Forge & Foundry Distillery is a must stop for us when we go to downtown Stillwater.
I am going to be completely honest: I have only ever had one cocktail from there, but luckily I’ve been with enough people who have tried other ones to showcase them haha. Continue reading
Lucky Cricket started out without a “Minnesota Nice” welcome, much due to co-owner and celebrity chef, Andrew Zimmerman’s, controversial remark during an interview to Fast Company stating, “I’m saving the souls of all the people from having to dine at these horseshit restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest.” A comment that blew up in his face, rightfully so, considering that Minneapolis has many asian restaurants owned by asian families serving up authentic asian dishes. Unfortunately, that wasn’t all. The next controversy was about the food itself being falsely advertised and there were a few scathing reviews about the preparation and flavors…
All controversy aside, I was determined to check out the restaurant for myself and when a friend and I were looking for a place to meet up for Happy Hour it was my immediate suggestion!
Over the last couple years I’ve finally developed an appreciation for seafood (except shrimp… reason 1 is the texture and reason 2 is because I was told that shrimp are a chromosome away from a cockroach and therefore literally the cockroach of the sea. Vomit). Therefore, when my friend Mikayla invited me along to a group dinner at 4 Bells, I instantly agreed.
4 Bells is known for their extremely fresh seafood and while they utilize local fish when possible, the bulk of their seafood is overnighted directly from the coasts.
Their name, according to their website, comes from the tradition of ringing a bell 4 times to signal to sailors that it’s time for a break.
I’ve been eagerly waiting for the opening of Royal Foundry Distillery. Housed in the same warehouse as La Dona Cerveceria these two are starting what is going to be a sweeping rejuvenation near Glenwood and Fremont in Minneapolis.
After a vain attempt of going to Hell’s Kitchen brunch last year without a reservation, I was finally able to make it there for dinner to celebrate my friend, Mikayla’s Birthday, with some amazing ladies!
I usually end a hack by talking about service, but in this case I think the service is a big part of what makes Hell’s Kitchen, Hell’s Kitchen. The vibe here is a mixture between the artsy kids in High School you wanted to be friends with and the pretentious lifestyle snob. For example, the host didn’t appear as if he even had the time of day for me to point me in the direction of where my friends were seated, but our waitress had an infectiously upbeat vibe, and the bussers were completely on their game. Continue reading
Recently two of my favorites, Brad & Lisa, decided to make their relationship legal so our friend, Nicole, organized an engagement party for them at Eat Street Social. Nicole had a pretty hard time finding a restaurant that could accommodate our party of 20, so when she called Eat Street she was extremely pleased that the manager, Jaren, not only went above and beyond to help us make this engagement party a possibility, but also organized our use of “The Torpedo Room,” event space.
I had some of the best drinks of my life in Portland. From gluten-free beer to craft cocktails, Portland appears to be a hub of liquid exploration.
I’ll start with cocktails, because they’re my favorite.
This was a trip favorite. Between the 4 of us we consumed 7 of these in approximately 2 hours. Made with gin, beet juice, lime, and simple syrup, this cocktail tastes like a Christmas themed garden party. My friends, Lisa, Jenna, and Nellie subbed in vodka instead of gin, which really emphasized the beet juice. Continue reading
Hipster Hack 