Yeah, yeah, yeah. We ate almost all of the new foods at the State Fair yesterday. Some were awesome, some were not so awesome, many were fine. If you need a reason to get your tuckus in the car and head over, it should be the new West End area, which is what we-who-talk-all-day have decided is "State Fair Modern." Roomy, beery, Get-Togethery, all good. See Dara's top five picks, or check all of our Fair coverage.
>> The Third Bird is now open in Loring Park. Kim Bartmann and a band of merry fellows (Steven Brown, Bill Summerville, Lucas Almendinger) have put this place together in the former Maude’s/Nick & Eddie spot. It’s a very cool spot with modern, approachable food and a wood-fired flair. Lunch, dinner, brunch, and happy hour today from 3-6 p.m., chums.
>> The Workshop opened on Wednesday. Check out the photo gallery to make you hungry.
>> With bright shiny new liquor licenses, the cocktail menu is now open at Verdant Tea, and in a select way at Sushi Fix.
>> Town Hall Brewery will be launching a new concept in the former Little Jack’s space in Nordeast. Like the other beer satellites (Town Hall Tap, Town Hall Lanes) it will be a little different in tone, perhaps with a whole new name, yet all the great Town Hall beers.
>> Jerabek’s bakery has closed once more. It closed earlier last year but reopened with a valiant effort to modernize and draw new customers. But it looks like, in the end, it was just too much for the owners to handle. See ya, kolache.
>> If you can’t stomach the crowds at the fair, but can’t stop craving on-a-stick cuisine, you have a friend in Haute Dish. Once again the North Loop spot will be cooking a Haute Dish On A Stick menu from Aug. 26-28. Get in for punk rock things on-a-stick such as sweetbreads, Japanese shrimp fritter, smoked bologna with house cheese whiz, pickle roll ups with tongue pastrami, house gerkins, and quark. No shrimp dogs, though.
>> If you’re looking for some free fun this Saturday, head to Loring Park for Chipotle’s Cultivate Festival where you can play some interactive games, watch some all-star chefs mess around with good ingredients, and get a taste of Farmhouse Ale, a Surly beer brewed specially for this event.
>> Have you got your tickets for Rails and Ales? Tickets are $29 (until the Aug. 29, then rise to $35) for the Get Knit event, which is a coordinated Green Line pub crawl. Your ticket gets you two pints of craft beer, a commemorative T-shirt, all access rail pass, special deals at the breweries along the route, exclusive beer sips, tons of fun, and an urban adventure tinged with malty goodness. What else is there?
>> Also on the beer front, get your tickets for Brews and Canoes happening on Sept. 10. A benefit for the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, this beer competition will pit nine local breweries against each other for awards that include Best Campfire Companion, Fish Fry’s Finest, and Call of the Wild celebrating the craziest experimental beer. There’ll be food from Chowgirls and live music as well.
>> Get this on your schedule: The Wedge 40th Anniversary block party! On Sept. 7 from 12 to 7 p.m., the Wedge will be rocking with live music, a Meet The Farmer tent, snack samples from vendors, a beer garden hosted by Indeed, and a few food trucks to make it sassy.
