment.

That just cries out for a WC Fields quote, grote.

You like stirring the pot, don’t you?

Grote, it’s common knowledge that children are up to no good.

Osama Bin Laden was once a kid.
So was Max Sparber.

In conclusion, kids should not be let into restaurants.

Osama Bin Laden was once a kid.
So was Max Sparber.

I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter.

I’m just saying that kids grow up to run things like Al Queda or MNSpeak.

So, you know, what your back.

*watch.

bob…I am the straw that stirs the drink. The Reggie Jackson of MNSpeak, if you will.

I’m reasonably sure I gave Temple 18 months to live when it opened. Would have been here or on Girl Friday or Zimmern, but I’m too lazy to look it up.

grote: A kid-friendly restaurant blog would be genius. Saturday we were in the city, looking for a place with good burgers AND high chairs for lunch. We learned that Bulldog NE only has high-top tables, no high chairs.

my son loves Bulldog NE. Hamburgers, shuffle board, video bowling, multiple TVs, tatooed servers, french fries and tons of beer on tap.

Is that where your kids go to plot when they’re up to no good, grote?

Also, is it normal to take a two year old to a Diana Ross concert?
This is an ongoing argument between Mother Bixby and me.

I’d like to see more children in those harness/leash things because it’s hilarious.

I love those. There should be a law…

Bixby: No. It’s not normal.

Damn you, Mother Bixby!

Thank you, JD, I shall tell my mom that her decision back in ‘83 wasn’t the best idea evar.

OK, then…is it normal for a white suburban mom to take her pre-teens to see New Edition (c.1983 as well) while sneaking a bucket of KFC extra crispy into the grasy lawn area of the outdoor concert venue? My “friend” wants to know.

Grote…yes, that seems to be perfectly normal. Except for the chicken part. Normal parents would have brought regular style KFC. And biscuits. Did your “friends” mom bring biscuits? Mashed potatoes?

Wow, ‘83 was quite the musical parenting year.

I’ll have to ask him, but I would think there were certainly biscuits, and prolly some purple kool-aid.

In that case, it seems especially mundane.
Unlike taking your two-year-old to a Diana Ross concert because “it seemed like something [she'd] enjoy” and saying that “[she] had a great time and was dancin’ and everything”.

I love the Bulldog. There ought to be a Mnspeak/Bulldog thing.

I’d be up for a MNspeak HH at the Bulldog…

I’ve never been to / heard of the Bulldog… where is it?

I would go to more concerts if there were mashed potatoes and biscuits.

Ditto. That’s close enough to Wayne’s World he could walk. Not far from the dens of many other regulars on this site.

The Bulldog NE is on Hennepin Ave and 4th St. NE.

The Bulldog is known for its chickens ‘n waffles, a dish enjoyed by those with a little soul (or South) in their tastebuds. Made famious by Roscoe’s in LA, of all places.

The Eklund Bros. would also endorse a Bulldog NE HH. The good thing about that would be that you wouldn’t even need to tell us since we’d probably already be there. We’ve re-discovered the simple joy of having a home bar.

One day, and maybe someday soon, I will have the chicken and waffles. I’ve always had a burger. Their burgers are outstanding.

formerly known as Boom!, a fairly hopping gay bar, when it first opened.

Wasn’t it Oddfellows? Or were Oddfellows and Boom! the same establishment?

Also, is it normal to take a two year old to a Diana Ross concert?

About as normal as it is to buy tickets and attend a Diana Ross concert.

Oddfellows was the restauant, Boom! the bar in same building.

Nate’s story checks out. I have seen both of the Eklund brothers at the Bulldog.

It was 1983. So, I think buying tickets isn’t *that* crazy.

Since The Rat prefers Whitey’s (no racial remarks, please!) next door, perhaps we could take over both joints. Sorry about your car, Rat.

And the Terminal Bar, for those who really want to feel depressed.

It was 1983.

Diana Ross was DIANA ROSS then.

She might be diana ross, now.

Also, is it normal to take a two year old to a Diana Ross concert?

I’m going to see Neil Diamond with my parents. Is that normal?

The Whitey’s in NE Mpls is a poor substitute for the real Whitey’s.

kevin…it’s only normal if you’re Jewish (as would be Streisand or Manilow). otherwise you might want to rethink it.

I remember going to see The Jazz Singer starring Neil Diamond.

That movie stunk up the place.

I’m going to see Neil Diamond with my parents. Is that normal?

That’s just sad. And yet, it might explain so much.

Don’t know why they called it The Jazz Singer. There sureashell wasn’t any jazz being sung in it.

It was an homage to the one with Al Jolson.

Nate’s story checks out. I have seen both of the Eklund brothers at the Bulldog.

Let’s fact check here: anyone who has been to the Bulldog has seen the Eklund Bros. because we’re always there.

I can also confirm that.

I’ve seen the eklunds there, but never on the weekend.

I heard you weren’t supposed to feed the Eklunds after midnight and you were to never *ever* get them wet. It is just what I heard.

I just returned from lunch at Vincent and once again left completely satisfied. I had the orecchiette with chicken, green onion, garlic(!), and parmesan sauce. It was rich, but there are times which good food much be rich.

(I took Brian Morrissey to lunch who’s speaking tonight at the Fine Line… if you’re in the interactive field, you should go. It’s free.)

It was rich, but there are times which good food much be rich.

true…but generally speaking, you’re best off if those times aren’t during lunch.

Looks like our favorite skinhead epicure is now in cahoots with Target.

Teucer would like to know if there is some sort of gathering being planned? He refuses to log back on because he doesn’t want to slack off. Yet, chatting with me about the same thing is perfectly acceptable.

Bah. I was all MCed out n’stuff.

So is there a happy hour in the offing?

Is anyone up for the Bulldog on Wednesday?

I can’t do Wednesday…

Well, I can go there just about any night. Wednesday would have been kind of cool because I’m on my own for dinner anyway, but I drive right by it on my way home from work. Just name a day.

I was hoping someone would arrange a HH at Musashi for Friday after work.

i’m a big fan of the bulldog. almost every friday afternoon i have a talmook smokey cheddar and 2 beers. yes, 2 beers.

I can do any night.

Heck, I’ll go to the Bulldog after work on Wednesday. Anyone else who wants to, meet me over by the Elklunds.

I always go to Musashi for Happy Hour, so if anyone wants to do that, let me know.

Shouldn’t this post just be called “What Aaron, TC Eats and The Rake think about local dining”? It’s these three, and either We Got Served and TC Breakfast Club in almost every “Local Dining” post.

I’ve haven’t got a problem with any of them in general, but how about a little variation?

Make some suggestions. I’ll add them to my RSS feed. I try and spice it up whenever I can, but these are the bloggers who seem to be writing about food the most.

You mean the aggregator that has half the feeds that it originally had and only barely works? Sorry for the snark; it’s just a tad frustrating.

Seems to me Moe writes up a lot of his visits.
Scott McGerink has been writing up stuff for a long time now.
The Bloated Belly isn’t prolific, but when they come, write-ups are good.
MNSpeak heads will probably explode if you link to a vita.mn review every once in a while, but depending on whose head it is, that may be okay.
Shit, my site is already in the aggregator; it could probably pass for a link twice a year.
With a little imagination, I bet Brew52 or MNBeer could fit into this category.
Renee & Steve will give you a two-fer.
How ’bout my neighbor Reetsyburger.
Your pal writes up spots often enough.
The reviews at Eating the Minneapple are usually too long for me, but at least it’s a change.
You probably do, but I don’t recall any links to that paper in the other town.
In between recipes, you’ll find TC restaurant reviews here.
Not local, but still an indispensable guide to (post) consumption.

That’s all from me, but I bet I don’t know most that are out there.

I use my own RSS feed to make the links, because I can cycle through it faster. I already have most of the ones you suggested; I’ll try to keep a closer on on them for when they do dining reviews.

Great list, Spaceman… I’ve added a bunch of those to my feed reader.

Re: The Bloated Belly on Lemongrass. I’ve eaten there a couple of times with the ex and it is very very good. Too bad it’s way the hell up in BP or I would go more often.

My shocker lessons start Wednesday.