Dear World

I first became aware of  Ten Thousand Things theater by reading an article in The New York Times back in November and kicked myself for never having seen a show. I was immediately inspired by their purpose, bringing the power of art to nontraditional and frequently under-served audiences. Performing in prisons, reservations, homeless shelters, and rural communities, the shows are staged in a way that blur the line between actor and audience, making that pesky fourth wall a thing of the past. 

When they're not performing at these nontraditional venues, the troupe is hosted at Open Book and Bedlam Lowertown.  Opening night of Dear World was at Open Book and I loved having the opportunity to see that new-to-me space as well as see a show.   

Performances are atypical for traditional theater goers as there's no dimming of the lights, no clear demarcation between stage and audience.  Performers are on the floor, at the same level as the audience, and chairs make a square around the performance. Actors frequently make eye contact with audience members, even engage with them at points. It was interesting to me to see how other people reacted at certain moments, to see how they cocked their head to one side or laughed or grimaced. It made the experience feel more communal, less a "show" and more a shared experience. 

Dear World tells the story of a band of artistic sorts in Paris confronting a band of evil Presidents ("they are all named President") who want to destroy their little cafe by digging for oil.  It's a hyperbolic story of the small and good vs. the big and evil and despite the fact that I'm an energy attorney ("energy" includes petroleum products), I loved it.  Any "evil" would have served the same purpose, somebody has to be Goliath. 

The actors were fantastic, with beautiful voices supported by live instrument accompaniment, the show was a quick 100 minutes with intermission. Sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, each actor brought a unique voice and authority to their role. I was especially impressed by Sheena Janson's dear Nina, young and in love, and Kris Nelson's Sewer Man, fresh off his role as Bob Cratchit at the Guthrie's Christmas Carol, Nelson brings gravitas to a seemingly comical character, depth around the edges of a lighthearted song. 

Dear World shows through February 7th and I highly recommend it not only for its own sake, but for the sake of supporting Ten Thousand Things' important role as a deliverer of art to forgotten pockets of our community. 

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite

612 Sauna Society

As stated in the byline of this blog, I am not a native Minnesotan. I grew up in equal parts in Arkansas and Missouri, the former not being known for snow, and the latter not being known for snow that sticks around longer than a week. I don't consider myself to be a hearty winter-lover.  I'm a winter survivor. A muddle-througher. I feel like the 612 Sauna Society was made as much for me as it was for you crazy Minnesotan folks who like to jump in hot tubs and then roll in snow banks (*eye roll*). 

As its name suggests, the society is all about bringing saunas to the people and celebrating the lifestyle of sauna enthusiasts (which I did not know was a thing). It's a fun conglomerate of folks who love saunas, specifically saunas in the dead of winter. Recently the society teamed up with Little Box Sauna to bring their tiny box saunas to areas around town.  Selling tickets for $16 for 90 minutes, the sauna has just enough room for 8-10 people. 90 minutes is plenty of time, too. The sauna is split into two parts, a small changing area with curtains for privacy, and the sauna itself. My friend and I tended to stay in the sauna in 20 minute increments, taking a breather every once in awhile to cool off.  With the temps outside on a nose dive, it felt wonderful to really bake for awhile.  As the sauna was parked right by Blackbird Cafe, we trotted over there for their beer + burger night after toasting our insides thoroughly.  I slept like the dead.

Reservations are available here through Jan 17th, but hopefully the Little Box Sauna will pop up elsewhere soon.  It would be a fun thing to organize for an event, too.

Picture taken from the 612 Sauna Society webpage.

Open Arms

Volunteering is an important part of my Minneapolis experience. But I've been remiss in detailing some of the volunteer opportunities I've taken advantage of, which I'll try to remedy going forward. The Twin Cities is, by far, the most dedicated volunteer community I've ever lived in, and that is but one of the many reasons I love calling this place home. 

Today members of my chapter of the Cargill Women's Network volunteered for a couple of hours at Open Arms of Minnesota. Our chapter has also been involved in the Cargill Giving Garden, which supplements Open Arms' own farming with additional produce each summer. This was the first time, however, that we'd volunteered at the kitchen on Bloomington Ave, and as you can see from the pictured smiles, we had a wonderful time. 

Suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of a life-altering disease is exhausting both physically and financially. Individuals struggling with MS, cancer, HIV, and other debilitating conditions often do not have the resources, energy, or support to shop for or cook the nutritious meals their weakened bodies need to fight their respective conditions. This is where Open Arms meets a very specific, visceral need. Open Arms serves nutritious, diet-specific meals to 800+ clients (and often their dependents and caregivers) a week. These aren't one-size-fits-all meals.  The recipes are created with the help of chefs and dietitians, focusing specifically on treatment side effects and the needs of immune-suppressed individuals.  Additional care is paid to the comfort aspect of meals, with special care paid to cultural differences. Volunteers help out at several points in the story, lending a hand at the farm in St. Paul, prepping ingredients in the kitchen, and delivering the meals to clients.

Our group of 18 split between several stations in the kitchen, some of us slicing homemade bread, others preparing fresh green beans, some shredding newly roasted chickens.  These weren't ingredients plopped out of a can.  These were ingredients you'd use to feed a sick friend.  This is food you'd take care to prepare, and that's one reason Open Arms is so special.  It's clear the meals are an act of love and support for individuals who may frequently feel maligned and alone. 

Whether you're an individual interested in delivering meals, a gardening enthusiast with skills to lend, or you're planning a group volunteer event, Open Arms offers fantastic opportunities to serve those struggling in our own backyard. 

TC Valentine 5K

I don't sign up for a lot of 5Ks. I have a host of races I love to do every year and after registering for those and others that tempt me (fie upon you, cute swag!), I just don't have the budget to add a bunch of extra races to the mix. But I signed up for the Twin Cities Valentine's Day 5K for the best of reasons, to run with a dear friend who recently started running.

The organizers can't be faulted for the weather. The negative wind chills were unpleasant, but as Minnesotans we really should know better than to pay good money to play outside in early February.  Weather aside, I thought the race was wonderfully well-organized, a reasonable size, and most importantly, provided plenty of volunteer support to cheer on the crazies who signed up.  Keeping with the cheesy Valentine theme, everyone was encouraged to wear tags on their backs indicating their relationship status (single, taken, it's complicated, and a few unique write-your-owns). We didn't end up with dates but somebody winked at me (or had ice in his eye), so I'll call that a win.

5Ks are a great starter distance for new runners, so I feel like every 5K should recognize that.  Not everyone has done a million of these or understands how a sweats check works. But the TCM crew was helpful, happy (a large feat given the chill), and energized by the crowd.  The newbie runner, Molly, was already brainstorming her next race when we sat down later for brunch, and that's a big kudos to the TCM team for making her first experience so positive.

Hot chocolate and coffee were served at the start, hallelujah, and that took a bit of the edge off.  Molly was excited for her first starting line so we got to there a little earlier than necessary.  But enthusiasm is awesome and I won't tease her too much for my near frostbite. Importantly, the race started on time and despite the usual Lake Harriet parking nightmare, I didn't feel like the off-street parking was that arduous. We got there a bit early but I also think the not-huge size of the crowd helped, too. The shirt and pint glass were cute (still, sucker for the swag), and the post-race Valentine cookies were a sweet touch.

Cold or no, I'd recommend this race for anyone who wants to take a crack at their first 5K or run a pretty winter race that isn't overly crowded. I enjoy a lot of TCM's races, and I'd be happy to add this one to the yearly roster. Hopefully, next year we'll break into the double digits.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite

Shakopee Auction

My usual stomping ground is Northeast Minneapolis, Uptown, South Minneapolis, etc. This is as much a function of where I live as where I prefer to wander. But I like getting out of the city.  There's something to be said for less stoplights and a supper for 2 that clocks in for less than $30 (with tip). Throw in a beautiful church, friendly faces, and the opportunity to bid on 20+ pairs of earrings for $25 and I'm officially charmed by downtown Shakopee.

This was my second time to the Friday night Shakopee Auction. It's a bit intimidating walking in if you've never participated before.  You register at the payment window and they give you a number for bidding.  You can wander the room and poke around at the various goods for sale.  If you're just there to watch and non-committal about bidding, just grab a seat and see if anything strikes your fancy.  I went with my Dad and we decided to express bid a box of costume jewelry.  To do so, you just grab the item (the "lot") you want and are willing to pay at least $10 for, and place it on the shelf at the front of the auction hall. From there you wait for your goods to be called and hope for the best! We thought the box was a good buy for $30 or less and grabbed it with $5 to spare on our rough budget.  And having poked more thoroughly through the haul at home, we did well! 25 pairs of earrings, 3 necklaces, 2 nice pins, and a couple Care Bear bracelets (good for laughs, even if they're headed for the trash) is well worth the $25. My kid sister is already excited about the jewelry-laden care package in her future.

My Dad bid on a luggage rack a few minutes later and lucked out at $5.  Couches and other furniture went for as low as $15 so if you're looking for furniture odds and ends, you could get lucky. You can review the items up for auction online beforehand so if you're serious about certain types of goods, you can peruse the offerings before committing to attending. But even without a spending agenda, it's just a fun way to spend a Friday evening.  They usually have food (this evening's provider canceled so they ended up ordering Domino's), always have cokes for purchase, and the atmosphere is very family-friendly (although, fair warning, there were stuffed animals up for bid and if I had been 7, I would have begged my Dad til I was blue in the face for anything cute). 

It's not a typical Friday night for me, but maybe it should be.

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Bear Water Run 20 Miler

It has been nearly a month since my last post and I blame marathon training for that (less eating out, more time spent running, more napping).  It's fitting then that my first post after the marathon training hiatus is a race review for my last big run before race day.

I've done the Bear Water 20 Miler twice before and both those times it was boiling hot and humid.  So I sighed the sigh of the doomed when I signed up a couple months ago.  But evidently God was smiling on we running folk today because it was fantastic running weather, mid-50s at the start, mid-60s by the time I finished.  If marathon day could feel like that or a touch cooler, I'd be thrilled.

The race is hosted by the White Bear Lake Lions Club to support their many charities and they do a wonderful, wonderful job. For a very reasonable price of $45 (or $50 on race day) you get a perfectly supported race, chip timed, enthusiastic volunteers, and a course that winds (twice) around White Bear Lake.  They host a 10 miler at the same time so the lucky 20 milers get to watch the 10 milers cross the finish and wander over for free 5 minute massages from a local chiropractor while they get to start their second lap.

The course itself is fairly hilly, with sizable stretches of flats between rolling hills.  I like that aspect of it because the Twin Cities Marathon is so flat, I feel like White Bear is a tough 20 miles and therefore, a good practice run for the later race. There are water stops every two miles and each is manned by high-fiving, supportive volunteers.  Several stops were manned by local high schoolers in various costumes. The 50s sock hop crew was my favorite, complete with girls in poodle skirts and a cool guy leaning against an old pickup, a pack of cigarettes rolled into his white t-shirt.

The typical bananas, bagels, and oranges are waiting at the finish, as well as an impressive swag bag considering how the race price.  I've been to many $75 half-marathons that give you a shirt and not much else.  For significantly less money (and a significantly longer distance) you get a shirt plus typical race swag bag doodahs.  And I'm a sucker for doodahs.  A water bottle? Seriously? Can I give you a hug? I love water bottles.

Any year I am nuts enough to sign up for the Twin Cities Marathon, I'll be at the Bear Water Run a few weeks before. It always feels like the kick-off to my last few weeks of training, and it was a great kick-off this year.

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Endless Summer Trail Series Lebanon Hills

As I train for the Twin Cities Marathon (gulp!), midweek mileage continues to be a struggle.  Committing to a weekend long run is no problem, I can carve that time out religiously.  But waking up early for 5 milers or begrudgingly tackling them after a long day at the office is tougher.  I do it, but I'm not happy about it sometimes.

Enter, the Endless Summer Trail Series 7 miler at Lebanon Hills. 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night, this "race" (quotes explained shortly) makes a loop around the park, rolling over moderate inclines and enough trail switches to keep you on your toes. It takes something truly special to make me excited to run 7 miles after work, and this race nailed it. Despite a delayed start due to parking issues (hopefully that gets sorted out next year), the crowd was happy and relaxed, no whining about that extra 15 minutes standing around.

This isn't for the uber-serious racer because it starts off with a good half mile of single track, causing an instant bottleneck. If that frustrates you, maybe pass on this one, or make sure you are leading the pack. As I'm very comfortable with my slower-than-average pace, bottlenecks are just a gentle way to warm up. Start, stop, run, jog, stop. Warming up.

Cheaper than most races (you get a cute little coffee mug instead of the do-I-really-need-another-tech-shirt tech shirt), supported locally by Rocksteady Running and TC Running, beer and pizza await you at the finish.  Sure, it's Dominoes, but if you're a snob at the finish line I probably don't want to be your friend anyway. It's a casual, friendly run with wonderful volunteers and organizers. I'll give an additional plug to the race director as he did me a wonderful favor when I accidentally signed up for the race twice (genius) and canceled the second transaction before it was processed.  Such is the benefit of a small-ish, local run. The community is warm and inviting and the organizers really want everyone to have a great time (and not accidentally pay twice for race entries). The small size also makes it a great race to do solo.  Instead of being swallowed whole by a throng of thousands, I chatted with a couple women on the trail and others at the finish. No pretension, no show-offs, just a great bunch of folks enjoying a beautiful summer night on the trails.

The fourth of the Endless Summer Trail Series, this was the only race in the series I did this year.  But my experience at Lebanon Hills pretty much guarantees I'll be signing up for the full series next summer.

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Alliance Française

I began taking classes at the Alliance Française downtown this past winter. The classes are wonderful for anyone looking to improve their skills or begin the language from scratch.  I studied French throughout high school and spoke a melange of the language and Arabic when I served in the Peace Corps.  However, that was ten years ago! So, I'm a wee bit rusty. The teachers are encouraging, the students kind. And the foundational course (3 hours/once a week) and the conversation course (2 hours/once a week) were both great refreshers for reviving that long-dormant part of my brain that once knew how to conjugate the future perfect.

And now, I will attempt that paragraph in French. I will butcher this in places.

J'ai commence à prendre des cours à l'Alliance Francaise  l'hiver dernier. Les classes sont merveilleuse  pour quelqu'un qui cherche à améliorer leurs compétences (I cheated for that phrase and used Google translate) ou de commencer la langue. J'ai étudié le français au lycée et j'ai parlé un mélange de francais et la langue arabe quand j'etais une volontaire avec la Corps de la Paix. Mais, c'était il y a dix ans! Donc, j'ai oublie beaucoup. Les profs sont encouragants et les eleves sont gentils. Et le cours fondamental (3 heures / une fois par semaine) et le cours de conversation (2 heures / une fois par semaine) ont été les deux formidable for reviving that long-dormant part of my brain that once knew how to conjugate the future perfect.

I gave up at the end...still need to take several more classes.

If you've been debating taking a crack at learning a foreign language and French has piqued your curiosity (and why wouldn't it? the language of love!) or if you want to improve your grammatical or conversational skills, do yourself a favor and stop by the Alliance Francaise. Even if the classes seem a bit pricey to start ($300-$500 ballpark for 10 week course, some shorter classes are offered for a lower price), just immersing yourself in all the AF activities (happy hours, Saturday petit dejeuner, movies, speakers) will nourish your little Francophile soul.

Allons y!

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Books and Bars

Books and Bars is an open book club that meets to discuss their book choice at three locations across the Cities each month.  Moderated by Jeff Kamin and sponsored by Magers & Quinn (probably my favorite bookstore North of the Mason-Dixon), Books and Bars gives you ample opportunity to stretch those long dormant liberal arts major muscles at three different bars.

As Bryant Lake Bowl, the current site of the Minneapolis discussion, is walking distance from me, it was an easy election for which location I'd frequent for my first B&B experience. Beer in hand, I settled in and tried to keep my English-major self from appearing too eager to talk about a book I'd loved (The Dog Stars by Peter Heller). As with pretty much any book club, the crowd was a mix of people who liked, loved, loathed, and didn't finish the book.  Similar to any book club, too, there are those with strong opinions and those with quieter ones.  Jeff does a great job keeping the conversation moving and by the end of the just-over-an-hour discussion, everyone in the room had piped up.

If you're looking for a book club but can't find anyone cool enough to join you, don't sweat it.  I went solo and it was fine.  Yeah, everybody else in the group of 20 was part of a couple or a posse, but beer is a great equalizer and Jeff won't let you feel lonely, squired away in some corner. This is a great way to get out and about, get a conversation-starting book under your belt, and maybe check out a bar you haven't frequented in awhile. As the bar locations for Minneapolis are going through some changes, check out the Books and Bars website for next month's locale. I'll see you there...

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Cajun 2 Geaux Crawfish Boil

One of the spring activities I miss most from my years in New Orleans is the crawfish boil. I have fond memories of heading to a park after class, sipping a beer at a picnic table after a milk jug-sized scoop of crawdads and sausage was dumped in my styrofoam container. I remember one boil where the crawfish were poured into a canoe and everyone scooped their own wares. Not a bad serving dish, the canoe.

Suffice it to say I'm rather surprised to have the opportunity to talk about crawfish boils several states North of my last such party. But thankfully, Cajun 2 Geaux food truck exists, and thus I'm a happy Southern girl who has had a healthy dose of mudbugs and shrimp. I've affectionately reviewed the truck before, here, but I figure the crawfish boil is a distinct event and worthy of its own mention. 

For $22 guests had an all-you-can-eat spread of fresh crawfish and shrimp with the requisite corn cobs and potatoes thrown into the mix.  I was sad not to see more andouille sausage, but crawfish were the main attraction and these were beauties and there were plenty for the feast.  I was skeptical that Cajun 2 Geaux would provide the requisite kick I expect in a crawfish boil, given the sensitivity of the Upper Midwestern palate.  But I shouldn't have doubted Chef Tim's Houma, Louisiana roots.  Not overly spicy, but with enough heat to perfectly accompany the Summit brewery choices, this boil was the real deal. And even if the crawfish spread didn't entice you (I wouldn't understand that, honestly), I can attest to the jambalaya (pictured) and po'boys, too, from prior visits to this particular truck. A festive brass band played indoors (when it rained) and out, and those $7 flights of Summit were a perfect pairing for a summertime party. 

This was the second of three opportunities to get in on a true Louisiana tradition.  The next chance is a boil on Saturday, June 15th at 1pm at Pour Decisions in Roseville. Registration is here. Whether you're a crawfish pro or a newbie, the Cajun 2 Geaux crawfish boil experience isn't to be missed. Dig in and get messy, pinch da tail and suck da head!

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May Day Festival

It's fitting that the first sunny, spring-like, maybe-summer-really-will-come type of day was home to In the Heart of the Beast's May Day celebration at Powderhorn Park. The trees are still brown, the grass just fighting to turn green, but you could tell from the sheer numbers of festival-goers that nobody cared, as long as summer is officially on its way. 

Kicking off with a parade and ending at Powderhorn for the May Day ceremony, complete with welcoming the sun's journey across the lake, revelers oohed and aahed at the Heart of the Beast's puppetry creations. And I, more than once, regretted wearing just a boring outfit.  If ever there was a time to braid ribbons into my hair, paint rainbows on my cheeks, and wear a lime green tutu in public, this would have been my moment.  At least half of the crowd took their outfitting seriously, bursts of color and flowers bedecking every bit of space. Even if you're not the type to go all out and dress as your favorite animal, any festival-goer would appreciate the excess of people-watching opportunities. 

Several food trucks were in attendance, as well, adding to the state fair-esque choices of corn dogs and cotton candy.  Booths line the lake set up for various non-profits and left-leaning political movements (some of which I were unaware existed), highlighting, perhaps, the population most likely to attend the festivities.  But regardless of your spot on the political spectrum, there's joy to be found in sitting on a patch of grass and watching some puppetry in celebration of winter's end and summer's promised arrival. The theater's beautiful creations alone were reason enough to brave traffic for a view of the parade and/or a spot on the Powderhorn lawn. 

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Goldy's Run 10 mile

When I signed up for this 10 mile race I imagined I'd be pounding the pavement on a cool spring morning, maybe starting off somewhere in the mid to upper 40s, possibly 50s! It was 28 degrees at the starting line and it was snowing (or ice pelleting) at the finish.  So needless to say this race had weather working against it today.

But I'm going to try not to hold Mother Nature against Goldy's Run and give it a fair review without the usual angry-fist-to-the-winter-sky griping. This was a new race for me, though it's not new to the rest of the Twin Cities. Still basking in affection for the TCF Stadium at the University of Minnesota, many have made the 5K or 10 mile a yearly tradition. 

Packet pick-up on Friday was a bit messy, despite my getting there right at the beginning.  One frustration I tend to have with races, Goldy's not being the only one with this habit, is when they assume location knowledge of all runners.  I don't know anything about the area around the U. I'm not from Minnesota and didn't attend the U for school.  So some of the directions for packet pickup were a bit vague for my liking.  And just a word of caution for runners picking up packets before race day, 80% of the people in line in front of you are actually picking up for themselves plus at least five other people.  I've heard patience is a virtue. :)

Race day, having figured out parking the day before, went pretty smoothly. I arrived around 7:10 for an 8 am start and found parking easily at the stadium and $4 isn't a steep price in my mind. It would have been nice if other doors into the stadium had been open so that we didn't have to wander all around the outside before getting to the door by the start line.  It was cold!  But had it been a pretty day I wouldn't have cared, so I'll chalk that up to bad weather luck. 

The course was hillier than I expected but I really love the races along the river, especially when they're point to point like Goldy's and don't consist merely of one out-and-back stretch.  So I appreciated running on the West Bank because it seems like most races stick solely to the East.  As should be expected with a purely downtown race, there were a fair number of short stretches and turns, especially through campus.  I didn't love this.  But I could also see how if you went to the U or knew the area well, this would be a cool jog through memory lane.  As someone with no emotional attachment to the school, it just seemed kinda choppy.  

But the best part of the race is at the finish!  My picture is crappy as I'm evidently unskilled at simultaneously running and picture-taking.  But all finishers get to run their way to the 50 yard line, see their grins on the big screen, and get a high five from Goldy.  Even as a non-Minnesotan, that just feels cool.  

Definitely a race anyone that attended the U would want to make a yearly habit, and I always like seeing alternative distance races (not a 5K, not a 10K, not a half-marathon), so the 10 mile is a cool option for anyone training for upcoming longer distances. 

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Minnesota Swarm

The last time I saw a lacrosse game I was wearing pearls and heels, courtesy of the Southern tradition embodied by my alma mater in Small Town, Virginia.  I remember very little of the game aside from the fact that all the players were very attractive. 

Fast forward over a decade (sheesh) and I'm at my first professional lacrosse game, cheering on the Minnesota Swarm at the Xcel Center. While the first half proved competitive, with the Swarm and the Philadelphia Wings battling back and forth to ratchet up 5 points respectively, the second half was a blood bath.  The Swarm pounded the Wings for a final 20-11 victory, making my first pro experience even sweeter. 

Honestly, I had no idea this many people in the Cities cared about lacrosse.  The total attendance was over 8,000, and the seats were bouncing with tons of kids, their adults enjoying a beer while the little ones went a bit crazy.  It really seemed like the perfect place to let some youngsters blow off steam, considerably more laidback (and a lot less prone to cursing drunks) than other professional sports clubs in town. The half-time entertainment (a high school lacrosse shoot-out crafted on the Hunger Games), the music, the constant encouragement from the announcers, all were 100% geared towards helping a family have a good time. 

And that isn't to say that the kid-free are overwhelmed by munchkins.  A solid beer selection, skilled athletes, and enthusiastic fans made for an exciting evening, and all the more enjoyable because I was in the company of a Philly supporter. 

A great Friday night activity in St. Paul and one I hope to repeat soon!

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Polar Plunge

I state and restate my non-Minnesotan-ness.  It probably gets annoying.  But there are certain elements of my life Up North that true Northerners cannot appreciate the foreignness of to someone born South of the Mason-Dixon. Walking on, much less jumping in, frozen bodies of water is one of these activities.

Lakes do not freeze in Arkansas. And even if they did, nobody would organize a fundraiser requiring otherwise reasonable persons to jump into said body of water.

But this is something Northern folk appreciate and, for some odd reason, encourage.  After discussing my jump at a Super Bowl party, one of the fellow revelers commented that his family had a tradition of jumping into a frozen lake up North after their Thanksgiving meal. Arkansans nap on the couch like normal folk.

All of this is somewhat tongue-and-cheek, because I rather enjoyed my first, and possibly not last, Polar Plunge.  I could say that it was due to the good cause it supported, but while I'm thrilled my little team raised $2000 for the Special Olympics, I honestly got a kick out of it because it was just so crazy.

5 degrees outside and roughly 800 people, many of whom were costumed, ignored reason, stood at the edge of a hole cut into a frozen lake, and jumped, screaming like a girl regardless of gender.  5 or so seconds of agony was coupled with a primal, desperate need to get out of that water and onto dry (albeit snowy) land. And then we all ran to various hot tubs and oohed and aahed at the best damn hot tub ever created.

If and when I am talked into repeating this experience, I will whine like any true Southerner should.  But deep down, I'm embracing the crazy.

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Sausage Fest at Summit Brewery

It's stupid cold outside. I'm not a native so I get to overstate the obvious for the next decade or so. In the midst of such icy, wintry ridiculousness, tonight I was comforted by two beautiful things: beer and sausage.

Both of these gifts came courtesy of the TC Daily Planet-sponsored, Summit Brewery-hosted Winter Sausage Festival.  I'd never made it to the Summit epicenter before, so this was a great way to finally see the taproom pouring a couple of my favorites (Saga, Horizon Red Ale).  The crowd was wonderfully diverse, equal parts male and female, skewing perhaps a bit over the 40 year mark.  It was great to see such a wide span of ages in attendance and that healthy mix added to the happy vibe of local folks enjoying their local beer and their local meat-makers. I saw one couple that had to be in their late 70s and the wife at one point asked, "Honey, d'you want another beer?" to which her fella replied, "Sure, and I'll grab you some more of that terrine." Man. I want to be them when I grow up. I want to be going to sausage festivals eating my weight in boudin when I'm pushing 80. 

The star of the evening was the embarrasment of riches from Butcher and the Boar, Three Sons Meat Co, Modern Cafe, The Sample Room, NateDogs, Corner Table, Seward Co-op, and Kramarczuk's. 

I'm not ashamed to say I taste-tested almost all of them (so sorry, Kramarczuk's, but I know your awesomeness well and saved room for the unknown-to-me vendors in the room) and no master slouched.  

I was thrilled to see NateDogs in attendance, as I reviewed the mustard-that-shall-haunt-my-dreams in my Republic review. This time I actually had a dog plus the aforementioned heavenly mustard with the added joy of some goat cheese.  It was like a high five for my mouth, no joke. 

But my favorite discovery of the evening was at the Corner Table, a restaurant that has been on my must-go-there list for some time.  The pate in gougere, pictured above, was the winner for me.  Side note, despite a decent knowledge of French, I always confuse gougere and courgette, always. As good as I'm sure the pate would have been on zucchini, I much prefer it tucked into a gougere, that flaky, cheesy pastry that Corner Table's Nick described as the savory cousin of the profiterole. And now...a picture of me in France with a plate of profiteroles, because that's always appropriate. 

Anyway, back to the pate gougere. I'm claiming to have eaten two but I think four may be nearer the truth.  The pate was mild and flavorful, the gougere had the necessary sharp touch of cheese, and the mustard seed dollop was the perfect finishing touch. Unfortunately, the gougere really just made me want someone from Corner Table to make me some profiteroles. Minor disappointment for the evening.

And as I was driving away, I thought two things: I really need to go to Corner Table.  And I really need to go running tomorrow. 

Amen, on both counts.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite.

Minnesnowta, Indeed

I'm not from here. I did not grow up with this sort of thing. An 8 inch snow in central  Arkansas would probably qualify as a sign of the apocalypse.

However, as foreign as snow was to my upbringing, digging my car out of an unholy amount of snow has become a basic expectation of my life now in Minneapolis.

And while digging this afternoon I realized I have never, ever dug myself out solo. I am always swarmed by a small and mighty army of fellow Minneapolites, strangers all, and together we chisel out my little VW. And then the Old Guy's Corolla, and then the Smoker's SUV. A different crew for each snow, surely, and each location. But Minnesotans rally well around one another where snow is concerned. They're proud of their shovels, proud of their fearlessness in taking to roads when lesser Americans might tuck themselves inside and sip tea (ahem, I am a lesser American).

Thank you, fellow Minneapolites, for your willingness to strain your back for my benefit. I hope I returned the favor adequately.

Perspectives

I did not love living in the Twin Cities when I moved here.  I missed New Orleans, missed warmth, missed humidity, missed pralines, and had zero threshold for cold.  But I, somewhat begrudgingly, developed a strong affection for these Twin Cities, evidenced in part by my ability to always find somewhere new to visit, some new food to try, some new band to hear, and those new and new-to-me experiences fill the bulk of this blog.

But there's another reason I grew to love it here.  And that is the Cities' impressive array of volunteer opportunities and the seemingly inexhaustible appetite Minnesotans have for said volunteering.  For all my frustration with the coldness of Minnesota "Nice" (it's not particularly welcoming), there is a certain communal attitude of service that I really respect.

I shoveled a number of piles of mulch this afternoon with some fellow employees (I work for a large local Minnesota-based company) at Perspectives, a social service center in St. Louis Park. The center serves serves 50+ families on its grounds in supportive  housing as well as other children/families in the surrounding area through food service, tutoring, and after school programs.  After our mulching, we learned a bit about the facility and how local chefs often help cook/serve the meals side-by-side with the kids each night.  I just think that's fantastic.  The Kid's Cafe program teaches nutrition, leadership, and social skills for kids dealing with transition and/or homelessness in their lives.  Kids cook and serve the meals alongside the Perspectives chef as well as local restaurant chefs who donate their time.

Perspectives is working on developing more green space, installing gardens, etc., to further teach the community and the children often in their care the real life cycle of what ends up on their plates.  Such an exciting idea, and a lesson that is so often lost in urban environments.  I hope local restaurants and chefs continue to donate their time to this awesome organization.

There are lots of volunteer needs at Perspectives, so if you have a couple hours a week to spare to tutor a child or have other gifts/skills you think might be effective, check out their website.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite

Taste of Greece Festival

I'm a sucker for any kind of festival.  You could pick any food/activity/nationality and throw in the word, "festival," and I would be gung-ho for the experience, regardless of any genuine interest (or lack thereof) in the subject.

Give me a festival involving copious amounts of delicious Greek food, however, and I will turn cartwheels of joy (figuratively speaking).

The Greek festival is hosted by St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, a locale that I have run by a million times while on jaunts around Lake Calhoun but never ventured near.  On Irving between 34th and 35th Street, you could probably find it my aroma alone this weekend, with the distinctively delicious smells of gyro meat and feta and hot pita bread wafting around every corner.

Like any summertime festival (especially when the weather is this gorgeous), it's crowded and the line to order food is lengthy.  But the enthusiasm of the volunteers and the occasional, "opa!" forgive a lot of that wait time.  Part of the wait is due to the need to stand in separate lines to purchase food/wine tickets and the food itself.  I'm not a huge fan of the buy-food-tickets-and-then-buy-food concept, but I won't whine too much when the result is a happy one. Because the food really is delicious.  My mom and I split the chicken dinner and a large salad and then splurged on three desserts to share.  As we'd completed the Taste of Greece 5K minutes before, we figured we were entitled to a substantial amount of compensatory calories.  

And while the food was definitely the best part of the evening, there was also a great deal of other activities lined up to enjoy.  Live music, traditional Greek dress with explanations, a marketplace of pretty baubles and "Greek Girls Rock" tshirts, and wine tasting in the evening.

The festival runs all weekend and I can't think of a better way to enjoy the sunshine than with a big, fat gyro and a Mythos beer in hand.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite

Taking Heart Ramadan Dinners

I volunteer with a local organization that provides tutoring and literacy training for Somali adults (SALT).  Through that group I heard of the Minnesota Council of Churches' Taking Heart initiative, where non-Muslims can break bread with their Muslim neighbors during the holy month of Ramadan. Some friends and I signed up for tonight's meal at Masjid Al-Iman Islamic Community Center of Minnesota and it was a wonderful way to learn about a local Muslim community, how they worship, how they engage with the Cities, how they've invested in their neighborhood, and how earnestly they wish to stimulate dialogue and brotherhood with their Christian neighbors. 


Regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack thereof), this is a great opportunity to be a guest at a local mosque and learn a thing or two.  The Masjid Al-Iman complex itself has been a church, a nightclub, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, and now a mosque.  That alone is a fascinating statement about the many men and women who make up these Cities and it's high time we got to know each other a little better, preferably over a shared meal. You can still sign up for evenings through the Minnesota Council of Churches' website. 


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