Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out. #25
Getaway Motor Cafe.
Getaway Motor Cafe. Carver, MN
Took a drive out to this place to see what it was all about. The building is really cool…a total fix-up since the last time we were in Carver. This used to be a rundown building that looked like it was ready for a tear-down.
We brought the dog and they didn’t allow dogs inside and it was too cold to sit outside so we didn’t get to hangout long.
They were pretty by-the-book when it comes to dogs not being allowed inside…which is funny because right across the street is a dive bar we stopped at during Covid and not only did they not require masks…they ridiculed the use of them even though it was a state mandate.
You can really see how divided we are as a country in small towns like this where the extreme contrasts are on display right next to each other.
Oro By Nixta.
Oro By Nixta. Minneapolis, MN
Oro is a new sit down spot by the Nixta people that has all the buzz going right now. Getting a reservation isn’t easy so we ended up there at 4:30.
Pretty cool spot…we loved the bar, it has great vibe. I’d eat in there next time and skip the table. We especially dig the art on the walls…cool stuff.
Bull’s Horn Bar.
Bull’s Horn Bar. Minneapolis, MN
Endless shoutouts to a true gem of the Minneapolis restaurant/bar scene.
Take an old dive bar, give it a refresh (by actually making it feel even more like a dive bar), give it some really good bar food and a killer jukebox and mix in some cool people and you’ve got Bull’s Horn.
We stopped in for a quick burger and the place was packed. All types of people…young hipsters, cool old people, families, regulars parked at the bar nursing drinks, and a meat raffle in full swing.
It’s the kind of spot you’re only going to find in the city and I’m damn glad it’s in our city.
Lyndale Avenue Checklist.
We’re nearing the end of our 4th Heavy Table Checklist Project.
We started years ago with Central Avenue where we ate at every independent restaurant from 694 to Broadway…documenting everything we saw and ate.
These are crazy undertakings that involve ingesting a ton of calories, meeting a lot of interesting people and doing a boatload of work pulling together reviews of the food, photos of the food, writings about the whole experience and drawings…lots and lots of drawings. It’s a labor of love for sure that you should check out over at the Heavy Table.
Here is just a taste of some of the drawings of the upcoming installment on the Lyndale Avenue Checklist…the actual post will include photos of the food, reviews of the food and observations about our stops at each restaurant. It’s a good read and informative as hell…and hopefully encourages you to get out and try a restaurant you might not have thought to try before.
The Wedge Co-op.
Wedge Co-op. Minneapolis, MN
Not gonna lie, if we ever do another Checklist I’m going to plead we don’t do grocery store salad and hot bars. No offense to The Wedge and others that do them…it’s tough to make them good. This one is probably as good as they get and that’s still not great.
James looking rather unenthusiastic, but fighting the good fight in search of something great. Or good. Or even ok.
The hot bar is even harder than the salad bar to pull off. Hot food sitting in heated buckets for hours on end is a recipe for mediocre. And fried chicken…can you say “Heimlich Maneuver”?
James is always good at being fair and finding something good to say…even at a salad bar.
Joy Luck Chinese.
The only thing worse than salad bars and all-you-can-eat buffets are strip mall Chinese take-out restaurants.
This Checklist was proving to be a rough ride.
But sometimes we are surprised. Shocked, in fact. In this case we had a little luck and a little joy working in our favor.
The pineapple is a symbol of good fortune, and that’s what we got at Joy Luck. By the looks of the place I didn’t think we were in for much of anything good, but we always keep an open mind and love it when a place proves us wrong.
Everything about Joy Luck looked like just another strip mall Chinese joint…the typical ordering board with faded photos of shiny food, the long stainless steel galley style kitchen, and of course a very disinterested employee.
But when I saw the dude in the kitchen cutting up a fresh head of cabbage and cracking fresh eggs for our egg foo young it seemed like we were about to be impressed. And we were.
While the food was a pleasant surprise, the space was not. Like a lot of restaurants, Joy Luck came out of Covid changed. Dining-in was no longer going to be a thing (but they kept the booths and chairs just in case they change their minds)…turning up the chairs to discourage sitting…unless you’re waiting for your takeout order.
Joy Luck says a lot about the Checklist and why we do them. You never know what you’re gonna get until you give a place a shot. I would never have tried Joy Luck if it weren’t for the Checklist and I’m glad we did. Two thumbs-up for the egg foo young. Good stuff.
Camden Social.
Camden Social was a trip back to a time when people went out for a night on the town in their best outfits, had a cocktail and kicked back to a live band while having dinner. Sound cool? It was.
And with that cliffhanger you’ll have to wait for the full story to come out over at The Heavy Table.
Until next time…