Totally worth the price

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-blackbird-restaurant-closing-chicago-20200629-wd6vrgjm4ffejdlahihvauzhji-story.html

Interesting times in the Northland

Walleye and steak, Ely Steakhouse

Great! Lakes Candy Company

Deluxe biscuits and gravy with eggs

la Pistola at Eastside, Minneapolis

Thankful

Last visit with Armon before the adventure begins

Lakeside Bar

Birthday dinner outside for CK

Brunson’s Pub patio, Saint Paul

Mystic Steakhouse is still rockin’ it during the pandemic

MK coming up big with breakfast

So nice to eat *at* Zantigo today for lunch

Welcome back Steve (and crew)

Delicious lunch from a Saint Paul classic

I hope this one is for real – lunch plans for sure

CHS Field open for food, but not baseball

Post-round Angry Orchard

First served meal in months, Minnehaha Cafe

Duluth Grill biscuits and gravy with fried chicken and eggs

Sven and Ole’s, Grand Marais, Minnesota

Pretty spot on the ski hill road

As solid as ever

The glorious Saint Dinette burger

Support your local restaurants

Breakfast of Champions

The “UK DK” posted this interesting graphic a while back that I recently found while cleaning up my desktop. It amazes me how many different recommendations there are out there to get in better shape, but this one makes a lot of sense to me. My old plan was to run a gazillion miles a month and eat whatever I wanted, but that’s not in the cards these days. I am currently on a one month move streak and have greatly reduced my sugar intake, which has started a trend in the right direction weight-wise. Haven’t started in with the new kettle bell yet because of some back pain, but hope to add that to the mix soon…

Double sausage patties and better-than-Arby’s potato cakes

Chips & chilitos

Dave’s Bar, San Francisco, California

I’ve waited almost a week to write this post, as my initial shock turned to anger, and it’s never a good idea to write when you are angry. On April 30, 2020, co-owner Eric Dayton tweeted that our favorite Minneapolis restaurant and bar would not reopen.

How could this be? If anyone should have the resources to weather this storm, you’d think it would the Dayton family. They owned the building. Their mother is a Rockefeller, for crying out loud. They are fighters for the North, do-gooders trying to feed the hungry and solid fundraisers and organizers. How could they throw in the towel so early?

I’ve never met Eric Dayton, but by all accounts, he’s a good guy and outsiders never know the private facts and details behind public decisions. I’ll even cut him some slack for hating skyways. To be honest, though, I was mad at him for this decision, mad for taking away the place my wife and I visited more than a dozen times, mad for taking away our Cocktail Club destination, mad for quitting while others battle on.

Of course, life changes even in “normal” times. When my favorite bartender of all time, Pip Hanson, left in 2015 for London, we were sad. When Chef Paul Berglund left in August of 2017 (a year after winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest), we were sad. When Erin Rolek left in August of 2019 for the beautiful shores of Santa Monica, we were sad. Happy for all of them, but sad they were no longer in that special building in the North Loop.

Now we are sad for the current groups of stars who carried on the tradition. Jonathan Gans started in November of 2018 and re-earned the four star review from Rick Nelson. The Forager Chef Alan Bergo had joined the kitchen. Monday pork chop night was as good as ever.

Now we mourn the loss of the toast racks, the Swedish meatballs, the popovers, the wine board, the red books, the individually-wrapped cookies, the purple door, the “secret” staircase. Gavin Kaysen had some wonderful comments on his Instagram, Erin had an inspiring series of pictures on her Instagram story (that are now sadly gone) and Chef Jonathan is asking for financial support of his team via GoFundMe (done, Chef).

I’m sure this won’t be last of these stories before all this is over, but very few will hit us as hard as this one did. Maybe a road trip to Rochester will help a little…

❤️TBF

I miss your collective laughter too

A new (to us) take-out option

Needed some normalcy today

No hockey, no fancy French food, no live music

That’s still about right

My policy on home drinking is being revised

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eveturowpaul/2020/03/22/how-restaurants-innovating-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Eating way too much of it, though

Live at five with Nive…

Great desserts @ Estelle

Estelle

From the @kingsbury Instagram account

Thanks, Gardens of Olive!

Dinner on Randolph with the siblings

I usually don’t like to do the social media question thing *on* social media, but I’m intrigued by the “5 Drinks to get to know me” one:

• Mountain Dew
• Cherry Coke
• Any cider > any beer
• Old Fashioned
• Octo’s Madagascar

Honorable mentions to the Epiphany at Prohibition and just about anything from Marvel Bar…

$20 snow cones for all!

The root beer boots are back!

That’s just sad

“Sleep at the Fairmont Banff Springs” has been item #34 on my bucket list for quite a long time. As we looked to conclude the year of milestone birthday trips, Marisa and I decided we would make ours a combined ski trip (and invite Colleen and Sasha to tag along). SkiBig3 had some good sales after Thanksgiving, so we picked the week between our two birthdays and made reservations. Airfare between MSP and Calgary wasn’t too terrible on the Delta nonstops and I reserved my normal Emerald Aisle rental with National.

We planned to fly on Monday and Friday, with ski days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The drive from the airport to downtown Banff only takes about 90 minutes and we purchased the required park passes ahead of time, so we didn’t have to stop at the park entrance. Sasha and Marisa brought their own skis with, so we had one large ski bag, four large suitcases and a bunch of carry-ons. Thankfully, National had a Mazda SUV for us that really held up all week with the extreme winter conditions (heated steering wheels are awesome).

Speaking of conditions, the Canadian equivalent of the National Weather Service warned: “Temperatures will plummet to values not seen in years.” Air temp was -30C (-22F) during the early part of the week, closing two of the three ski areas completely on Tuesday. That was the day Marisa and I got to experience the Canadian health system with a morning visit to Banff Mineral Springs Hospital. She had flu symptoms the night before and they did a great job helping get her back in shape for skiing the last two days. Everything was pre-pay for service, so we are now working with our regular insurance to get reimbursed for the hospital and doctor fees (which weren’t outrageous).

What can I say about the hotel? The Fairmont Banff Springs is one of the most iconic hotels in the world, built as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway network in 1888. The “Castle in the Rockies” was just perfect – historic, great amenities and flawless customer service. It’s not cheap, but in the overall scheme of world-class hotels, very competitive. Tipping was included for most services, so that was different (and convenient, since I didn’t exchange for any Canadian currency this time). The valet was wonderful all week – we’d just call down to the concierge (“How is the Kingsbury Family doing today?”) and they would pull our warmed up car to the front entrance. The bellmen were great – somehow loading up everything at the end of the trip back into the SUV. Maid service also went the extra mile to line up shoes, organize things on the desk and generally pick up after our daily mess.

The hotel has at least three known ghost stories. Our favorite was the Ghost Bride, who was commemorated with a postage stamp and coin by the Canadian government in 2014. Sasha and I spent one night searching for the staircase, where the hotel has a picture hanging (along with the stamp and coin). The ghost of Sam the Bellman and the alleged murder-suicide in room 873 are tales that added an extra element of suspense every time the lights by the elevator would flicker when the doors opened. There was a cool museum-style area off of the lobby that was loaded with historical pictures and artifacts. The old pictures of the golf course and visits from Queen Elizabeth and Marilyn Monroe were highlights for me.

We ate at two of the twelve hotel restaurants: Castello Italiana and the Swiss-themed Waldhaus Pub & Biergarten. Both were high quality with great service. I think the Waldhaus might have been the original golf course clubhouse, as it was set down a hill from the main hotel along the river (and near the current 15th hole). Colleen and Sasha both enjoyed time in the Willow Stream Spa, which included the semi-spooky indoor pool. There were also outdoor pools that amazingly had people in them, despite the extremely frigid temperatures (how exactly did they get out there?). The hotel also had several very nice stores, a free ski storage room (with overnight boot heaters) and a uniquely Canadian five pin bowling alley (which is really difficult to master).

The actual town of Banff is a short ride or walk from the hotel, across the Bow River. It was a wonderful little mountain town, full of shops and restaurants and surrounded by the most amazing mountain vistas. On our arrival on Monday, we picked up my rental skis at the SkiBig3 Adventure Hub and had lunch at Tommy’s Neighbourhood Pub. Other stops over the course of the week included a great dinner at the Maple Leaf Grill (with the bison tenderloin recommended by my friend Chuck), poutine at the local McDonald’s, shopping at Roots and Hudson’s Bay and a visit to the largest rock store I’ve ever seen in my life. I also wanted to try out the famous Beaver Tails, but they didn’t really have any indoor seating and it was just too cold to stand around outside for any length of time.

As far as skiing goes, there are three different resorts near Banff: Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise Ski Resort. Norquay is the closest to town, but we elected to skip that one when we found out we could only ski two days. We decided to go to Sunshine Village on Wednesday, as several people told us that Sunshine sometimes gets temperature inversions that make it warmer there compared to town. The other unique thing about Sunshine is that the base area is just a parking lot in front of a building with a gondola. A long ride takes you up to the actual resort (with one stop in the middle for Goat’s Eye Mountain). We didn’t have great visibility that day and had difficulty finding easier, groomed runs to ease back into skiing shape. Groomed runs don’t seem to be as big a thing in the Canadian Rockies as they are at home, so we were initially a little uncomfortable (and I was extra cautious this trip anyways, for obvious reasons). We did find a few runs off the Strawberry Express chair, which is marketed as their beginner chair (sigh). We also skied the Wawa lift, but that was about it. I would love to try it again with warmer temps, clear skies and more confidence in my skiing ability.

On Thursday, we went to Lake Louise. By the second day, we were more comfortable with the bus shuttle system: all three resorts have nice coach-style busses that pick up right in front of the hotel. Schedules varied, but there were usually 5-6 departures and returns each day to each one. The Fairmont was the first stop in the mornings and the last to drop off on the return, with 2-3 stops at various spots in town. Lake Louise is the farthest resort from Banff, but it took less than an hour to get there on the Trans-Canada Highway. The town of Lake Louise is a few minutes away from the ski resort and is home to a couple of other cool hotels, including the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Post Hotel. I thought about the hotel package that let you split your time between the castle and the chateau, but I’m glad we did what we did. It would’ve been cool (literally) to see the ice sculptures on the lake for their Ice Magic competition, but that just wasn’t in the cards this time.

We loved the skiing and atmosphere at Lake Louise. The bus dropped us off right in front of the Lodge of the Ten Peaks and one of the friendly information guides told us that the breakfast buffet at the Northface Bistro was the spot to go for pre-skiing food. After a great meal, we discovered there are only two choices from that spot: the Glacier Express chair and the Grizzly Express gondola. We started with the chair and took two great runs on nice intermediate cruisers that really tired us out. After another stop in the chalet (and a visit to the nice ski shop), we tried the gondola. It’s not the highest lift there, but I felt like I was on the top of the world when we exited (and honestly, a little frightened at how everything dropped off from that point). Lake Louise prides itself on having green, blue and black runs from every lift, but the cat track we took down from there was scary just for the fact that the runs that crossed it were very steep. But once we got down below the tree line, it turned into our favorite run of the trip.

One of the things that I still find magical about skiing in the big mountains are the moments of complete silence you sometimes find among the trees in the back country. Since our week was so cold, none of the locals really wanted to be out, so it was nice and uncrowded all over. I let the girls ski ahead of me on that long, green cruiser and at one point I just stopped and soaked in the silence. That trail crossed in front of another favorite thing of mine, the mid-mountain chalet with sun deck and greasy mountain cafeteria food. The Temple Lodge made me think of the great times I used to have with my Uncle Greg at the Outback Inn in Idaho. He would’ve loved this trip… ❤️

Not sure that’s true, but OK

Spoil ’em? Just a little…

Feels colder in C vs. F

Made $200 + free dinner

Pizza from the original

Gift card sale ends today

Last 14 Asian Eatery

The old joke in the neighborhood is the first three words children learn were mommy, daddy, and Cecil’s…

Thanks, Auntie Lynn

Support your neighborhood establishments

Thanks, AF

Good luck with your big week!

We had a great time on Maui last week, despite the record high temps (and crazy dew points). We had lots of great food recommendations from people, but Mama’s Fish House took home the prize for most memorable experience. Located on the central north shore of Maui just outside Paia, Mama’s was a 2018 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant. Open Table says Mama’s is the second most popular restaurant in the United States, Trip Advisor has them listed as a Top 10 U.S. Fine Dining Restaurant, while ZAGAT has them number one for food on Maui. Everyone we talked to said Mama’s was expensive, but also a can’t miss.

Needless to say, expectations were high…

Floyd and Doris Christenson have an awesome backstory. The location, atmosphere and general setting of Mama’s is probably the most Hawaiian thing I’ve ever seen in my life. You turn off the Hana Highway at the fishing boat and enter a lot that offers complimentary valet. Once checked in, you get to roam around their own private beach, which we were told often has sea turtles playing in the water. The day we visited had a high surf warning, so the turtles were (hopefully) playing elsewhere. After checking in at a second host stand, we were escorted into the open-air dining room and seated near the bar.

Our server Lacey was wonderful. We started with fancy tropical drinks: Colleen had a Mama’s Margarita, while I had a Pink Hibiscus (hibiscus, elderflower liqueur, lime, cranberry and Maui PAU vodka). We shared an appetizer of seared island venison with honey lime sauce, which was extremely tender for venison. We both had autumn salads, with Waipoli greens, Kula persimmons, spiced pecans, goat cheese and Tahitian vanilla vinaigrette dressing. For the fish main course, I choose “kanpachi from ocean waters off Hawaii Island,” while Colleen had “onaga caught bottom fishing off Keanae by Joe Hobson.” We both loved that they customized the menu daily with who caught the fish (and where). I was super-excited to order the Polynesian Black Pearl for dessert: lilikoi (passion fruit) chocolate mousse in a pastry seashell (with a beautiful plate presentation – pics after the jump).

When we looked at the menu before we went, I didn’t think the prices were crazy-high. Afterwards, we found out it just all adds up, turning in to the most we’ve probably ever spent on lunch. That’s also part of the trick – there is no discount for having lunch over dinner. We heard one of the servers say they average about 1,000 covers a day, so I think they can price however they want. I’m glad we went, though, and would highly recommend it at least once in your life. Mahalo, Mama.

He gets to live here all the time

CK @ Mama’s Fish House Beach

As seen on Diners, Drive In’s and Dives

Chicken and pancakes @ Roy’s

P.S. Steak with the fam

Thank you Target Center (and Shelly)