This Fresh Forkin' Friday has me thinking about indulgence. This is the perfect weekend for the Chocolate Extravaganza because I'm ready for just a quick break, a quick sneak away from my family, from the lawn that needs raking still, from needy friends, from trashy leftover Halloween candy, and the rest. I might just go alone because I have very specific chocolate needs: I don't really want to talk about it, I don't want to discuss and deconstruct and weigh out cocoa percentages, I just want to sample and quietly let my brain light up. Maybe that's why I have hidden stashes of the "good" chocolate all over my kitchen.
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Oddly like a cuckoo bird, Calhoun Grill has taken over the old Hell's Kitchen space and opened for breakfast and lunch. Sibling to the Uptown Diner, New Louisiana Cafe, and Grandview Grill, the company is no stranger to the breakfast scene and is known for its Cajun specialties. I'm sure it can capitalize on the dazed and barely awake who don't know where Hell has gone.
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Given the economic climate, who knows if anyone will be taking over the recently vacated Otho space. It might be a challenge; I rather kept forgetting that it was there.
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Mill City Cafe, that quiet and sweet little eatery in the California Building of NE, is finally screaming "YES, we are here!" This month, its customer loyalty night theme will celebrate French fare and local music along with a special cabaret show put on by Lili's Burlesque. It'll also be holding Wine 101 courses for $25 and start serving full brunch Tuesday through Friday mornings.
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If the idea of an in-town Turkey Day surrounded by loving, suffocating family members makes you itchy, you should run away to the historic St. James in Red Wing. Close enough so that you won't have to pay $15 for your luggage but far enough so they can't track you, Red Wing makes a nice escape, and the St. James puts up a helluva buffet overlooking the bluffs and the river.
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If you're braving the holiday at home and manning the oven, there are folks around who can help. First of all, this weekend is the first Winter Market at Local D'Lish. Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline for Wild Acres turkeys through the MCFM, but you can order them from Birchwood through Sunday. Also from Birchwood is its famous Kit and Kaboodle deal, which provides you with citrus sage stuffing, cranberry quince chutney, and ginger whipped sweet potatoes that you can freely pass off as your own, starting at $25. And don't forget the caramel apple streusel pie. Otherwise, you might want to check out the spread from Chowgirls, which includes Kadejan Farms turkey, sweet potato souffle, and Brussels sprouts gratin with Shepherd's Way blue cheese. I've died over their Derby Pie made with bourbon and chocolate (two life-sustaining elements). I feel a food coma coming on just thinking about it.
