On February 13 we went to the Surly brewery tour in Brooklyn Center. (We can’t be wine-centric all the time now, can we?!) The tour is free but you have to sign up in advance, because the tours fill up pretty quickly – even though there are about 100 people in each tour.
Tours start at 7 but by the time everyone gets wrist bands and has a drink or two, it’s 7:30 before the tour even starts. The owner, Omar Ansari, has a great story to tell but needs to work on his presentation skills. The tour got a little long for us and since it’s not the first brewery tour either of us have been on, we bailed out early. (Other tours to check out: Summit in St. Paul and Lake Superior Brewing in Duluth.) You do get tickets for five free beers, and they don’t pay much attention if you turn your tickets in or not, so you can easily try one of every beer if that is your goal.
My favorite beer is the Cynic, which tastes kind of like a Blue Moon if you need a frame of reference. I am not a fan of the Furious, which is too hoppy for my tastes. Also not so hot on the Bender which, to me, tasted like coffee. There is also one called Coffee Bender, which I didn’t try for obvious reasons. I also tried a Mild, which lived up to its namesake, and a 3 which, if I remember right, tasted like a garden. My advice? Go for the Cynic!
Best of the Best
On February 16 we attended the “Best of the Best” party at the Guthrie. Last year it was at the Walker and we had an absolute blast, so we decided to go again. It is sponsored by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine and consists – allegedly – of 25 different “best” restau
rants handing out samplings of their food. Josh only counted 16 this year, and one of those was Caribou, which I don’t exactly count as a high-end restaurant. But, it was still a fun event in that you get to try a bunch of food, get free wine and teeny ’tinis, and get to check out what everyone is wearing. Many of the restaurants also handed out coupons, which I attribute in part to our down economy.
On February 16 we attended the “Best of the Best” party at the Guthrie. Last year it was at the Walker and we had an absolute blast, so we decided to go again. It is sponsored by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine and consists – allegedly – of 25 different “best” restau
rants handing out samplings of their food. Josh only counted 16 this year, and one of those was Caribou, which I don’t exactly count as a high-end restaurant. But, it was still a fun event in that you get to try a bunch of food, get free wine and teeny ’tinis, and get to check out what everyone is wearing. Many of the restaurants also handed out coupons, which I attribute in part to our down economy.Last year’s event was way more fun in that there were more chefs, it was a more festive atmosphere, more space to move around in and there was an overall theme to the party. In every area there was a different take on the theme, so maybe it was the 1950s and there was an Elvis impersonator and everyone got Elvis sunglasses, or it was a ’60s room and there was a Beatles cover band playing. Last year there were also photo booths, martini luges, etc. This year didn’t have any of the special stuff, although there was a band. The Guthrie just wasn’t as good of a venue to hold it in because all they really have are those converging fourth and fifth floors. I’m sure we’ll go to it again next year, but I hope the event incorporates a little more of last year’s flair than it did this year.
The Strip Club
We had been talking about going to The Strip Club, a steak place on the East Side of St. Paul, for a while now, and finally decided to go one night when we were going to be in the area for a concert. It is in a surprising area of town, almost residential. The place is pretty small, but the ambience is instantly cozy and cool. Our server was none other than owner Tim, and his wife was also working that night. It’s a small staff and a small place with a huge amount of charm.
First thing to know is, if you don’t like steak, don’t bother going there! Steak is the heart and soul of their menu, and if you don’t order the steak then you are a fool. The primary steak they serve is – of course – a New York strip steak. You can get it “plain,” or you can purchase one of the sauces, which include sassy names like “Whip me, Beet me” and “Shrimp Trampi.” Josh got the Love You Long Time, which was an Asian blend of ginger, soy, etc. I got the Moulin Rouge, which was a red wine glace with mushrooms and rosemary. The steak also comes with exceptionally tasty buttered carrots.
The steak is about $30, so it’s not a cheap place, but well worth it. I thought my steak was out of this world delicious – until I tried Josh’s. As delicious as mine was, his inexplicably managed to be 50 times even more so. Seriously – go to this place!
Last, when you go – and I do *not* mean IF – get the poutine of French fries, gravy and cheese curds. The State Fair never had it so good! (Josh recommends drinking lots of red wine to counter-balance the heart attack on a plate.)
We had been talking about going to The Strip Club, a steak place on the East Side of St. Paul, for a while now, and finally decided to go one night when we were going to be in the area for a concert. It is in a surprising area of town, almost residential. The place is pretty small, but the ambience is instantly cozy and cool. Our server was none other than owner Tim, and his wife was also working that night. It’s a small staff and a small place with a huge amount of charm.
First thing to know is, if you don’t like steak, don’t bother going there! Steak is the heart and soul of their menu, and if you don’t order the steak then you are a fool. The primary steak they serve is – of course – a New York strip steak. You can get it “plain,” or you can purchase one of the sauces, which include sassy names like “Whip me, Beet me” and “Shrimp Trampi.” Josh got the Love You Long Time, which was an Asian blend of ginger, soy, etc. I got the Moulin Rouge, which was a red wine glace with mushrooms and rosemary. The steak also comes with exceptionally tasty buttered carrots.
The steak is about $30, so it’s not a cheap place, but well worth it. I thought my steak was out of this world delicious – until I tried Josh’s. As delicious as mine was, his inexplicably managed to be 50 times even more so. Seriously – go to this place!
Last, when you go – and I do *not* mean IF – get the poutine of French fries, gravy and cheese curds. The State Fair never had it so good! (Josh recommends drinking lots of red wine to counter-balance the heart attack on a plate.)
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