Le Town Talk Diner, Minneapolis, MN

This may turn out to be one of my most unique restaurant posts, as I don't really have any pics of the food, and will likely not talk about it too much. In a nutshell, the whole trip to Le Town Talk Diner was good, maybe even better than good. Except, I don't know if it's the somewhat bleak neighborhood, the chilly air in the restaurant that night, or the semi-empty rooms, but it was missing something.

Even the decor is better than average, pretty cute if you have a group for the large round table, or want to tuck into a booth. Though, in the middle of this neighborhood, I found the French theme a bit out of place. I do understand that the owner(s) are from Marseilles, but the French music, menu, and drinks just didn't do it for me. That's not to say any of the fare was bad, again, it was all good, but I just didn't get it. Maybe I need to go back again or have this in my own neighborhood as my "go-to" spot. 

Here's the rundown of my food choices:

- ocktoberfest beer, amen 

- tomato soup with creme fraiche and chive, hit the spot on a chilly, windy October evening

- Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter, delicious

- a bite of a shared appetizer, tartine (a French twist on an open-faced grilled cheese with tomato and fennel)

- steak frite, was told at the bar it was 6oz, but it came out as 10oz. Alright. I ordered it medium-rare and it was just rare...I just ate it. The fries were thin and crispy.  

- for dessert we split their chocolate mousse, this had very little mousse structure, almost sticky, but did have chocolate and a warm spice/heat, and since another person in our group sent her under-cooked steak back, we got it comp'ed 

This tomato soup with creme fraiche did hit the spot after my first beer, while I waited for my fellow diners at the chilly bar

This round table would be fun for any group, no doubt

The menu is well laid out, relatively simple, and not overwhelming

Update #3: Admitting the problem is the first step...

It's been a busy cellphone year as I've been trying to find something acceptable on the Android side again. I've gone through a rash of options recently (in RED below) and wanted to update this while I could remember them all, mostly for my own benefit... you already know I'm nuts for phones.

Nokia

6030
6590 (2)
E62
9300
3360
5140
8210 (one of my all-time favorites)

Panasonicg51m (that super small one)

Samsung

x495
Captivate from the Galaxy S Series - junk
Galaxy S III - warrantied multiple times, sent back

MotorolaUnidentified (found it on Navy Pier)
Razr
Rokr w385
Atrix - not a bad little phone

Razr V XT886 (one of my all-time worsts)

RIMBlackBerry 7300 (work issued)

Sony Ericsson

w300is710a (hand me down)

Xperia Z1 Compact - great size, waterproof, dustproof, not a great OS and terrible company support

Apple

iPhone 3

iPhone 5
iPhone 5S - great size, power, speed and apps, but not a huge Apple fan anymore

HTC

Aria - total crap

One - the one with the front-facing speakers, it's ok

LG

G3 - the biggest phone I had ever used and did not get used to the size within the return window, perhaps a bit hasty on my part

Blu

VIVO IV - this is one odd brand out of Miami and a terribly clunky OS

That's 28 in all now, I think. I better slow down... but there are already new contenders - OnePlus One or the Samsung Galaxy Alpha.

Concert: Phantogram @ Myth Nightclub, St. Paul, MN

I was lucky and brave enough to head out to what is basically White Bear Lake, MN (ok, in fairness, I think it's Maplewood...big diff) to an honest-to-goodness nightclub known as "Myth" to attend the Phantogram concert a couple nights ago.

Rumor has it they do MMA fights here too. The yellow in the letter "Y" looked like mold growing down the sign

The club wasn't as bad as everyone seems to comment, though it is a far piece to get there (in terms of going to a show on a "school night"), and the concert was AWESOME!!! This group is known for their high energy and literally bright lights, and this proved very true. The production value of this bands show are like nothing I've ever seen, again, it was AWESOME!!! Both the front man and woman seem to give the group and the audience all their energy too. It was a great night. Check out the few pics I could capture on the terrible, crappy cellphone I'm currently using... 

Symbolism? Don't go there

At one point, she put on a lit or sequined coat and the lights just radiated off of her, it was cool

If you ever get the chance to see Phantogram live, do NOT pass it up. Just go... even if you have to cross state lines.

It just makes me laugh...

MC user or not, funny is funny. I think it's the kids that make it great.

Tilia, Minneapolis, MN (Linden Hills)

I've written posts about Tilia before and you'll find another "mini" one below, and that's because I love this place. It's easily one of my Top 3 restaurants in the Twin Cities, maybe the US. Why? 

Well, it's pretty simple, they hit on my personal 4 P's for Companies - product, people, process, and passion. 

They have great product alright. Nothing I have put in my mouth here has ever been bad. Once, while I sat at the bar area with a kitchen view, we watched them send our orders back because they weren't cooked to order, though I have no doubt I would have loved it anyway. This last trip was no exception - I had a great turkey burger and awesome Brussel sprouts (yes, I love anything from the cabbage family)... washed down with Pumpking beer, perfect for fall.

Though we know people can have bad days, I don't recall anyone here being in a bad mood when I've visited. This last time was no exception. My waitress was always helpful with a smile and could answer any question I had, some quite nerdy.

If you've ever been to Tilia on a busy Friday or Saturday night, you might think their process is broken (I know I have), but having had the chance to sit at the bar with kitchen view a couple times now, I don't think that's the case. The kitchen staff is working as hard as they can possibly go. They also crank out amazingly tasteful dishes with insightful inspirations. If you think the process is broken before your food arrives, ask yourself if you still think so once you're done with dessert.

Finally, it is my belief that this place and the people that work there have a passion for serving the local Linden Hills neighborhood and surrounding clientele. I know because of how well they consistently do the three above.

In a nutshell, and though I've said it before in one way or another, if you're in this neighborhood around any mealtime, go in and have some great food and drink.     

Pumpking - delicious for fall

Turley burger with, I believe, Morbier cheese and house-made pickles

Brussel sprouts with ham and walnuts

See how fast his hands were moving...?

Jim's Apple Farm, Jordan, MN - Gourd-dammit, that's a lot of squash!

This past Sunday, during an unusually warm fall day, I headed out to Jim's Apple Farm (aka, The Big Yellow Barn) in Jordan, MN. It was easy to find (how could you miss it?) and seemed to be humming right along as I pulled up about noon. There is no shortage of things to see and buy. They seem to specialize in a number of things (is that possible?):

> Fall yard accessories - hay bales, corn stalk bundles, squash, pumpkins, gourds, etc.

The Hubbard Blue - This was a new and spooky one...

> Taffy - man, did they have three dozen different kinds

> Licorice - man, did they have two dozen of their own flavors, plus other versions from around the world

> Soda - they have an amazing selection of rootbeers and other oddballs to rival anything I've ever seen. I mean, signs never lie, right?

> Pies - if you want to make your family happy, serve pie. They have fresh and frozen (take n' bake) available, in a number of varieties

> Kitsch - this place oozes nostalgia

Oh, and don't forget...

> Apples - more varieties than you can shake a stick at, all loaded into bags and ready to go in the retail store.

Don't forget this either - they only take cash or check, but they have 5 ATMs in the store in case you forget. They will be open this season until December 2nd, so plan it out right and get everything for your fall needs here.

Madeline Island, Part 4 - The Way Back

As I packed up and got moving around 9am the next morning, and though I really felt as though I'd short-changed myself and Madeline Island, I was a bit excited to be on the ferry again. I planned to catch the 9:15am ferry back across the channel to Bayfield and find breakfast.

A peek inside the control room (through the window)

You can just make out the fatbike in the back of my car. E-brake "ON", please!

We did have one new, exciting thing get on the boat that morning...

Ship-shape. A second later the two occupants popped out to enjoy the views during the crossing on the "poop deck"

... what a way to start the morning. This guy did it as if it was like putting on pants. These vehicles also get charged by the foot for passage. Can't be cheap.

Once back in Bayfield I quickly found my way to Big Water Coffee Roasters, which I'd seen the day before. It looked like any "big city" coffee place, so I had a hunch it would be right up my alley. Boy was it.

Now fueled up, I jumped back in the car for the ~5-hour drive home. I had made a number of firsts on this four-day weekend trip and already started to plan my next trip back.