Dwight drove to a suburban Red Lobster for lunch with a friend. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to walk over to Dong Hae, a neighborhood Korean restaurant, for bibimbap, perfect comfort food on a wintry day.
Category: Eat
Beyond the Storefront
It may look like a fast food restaurant and it’s not in the prettiest part of St. Paul but Trung Nam French Bakery, operated by immigrants from Vietnam, bakes the best almond croissants. So that’s where I got with a friend for coffee and flakey perfection this morning.
Kurisumasu Sushi
Gyaru peace sign (mandatory in Japanese selfies), in front of a boatload of sushi at a family lunch today. I’m wearing a Yokohama soccer team shirt, reminding my brother-in-law and nephew of a fine evening in a Shibuya (Tokyo) bar.
Merry Thursday
It’s Thursday, so we crossed the road to Maxwell’s for dinner. Dwight’s Summit Extra Pale Ale next to my Surly Furious IPA, both local brews.
Scandinavian Bounty: IKEA and LEGO
After walking with a friend around the vast Mall of America, popped into IKEA to return a lamp because it’s not dimmable. After meatballs and mash, got lost in a labyrinth of merchandise, feeling oddly guilty for not purchasing a $1.49 Bolmen (toilet brush). Eventually found my way back to the light rail station via the LEGO Store.
Corn, Water, and Lime Shouldn’t Taste This Good!
Every Thursday I walk past a tortelleria. Sometimes I stop and watch the tortillas on a conveyor belt moving towards women who package the product. Today I walked in and purchased 36 for $4. The package was so hot, I could barely hold it. Back home, I enjoyed the freshest tortillas, ever.
A Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good
It’s Sausage Saturday which means there’ll be a (Nathan Lane) movie with an intermission with ice cream. Tonight: Gooey Butter Cake ice cream. “Cream cheese ice cream layered with crumbles of vanilla cake and a swirl of caramel-butterscotch sauce.” Dubious nutritional value. Perfect.
Grease for Peace
My friend figured out Band Box Diner is only open Wednesday through Saturday, so today was the day, in the words of the establishment’s slogan, to “Grease for Peace.” The counter seats were occupied by regulars, so we observed the scene from a table. Breakfast was good and substantial.
Unwinding with Umami
Thursdays are our service days: Dwight in a university greenhouse, me in ELL classrooms. This leaves us with little energy for cooking, so we typically have dinner out. Tonight: our local Izakaya (Japanese bar/restaurant).
Indulging Without Regret
Sandwiched a few moments of zen sitting at the counter of Al’s Diner in Dinkytown between full body scans at the university. Surprisingly, clogged arteries aren’t on my healthcare problem list.