On a recent trip to the Mall of America, something seemed to be in the indoor air at this fun, discount retailer, though the outside air couldn't have been more winter if it wanted to.
I was a bit dismayed that The Rack, generally the purveyor of all things fashion cool, would even carry this ubiquitous if not purely functional sandal. I mean, not much says German tourist with dark socks or Phish Head more than the sandal known as "Lord Boards".
But on this trip, they had more styles and colors of Birk sandals than I think occur in nature. Take a peek and then head over to Nordies Rack for a sweet pair of summer fun...if you can pull 'em off...or have drawer-fulls of dark socks.
I believe that's the longest title I've ever used on a post. What it means though is that you can escape the craziness of the Mall of America and head over to the attached Radisson Blu hotel for a little respite during any hectic mall trip.
The cocktail lounge not only serves delicious drinks, but they have a great menu of small plates and entrees. We decided on a white bean hummus plate and something new to us, "broccoli tots", made with honest-to-goodness, eat-what-your-momma-told-you-to, brocolli...and copious amounts of white cheddar.
They are an awesome bar treat...not too heavy, not too fried, and oh so tasty. I would highly recommend stopping at the cocktail lounge anytime you're in the neighborhood and grab an order of these tots.
You gotta get out to this place. Don't wait, just go. This is really good, oak-smoked, BBQ that you just don't get in most places, and not just in MN, anywhere. I had a half chicken dinner and some of the ribs below. It was all fall-off-the-bone good.
Great flavors, tender meat, very good sauce too.
I think they could have pulled this whole bird apart with their bare hands. As it was, I could part this half out with my fingers.
Donuts are all the rage, and I've had my fair share of the local shops popping up where I live... but Glam Doll has taken to another level. They got your cake, they got your raised, they got your frosted, sprinkled, bacon-based... and then they go further.
Here's a smattering of their fried doughy concoctions:
I ordered two to enjoy the next evening during The Walking Dead and boy did I choose wisely. I grabbed a Femme Fatale and a Varga Girl. I don't know what the names mean, but I know what they taste like, delicious. I'll be back to try more in the not-so-distant future too.
How can you say "no" to me?
T'wer it me, I would not wait any longer to head over to Glam Doll... they'll do you right. You can even enjoy late night donuts on Friday and Saturday - check 'em out HERE.
Get to Hudson, WI for this hot air balloon spectacular...you won't be dissappointed.
The weekend starts with a show of power in the form of a fire-breathing parade down main street the first night of the show.
They load the balloon baskets into the bed of trucks and head down the street to blast their burners for the crowd. Seeing 20ft high fire spires and feeling the heat from them was very impressive. Everyone was enthralled...
So, do you recognize them now? I think many people will recognize the music, but maybe not the band name.
On a whim, I checked the site for our famous First Ave music venue and much to my surprise and delight, I noticed that London Grammar was playing a show that very night, and for the low-low price of $22 (before fees). I had heard them enough to want to see them live and the price couldn't be beat.
With the ticket bought an printed I headed out on a snowy night, dodging highway traffic by taking a surface street loop through much of the city, making my way downtown. I arrived just after doors opened, but not in enough time to grab a place to sit for the show. No matter, I had a great view for pics and the sound is always good at First Ave.
Here are some "action shots". They had a great stage presence and used their lighting well. Almost as good as Phantogram...ok, not really, but it was a nice addition to the show and I appreciated all the blinky lights..
All in all, it was a great show for a snowy Tuesday night. They were very appreciative of the audience, for allowing them to make their US tour a reality, and said so to us many times. They played a 2-song encore and showed a side of themselves on the last song that I think they were hiding or saving for us. They kind of let it all hang out on the last song and it was great.
I don't think anyone in the audience went home disappointed. I would see London Grammar again in a heartbeat, and even at a higher price... but don't tell anyone that.
