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Groundhog
"Oh, hey. Yep, still cold. But only for like 10 more weeks, k?"
We should have a groundhog in the fight. Why do we leave our mammalian winter prognostication to the East Coasters? Punxsutawney Phil or Staten Island Chuck are not our dudes, neither is Georgia's Beauregard "Beau" Lee going to be able to really call a winter. No one is as obsessed with winter or weather as we are, where's our Minnesota Marv or Paul from St. Paul peeking out of a stump? I'm looking at you MN Zoo. While we mull this, you should go warm up with a whiskey drink, watch some mushers, and then bring the quandary to your Japanese Distillate Tasting Club.
NEWS
\\ Cool collab alert: Kramarczuk's has partnered up with Union Hmong Kitchen to sell their sausage.
\\ New things are news: Heggie's Pizza has launched, for the first time ever, gluten-free pizzas made with a special cauliflower crust. Two flavors are hitting the market, sausage & pepperoni and margherita.
OPENS
+ The newly fangled and relocated Butcher & The Boar opens officially on Wednesday. We have a little Sneak Peek of the inside, all warm and glowy. It will be interesting to see how old school loyalists feel about this homage, and how the new kids who never had the best days of the OG feel about it. Also: there’s a Char Bar that’s part of a phase 2 launch in a few weeks.
+ Melt Pizza Company is finally in their new space, the former Lolito in downtown Stillwater, after popping up all over the place with their Detroit-style pizzas and Italian, Filipino, and American comfort food. While they're not quite yet fully open, this weekend you can grab takeout only from a limited menu. There's carbonara calling you.
NOT CLOSING
- Royal Craft Foundry, the Brit flavored distillery in Harrison, was about to call it quits. But just yesterday they announced that a group of investors have stepped up with an offer to buy the place. They plan to stay open during negotiations and hope to sally forth anew.
COMING SOON
>> Marc Heu Patisserie Paris is leaving Frogtown? Yes, those gorgeous lacquered croissants and pretty pastries are heading out (though, not far). Look for a new shop in the Selby Dale neighborhood to open this spring. They’ll lure you with baguette sandwiches and promises of patio seating.
>> Ann Ahmed has revealed the name and more details about her upcoming redo of the 4 Bells space: Please welcome Gai Noi to the park, there will be three levels of good times.
AGENDA
// Go see some mushers this weekend at the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby. In Excelsior tonight you can go hug a husky and meet the mushers while enjoying hot cocoa, s'mores, and food trucks. Tomorrow go watch so many good doggos run like the wind all around the lake before heading to the Klondike Village for bonfires and beers.
// The 4th Annual Bonspiel is back at Sociable Cider Werks this weekend. You can still register you team, and the name Super Bon Bon has not been taken yet?!?! Unidos Food truck is on site with nachos and tostadas, the Salsa Collaborative kids will be there Saturday with pulled pork sammies and veggie chili, plus tons of music and games around the curling and drinking you have to do.
// The Spring Flower Show has opened at the Arb, and it's a worthy escape. Especially if you plan ahead so that you can sip from a bottomless pot of afternoon tea, or check in for After Hours with the Flowers as date night.
// It's the Hot Air Affair over in Hudson, WI this weekend. More than 300 hot air balloonists will be there to fire up and take to the skies. It's a sight. But after you're done looking up, look around for the Bloody Mary crawl, take in a little pancake breakfast, learn how to make balloon cookies, and find specials in many restaurants and bars in town.
// The Brewsology Beerfest is taking over the Science Museum this Saturday. I just know that, with all the great breweries serving tasty beers, and all the smart humans wandering the exhibits, that we might end up with a Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler moment.
// On Sunday, consider heading over to Skaalvenn Distillery to partake in some liquid mastery from Tomoiki Sekine of Kyoto cocktail bar Nokishita 711. From 4-10 p.m., Sekine will be using Skaalvenn spirits to showcase the transformation of ingredients morphing into a beverage form, which he refers to as "liquid cuisine." The event will be first come, first serve with a seating fee of $10 per person (typical in upscale Japanese bars) and cocktails priced at $20 each.
// Something is compelling me to tell you that you can do Cosmic Skating at the Richfield Ice Arena on Sunday night.
// Solo Vino will take you on the full journey when you join the Japanese Distillate Tasting Club. For your $175 membership, you'll get access to four in-person tastings (first one in Feb.), special pricing and access to certain Japanese whiskies, a copy of this very good book, plus a starter tasting set to get you on your way. This is my kind of club.
