Aster Cafe

An old favorite for several NE Minneapolis dwellers I know, this was my first time eating at Aster Cafe.  It's funny, as often as I've heard people speak affectionately of the place, I've avoided it in large part because of that affection.  I just assumed it would be overcrowded on a Friday night, perhaps take too long to get a table, etc. But we arrived at 6pm on a Friday and had zero trouble, our pick of the place, really.

Our waitress was fantastic (and adorable with excellent fashion sense and a shirt/skirt combo I kind of want to steal), warm and excited to tell us about her personal favorites on the menu. As a Lenten vegetarian I was happy to note I had multiple options to pick from, the butternut flatbread eventually winning out over a soup+sweet potato tot combo. Lucky for me, my companion ordered the parsnip/brie soup of the day, so I was able to taste that creamy goodness without sacrificing my own supper method. 

As noted by the near-empty pint glass, we also enjoyed a couple of beers from the excellent selection. We both made local picks from Fulton (for me, Sweet Child of Vine) and Indeed (for him, Daytripper) breweries. We also tried the cocktails a shot.  I picked the Jalopy, a 2Gingers whiskey with ginger beer concoction that made me very happy.  Just enough ginger to spike the tongue, but not so much that you feel like you're sipping lemony bleach. Ginger requires a delicate balance and this cocktail nails it perfectly. I'm told that the Old-Fashioned, sipped by my friend, was also top-notch.  I'm not a connoisseur of such things so I'll let his impression carry the day. 

My flatbread was delicious.  The butternut flavor wasn't the most distinct as the walnut pesto and goat cheese often took center stage, but I had no complaints about that.  I actually think my supper choice paired exceptionally well with my companion's soup (thus, I ate a good bit of it), all those wintry vegetables enjoying one last hurrah before my spring palate demands less earthiness and more sunshine. 

We stuck around for a few hours, nursing our drinks and our food, listening to a few songs by the Maeflies, who took the stage shortly before 9.  It was a cozy, yummy beginning to a Friday night, and one worth repeating often.  And I'm hopeful that the next time I venture that direction, the wind will have died down and spring will be warming those cobblestones.  Because one of the best aspects of the Aster is its proximity to the Stone Arch Bridge and the beautiful views of Minneapolis from the North side of the river. Summertime cannot come soon enough.  I need to experience the Aster patio, Sweet Child of Vine in hand, view of a sunset-laden river before me.

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