Burch Pizza, Minneapolis, MN

If you haven't already visited this relatively new restaurant in Minneapolis' Lowry Hill neighborhood, it would be well-worth your time to check it out.

 

In the space once occupied for decades by Burch Pharmacy, is now a first floor (street level) steak house and a basement pizza place. The outside was given a fresh look and the inside has been transformed into a welcoming, modern restaurant.

 

The pizza side is smaller space than the first floor, but prices are more reasonable, food is less fussy than the steak side (but still fussy enough), and you can get both menus served downstairs. This is not the case on the 1st floor...it's steak house menu only.

 

 

As I alluded to, the food is original, approachable, and quite good. We had an endive salad, brocollini side, and two of their house-designed pizzas...standard Margherita and a heartier option with roasted pork, red pepper and hazelnuts (a first on a pizza for me), known as the "Coppa Cotta". The salad items were very well presented and tasty too. Fresh and unique for both. The pizzas were also well done (as a artful pizza goes), but actually under done for my taste. With such a concentration on pizza and perhaps a dedicated oven, I was surprised how "blond" my outer crust was served and how doughy the center was presented on the plate. That withstanding, the pizzas were delicious and a bit adventurous, which makes dinner fun.

 

 

 

Wine was good, service was great (though a Monday night) and I'll easily recommend and look forward to going back...for more pizza or for a special occasion at the steak level.

Update #2: Admitting the problem is the first step...

... back in Feb2013 I updated this old post as I thought I was trading the cellphone I had at the time for an iPhone5. It didn't work out (lesson learned).

But, my Samsung Galaxy S3 pooped out on me again last week (battery issue) and I called AT&T again, having replaced the phone twice before (AT&T has this interesting rule that they won't send you a different make/model of phone until you've gone through the warranty process twice with the orginal model). Fine, I'll play along... 

I was able to warranty the S3 for a 2013 HTC One. As some tech-nerds and bloggers claim, this is HTC's last-ditch, all-out effort to get marketshare back from Apple and Samsung. To do this, they have made an all aluminum case and packed it with fast running on Android JellyBean. This version is also the only one really available this year from HTC and through all carriers. This helps avoid diluting this flagship product they put all their efforts into.

So far, it's an interesting phone, very handsome outside with a solid alloy body and only two "press-able" buttons (Power & Volume Up/Down). It has worked super fast inside. One of the more novel features is a TV Remote app preinstalled from HTC. You go through a simple set-up menu and soon enough your phone knows all your show favorites and can change the channel on your tv/cable box. Yes, the HTC One's Power button doubles as an IR port and can send out the requisite commands to tune your TV. Kinda cool, but I have found after a short test that my cable remote still seems easier.

Well, this one makes 22 now... er, like 21.5 if you could the iPhone5 fiasco.

Preserving Our Past

Preserving Our Past

This is me in 20 years... minus the accent... or maybe plus the accent!

MN can be agreeable...

...For at least 3 months per year...lunch on a patio in May, that's part of it

Birdhouse, MPLS

Great deviled eggs, cut unlike the way you'd normally think...

Dogwood Coffee, MPLS

As pretty (and tasty) as the picture would have you believe...

Where does Comedy come from...

...Google suggests these top 3:

Steinagel's Maple Syrup, the best.

A new quart of WI maple syrup delivered to work calls for Alton Brown's French Toast recipe this weekend, with an orange zest twist added in. Totally recommend his recipe.

Edina Grill

S'mores Waffle Sundae for a limited time. Get some!

Dessa: Anabel (Live)

Not heard of Dessa?
Check out this live recording via YouTube, which will also connect you to more, if you like.

am i psychic?

I ask this question based on a recent interaction at a local restaurant: You be the judge though...

Sitting at the bar I noticed a few of the employees milling around and felt like I was getting something from one... at least enough to tell her I was going to play psychic. As most people do, she seemed fine with it, perhaps even interested. So I began telling her what I was "getting"...

My first guess was that she had two brothers, correct. 1/1

Second guess was that one was older and one younger, correct. 2/2.

She seemed a little shocked and perhaps more interested and asked me to tell her if she had children. I said no, but she said she had two daughters, 2/3. But, in my mind I hadn't really said I was getting anything to offer about kids. I asked if they were twins and she said "no", 2/4.

After a little bit of time and thinking about what I was getting I had two more thoughts.

Her father doesn't really know her daughters (I thought b/c he might have passed away)...and she opened her eyes wide and said yes, 3/5. I didn't get the reason, but it sounded like he was alive and the story pretty complicated.

Next was that she was in love with someone, but it was not with the father of her children, correct. 4/6. She said she might be working out/figuring out relationships with two men. I said one was a man she works with. While it wasn't a man at the restaurant, it is someone she records music with, 5/7.

A bit more time went by, but I got something about Paris. I thought she might have traveled there. She had not traveled there but was looking into to travel there to record music... maybe I get a half. 5.5/8. She also seemed a little shocked I could bring it up.

I said I'd never had thoughts that look forward, nor this good of a run. She indicated someone else had told her that her aura was very strong and I actually had to agree. I'd never latched on to a stranger like that before. Latched on as a normal creep/stalker, sure...but not b/c I was getting so many impressions.

I left it alone from there but introduced myself and said goodbye as we left. Sarah gave a firm handshake and thanked me for visiting. No free drinks though, nuts.

 

So, what do you think? Should I work on honing my skills? Or maybe don't quit my day job just yet?

The end of an evening

Pretty cool way to be done with a night out

Malmo, Sweden

Would you like to live in a city like this?

Goto: http://www.copenhagenize.com/2013/03/bicycle-malmo-2012.html

...from the Copenhagenize Blog

 

PS - No, I don't have the correct Swedish language character to spell "Malmo" properly in my subject.

A sure sign of Spring.

Read's Landing Brewing Company, MN

A great stop when you're coming up Hwy 61. Good food, good beer and great views out the front door.