A closer look at flyover land

Friday food

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great fun of exploring the southwest corner of Minnesota, including the wonderful historic town of Pipestone. I also had the opportunity to do some fantastic hiking through the uber-gorgeous prairie landscapes. Seriously--I'm now madly in love with prairies, and it's so cool to see various groups and sites trying to restore or reclaim true prairie grasses and flowers. Hey, you wonder where all the honey bees went? They're plundering the wildflowers at Blue Mounds State Park.

Anyway, all that fresh air and hiking can really work up a girl's appetite. I'd heard good things about Lange's in Pipestone, so stopped in there for a late-morning breakfast one day.

Lange's has gotten some national attention through Jane and Michael Stern, who have raved about the place, particularly the pie (sour cream raisin, mm-hmm). It's a 24/7 operation, and the day I was there it was crazy busy. No matter--the servers were flying, keeping everyone moving along and coffee cups filled.

I contemplated being moderate in my food choices. But on the menu, one item really jumped out at me. I knew it would be ridiculously huge and unnecessary, but I was hot, tired, and hungry, so...

Stuffed hashbrowns it was. That's two layers of crispy hashbrowns sandwiching ham, onions, green peppers, and cheese, along with two eggs and two pieces of toast.

I didn't finish the toast.

Sadly, that's all I can say I didn't finish. The rest was consumed with far too much enjoyment. In spite of how busy it was, I hardly had to wait any time for my order, which arrived sizzling hot, the cheese all melted and gooey, the eggs perfectly cooked (I ordered over easy). As I said, my coffee cup never was allowed to drop to the halfway point, and my server was as nice as could be.

I thought about taking some pie with me for later, but the thought of leaving sour cream raisin pie sitting in a hot car just didn't work, so I had to abandon that idea. Next time--and there will be a next time--I'm getting pie.

August festivals

This is just the tip of the iceberg for festivals and events in Minnesota in August. I’ve avoided the more routine festivals, Crazy Days, and city parties. You can find more information about those over at Explore Minnesota. What follows is a list of the more unique possibilities this month. If there’s something I’ve missed, please let me know. And don't forget to check out the events page at the Minnesota Historical Society--there's always something fun going on over there.

St. Paul
August 3-7 National Poetry Slam
Poetry will be happening like crazy in St. Paul. Check the website for venues and times.

Twin Cities
Minnesota Fringe Festival
Aug. 5-15
Original, independent artists and performers giving it all they’ve got during this non-juried 11-day festival.

Two Harbors
Two Harbors Kayak Festival
Aug. 6-8
All things kayak: races, demos, training, equipment swaps.

Minneapolis
Metris Uptown Art Fair
Aug. 6-8
Powderhorn Park Art Fair
Aug. 7-8
Loring Park Art Festival
Aug. 7-8
One weekend, three big art festivals. Bring your wallet and your patience—the crowds can be heavy, especially if the weather is nice. Take advantage of Metro Transit’s Art Hop bus, a free service connecting the three events:
Target Art Hop
Aug. 7-8

Brooklyn Park
Afrifest
Aug. 7
Live music and entertainment, fashion show, soccer tournament, children’s activities, comedy, all celebrating the varied African heritage present in the Twin Cities. Oh, and of course there’ll be food.

Duluth
Bayfront Blues Festival
Aug. 13-15
Annual blues festival in a lovely location. This year’s performers include Alison Scott and Kevin Bowe, Keri Noble, The Insomniacs, Elvin Bishop, and Dr. John and the Lower 911.

St. Paul
Irish Fair
Aug. 13-15
Held on Harriet Island, Irish Fair celebrates the city’s Irish heritage with music, entertainment, dance, family activities, and of course food.

Hutchinson
Minnesota Garlic Festival
Aug. 14
Kite flying, entertainment, old-fashioned children’s activities, the Peculiar Pragmatic Promenade, and all things garlic. Did you know that there are over 100 varieties of garlic grown here? It’s pretty much guaranteed that vampires will not be present.

Pipestone
Civil War Days
Aug. 14-15
Battle re-enactments, educational programs, etiquette and ballroom dance lessons, a Grand Ball, children’s activities, and of course, food.

Walker
Leech Lake Regatta
http://shoresofleechlake.com/regatta
Aug. 14-16
Multiclass sailboat races for sailors of all skill levels.

Scandia
Spelmansstamma Music Festival
Aug. 21
Smorgasbord, traditional Swedish music and dancing, and children’s activities.

Shakopee
Minnesota Renaissance Festival
Aug. 21-Oct. 3, weekends and Labor Day
Come lords and ladies! Followers of Sir Puke and Sir Snot! Lovers of turkey legs! Costumes, food, entertainment of the Renaissance style, at least by today’s standards. Come early, or you’ll be parking in South Dakota.

Roseau
Pioneer Village Festival
Aug. 23-24
This lovely recreated pioneer village celebrates its heritage with pancake breakfasts, parades, children’s activities, and of course food.

St. Paul
Minnesota State Fair
Aug. 26-Sept. 6
The granddaddy of Minnesota festivals. Go for the cheese curds, stay for the rides, the animals being born, the crafts and arts exhibits, Machinery Hill, the stage shows, the cheesy giveaways, and of course, the food on a stick. Not to mention the cheese curds.

Barnesville
Potato Days
Aug. 27-28
Three words: mashed potato wrestling. I’m SO there. Plus lots of lefse.

Norwood Young America
Stiftungsfest
Aug. 27-29
Minnesota’s oldest festival, held annually for 149 years. Activities, arts and crafts, softball tournaments, bingo, and of course food.

Friday food

I know y'all will be envious when I tell you I got to rub shoulders with famous people last week AND eat barbecue. Really, does a week get better than that? Well--in a couple of weeks it will, if my name was Dave. Read on.

Famous Dave's, the local bbq chain that is the brainchild of Dave Anderson, has a signature site at Calhoun Square that's different than the other locations. It's a blues club as well as a bbq spot. This year, Anderson upgraded the location, adding some much-needed windows:

As well as an adjacent outdoor patio. (OK, I admit--I'm not a fan of the patio, as it has a view of the parking ramp. But there were several people outside who looked perfectly happy.) Also, a massive new smoker to really 'cue that meat up, and how.

Plus, there's music.

The Big John Dickerson group, with Jamela Pettiford. 

And of course there was food.

I'm sure right now you're saying to yourself, wow, our intrepid blogger certainly seemed to be going light on the eats. I'd let you think that, except honestly, this wasn't the first plate. Yes, I'm aware that one doesn't really need two platefuls of ribs. But it was a buffet, and they were so good, and then there was this chicken with this sauce...

Sigh.

I got to meet the man of the hour, who's an all-around nice guy.

And then I did the "look at me I'm not really a celebrity I just get to stand by one" thing.

So there's not-famous me on the left, by Dave, and by famous Todd Walker and Jean Golden, president of Golden Publicity. 

Now for the real fun--is your first name David, Dave, or Davy? Stop by any participating Famous Dave's on Aug.1 with some ID and get a free entree (up to $15 value). If your middle name is one of those versions of David, you can get up to $7.50 off your entree. Why? Because it's Famous Dave's birthday that day. 

Friday food

It's that time of year--the time to eat outdoors. If you can find a time in between rain and too-hot temps.

We did this week, and we combined it with a burger quest. 

Joe's Garage in Minneapolis. It may not look like much from the outside, but the inside is cozy.

But given the day's pleasant weather, we certainly didn't want to sit inside. No--it was the rooftop for us.

Joe's has a wonderful rooftop patio, with your choice of view: would you prefer the Basilica?

Or Loring Park and the skyline?

Or, like me, you might enjoy the sight of an elderly dog relaxing with its owner.

Note the water bowl, which arrived via friendly server practically as soon as the dog arrived.

There was a lovely breeze, and the sky was a bit overcast, not enough to threaten rain, but enough to keep the sun from beating down too heavily. The rest of the family ordered burgers.

Choice of sides included chips, fries, or mashed potatoes. Yes--Joe's specializes in mashed potatoes. Teen 2 took a risk and ordered them, then--much to my disappointment--ate every bite and proclaimed them delicious. Both Teens firmly approved the burgers too; in fact, Teen 1 even went so far as to say it actually tied with Lions Tap in his opinion. Teen 2 said not quite that good, but darned close. That's a record for them.

I wasn't quite in a traditional burger mood.

So I ordered the southwest veggie burger instead. A patty made of black beans, falafel, and corn, served in a tortilla with avocado, pico de gallo, and Asiago cheese and a side of chipotle ranch. Besides being enormous, it was also a delight to eat--putting falafel and black beans together is genius.

Teens being Teens, an enormous burger and side didn't fully satisfy them, so they had dessert.

Vanilla cheesecake with raspberry sauce. I did try a bite, and it was very good, very smooth and creamy.

So, skip the tacky outdoor places that overlook freeways and busy streets, and go sit on the roof at Joe's instead. Good food, good venue.

Better know a state park

Borrowing loosely from Stephen Colbert's Better Know a District segment, I've decided to start exploring Minnesota's many fantastic state parks in a series of posts (please don't sue me, Stephen! Love you! Mwah!). Long-term goal? Exploring every state park. There are so many, with such a wide range of features. Seems like an excellent goal.

First I had to set some ground rules, though. While living the life of guidebook author is certainly glamorous (cough cough), there are lots of days when it becomes "If it's noon this is William O'Brien State Park and I have 10 minutes need to get a scenic photo and I'm out of here". I didn't think those "shoot and run" visits should count. But I'm not a camper--sorry, I do love me a hotel room and indoor plumbing. So what constitutes a real visit to a park?

Here's what I decided (and definition is always subject to change): A park visit counts if I do more than drive in, find a scenic spot, take a picture, and drive out again. I have to actively get involved in the park somehow. (Suggestions are welcome, but keep it clean.) That's sometimes easier said than done; last week, I was at Zippel Bay State Park and all set to walk the entire three-mile beach--which looked lovely--but was felled by an attack by a flock of vicious deer flies. The beach will have to wait for another time.

So, for my first park visit, I bring you: Interstate State Park. 

I hit Interstate mid-afternoon one day after exploring the Swedish Circle and Taylors Falls. I was on my way to Marine on St. Croix and Stillwater, but having--ahem--enjoyed perhaps a bit too much deliciousness from those wonderful small-town bakeries, I felt the need to stretch a bit. When I saw the bluffs along the St. Croix, I was ready for a break.

It would have been easy enough to snap a shot of the river and move along, but after having been in and out of my car for hours (even with doughnuts), being outside on a sunny day felt like a huge relief. And I love clambering over boulders. Don't know why. I even thought about taking a ride on this:

But decided my time was better spent hiking about, which is what I did.

Interstate not only has the river running through it, but it has some beautiful and intriguing geological formations known as glacial potholes. Both lava flows and glaciers have formed the terrain throughout this park, and it makes for great hiking.

In fact, some people like to climb the steep bluffs themselves:

No, that won't be on my list of "ways to prove I visited a state park." I'm much more inclined to wander about the bluffs, climb over the rocks, look for the trails, and try to find a way (and fail) to take pictures of the people dressed as ninjas.

But who needs ninjas, when you've got that?

Friday food

Or, "Out with the old, in with the new!"

The restaurant space at 533 Hennepin is about to come to life once more. Previously home to a variety of things, including Mexican and sushi joints, it's now under the direction of this man:

Thom Pham, of Azia, A25 (I wrote about its grand reopening last December), and the previously departed Temple. Pham has taken over the corner of 6th and Hennepin to open Wanderers Wondrous Azian Kitchen, which will be a casual Asian restaurant, an homage to the Chinese restaurants of days gone by (think Nankin and chow mein) while incorporating items from the menu at Azia.

If you're wondering why duplicate menus across town, well--that would be because once Wanderers is fully operational, Azia will close, as will A25. Pham says Azia's building, which he leases, is in terrible shape. So he's moving his work downtown, and bringing his staff with him.

Over time, Pham has been collecting pieces from long-gone Asian restaurants and plans to highlight those in the new space. If the necessary permits come through, the front of the building on Hennepin will have glass doors that will open onto patio dining.

The first week of August is the target open date, with the hope of gaining early traction with Twins crowds and outdoor diners. The concept is casual and inexpensive, with dinner entrees expected to range from $12-23, the higher end reserved for steaks and seafood. 

It's an ambitious opening goal.

In the meantime, if you're a fan of Azia and/or A25, better get moving--you don't have long to enjoy them.

The Paul Bunyan Trail

First of all, sorry for the quiet on the blog--trust me, once I turn the book manuscript in to the editor in September, I'll have lots to blog about! I've been on the road, doing research and photography, mostly having a great time (detour signs and deer flies notwithstanding).

Anyway, there's some good travel news from MPR this week--the Paul Bunyan Trail, a paved trail extending from Brainerd to Bemidji, is finally complete and, at 110 miles, is now the longest paved trail in the state. The MPR piece also notes that trail use is in a decline--so get out there and use those trails, people! The Paul Bunyan Trail winds through a mighty scenic part of the state.