I’ve been lucky to be able to get out of town pretty much all summer by visiting my parent’s lake home, but much like everyone else, I’ve been missing my friends a lot during social distancing. So when the stars aligned and Mikayla and I were both in town on Friday night I was beyond thrilled to have plans with someone else besides my boyfriend’s demon cat haha.
It was a beautiful day so I was excited when Mikayla suggested we go to Nicollet Island Inn, especially since I had never been!
I’ve been trying (and failing quite a bit) this summer to eat low carb so when I determine it’s a cheat meal there is really only one thing I crave: a sandwich.
While trying to find a new place to go near Woodbury that had a club sandwich on the menu boyfriend found Wild Boar Bar & Grill. Funnily enough, we didn’t realize until we were almost there that this happened to be the same place we had passed signs for multiple times already thanks to the current 494/94 ramp detours and had kept commenting that we needed to come back to try it haha.
As I’ve talked about before, I started this blog as a creative writing outlet that would also push me when I moved to Minneapolis to get out and try new things. It’s pretty funny for me that while I occasionally dabble in lackluster poetry and lifestyle blogging, food is really the only thing that I’m super excited to share with other people haha. That said, quarantine during COVID-19 has hit me hard and I’ve been staring at these photos from Fogo de Chao for weeks and just haven’t been able to find the motivation to give it the Hipster Hack that it deserves.
After years (literal years) of boyfriend begging me to go to Fogo de Chao with him and me denying him, because 1. I assumed it was similar to a buffet (I always get full after 1 plate so it’s not worth it for me) and 2. meat has always intimidated me…that’s what she said (I know that sounds ridiculous, but honestly, I am not knowledgeable about beef cuts or types), I finally acquiesced.
TL:DR version: Boyfriend and I happen to have our birthdays 3 days apart so we decided to treat ourselves to a joint celebration dinner at Fogo!
*Fun Fact: you’ve probably been pronouncing this wrong. It’s not “Fogo day Chow” instead it’s pronounced “Fogo dee shown”
Hello Hipster Hack followers, I’m Ashley and you may remember me from my many, many appearances here since I am Tara’s biggest supporter, and a fellow food lover. (Although I’m the sister that enjoys creating fun foods, while Tara’s the one that enjoys traveling to find it). Continue reading
Even though I live in Minneapolis, I still drive all the way to A’Salonna in Stillwater, because I only trust Kelly to do my hair…luckily for me, I have family (Cecil & Noelle) in the area and they agreed to start an afternoon of “Saturday Funday” by meeting me and boyfriend for lunch and cocktails at Lolito Cantina!
I love the vibe at Parlour Bar and in fact have been to both the Minneapolis and the Saint Paul locations for cocktails. However, it was becoming quite apparent that I’ve been doing myself a disservice by not having ever eaten their burger. there.
Our adventure to Bass Lake Cheese Factory started with my brother-in-law innocently breaking out their cheese and ended with my sister insisting we go there to get a Silly Dilly Grilled Cheese since I had never been and they now have a bar! It WAS her birthday party so who am I to fight with her about going to a cheese factory and eating cheese curds?!
I was excited to have an impromptu brunch with my friend Lisa when we both happened to be in Woodbury at the same time and I was even more excited when she suggested The New Woodbury Cafe since I had not been there yet.
Every year my mom treats my sisters, grandma and myself to dinner and a play. This year we wanted to switch it up from our usual go-tos; the Orpheum and the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. I was excited to try out the Ordway for 2 reasons: 1. the seating actually allowed me to have leg room! This is a rare feat at 5’10. In fact last year two women behind me where talking rudely about me, because they couldn’t easily see around me…I’m sorry for existing? Pay for better seats next time? and 2. it meant we got to try a new restaurant!
I will readily admit that when my coworkers asked me what play we were going to I had absolutely no idea (still don’t exactly remember the name and while the singing was beautiful I hated the outdated message that a woman is going to fall in love with a man who doesn’t love her back and “sacrifice herself” for his happiness…), but by 11am that morning I already had two dishes picked out at Pazzaluna Urban Italian … priorities.
Because of boyfriend’s work schedule, I’ve been spending a lot of time over on his end of town, which means a lot of my weekends have been spent on the East side, more specifically in Woodbury. I’ve made it my mission for us to try out all the different Woodbury brunch options there are. We had actually been to Lakes Tavern and Grill previously for a lunch and found it satisfactory (nothing bad, but nothing that blew us away) so when my friend said that it is his go-to brunch spot I was willing to try it out.
Hipster Hack 