Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out. #10
And just like that we’re up to #10. Kind of a milestone, I guess. Thanks for checkin’ it out coming along for the ride.
The holidays are here…I feel like I should do a Santa drawing of some sort. I’ll keep my eyes open for something like that.
We’re hittin’ the road for Arkansas with our bulldog Davis so we’ll see what we find along the way. Not sure how many drawings I’ll get done in all the travel and holiday buzz so maybe I’ll mix in some photos and shake it up a bit.
ABANG YOLI.
Abang Yoli. Minneapolis, MN
The fried chicken sandwich craze seems to be behind us, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Abang Yoli has one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had…in fact, it’s probably the best.
The space is real small, call it cozy. The chicken sandwich on the other hand was not small. It was a beast. The two of us split the sandwich and almost didn’t finish.
Abang Yoli gives there’s a Korean vibe…with a sweet/spicy sauce I could drink buckets of. The chicken breast was huge and crispy without being greasy and topped with a char bun…but good luck picking it up and eating it like a sandwich. This is a fork and knife affair.
And don’t sleep on the fries. Man, they were good. Small restaurants that are in it to make great food don’t phone it in…they give a crap and put the extra effort into every dish and every order. They could have thrown a bunch of fries on a plate with some seasoning and called it a day and they would have been pretty good fries. But they went the extra mile and topped them with crispy onions (homemade, not from a can), sliced jalapeños and cilantro. Give it up for the little guy. (Insert chef’s kiss here.)
EENIE, MEENY, MINEY, MOE.
Walking around the lake and having to go to the bathroom can be a sketchy situation, but this guy won the lottery. A full line of brand new, completely clean, unused porta potty’s sat waiting at his service. Take the wins when you can get them.
Some People I Saw This Week.
It’s almost Christmas and we still don’t have snow on the ground and the temperatures have been really mild. But that doesn’t stop Minnesotans from putting on the gear and at least acting like it’s cold outside.
Lake Harriet.
I mean, why wouldn’t your dog have a puffer jacket?
Overkill? Maybe. Stylish? You bet.
Minnesota Fashion.
Let’s call it functional. Plaids, wools, stripes and furry bits mashed together all in the name of keeping warm.
Add a brisk and very direct walking style and you have a true Minnesotan.
Modern house.
A new modern style house is taking shape on a lot that used to be occupied by an old house that fit in with the other houses in neighborhood….all built from 1910 to 1920 or so.
Let’s just say there was a buzz going around about this new house and most of it wasn’t good.
I came upon this couple standing and staring at the new construction for quite a while. It’s like they were looking at a piece of abstract art in an avant-garde gallery doing their best to figure it out. Slight head tilts here and there, like maybe the perspective change would make it all make sense. Nope.
They finally just shrugged their shoulders and walked away.
Chimney Logo.
Found another chimney stack logo. I love these things.
They are so cool they often outlive the business itself.
Best that I can tell Strong Scott hasn’t been in business for over 50 years. They made industrial boiler units. Those are probably all long gone as well…but that chimney logo still stands.
JAX CAFE.
Jax Cafe. Northeast Minneapolis, MN
I was just reading that Jax Cafe turned 90 years old. Amazing.
“Cafe” isn’t really the right word for this place, it’s definitely a fancy supper-club. The kind of place you have an anniversary or wedding party.
Or first date…like maybe the couple in the drawing had like 50 years ago?
Harriet Brasserie.
Harriet Brasserie. Linden Hills, Minneapolis, MN.
There are flashier, trendier restaurants in the neighborhood, but let’s give it up for the workhorse, the small spot that doesn’t get a lot of buzz or get rockstar chef attention.
What they do have is killer food and a great space. The kind of space that’s comfortable. Instead of people looking around at what other people are wearing, they’re taking to each other.
We sat at the bar for a drink and a game of dice, which we never finished because we got to talking to the couple sitting next to us. Sounds cheesy, but the whole place has friendly vibe to it…right down to the owner hanging at the bar with a drink.
(Still More) Northeast Minneapolis Bars.
Grumpy’s Bar. Northeast Minneapolis, MN
Grumpy’s is as close to a hipster dive bar as you can get. They have live bands, the owner runs a punk rock record label and the decor is dive bar, but cool. It’s a delicate balance of updating something old and not screwing it up.
331 Club. Northeast Minneapolis, MN
The 331 Club is another bar that has more of a hipster vibe with live music that managed to update itself but not lose any of the old dive bar soul.
The dog and I have been monitoring that modern house construction too, if slightly more surreptitiously 😉 Must be green/LEED construction, which is good, but dang it ended up looking more commercial than residential
I love visiting Minneapolis. You keep reminding me of how unique a place it is.