Tag Archives: Bar Food

Dive Bar Date Night: The Crowbar, Sabin, MN

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We went a little crazy at the Green Market last week. After all, it was most likely our last meal at the Green Market, ever. We resolved to make our following weekend date night much more frugal.

By frugal, I mean dive bar frugal.

I reflected back to a memorable drive back to the Twin Cities that lead us down a detour gone wrong. A bad accident had occurred on Interstate-94 between Fargo and Barnsville, MN that involved a semi and lots of fire. We were surprised to find ourselves stopped in the back of a long standstill just outside of Moorhead. This was unusual, considering that any type of traffic is a rarity in Fargo-Moorhead. People complain about the weekday “rush minute,” and that is all.

The traffic was so backed-up that it took us at least two and a half extra hours to get to the Twin Cities. Part of this delay also involved a long-winded detour that took us through the small town of Sabin, MN. I enjoyed this opportunity to peek at a small town I’ve never seen before and noticed the Crowbar perched across from towering grain elevators. Ever since, I’d hoped to return.

Sabin, MN is only about a twenty-minute drive from Fargo. Just take Exit 6 towards Sabin, MN. Highway 52 will lead straight to the Crowbar which is located along Sabin’s main street. In fact, it’s address is even “1 Main Street.” We parked the car and walked down the snowy sidewalk and past the looming grain elevators to the Crowbar. The whole evening was enveloped in a light, winter mist. For us city kids, the setting was ethereal.

Inside, the bar was warm and cozy. We were greet immediately and chose a table in the back room by the arcade games and television. Jake, the craft beer connoisseur asked what was available on tap. I giggled when our server only listed Miller and Bud light. I’m not sure what he expected. We happily sipped cans of PBR.

The menu was a little flappy and worn and I liked it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered the evening’s chalkboard special of a french dip sandwich that came with french fries and choice of either a soup or salad. I passed on the cream of mushroom soup and opted for the salad with ranch. Jake chose the hamburger topped with cream cheese and olives. He had never tried this combination before and was fascinated.

My salad contained about equal parts iceburg lettuce and shredded cheese/croutons. What can I say? I ordered a salad in a dive bar. I should have gone for broke and ordered the soup instead of making a weak attempt to be health conscious. That being said, the tomato wasn’t the underripe, hard, orange type and the lettuce was crisp.

My french dip sandwich was generously sized and filled with thick slices of roast beef. The bread was really lovely. Slightly crusty on top and squishy inside. I wasn’t as enthusiastic about the beef since it was cooked well-done and dry. I just removed the beef to a single layer and proceeded on my way, dunking the sandwich in the flavorful au jus.

The fries were super crisp and fluffy inside. They were lightly breaded on the outside, which I didn’t mind. Not at all greasy.

Jake was smitten with his cream cheese and olive burger. He loaded it up with pickle chips, ketchup, and mustard. I took a bite agree that it was pretty tasty. Every once in a while, I crave cream cheese and olive sandwiches, so I didn’t find this combination on a burger so unusual. Jake wished he could find this option at more restaurants.

Normally I am the type of gal that prioritizes food over ambiance. This was actually place where I liked the ambiance and vibe more than the food but would still return, regardless.

It’s basic bar food with a special or two thrown in. Plus, it’s cheap. Our entire bill totaled about $30 including tax and tip.

The vibe is warm and cozy. There’s a variety of arcade games in the back room. Graffiti on the ceiling. And you can help yourself to popcorn from the popcorn machine. The staff and patrons were genuinely friendly and our server called us “sweetie.” The Crowbar is a community gathering place and it’s obvious that most of the customers were familiar with each other or regulars, but we weren’t made to feel like outsiders.

A year and a half ago, I would never have expected to live in Fargo, let alone find my happy place at a dive bar in Sabin, MN. May your next, unexpected detour also lead you to a friendly dive bar.

North Dakota. It makes me wanna take a back road.

Two Happy Hour Bites: Highbrow & Lowbrow

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How many times must I laud the virtues of Mezzaluna’s happy hour?

Obviously, not enough. Mezzaluna is literally my favorite place to be between the hours of 4-6 p.m. The atmosphere is always cheery and carries a Great Gatsby vibe.

They make some of the best fancy cocktails in the city (along with Monte’s and Maxwells) and at happy hour, a handful of them are discounted at $7. Not quite your typical $1.50 draft beer, but they are creative and well-balanced. For lightweights like me, one is plenty. Jake always gets the Thai coconut cocktail. I brave the $3 beer of the evening or choose the Apple Manhattan. Both are strong enough and never too sweet.

Plates of happy hour food are also $7. The appetizers run $12-$13 outside of happy hour and don’t seem to be smaller portions. We usually order the overflowing cheese platter, the M Burger, or fish and chips with mushy peas. On our most recent visit, we deemed the dish of creamy polenta with four, prosciutto wrapped shrimp as our new favorite. Crispy shrimp tails rule.

I enjoyed the seared scallops with purple Thai rice and red coconut curry, $13. This particular appetizer is not discounted at happy hour. The scallops weren’t large, but they were caramelized and free from grit.

Dempseys is sort of a dive off the main drag in downtown Fargo. Dark wood and booths with high backs. It’s like a divier version of The Local, an Irish-themed pub in Downtown Minneapolis. Entertainment may include karaoke, blackjack, and pull-tabs. Once, we walked into a Kentucky Derby party filled with ladies wearing fancy hats. Plus, there’s free popcorn.

My friend who used to deal poker at Dempseys mentioned that as the evening wears on, the bar becomes more rowdy and prime for people watching.

On weekends, the bar offers food from the lovely Bertrosa’s Cafe such as their Chicago-style hot dogs or hot beef sandwiches. Otherwise, the menu is limited to typical bar foods like pizza and pickled egg baskets. They always offer Betrosa’s spicy beer cheese soup, the only (and the best) version I can stomach.

On a Tuesday evening, we ordered $1.50 pulled pork sandwiches, a Tuesday happy hour special offered between 4-9 p.m. We had all been expecting sliders but received full-sized sandwiches. The meat was tender and moist. I poured the small cup of coleslaw on top of the meat and munched away.

Seriously. They do. $10 for five jumbo shrimp and sinus-singeing cocktail sauce.

Who would have known?

The sight of a shrimp cocktail on Dempsey’s menu smacked of “one of these things is not like the other.” This would normally steer one away from ordering it.

We thank our friend for taking one for the team. Now we know.

My First Taste Of Bone Marrow

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Christmas week with our families was definitely enjoyable, though fatiguing for an introvert like myself.

At the end of Christmas week, we said our farewells. We headed towards The Elephant Walk in Stillwater, MN, stopping at Meritage in downtown St. Paul, for moules frites.

We have loved Meritage’s moules frites, from first bite. It’s the only thing Jake ever orders and we’ve yet to find better. The mussels are always plump and there’s nary a closed one. It’s beyond me that restaurants charge customers for mussels by the pound, yet plate closed mussels. How hard is it to check? This doesn’t happen here.

The fries are every bit as good, if not better than Barbette’s. The smokey, winey broth entices us back. We usually fill up on the charred bread, leaving little room for frites. And the soggy slice on the bottom of the bowl is my favorite.

Fortunately, we arrived during happy hour (Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m.) which offers discounted food and beverages. Instead of chicken fingers and quesadillas, try $8 steak tartare and $5 duck confit pizza.

We shared this addictive bowl of warm, marinated olives, $5.

Then, there was the real, roasted bone marrow for only $5. I’d only seen Anthony Bourdain swoon over bone marrow on television but hadn’t encountered it in restaurants. Bourdain has mentioned that he’d choose bone marrow and parsley salad as his last meal and I have never forgotten this. Jake was just as curious.

Our wait was over.

The split bone arrived sizzling hot. It was served with toasted bread and sweet, shallot confit.

We gently scooped out the more solid bits and we ran the toasted bread through the golden drips.

It struck me like animal butter. Not so much the byproduct but the essence of. It tasted like the bits of chewy fat that line a steak. Rich in flavor with none of the gristle. Combined with the sweet, jammy onions, it was as satisfying as we hoped.

The dish regularly costs about $10.50 on the bar menu, but happy hour or not, it’s worth a taste.

Dear restaurants in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Fargo-Moorhead,

Please serve more bone marrow. 

Love,

Jen

Downtown Fargo Bar Crawl: The Lobby Bar, Pickled Parrot, & Monte’s

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Last weekend we celebrated my husband’s birthday. Our friends led us on a little bar crawl through downtown Fargo. We trounced from highbrow to pickled eggs, through the winter’s first snowstorm.

The Lobby Bar at The Radisson Hotel

Setting The Scene:
This may be the newest joint in Fargo. Small nook with large glass windows that look onto the street. Tranquil and quiet. More mature clientele. Surprising bathroom. Walls covered, floor to ceiling, in small, shiny, silver tiles.

Tastes:
A shrimp cocktail. Seafood was fresh, with a nice texture. Upon delivery, our friend commented, “I think there’s too much space between the shrimp.”

Spicy Bloody Mary. Really, quite spicy. Did not taste like a mix. Liked it.

The rest of the bar menu included three varieties of sliders, several pizzas, and risotto, among other options. Several chalkboard specials. Limited fried foods.

 

Service:
Amiable. Attentive.

Closing Thoughts:
A decent option if one is looking for a quiet, secluded place. Wish they’d post a menu online.

Pickled Parrot

Setting The Scene:
Any fraternity/sorority house’s fantasy basement. Equipped with a bar shaped like a giant horseshoe that’s sunken into the floor, a stage, and a large dance floor. I ogled the large boxing glove connected to a weird, coin-operated game. Wonder how many drunk people ignore the prominent, written disclaimer.

A lively band of young man played ska in NDSU shirts, while drunk santas danced.

Tastes:

Jake took advantage of the birthday special, a two for one. We chose the mysterious, Saturday evening special. A Chuck Norris shot.

UV Cherry vodka + energy drink. Think one step above cough syrup. It took me the entire hour to finish the shot. Probably better shot, not sipped. At least I felt a little perkier.

Menu is basic bar food. Burgers, fried stuff, and sandwiches.

We shared a basket of crispy tater tots. Oil tasted a little old, but after a Chuck Norris punch to the trachea, each bite felt like a massage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our North Dakotan friends introduced us to pickled eggs. They tasted less terrifying than their bile-yellow color indicated. Kind of like a sour egg. The rubbery texture of the egg whites was more freaky than the flavor. I submerged the rest of my portion in cheap ranch while my husband went back for seconds.

Service:
Avril Lavigne, pre-Chad Kroeger.

Closing Thoughts:
A great set-up to enjoy live music. Made me reminisce about my college years and wish our little college town had a place like this. Instead, we shuffled between the bar with no food, the bar with food but no live music, and Joe’s, the place where girls stood on a bar and danced around poles.

Setting the scene:
Classy without being pretentious. Cozier than the Hodo.

Tastes:
Last summer, we visited Monte’s. I thought the cocktails were excellent, but the entrees seemed  overpriced and “meh.” Now, there’s a new chef with a new menu. We shared a plate of Fried Pacific Oysters and Calamari, $10, and a burger. The fried seafood arrived at room temperature. Calamari tasted fresh and was tender.

We liked the horseradish and mustard sauce and the fresh salad greens. The tart dressing dressing balanced the fried seafood. My single bite of a fried oyster tasted murky and lingered in my mouth. Two lonely oysters remained on the plate.

The burger was fantastic. Arrived medium well. Forgot to specify doneness/wasn’t asked. Garnished with a tomato slice and romaine leaves drizzled in balsamic. A worthy contender for my favorite burgers in Fargo, along with Mezzaluna’s M Burger and the Hodo’s Bison Burger.

Homemade tater tots contained a molten-hot cheese, sour cream, and onion concoction. Like the best kind of baked potato, packed into a tater tot and deep fried.

Service:
Friendly. We arrived at Monte’s shortly before 11 p.m. The front of the house told us there was absolutely no food available. However, we were unaware the kitchen staff had told Jake we could place an order when he had snuck back to use the restroom. They did not act like it was an inconvenience, so we ordered away and appreciated their offer.

Closing Thoughts:
Appealing atmosphere that’s comfortable for lingering. Would like to return to try more of their new menu.

Not So Lucky At Lucky’s 13 Pub

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This past Friday evening was so beautiful that we raced home from work and found the idea of sipping beers on an outdoor patio irresistible.

According to the Inforum’s 2011 Best of the Red River Valley, readers voted Granite City as offering the best outdoor dining.  We headed towards Granite City for a quick beer and dinner (writing about chains is totally en vogue, didn’t you know?).   I noticed their online menu listed an Oriental Shrimp appetizer tossed in GC’s Signature Oriental Glaze.  Yet, they simultaneously offered a Grilled Asian Chicken Salad.  Granite City is straddling the 20th and 21st centuries, I suppose.  I became giddy about writing An Oriental Girl Orders Oriental Shrimp, a post I have been itching to write ever since I heard Applebee’s commercial for Oriental Chicken Salad. . . in 2011.  Next time, next time.

We took a detour and ended up at the new Lucky’s 13 Pub that opened sometime in the fall.  There are two Lucky’s 13 Pubs in the Twin Cities and I have not heard much feedback about these establishments.

Lucky’s 13 Pub
4301 17th Ave S.
Fargo, ND 58103
701-551-0013

I recently ate a decent lunch at Lucky’s 13 with coworkers and felt optimistic.  We were seated on the nearly empty patio.  Despite the beautiful evening, we soon learned the patio was nearly vacant, because that space formed a wind tunnel.  After my menu slapped me in the face for the 6th time, we gave up and sat inside.

Our server took our drink orders and brought us a bowl of popcorn.  A fun gimmick I appreciate, as I am and have always been quite the popcorn fanatic.

This week, a friend posted that she survived her long workweek with Trader Joe’s ginger cookies, pickles, dark chocolate, vanilla lattes, and Cool Ranch Doritos.

I’ve resorted to cheap Mexican beer.

Lucky’s menu is heavy on burgers and sandwiches.  A smaller menu offered dinner specials in $13.99, $15.99, and $17.99 intervals in which diners pick two sides (with $1 up-charge for sweet potato fries and loaded tater tots).

We started by splitting an order of fried calamari.

The portion was generous and the calamari had a crunchy batter that wasn’t overly thick or greasy.  At first, I was wary of the large amount of sliced, raw, pepperocini that topped the fried calamari, but we ended up enjoying the combination.  The tart vinegariness of the peppers offset the fried food and the creamy dipping sauce was tasty as well.

Jake wanted to eat a lighter entree and opted for Cajun walleye fish tacos, $13.99. The special menu describing house-made, rotisserie chickens caught my eye so I ordered the 1/2 Caribbean version with the sweet potato fries and house vegetable which our server mentioned was asparagus.

The first thing I noticed about my plate was the massive size of the asparagus.

Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables and we enjoy it at home, simply sear in a smoking hot pan or roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Lucky’s asparagus was steamed or boiled, and tasted slightly overcooked.  The asparagus was completely unseasoned, lacking salt, pepper, butter, or oil.  Lucky’s also neglected to remove the woody stems at the bottom.

Upon first biting into the rotisserie chicken, I noticed it was hard and crunchy.  I think someone deep fried my rotisserie chicken!

I have a weakness for fried foods, but felt caught off guard by the fact that it tasted like someone threw half a rotisserie chicken into the deep fryer.  Although some of the skin was crispy and delicious, much of the meat was dry or transformed into chicken jerky.  I enjoyed the remaining crispy skin that was chewable and bits of the interior dark meat that was still succulent and juicy.  The chicken also had a pleasant smokiness and tasted like it could have been brined.  But, I did not enjoy navigating around the dry white meat and deep fried chicken jerky.  Come on, folks.  Why?  Why would you deep fry half of a cooked, supposedly-fresh, rotisserie chicken to begin with, let alone, without any kind of batter or coating to preserve moistness.

Lucky’s 13 often mentions their wood-fired rotisserie.  I wonder if Lucky’s fried the rotisserie chicken to disguise previously cooked and chilled meat?  Otherwise, why would that be necessary?

The sauce was fine and tasted like a mix between barbecue sauce and jerk.  Not very spicy but not bad.

The sweet potato fries were fine, if under-salted.

Jake received his fish tacos, thus beginning an evening-long taco rant.

These tacos included deep fried pieces of walleye coated in a Cajun seasoning.  And by coated, I mean coated.  We both enjoy spicy food and strong flavorings, but the seasoning on the fish was overwhelming, making it impossible to taste the fish.  One bite made my eyes water.

Three fish tacos were accompanied by shredded ice burg lettuce, a lot of sliced black olives, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and stale tortilla chips.  All for $13.99.

I can not even express how disappointed Jake was with his fish tacos.  Jake is typically the good natured half, while I am the feisty ranter.  However, he could not stop talking about how much he disliked his meal.  ”It was like nobody tasted the food,” he summarized.

He had been hoping for tacos filled with grilled or seared fish and light accompaniments like a cabbage slaw, creamy sauce, onions, or cilantro.  Most disappointing was the overly-seasoned, fried fish and garnishes that he felt did not compliment the fish.

While the calamari was decent, the entrees were overpriced and poorly cooked.  Woody, unseasoned asparagus, dried-out and crunchy rotisserie chicken, and over-seasoned fish tacos with unappealing garnishes.

My two experiences at Lucky’s 13 offered many “why would they do that?” moments, though Jake had no complaints about a previous lunch outing where he ordered a Buffalo shrimp po-boy.  Our dinner was less appealing than my previous lunch experience where I ate a tasty sandwich made with a pan-seared Cajun fish fillet.  On another “why would they do that?” note, my coworker had ordered a sandwich and received three sandwich halves.  Three.  Why would you place half of a sandwich on top of whole sandwich?  It wasn’t criminal but seemed very odd.

On a positive note, the service was friendly and on-point.

Our tally, including tax and tip, for two entrees, two beers, and calamari was $65.

Ufdah.

Jeni’s Favorite Dandelion Greens

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On a chilly evening, a bowl of flavorful, cooked greens comforts me like a fleece blanket.

Although kale and swiss chard seem to be served the most often, I actually enjoy the flavors of beet and dandelion greens the most.

The stems are perfectly edible and delicious.  Chop the stems thinly, depending on their tenderness.  Even tough, thick stems will become tender after cooking.

I prefer to blanch most greens before a saute to give them a nice texture and preserve their color.

On several occasions, I have found fresh kale at Sydney’s Health Market. I bought this gigantic bunch of organic dandelion greens during my first romp through the wacky world of Fargo’s Cash Wise.

The slight bitterness from the greens, tartness of the lemon, sweetness of the caramelized onions and mirin, umami saltiness of miso paste, and gentle heat from the chili create a balanced bowl of greens.

Jeni’s Favorite Dandelion Greens
Dandelion Greens
Olive oil
Ghee, butter, or both
Onion, thinly sliced (I used half an onion for half a large bunch of greens)
1/2-1 Fresno chili, thinly sliced
Miso paste (I used white)
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Mirin
Black Pepper

Directions
Bring a pot of water to boil.

Wash the dandelion greens and cut into manageable pieces.  Cut the tougher stem into smaller pieces.

Once the water boils, add sea salt.

Blanche your dandelion stems and greens in the boiling water for a couple minutes, adding the stems first.  Quickly shock them in ice water until cooled.  Squeeze out most of the water, and set aside.

In a pan over medium heat, caramelize your sliced onions in ghee and olive oil, adding a little sea salt and sugar.

Add the sliced hot pepper and stir for a few minutes.  Then, add the sliced garlic and stir until fragrant, but not browned.

Add the blanched dandelion stems and greens to your pan and stir, breaking them up with your spoon.

Add a couple dashes of mirin, miso paste, fresh lemon juice, and black pepper, all to taste.  Stir until incorporated.

For half of a large bunch of dandelion greens, I added about 1.5 teaspoons of miso paste and the juice from not quite half a lemon.  Taste and season to your taste.  I happen to like a lot of lemon.

This method would work with other greens.  You could also flavor them with other acids such as vinegars, salty elements such as tamari, and even bacon.

Half of my large bunch of dandelion greens = Two small servings

Pull Tab Fail, Drink Raffle Win, & Italian-Style Beef at Dempsey’s Public House.

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Every bar in North Dakota wants to feed my newfound pull tab fascination.

Jake reminds me that pull tabs existed in the Twin Cities, despite the fact that I don’t remember them.

Here, many hunch over small baskets of pull tabs, chasing drinks around the bar.  Once, Jake’s coworkers entertained us with stories of winning thousands of dollars from pull tabs.  More than once.  So, I marched over to the pull tab seller and tried to buy a single pull tab with loose change.  The man gave me a strange look and made me exchange my coins for a dollar bill.  I bought one pull tab, garnering stranger looks from our friends.

My Casino Fails
I rarely heard the word casino growing up.  My parents uttered alcohol even more rarely and let’s not  even delve into the one and only time I brought home a six-pack of Berry Weiss during my first summer break, after turning 21.

Once, I stopped at the newly built Diamond Joe’s casino on the way back to college located in Waverly, IA.  Short story even shorter, I was shocked when the casino employee told me I could not actually insert pennies into penny slots.  I had no idea how to operate the slot machines, lost five dollars, got mad, and left.  More recently, we celebrated a family birthday at Mystic Lake casino.  When I gained back the twenty dollars I had lost, Jake wrestled me away from Kitty Glitter.

Oh, and once I won two dollars from a scratch and win ticket during a May term spent in San Bernardino, CA.

This pretty much concludes my gambling experiences.

Dempsey’s Public House
226 Broadway
Fargo, ND 58102
701-235-5913

On a Saturday night, we headed to Dempsey’s to order the Chicago-style beef sandwiches Jake had enjoyed, earlier, at Bertrosa’s Chicago Cafe.  Though Bertrosa’s is only open 11 a.m. – 5p.m. on weekdays, their food is available at Dempsey’s on evenings and weekends.

Once we were seated, I indulged in a few pull tabs and won nothing.

Except pull tabs.

Since it was Saturday happy hour at Dempsey’s, we were each given a ticket for a chance to win a free drink.

We started by trying Bertrosa’s beer cheese soup.  Normally, I enjoy beer cheese soup for it’s obvious cheese factor, though I usually find it bland and gloppy.  A fellow foodie told me she thought it was the best beer cheese soup she had ever tasted.  I enthusiastically concur.

Like all other beer cheese soups, Bertrosa’s was garishly Cheez Whiz colored.  However, it’s texture actually struck me as soup, rather than gel.  The soup packed a mischievous kick of heat, sweetness from beer, and depth from herbs (albeit, they appeared to be dried herbs).  I’m going to stop here and stop trying to justify my love for this guilty pleasure, cheese soup.

When Jake and I road tripped to Chicago a couple of years ago, we enjoyed sopping wet beef sandwiches with spicy peppers.

Jake ordered Bertrosa’s regular Italian-style beef sandwich, while I ordered mine with horseradish.  We both ordered the sandwiches with hot pickled peppers.

While we waited, the bartender call out Jake’s ticket number and we won a free drink of our choice.  A free White Russian softened my pull tab disappointment.

The menu did not list an option to dunk one’s sandwich in au jus, and the bun arrived dry.  The bread was my least favorite component of the sandwich, as it seemed a little dry and its texture was reminiscent of spongy Olive Garden bread sticks.

The beef was moist and tender and I have no idea if it was homemade or sliced deli meat.  The sauteed onions and peppers were a nice touch, regardless of authenticity.  If offered sauteed onion and peppers, I will always say “yes.”

My favorite components of the sandwich, by a long stretch, were the hot pickled peppers and horseradish sauce.  Bertrosa’s not only topped the sandwich with plenty of peppers, but included an extra cup.

Though the horseradish sauce looked creamy, it actually tasted light, instead of mayonnaisey, and packed lots of nasal-burning bite.  Jake remembered his sandwich was moister and possibly dipped during his weekday visit to Bertrosa’s.  So if you visit Dempsey’s and want your sandwich wet, ask if dipping is an option.

We had more than enough food and packed much of it for home, but Jake really wanted me to taste the Chicago-style hot dog.

I’ve managed to have never eaten a Chicago dog during several trips to Chicago, but Jake has and enjoyed Bertrosa’s.  The bun was much softer than the beef sandwich’s, and included plenty of sweet, fluorescent green relish, tomato, mustard, celery salt, and more hot peppers.

As we ate our meal, customers randomly dropped their uncalled drink tickets on our booth as they left the restaurant.  By the end of our visit, we had amassed a large pile of tickets and won four drinks in a row.  We discreetly gifted the first two drinks to the most solitary and lonely individuals at the bar.  Drink three went to whoever hollered the loudest.  And by drink four, it was waitress’s choice.  On our way out the door, we also passed our drink tickets to another set of lucky patrons.

Our evening at Dempsey’s was a lot of fun.  This particular Saturday dinner hour was rather subdued and the friendly staff literally showered us with free drinks.  I would enthusiastically return to Dempsey’s for Saturday happy hour drink raffle, the best beer cheese soup ever, and affordable, spicy, Chicago-style food.  I feel an automatic fondness grow for any establishment that serves food spicy enough to make me sweat, pull tab victory or not.

What’s a Labby’s?: Fried Pickles, Asian Bombs for an Asian Bomb, & CherryBerry

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Labby’s Bar & Grill
1100 19th Avenue N
Fargo, ND 58102

One evening, Jake brought home the remnants of a happy hour’s past.  I tasted a few bites of fried pickles.  These weren’t the more common version of soggy fried pickles chips that are either too greasy or dropping their batter, but tart pickle spears and cheese wrapped in an eggroll wrapper.  Even though the leftovers were aged an unknown number of hours, I enjoyed the tart pickle spear and the crispy eggroll wrapper that kept everything snug.

Jake also bought me a small salad, which I decided to pack for lunch the next morning.

As I was whirling in my usual tornado the next morning, I grabbed a small takeout box from the fridge.  When I arrived at work, I noticed a strong smell, and felt glop pooled in the bottom of my bag.  I had grabbed the box of appetizers instead of the salad, and the uncovered cups of side sauces had tipped, creating a fragrant mess.

To replace our Friday evening snacks, we placed a takeout order at Labby’s for fried pickles, $7.99 and “Asian Bombs,” $9.99.

What’s a Labby?
Our journey to Fargo has included many “What’s a _____?” questions.  Jake had asked “What’s a Hornbachers?” on our first day in Fargo.  Hence, it has become a sort of inside joke, for better or for worse (i.e. “What’s a Taco Shop?”).

*For my Twin Cities readers, Hornbachers is Fargo-Moorhead’s major grocery store chain, comparable to Cub Foods.  We chuckled at the major grocery chain’s name of Hornbachers, but then realized that the name Kowalski’s wasn’t, particularly, more user friendly .  

Labby’s is down the street from our residence and I have often wondered “What’s a Labby’s?”  Is it Labby’s, as in Abby’s?  What sort of mysterious bar-slash-family restaurant hybrid lurks within our walking distance strip mall and what exactly is a Labby?

On closer examination, I noticed the windows were decorated with dogs.  But, of course. I should have known.  My favorite kind of labby.

The interior screamed sports bar, was surprisingly spacious, and bustled with customers.  It was one of those surreal experiences where the outsides do not match one’s visual expectations for the insides.  Kind of like The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, but not quite as cool.  And lacking fauns.

Again, I enjoyed Labby’s version of a fried pickle, which I have not seen in the Twin Cities.  The pickle spear was perfectly tart and sour, which offset the richness of the cheese, crispy wrapper, and creamy ranch.  As much as I like this fried pickle concept, it left me fantasizing about a version made with cream cheese.

An even better than the questions, “What’s a Hornbachers?” “What’s a Taco Shop?” and “What’s a Labby’s?” is, “What’s an Asian Bomb?”

Labby’s Asian Bomb tasted like a wonton wrapper filled with a moist chicken mixture, seasoned with sweet chili sauce, and hot pepper.  I don’t know what kind of pepper it was, but it appeared to be of the green variety.

The Asian Bombs were fine and I enjoyed the small kick, but felt the flavor of the sweet chili sauce in the filling, combined with the accompanying dipping sauce was redundant.

Not bad, not something I’d crave enough to pay $9.99 for again, but they tasted fine and were fried well. Both items were fried well, as they were crispy and lacked greasiness.  Fried goodies worth considering for a conveniently-located happy hour and pleasant atmosphere.

What’s a CherryBerry?
110 19th Ave N.
Fargo, ND 58102

On the way home, we stopped inside Labby’s adjacent CherryBerry neighbor.  If I am not mistaken, CherryBerry is located at the Mall of America.

A fan of occasionally indulging in tart, Korean-style frozen yogurt, I nearly wet my pants when I took in the self-serve set-up in all it’s glory.  Jake and I parted ways to adorn our own yogurt creations.  Who needs the Rorschach or TEMAS when there’s CherryBerry?

Jake took one look at my CherryBerry and guffawed.  Before this half-eaten photo was taken, his CherryBerry was deliberately constructed according to an elaborate strawberry/chocolate scheme with flavor, color, and architectural sub-schemes.  And it was delicious.

My CherryBerry was much less organized.  There was no construction plan and my inner dialogue was more like “Ooo, tangerine!  Those are pretty.  I like fruit.  Shiny mango orbs!”  I strongly preferred the plain, tart yogurt over the puckery pomegranate variety and the fluorescent tangerine, which tasted like the smell of a Lipsmacker.

The orbs of mango and strawberry gel provided tasty splashage, but more is not always better.  Next time, I will stick to my tried and true combination of one or two fresh fruits and chocolate chips (and mochi, if they had it).

At least I am now aware of our dangerously, easy access to Korean-style frozen yogurt and fried pickles.