Mojo Monkey

I read the City Pages religiously.  Especially when I need ideas for my Twin Cities bucket list.  So when I came across the list of top 10 donuts in the Twin Cities, I felt like I needed to probably add one to my bucket list.  I chose Mojo Monkey on W. 7th in St. Paul a) because it is the closest to my house and b) because they have the maple bacon long john.  No brainer.  I woke up early and drove over this morning.  Let me also say how nice it is to be out before anybody else is on the road.  I cruised right through St. Paul in the convertible with the sun shining on me. 

Upon walking into the little donut shop, I was greeted by the friendly staff and the smell of fried sugar.  They had a ton of donuts to choose from.  I decided on the maple bacon bar, creme brulee bismarck, beignets, and chocolate ganache cake donut.  When I got home, my husband and I took a bite of each one.  What's better than a donut buffet on a Sunday morning :)  (but only once in a very blue moon for me).  We agreed our favorite was the creme brulee bismarck.  They actually do put sugar on the top and burn it like real creme brulee. 

Quick tip:  do not get ready for the day and then hang out in Mojo Monkey.  Not only did I bring home amazing donuts, I also brought home the fried smell.  Even after changing clothes, I think it has permeated my couch...

Burning Brothers Brewery

Burning Brothers Brewery is pioneering the gluten-free beer scene here in the Twin Cities.  Operating in a fully gluten-free facility in St. Paul, Burning Brothers is one of the newest craft breweries in town.

My husband and I finally made it to the tap room on Thursday night.  Their flagship beer is the Pyro which is a Pale Ale.  It's made from sorghum and is a little bitter for my taste.  But, they did some fun infusions with it including raspberry, cherry, honey orange blossom, and a lime shandy.  They were all really good, but I think the lime shandy was my favorite.  They had actually run out of that on Thursday so we had to back last night for it :P.  In the next coming weeks, they'll feature a stout and an IPA.  I'm really liking this place, it's nice to have a gluten-free option in town.

Oak Marsh Golf Club

I think it was two summers ago that my husband and I discovered the joys of the driving range.  Neither one of us is particularly good at an entire game of golf (nor do I have the attention span for it), but sharing a bucket of balls and whacking them into the range makes for a wonderful little evening outing.  We like to go to Oak Marsh in Woodbury because it's by far the best value.  You can get a bucket of balls for $5 and use their exhibition drivers for free.  I have my own driver, but the hubby likes to use the course's Ping drivers.  This year we "splurged" and bought 20 ball bucket tokens for $75 so we've been trying to hit the range at least once a week.  And we're actually seeing some improvement in our swings!  My hubby can consistently drive about 225 yards.  Maybe we'll actually play a round at some point.

Grandma's Marathon Weekend - Duluth

I generally put a heavy focus on trying new things, but there are certain things that are so much fun that I do them every year.  Grandma's marathon weekend is one of those things.  My entire family gathers in Duluth for this momentous occasion.  At least one person is running in one of the three races - 5K, half marathon, full marathon.  This year my dad completed his first 5K race ever, and I am so proud of him!  My sister, brother-in-law, two friends, and I ran the half marathon.  It's such a fun weekend, especially since everyone makes it a priority to come. 

I wish I could say it was a perfect weekend and the weather was as beautiful up in Duluth as it was in the Cities, but that was not the case.  It was actually 45 degrees and foggy for most of the weekend.  Despite the less than stellar weather, we did have a really fun time and the weather was at least perfect for running Saturday morning.

We got to Duluth on Friday just in time for lunch.  We like to go early and beat the traffic on 35 from the Cities.  We had a wonderful lunch at Sir Ben's.  Sir Ben's probably has the best smoked butternut squash soup I've ever had in my life.  They also have tasty sandwiches. 

Next we moved on to the race expo at the DECC.  Hello free samples!  Energy gels, chips, chocolate milk, energy drinks, etc are all free for the taking.  You can also purchase shoes and race apparel and pick up your race packet.  It's a huge crowd of people meandering through the booths, but it's fun to grab the free loot. 

The 5K is run on Friday evening at 6 pm.  My dad surprised us by signing up.  We had no idea he was training!  He finished in 34 minutes.  I was impressed.

We ended the night with carbo-loading and an early bed time.  My brother's girlfriend was gracious enough to host the family for the weekend.  It was fun to stay with her and thankfully saved us about $1000 in hotel fees for the weekend.

The half marathon started at 6:15 on Saturday morning.  This is my race. Every February I set my sights on Grandma's weekend.  I develop my training program for the year, I set a goal, and I run.  There's something about that half marathon, next to Lake Superior, that gets me charged up with passion, determination, longing, and excitement.  It's the only half marathon that I do consistently so it's the best way to test my fitness level from year to year.  Each year I try and set a personal record.  Last year at Grandma's I set a PR of 1:41:05. This year I was shooting for under 1:40:00, but ended up finishing at 1:44:02. While it wasn't a personal best,  I was still happy that I finished and didn't sustain an injury.  My sister, brother-in-law, and one of the friends all PR'ed so it was fun to celebrate that with them.

The rest of Saturday we just relaxed, ate, drank, hung out.  My brother works at Bent Paddle Brewery so he gave us a tour of the brewery and we got to try their beers.  The blonde ale, coffee black ale, and pilsner are fantastic.  The consensus was that the blonde ale is one of the best summer craft brews we've ever had. 

We ended the night at the tent and listened to the band and used up the drink tickets we got from finishing the race and a connection with one of the sponsors. 

Every year I look forward to Grandma's weekend because I get to do it with my fun, supportive family, and because I get to really test myself and find out what I'm made of.  Half marathons take a lot of mental and physical stamina.  I absolutely love the challenge. 

Cossetta's

Yesterday the hubby and I hopped on the motorcycle after dinner for a ride.  No particular destination, just wanted to enjoy the last nice day we'll have in a while.  We found ourselves wandering through St. Paul - Grand Ave, Marshall Ave, West 7th.  The whole time I was trying to guess where he'd stop for a little treat :)  He checked out a few ice cream shops, but the lines were quite long.  We ended up at Cossetta's Pasticceria on West 7th.  I LOVE this place. 

Cossetta's is like an indoor Italian market.  They have a restaurant portion, a grocery store, and my favorite - the pasticceria (dessert parlor).  So many authentic Italian foods to choose from!  Check out some of the desserts we had to choose from.  He chose the Baba Savarin which is a banana cake with creme filling and then the Peanut Butter Royale which is a chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse and a chocolate shell. 

We brought them home and watched a movie.  I tried each one and the PBR was my favorite.  The pasticceria also has a nice assortment of gelato and large desserts to bring to parties.  They also have THE BEST cannolies in the city in my opinion.  That's what he actually went in for, but they were sold out. 

Saints base ball game!

The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday evening for baseball.  Instead of going to a Twins game, we decided to do something new and check out the amateur baseball scene.  I've heard how much fun Saints games are so I jumped at the invitation from my sister and her husband.  To make the experience even better, we purchased the Crowdcut deal in which each couple received admission to the game, a flight of beer, and two brats and chips.

We rode the motorcycle to Midway Stadium and found our seats.  Then we went to the Beer Dabbler tent and chose the beers for our flights.  It was craft brew night at the game so it was fun to choose from about 20 beers for our flight of six.  The guys got the brats from the Von Hansens stand.  I had a bite of the wild rice brat and it was probably the best brat I've ever had.  I'll have to look up a Von Hansens store and stock up for the summer. 

After catching up on ten days worth of news from each others' lives, we eventually got back around to watching the game.  They really do a good job getting the crowd involved and excited.  There is a lot of extra entertainment at a Saints game...for some reason we saw a lot of people in costumes.  The stadium is modest, I can see why they are excited to have a new stadium.  Despite me not really liking baseball, it was a really fun night. 

Chester's in Rochester

We spent part of the day in Rochester on Saturday and chose Chester's Kitchen & Bar for our lunch destination.  This is a nicer restaurant located downtown in the city plaza.  Chester's has both indoor and outdoor seating available.  The patio is in the little courtyard that is shared with other restaurants and shops.  We had wonderful meals.  I chose one of my usuals - seared ahi tuna salad.  My husband had one of his usuals - beef brisket sandwich. You can see the tuna was slightly over-seared, but had really good flavor. 

I'll have to go back and check out their brunch menu next!  They also have several gluten-free options to choose from.  I also love that they have a cup of fresh fruit as a side option to the meal. 

The Neighborhoods

Yesterday surprised me.  The weather was warmer than I expected, so I spent a decent amount of the day laying in my hammock reading, journaling, pondering stuff.  As I soaked up the rays and the heat while laying out on my deck, I reflected on how very blessed my husband and I are to live in the Metro.  It's the biggest city I've ever lived in and I have fallen in love with the culture, the neighborhoods, the food, our social calendar, and for sure our house and quiet suburban life.

I love living the southern part of Maplewood.  We live in a quiet neighborhood which is perfect for walks, runs, and hearing the sounds of nature while lying out on the deck.  I also love our secluded back yard.  We're less than 10 minutes away from the nearest shopping area which is convenient for running errands.  We're less than 25 minutes away from basically everything else in the city.  Everything seems within reach in the Metro, geographically and socially.

Here are some of my favorite neighborhoods in the city and my favorite places to visit in each:

Grand Avenue -  fantastic shopping, eating, and patios.  Brasa, Cafe Latte, Salut, Pad Thai, Twisted Fork, La Fresca are some of my favorite restaurants.  Anthropology, Lululemon, Bibelot are super fun shops for window shopping.

Highland neighborhood -  restaurants.  Sakana, Highland Grill, and Chatterbox are my favorite restaurants here.  There's also a nice bike path next to the river that works it's way into downtown St. Paul.  This is also home to Summit Brewery!

Longfellow neighborhood -  views of Minnehaha Falls, fantastic food, and Harriet Brewery!  My favorite restaurants here are Sea Salt, Longfellow Grill, and Matt's Bar.  There are a lot more that I'd like to try :).  Longfellow is also home to Peace Coffee shop which is wonderful.

Uptown neighborhood - boasts tons of shopping, eating, water sports on Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet.  Uptown is also known as the artsy district. The Lagoon theater is fun to visit as it plays mostly indie films that mainstream theaters would not.   I really need to explore this area more fully.  Restaurants I've enjoyed here are Stella's Fish Cafe, Amore Victoria, and Chino Latino. 

Loring Park - this neighborhood has become dear to my heart as my sister lives here.  Loring Park is great for a walk, restaurants, art, and is quite close to theater district (State, Pentages, etc.).  My favorite restaurants in Loring Park are Loring Kitchen & Bar, Eli's Butcher and the Boar, and Bulldog.

Downtown Minneapolis - home of happy hours, patios, rooftops, shopping, and Corporate Minnesota.  Most of my family happy hours are located in Downton.  We've enjoyed Marin, Rosa Mexicano, The Local, Newsroom, Barrio, Seven, Solera, Rare Steak & Sushi, and Brit's Pub.

Eat Street is aptly named as this part of Nicollet Avenue is home to tons of ethnic restaurants.  There are so many to check out and I've been able to cross Bad Waitress, Buddha Kitchen & Lounge, and Eat Street Social off my list.

Northeast - home of the breweries, boutiques, and food.  In Northeast Minneapolis alone, you can grab a pint at 612 Brewery, Boom Island Brewery, Indeed Brewery, Dangerous Man Brewery, Sociable Ciderwerks, Bang Brewing, Freehouse.  There are also clothing boutiques featuring local designers scattered throughout the neighboorhood.  I actually have yet to eat anywhere in Northeast other than Freehouse.  Bachelor Farmer, Parlour, Marvel Bar, Smack Shack are some of the places on my Northeast to-do list.

West 7th - Perfect place to pregame or watch the big game.  Next to the Xcel Energy Center, you can find numerous restaurants - the Liffey, McGoverns, Eagle Street, Tom Reid's bar, Downtowner, Burger Moes, and Cosettas.  Cosettas has the most wonderful display of gourmet treats in their patisserie.  Cosettas, McGoverns, and the Liffey boast the best patios/rooftops.

U of M West Bank - I attended the Carlson School of Management for my graduate degree so I am much more familiar with the West Bank than the East Bank.  My favorite spots on the West Bank are Acadia for their sweet tap list, Republic for their patio and fish bowls, and Town Hall Brewery for their tap list.  

St. Anthony Main in Minneapolis is one of my faves as it has a front row seat to the beauty of the Stone Arch Bridge.  Aster Cafe, Vic's, Tug's, and Pracna on Main all have patios overlooking the river and the bridge.  Nicollet Island Inn is a wonderful place to stay, especially if you partake in the exquisite Sunday morning five course gourmet brunch. Just across the Stone Arch Bridge is the Guthrie theater, the Minneapolis farmers market on Saturdays, and one of my favorite restaurants - Spoon River.

There are also tons of other pockets and neighborhoods to explore and appreciate; each with their own niches, vibes, and cultures.  There's a neighborhood, activity, and restaurant to suit each of your moods and fancies.  There are tons of activities, races, festivals, new restaurant openings, and shows throughout the year that it is virtually impossible to get bored here.

Now if we could just shorten the seven month winter, I would never have a reason to leave. 

Northbound Smokehouse

On Friday night we decided to hit the town with some friends.  Destination:  Northbound Smokehouse in Minneapolis.  Northbound is a restaurant as well as a brewery so we were excited to try the food as well as the beer!

We started out on the patio and ordered a flight of all of their beers.  Seven 4 oz pours for $9 is a steal!!  They brew IPAs, Wheats, Porters, etc.  Our favorites were the Buckwheat Porter and the wheat beer.  We ended up getting rained out so we moved inside for dinner.  We weren't feeling the rain-infused beer. :(

On to the food:  we ordered the 18 hour porketta with bacon... yum.   That is a huge sandwich full of delicious meat.  Fantastic flavor.  Our friends ordered the smoked beef with gouda sandwich which was also tasty.   My favorite of the night was the smoked fish and cheese sampler platter.  The white tail was just phenomenal.  Best smoked fish I've ever had. 

I recommend to go hungry and thirsty!  Everything on this menu looked quite appetizing and the beers are delicious too.  Hang out inside or on the patio for a wonderful lunch or dinner!

Eagan Farmers Market!

It's farmers market season!!!!  Going to farmers markets and shopping for fun local products at great prices is so very enjoyable, and a perfect outdoor activity!!!  Eagan has a farmers market every Wednesday from June through September, located at the community center.  I already find grocery shopping to be quite enjoyable, so imagine my excitement about shopping in the sun for products I can't find anywhere else!  They have everything!  Baked goods, bread, veggies, salsa, BBQ sauce, nuts, chocolates, kettle corn, jams, jewelry, meat, apple chips, corn, crafts, food trucks, and my favorite...HONEY!!!  I literally eat this by the spoonful...spoonfulls.  Check out the vanilla beans speckled throughout.  Oh boy.  I've waited 8 months to eat this, my absolute favorite snack.  Ever. 

Alright, I'll cool it with the exclamation points; I am just over the moon excited that summer has finally arrived.  I also purchased rhubarb and asparagus at the farmers market.  It's too early for peppers and onions so I was happy with that.  My husband was kind enough to grill up the asparagus for us.  Stay tuned for a delectable rhubarb dessert.

Here are some pics featuring Eagan Farmers Market products.

Keys Cafe & Bakery

One of my dad's favorite places to brunch in the city is Keys.  There are several locations throughout the Metro, but we've all concluded that the one in St. Paul off University and Raymond Ave is the best.  The service is top notch and the caramel rolls ... well, see for yourself.  Ginormous buttery, sugary, gooey deliciousness on a plate right there. 

These are by far the best caramel rolls I've ever had.  That's why I secretly hate when he suggests we go there.  Oh well.  The other food is good as well, including homemade jam, but we really just go there for the caramel rolls and the fantastic service. 

City Pages Beer Festival

Since the Beer Dabbler in January was a bust due to negative temperatures, beer freezing in the kegs, and beer freezing in the glasses, we decided we needed a re-do.  We chose the City Pages Beer Festival as it is within walking distance of my sister's apartment and could double as a birthday celebration.  Joke's on us though...it rained pretty much the entire time.  But, I am way more emotionally equipped to deal with rain on a warm day than extreme cold on an already extremely cold day.  We made the most of it and had a blast. 

I was so very thankful for all of the hard ciders that were represented at the beer fest - Schilling, Johnny Appleseed, Stella, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Angry Orchard, and Woodchuck.  After trying them all right after another, I learned that I like Stella Artois Cidre the most.  I was very surprised about that!!!  It is the driest and most like champagne.  My favorite beer was Abita's vanilla porter.  Barefoot wine also showcased their 5 flavors of sparkling Refreshers. 

The festival was not just about alcohol, there was a great band, food trucks, MN merchandise, yard games, and a mechanical bull.  We also got plastic tasting/souvenir cups to take home!  All in all, it was really fun, but probably would have been epic had the weather been good. 

I should have taken more pics, but my hands were busy with the umbrella and my beer.