We Are Phoenix

Last Tuesday we had the pleasure of seeing Phoenix at First Avenue.  We arrived in time for the last couple songs from the opener, Chairlift, who are best known for their song “Bruises”, which was featured in an ad for the iPod Nano:

Bruises is a fun song, but I would not do handstands for them.  The other songs we heard made us thankful that we spent our time before the show enjoying cocktails and appetizers at Bradstreet Crafthouse instead of listening to the rest of their set.  As an aside, Bradstreet Crafthouse is spectacular.  It’s located in the 601 Graves Hotel and features a long list of really thoughtful cocktails concocted with a myriad of homemade syrups and bitters.  All cocktails are $10.  The small plates are also pretty good.  We had the Artisan Cheeses, Pork Belly BLT, Foie Gras and a couple others.  They were all executed very nicely.

Each glass as Bradstreet has its own custom ice cube

Photo by Bradstreet Crafthouse

One of the Bradstreet bartenders

Photo by Bradstreet Crafthouse

Back to the Music.  Phoenix is made up of 4 skinny french guys whose energy, enthusiasm and love for performing was clearly evident throughout their entire set, which was really clean and tight from start to finish.  They really rocked.  It’s great to see bands that persevere, catch a break and still appreciate the fans that got them to where they are, and there certainly were a lot of Phoenix fans supporting their effort at First Ave. on Tuesday night.  The place was packed.  Fortunately, we had a sight line table, which meant a premium unobstructed view from the upper balcony, a chair to sit in and a lot of dirty looks from the folks standing behind us.

Phoenix killin' it.

The crowd...glad we had a seat

Game Day!

Last weekend the Golden Gophers christened the new TCF Bank Stadium in their home opener against Air Force and we were there to witness it in all its glory.  From the moment we stepped off the campus bus, you could feel the electricity of excited fans teaming through Stadium Village (“now with stadium” as one t-shirt noted).  Sure, campus buzzes a bit before and after games at Mariucci and Williams Arena, but it’s the dead of winter and being outside isn’t fun.  September 12th was a different story.  It was nearly 80 degrees  and campus was drenched in a sea of maroon and gold.  It was like nothing I’d ever seen before on the U of M capmus.   Literally, tens of thousands of fans strolling about campus drinking beer, tailgating and reveling in the joy that is Big Ten football on a Saturday afternoon.  Of course, this is a regular occurrence in every other Big Ten college town, but for nearly 30 years Gopher fans were relegated to the sterile and unispired confines of the Metrodome, replete with conditioned air and flourescent lighting.  We weren’t at all sad to say goodbye to the Metrodome and hello to fresh air and sunshine.

Gopher fans making their way into TCF Bank Stadium

 

Veteran's tribute near the entrance

Shot from the endzone

Our third row seats. Nice!

Former Vikings great, John Randle, was sitting about 10 rows above us.

"Gambling is illegal at Bushwood sir, and I never slice"

M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A

The student section was packed and rockin'

It Takes A Neighborhood…

We were recently in Milwaukee visiting our friends Jeremy and Michelle, who just bought an early 1900′s victorian home in the Historic Concordia neighborhood of Milwaukee.   They proceeded to gut every room to the studs, except one bedroom and one bathroom…and then they moved in!  It was a little overwhelming to walk into their new house and not see any walls, but over the course of only a few hours we met several of their neighbors, saw the plans their architect (also a neighbor) had drawn up and suddenly the project seemed like it was doable. 

Detail Shots from Jeremy and Michelle's House

Seriously, gutted to the studs

Jeremy told me that upon pulling up with a U-Haul containing most of their belogings, no less than 5 neighbors showed up to help them unload.  Other neighbors have helped out with the demolition, given recommendations for contractors and carpenters, invited them over for meals, helped Jeremy assemble a new gas grill and otherwise provided support with one hell of a remodeling project.

In the early 1900′s, Historic Concordia was one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Milwaukee, but by the 1950′s and 60′s many of the houses started to be neglected and the demographics of the neighborhood shifted.  Historic Concordia, however, is enjoying a revival fueled by people like Jeremy and Michelle and all of their neighbors that went before them who took on the task of lovingly restoring an old home to its former glory.  From our short visit to Historic Concordia it appeared to us that the appeal of this neighborhood is as much about the neighbors as it is the beautiful old houses. 

Arnie and Marie's Award Winning Garage

View from the top floor of Arnie and Marie's Garage

Our trip to Milwaukee made us (me) realize that the little projects around our house are really no big deal in comparison, and it inspired us to to reach out to the people around us and be better neighbors, Historic Concordia style.

Farm Fresh

One of our favorite things about summer are the weekend trips to the farmer’s market.  Watching the range of produce change from week to week is an amazing reminder of how interconnected we are with nature.  We strongly believe in buying locally grown and locally made foods.  While it is nice to get a pint of fresh strawberries at the grocery store in February, those strawberries always taste one hundred times better when we pick them ourselves at the orchard. 

The bounty of mid-summer berry picking at Afton Apple in early July

Most weekends we head to the Mill City Farmer’s Market in downtown Minneapolis just off the Mississippi River.  This is one of many offered in the city, but on Saturday mornings it is hard to think of a better place to be.  This market was founded by Brenda Langton, a fabulous local chef.  The market is located in the train shed of the Mill City Museum and spills out into the plaza between that building and the Guthrie Theatre. 

One of the reasons that this particular market is so great is because their mission is to, “…promote local, sustainable and organic agriculture…”  You won’t find any pineapples or mangos at this market!  While the number of stands is much fewer than those at the nearby Lyndale Avenue Market, the quality is guaranteed.  Over the past three years we have been happy to see the Mill City Farmer’s market grow with more vendors and plenty more customers.  These photos are from last weekend’s trip to the market with Steph, Isla, and Ellen.  We found an adorable organic cotton hat for Isla along with our fruits and veggies. 

We strongly recommend 2 things at this market for all newcomers.  First, check out the chef shack and purchase a bag of Indian spiced Mini Donuts.  These are unlike any other mini donuts you will ever have.  They are the perfect mix of crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  Second, if sweet is not in your morning vocabulary, grab a delicious McDonnor Family Breakfast Sandwich.  Super tasty with your morning coffee. 

The Chef Shack ALWAYS has a long line of customers

This past weekend we were visiting friends in Milwaukee and Madison.  Any trip to Madison must include a visit to the Dane County Farmer’s Market that surrounds the capitol square.  We were introduced to this market when Mike was in law school at UW-Madison.  This market claims to be the “largest producer-only farmer’s market in the country”!  This market is quite large and vendors fill all four sides of the square.  We have a routine down for visiting the DCFM. 

First, visit Cafe Soleil which is on the first floor of the restaurant L’etoile (more about that restaurant in a later post).  This cafe has something called “Magic Coffee” and it truly is as it’s name suggests, magic.  Compliment your coffee with an almond marzipan croissant, an herbed chevre croissant, or a spice girl.  Each of which is equally tasty.  Next, start off around the square. 

Audrey, 2.5 year old daughter of our friends Pam and Will, drinking "coffee" like a big girl

Large crowds at the Dane County Farmer's Market

The crowds get large here, so unless you are at the market very early, be prepared to stroll among the locals.  We try to be strategic about which side of the square we start on because one of the last things that we must do is stop at the Hook’s Cheese stand.  The Hook family makes amazing cheddar cheese as well as a number of tasty flavored cheeses.

Amazing produce

Farmer’s markets are one of the best things about summer.  As we come to the end of August and realize that the summer has slipped by even quicker than last year, we are thankful to have the opportunity to buy all of this lovely local produce and to chat with the farmers who bring them to us.

Beautiful hanging peppers

Grilling Pizza: Easy/Delicious

Grilling pizza is one of our favorite summertime meals.  It’s really easy and delicious, particularly when your local italian deli can give you a head start on dough and sauce.  We use “small” pizza doughs from Broder’s ($2.50), together with their shredded mozzarella ($3.50) and sugo betti sauce ($5).  Add your favorite toppings and you’ll be eating crispy and delicious pizza in no time.  Enjoy our pizza grilling “how-to” pictorial below.

Roll out the dough

Stretch it with your hands. Resist the urge to toss it in the air, unless you have a spare ball of dough!

Brush the dough with oil and season with salt and pepper

Heat the grill on medium low for about 10 minutes before grilling

Fear not - toss the dough, oiled side down, onto the grill. Allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes, but watch it closely to avoid torching it.

Pop the air bubbles with your tongs!

Take a picture of your adorable niece.

Remove the crust after it's nicely browned and crispy on the oiled and seasoned side. Don't cook the other side yet.

Top the grilled side with delicious things (e.g. pork and pineapple)

Be judicious with the toppings

Lower the heat on the grill to low, slide the pizza onto the grill and close the lid. Grill for about 10 minutes, but watch it closely - especially if you have hot spots.

God bless the Weber grill and its pizza grilling abilities. No pizza stone required.

mmmm...canadian bacon.

Grab a beer and/or wine, a loved one and enjoy.

Restaurant Review: Northeast Social

Northeast Social - it has a nice personality.  The friendly service, styled and attractive waitstaff and warm exposed brick interior with a beautiful stamped tin ceiling were very welcoming.  Our expectations were raised.  Unfortunately, personality isn’t always enough.  I ordered one of their 6 or so bottled beers called Brahma, which our server had trouble describing, eventually settling on “hoppy”.   Brahma is the Rio de Janeiro equivalent of Premium.  It was refreshing and delicious, but not difficult to describe.  Admittedly, a minor criticism.

We were with a large group, so we ordered several of the appetizers including the Welsh Rarebit, Fried Okra and French Fries and Scallops.  Our dining companions said the scallops were good, in the sense that they were not overcooked or gritty, but no raves for the flavors.  I’d never had Welsh Rarebit, but understood it to be a sauce made with cheddar cheese, beer and a variety of spices that is served on toasted bread.  Ours was that, and the sauce was silky and tasted pretty good, but it was drenching two crostini leaving us with cheese sauce and mushy bread.  The basket of fried items paired nicely with my Brazilian Premo, but just about anything fried tastes good with a cold light beer in your hand.

I had trouble deciding on the entree.  It was between the beef with chevre mashed potatoes and asparagus or the gnocchi with tomato, basil and ricotta.  We debated the virtues of both, noting that absent nuking the beef, it would probably be good.  Gnocchi, however, is always a gamble. It could be transcendent like the gnocchi we’ve had at 112, Lucia’s, Pazzaluna and Cafe Levain – light and heavenly that melts in your mouth, or it could be like the gnocchi you get from Trader Joe’s – potato gumballs.  I took the risk.  The tomato ricotta sauce that accompanied my gnocchi was light and flavorful, but the gnocchi were much more gumball than heavenly potato pillows.

Meredith ordered the beef carpaccio and an arugula salad for her entree.  The arugula salad was summery, with english peas, red onion, bacon and mint and a very light vinaigrette.  It was fresh and satisfying.  The beef carpaccio was fattier than I would expect from carpaccio and was drowned in lemon juice, which thwarted the delicate flavor of  raw beef.  The birthday girl had the walleye, which was expertly cooked but drastically over seasoned.  Again, the Brazilian premo came in handy.   The fingerling potatoes that accompanied the walleye were nice.  Crispy  and creamy.

For dessert we had the tres leches and chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.  The chocolate cake was tall and moist with great chocolate flavor and the vanilla bean ice cream was perfect.  For us, all tres leches will forever be compared to the holy grail served at 112.  This one fell short.  The cake was too dry and topped with untoasted coconut, an odd choice that didn’t add value.  We’ll take ours swimming in sweet milks and adorned with a white chocolate milk bottle.

Overall NE Social was disappointing, but the staff was great and if we lived in the neighborhood, I could see the place becoming a frequent haunt for a late night Brazilian Premo and a snack.

A glimpse of the menu

Cork Dork

A great new wine shop just recently opened in our neighborhood called Cork Dork. It is a tiny space right next to Carbone’s on 47th and Cedar. Russ, the owner, used to be a wine buyer for several restaurants in town so he has great relationships with the distributors. He’s tried nearly all the wines he sells, is really knowledgeable and is very down to earth. Russ offers a great selection across a wide range of prices.  Be sure to check out the grand opening this weekend.  10 % off all wines!

Cork Dork Details

The first wine we had from the Cork Dork was a Washington State riesling called Kung Fu Girl.  According to Charles Smith, Kung Fu Girl has “delicate aromas of stone fruit, apricot, asian pear and white spring blossoms”.  I have no idea what a white spring blossom tastes like, so I’ll take his word for it.  If you think you don’t like riesling because you had it at a wedding once and it tasted like Welch’s White Grape concentrate, try this one. It’s dry and delicious.

Think: white spring blossoms

Bitter/Sweet

We were in LaCrescent last weekend to remember my uncle Johnny.  He unexpectedly passed away, leaving a wonderful wife and terrific little son who will miss him very much.  It was definitely bitter.  There was a beautiful service,  complete with military honors and a wonderful rememberance delivered by mom.  We were also able to spend a lot of time with family, many of whom we had not seen in years.   

Johnny, Tienju and Ryan

 

The sweet for the weekend was our beautiful 6 week old niece, Isla Jo.  She’s an amazing little baby who didn’t mind getting passed around from one aunt to the next without so much as a peep – except when it was time to eat!

Isla Jo napping