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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.

Wedding Weekend: Heartland, Saint Paul Hotel, & Amsterdam Bar (again)

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One week ago, on a sunny fall afternoon, Jake and I were married amongst the company of a small group of family and friends at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN.

Because we decided to get married with relative spontaneity, we kept the ceremony simple.  We look forward to hosting a wider reception in the spring so we can celebrate with many more of our family and friends.  We are humbled by the generosity and kindness of all who have assisted us and wished us well as we continue to share life together.

After the ceremony, we enjoyed dinner at Heartland Restaurant in St. Paul, MN.  The moment we arrived, I leaped out of my wedding dress.  It was beautiful and painstakingly altered.  And even with half the boning removed, it still felt uncomfortable, so I changed into something that would allow me to enjoy dinner.

Photo taken by Pat Carney, The Carney Group, Minneapolis, MN

Upon arrival, I enjoyed sneaking bites of bread and cheeses and giggled as I watched some of the children discover their love for whole grain mustard and pickled watermelon rind. The chefs provided plump burgers for the children who preferred one.

Green salad with sweet vinaigrette, spiced nuts, and roasted cauliflower, crispy-skinned white fish with pickled onions on top of creamy beans, and apple tart with whipped cream and candied nuts.

As I said my goodbyes that evening, I used my fingers to swipe tastes of whipped cream and tender slices of fruit from my tart.  Then, we headed to the Saint Paul Hotel for our one-day honeymoon where we were greeted by a man in a top hat.

This was our first stay at the Saint Paul Hotel and it felt like old-school luxury.  My favorite perks included access to the workout facility on the top floor and wi-fi for no additional fees. The service was polished and professional, though much involved tipping.  If you stay here, remember to keep some cash on hand. In the morning, we treated ourselves to a room service breakfast, a first for both of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up, when we traveled as a family, we only stayed at hotels that included free breakfast. My parents outfitted us in fluorescent fanny packs in which we kept our lunches. I remember how we sat on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, and ate sandwiches and carrot sticks together.

We ordered a large pot of coffee and omelets filled with ham, green pepper, onion, and cheddar. Each came with hash browns and toast.  In addition, we ordered a fruit plate, having no idea each portion would be so large.

Although the price of this breakfast was astronomical (delivery fee & automatic gratuity, plus an extra tip because we weren’t sure if we were supposed to tip on an automatic gratuity?), the meal was made with care. The breakfast cart was covered in a white tablecloth. The omelet platters were not only huge, but satisfying. I was most impressed with the hashbrowns’ crispiness.  The fruit platter included yogurt and sweetbread and the assortment of fruit avoided being one of those crappy versions that mostly includes under-ripe melon.  We enjoyed choosing from the variety of condiments such as cream, butter, peanut butter, tiny jars of jam, ketchup, and Tabasco.

As critiques, the room did not include a coffee maker with complimentary coffee, although I may have been some in the lobby.  Our large pot of coffee, as overpriced as it was, tasted strong and freshly brewed.  Our room included a mini fridge, but it was only equipped to carry snacks for sale. We actually managed to eat most of our food, so I did not have to beg the hotel to ask the kitchen to store our leftovers, and we were full until the evening.

We spent the afternoon wandering around downtown St. Paul, stopping at Cossetta’s for a snack of small cannolis.  Then headed to the Amsterdam Bar And Hall for dinner.

The food was as good as it was when we dined there for my bachelorette outing.  We decompressed over drinks.  Jake was enjoyed ordering Trappist ale on tap and I sipped a tart cocktail made with lemon and apricot brandy.

We dipped the crisp fries in mustard and curry mayo and shared small boodje sandwiches on toasted buns.  I returned for the spicy calamari and shrimp salad while Jake chose smoked pork and spicy shrimp.  Surprisingly, our favorite sandwich was the most simple.  It was made with warm, herby cheese and a meaty tomato slice that tasted marinaded or roasted.

I’m not sure how I felt about the Dutch gin sampler.  It’s not that the sampler was bad, but more like I’m not sure I enjoy sipping straight gin.  Spicy curry + gin = burning.

We ordered creme brulee for dessert and ate it in bed.  I bypassed the room service delivery charge by ordering it from the Saint Paul Grill’s bartender.  Somehow, the kitchen managed to pack a creme brulee into a take-out container, crispy sugar crust and all.

Wedding, over.  Fall break, over.  It’s back to the grind.  Salad lab ends, baking lab begins and my five a.m. wake-up call resumes. . .

Special thanks to our family and friends, Central Lutheran Church, Heartland Restaurant, The Carney Group, and Elsa at The Wedding Shoppe on Grand Ave. 

Fargo Beer Festival 2012: Pacifico & Roasted Pork

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This weekend, a few of us attended the Fargo Beer Festival held in the Civic Center.  The event’s website boasted samples of “over 120 premium craft beers from around the world,” as well as food options including a pig roast for $23/ticket.

I’m more of a wine girl that a beer girl, but thought the event would be a fun opportunity to try new beers and check out the food.

We arrived at the beginning and waited in a relatively short line for the doors to open.  Wrist banded and tickets in hand, we stopped to review the Fargo Beer Festival Program.  I was very surprised to see that a large percentage of the beers were not those I would have considered “premium craft beers.”  They were varieties I commonly see but wouldn’t go to an event just to taste.  Some examples included seven varieties of Leinenkugel’s, Summit, Crispin Cider, Boulevard, Becks, Blue Moon, Dos Equis, Heineken, Sam Adams, Killian’s, Red Stripe, Corona & Corona Light, Amstel Light, and Pacifico.

The first room we explored contained the craft beers we were unfamiliar with.  Vendors sat at tables that lined the rooms’ perimeters and poured samples from bottles into tasting cups.  The lines for beer samples were never very long, except for about two tables sampling the most unique craft beers.  Although there were a couple of police offers stationed in each room, the crowd seemed to remain laid back and well-behaved, even though attendees could return to tables for multiple samples.

After I consumed about five samples, I felt a little bit drunk and quite full.  I warily eyed the enormous, foodless room and refrained from eating a young woman’s homemade pretzel necklace.  Three more samples later, we called it quits and searched for food.  The roasted pig wasn’t available yet, so I settled for Civic Center nachos with goopy cheese sauce, $2.50.  Maybe it was the beer food goggles, but the nacho cheese sauce hit the spot.  Ideally, I wold have loved to see snacks provided in the beer halls as well as additional food vendors, but props to the convention center for not inflating their food prices.

We indulged in a few more samples until the roasted pig was served.

The roasted pig was provided by One on One Professional Catering, connected with the Garden Pavilion Restaurant and Banquet Facility.

We thoroughly enjoyed these roasted pork sandwiches, $6, and beer cheese soup, $4.

The pork was tender and succulent and we heaped the sandwiches with barbecue sauce and grated horseradish (I wonder if there was crispy pig skin and if so, who got it eat it?).  The beer cheese soup was also tasty.  Slightly spicy and sweet with beer, although it had that viscous Cheez Whiz texture.  Bertrosa’s, located in Downtown Fargo, makes my favorite beer cheese soup ever.  It’s the spiciest version I’ve ever tasted and the only one that doesn’t have a shiny Cheez Whiz texture.  That being said, One to One’s was one of the better versions I’ve tasted.

Besides One To One and the Civic Center food stand, the only other food option was a local company at a table selling beef sticks.  You could buy 2 for $2 or a box for $25.  Jake bought a couple, though I passed since I thought they were too dry.

After dinner, I felt more than beered out.  The boys indulged in a few more samples while I sobered up and people-watched.  I was impressed with Night Owl Driving, who was stationed outside the Civic Center to offer attendees free rides home.

Closing thoughts. . .
I’ve come to the conclusion that I just might not like beer.  Cheap beer or craft beer, I’m just not that into it.  Just give me a light Mexican beer with lime or Sapporo.

The event was generally fun and I didn’t see one person getting sick or rowdy.

The lines were short, except for those sampling legitimate craft beers like abbey ales and other brews not available in every liquor store (event organizers should take this hint).

We enjoyed trying some of the newer or more unusual craft beer varieties, however, I wasn’t that impressed with much of the beer selection.  Especially considering that the event advertised, “over 120 premium craft beers.”  I should probably have taken a closer look at the website’s beer list beforehand.  Jake adds that if you can easily buy certain beers in Midwestern grocery stores or gas stations, they probably shouldn’t be advertised as premium craft beers.  I actually like Corona Light, but the fact that it was sampled at this event made me giggle.  Scratch some of the series of beers ordered by the pitchers at Midwestern bars everywhere, and replace them with craft brews that we’re not all entirely familiar with.

My favorite part of the event was the roasted pork and beer cheese soup.  I know the focus of the event is beer, but beer really needs food.  A few more vendors or conveniently located snacks might have made it easier to sample beers, sober, and also attracted a greater number of people who may like beer and love food.

Would we go again?  Probably not.

Once was fun.  Once was enough.

2012 Minnesota State Fair Visit: Great Balls Of Fire!

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I look forward to going to the Minnesota State Fair like I look forward to Christmas.  Possibly more.

Like many other Minnesotans, I grew up making my annual pilgrimage to this Great Minnesota Get-Together.

The fair reminds me of an old high school romance who took me to ride the Sky Ride cable cars and read me a poem asking me to be his girlfriend.  It rhymed and was illustrated with stick-figure depictions of us holding hands.  The fair brings to mind my first taste of cheese curds.  And it makes me think of my mom’s last visit to the fair, during her last summer on earth.  She managed to rally for an hour, so we could push her around in a wheelchair and collect some of her favorite foods. These usually included a cream puff, skin-on french fries, a pronto pup, and cheese curds, of course.

For years, my running favorite treat were Australian Battered Potatoes doused in both ranch and cheese sauces.  One year, my mom and I ended a fair outing with these potato planks which inundated us with enough grease to result in horrible stomach aches.  I remember curling up in bed and praying for daylight.  And thus, I never ate Australian Battered Potatoes again.

As an adult, my visits to the fair are brief, but no less anticipated.  The crowds and the heat drive me batty.  Now that we live out of town, a weeknight jaunt was no longer an option so we gritted our teeth and visited on the last Saturday of this year’s run.  The day was hot and the sun relentlessly beat down on us as we ran between un-air conditioned buildings and scouted for spots of sidewalk shade.  We bumped into the people who randomly stopped mid-step, avoided collisions with massive strollers, and waited in lines for bathrooms.

During our 2012 State Fair visit, we shared a couple of old favorites and a few new foods, referencing Heavy Table’s definitive 2012 MN State Fair Food Tour.

By 10 a.m. we had already laid a base of coffee within our stomachs and added $5 cheese curds from the Mouth Trap in the food building.

I’ve had the curds from the Mouth Trap and I’ve had curds from the stand on Dan Patch.  Personally, I choose to just go to the Mouth Trap.  There’s nothing significant that I can add to the MN State Fair cheese curd conversation so I will end by saying I like these. I always like these, and I don’t visit the state fair without these.

Next, we stopped at Sausage Sisters & Me, a vendor also located in the food building.  I have never visited them before, but read many positive reviews of their Great Balls Of Fire, $5.50, a new offering.

These meatballs were by and far, the best thing we tasted at the 2012 fair, if not at any fair.  They were notably juicy and compellingly spiced.  Not quite like traditional sausage, not quite like jerk, and pleasantly spicy.  They brought to mind Spoonriver’s flavorful lamb burger.  My Sausage Sister & Me offers a variety of squirt bottles of sauces.  We chose the creamy cucumber sauce which jived well with the strong flavors.

We tried another frequently mentioned new food, Famous Dave’s Ragin’ Ankles, $6.

The pork was tender and moist, and easily fell off the bone.  They were fatty in a pleasant way and we enjoyed the sauce which was slightly spicy and sweet without being too sweet.  Overall, we enjoyed the BBQ ankles, but thought the Great Balls of Fire were better.  I wished the ankles had a little crust or crunchiness.

Saturday’s beverage breaks included Lift Bridge’s Hop Dish, $4.50, from the Ballpark Cafe.  Jake thought Hop Dish tasted a lot like Bell’s elusive Hopslam, his favorite beer, adding that it had a “similar start with a smoother finish.”  He enjoyed it so much that he tried to find it in the stores that evening only to learn it’s not available, yet, in bottles.

We shared a refreshingly cold Black Cherry Soda, $3, from the Spring Grove Soda Pop stand.  We both thought it was pretty tasty with no complaints.  I was satisfied with a few sips since it was so sweet my lips were sticky.

The third new food we tried was a cannoli from Ole’s Cannoli.  Cannoli’s happen to be one of Jake’s favorite desserts.

Jake ordered a plain cannoli with its ends dipped in chocolate chips, $4.50.  The cannoli was generously sized.  Its shell was crispy and the filling was thick and slightly tart, reminding me of cheesecake.  Jake had no complaints.  As an individual who doesn’t routinely seek out desserts, I found two bites enough.  I have a low threshold for desserts that are rich and sweet.

My last bite at the fair was a fried onion blossom.  Ever since Fargo’s Ribfest debacle in June, I’ve had a hankering for an onion blossom.  I forked over $8 for this large monstrosity.

The batter was crispy in a mouth-puncturing way and tasted like it was seasoned with nothing in particular.  The ranch dip tasted cheap and at least one, heaping tablespoon of grease pooled on the bottom of the plate.  The only redeeming qualities of this onion blossom were that it was fried, the onion was tender and sweet, and it wasn’t the $1 shrimp cocktail.

And with this terrible onion, our brief 2012 Minnesota State Fair visit came to a close with little nausea, stomach discomfort, or ailment that couldn’t be cured with a good nap.

Hopefully we’ll be able to celebrate next summer with both the North Dakota and Minnesota State Fairs.

Good News & Weekend Eats: Hodo Sky Prairie & Paradiso

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Good news!  I will be starting the culinary program this fall at Moorhead Community and Technical College in Moorhead, MN.

Last Friday, I learned that I got the last spot for the school year and will start class full-time on Monday.  I’ve got an exciting semester of classes which involve learning about soups, stocks, butchering, sanitation, and wine.  I’m not sure where this adventure will take me but I’m ecstatic to return to my first love.  Food.

After last Friday’s orientation, Jake treated me to dinner at the Hodo Sky Prairie rooftop patio.  I washed away the day’s blood, sweat, and tears with a hearty glass of sangria, $9.

The beverage was refreshing and filled with a lot of fruit, though weak from an alcohol standpoint.  I know this because I, a lightweight who had only eaten a small cookie for lunch, did not feel buzzed.  Normally under these circumstances, I’d be tanked by a half bottle of light beer.

For dinner, we both ordered the American Double Cheeseburger special, medium rare, $8.

The burgers were deceptively small as the patties were quite thick.  They were juicy and actually cooked a little south of medium rare (which is better than overcooked) with a flavor like sausage.  We topped them with the accompanying ripe tomato, tender lettuce leaf, and red onion.

Sides included crispy, homemade sweet potato chips and a trio of pickle spears.  It seemed strange they were served three on a plate for two people.  Guess who just got one. . .

Jake ordered a dessert layering shortcake with peach, rhubarb compote, and whipped cream.

My favorite component was the tart rhubarb.  The shortcake was buttery but seemed a little bland, possibly benefiting from a dash of salt.  While the mint leaves added a beautiful flair, they seemed impractical to eat.

On Saturday evening, Jake got lucky.

For two weeks, I had badgered him into accompanying me to Bonzansaville’s Pioneer Days festival.  Think North Dakota’s version of Murphy’s Landing.  Fortunately for Jake, I learned Bonanzaville closed at 5 p.m., a mere half hour before I could corral him out the door.  With an admission price of $12 each, we made alternative plans.  I sulked while he rejoiced.

Plan B was errands and dinner.  We journeyed towards the bright lights of Paradiso Mexican Restaurant, a North Dakotan chain with four locations.  Tonight was the night to discover what what Paradiso was all about.  It loudly beckons from Interstate 29′s access road with fluorescent lights, and its parking lot is always full.

We walked inside waited along a throng of families.  Women sipped on margaritas in colors not found in nature.  When our buzzer sounded, we were lead through rooms that expanded into rooms.  One featured a large fountain while others were decorated with statues of children playing musical instruments and playing games.  Imagine the White Witch of Narnia’s courtyard.  Except happier.

Our waiter was a friendly college student who reminded me of my brother.  We were immediately fond of him.  Paradiso delivered on its catchphrase, “The chips are free.  Dinner’s extra.”  Our server brought us a basket of warm chips and a mild salsa.

The salsa tasted fresh, though we wished for more heat so we asked our server if Paradiso had any hot sauce.  Instead of bringing us a commercial bottle of hot sauce, he provided a spicier and more garlicky version of fresh salsa.

And when we polished off our first basket of chips, he brought a second.

As entree, I chose the Chimi Fundito filled with chicken while Jake ordered chicken fajitas with a side of re-fried beans.

The chicken in the chimichanga was moist and the creamy, green sauce was a little spicy.  In addition, the side of rice was flavorful without tasting like the artificially stinky versions I usually hate, and the re-fried beans were light and well-seasoned.  I just don’t have anything bad to say about my meal.

Jake said he enjoyed his fajitas, adding, “It’s hard to mess up fajitas.”

The chicken breast sat on top a large pile of sauteed onions.  They were so thinly sliced they bordered on mushy and tasted of margarine or butter flavoring.  Not what I expected to taste, but I ate some anyway.  Jake nibbled from my plate, commenting that my re-fried beans were much better than those he had ordered as a side.  Then he ate much of the remainder of my burrito.  Our bill for two entrees and two beers was $40, plus tip.

We were both too full to indulge in the fried ice cream dishes that kept floating past our table.

Paradiso was packed with families celebrating birthdays and screeching, crash-banging children.  The menu offered only Americanized choices like burritos and enchiladas and the margaritas ran in rivers of banana and electric blue.  I wanted to hate it, I wanted to mock it, but I just couldn’t.  I must have been having too much fun.

Mango’s Mexican Grill is still our Fargo-Moorhead favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed my giant enchilada in all of its faux-Mexican mural glory.

Rosy Rhubarb Syrup At 20food

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Last Sunday I made a rosy rhubarb syrup.  Then, I added some brandy and called it a cordial.

I’ve been enjoying the cordial mixed with tonic or seltzer water.  The cooked and strained rhubarb that made the cordial itself is also a treat.  My newest breakfast of choice includes the rhubarb mush eaten along with cheese and crackers.

You can read about my adventure at 20food.