Birthday Grazing - Bryant Lake Bowl, Izzy's and Cupcakes

I know I haven't written for a while but I like to think I only talk when I have something to say and write when I have something worthy of writing. Look out because birthday weekend provided plenty of fodder for communication.

I'll start with breakfast this morning at Bryant Lake Bowl (Lake Street in Minneapolis). I had the veggie scramble which was loaded with red onions, red peppers, and broccoli. The pepper jack cheese provided a nice kick. Immediately following breakfast I was joined by my family, Matt, Laura and Erik, for a game of bowling. That's what's so cool about Bryan Lake Bowl...the bowling alley is right by the kitchen. Where else can you follow an omelet with a split?

From there my groom of 20+ years whisked us over to Izzy's (Marshall Ave) in St. Paul, where we were met by co-founder and owner Jeff Sommers. Jeff, a former teacher, and concurrent artist gave us a tour of Izzy's retail and creative space and shared with us the inspiring story of how this 10-year old successful business came to be. Jeff runs this business with his wife and Izzy co-founder Lara.

We capped off the tour with a round of sundaes (after sampling multiple taste spoons full of Izzy's best), which eventually lead to our decisions of which dairy creations would make it into our glassware. Don't forget the Izzy (which is their trademark - little scoop of ice cream).

If you think that was sufficient calories for any sane Minnesotan, you must remember that Matt and I are from Iowa. We were compelled to stop at Cupcakes on University Ave. on the way home for a half dozen of their incredibly delicious and beautifully decorated cupcakes. Being health conscious, I chose a carrot cake cupcake for obvious reasons...there's carrots in it so it's healthier. Plus in my mind, the vegetables cancel out the effects of the cream cheese frosting.

Once again, I'm fat and pampered and am here to tell you Miss Piggy is wrong. It's OK to eat more than you can lift. :)

A Most Apropos Quote

"Never eat more than you can lift."

Miss Piggy

Sue's review: Spoonriver

It's been a while since TasteBuds got together. Kay's turn to pick the place. The choice was Spoonriver, restauranteer Brenda Langton's (of Cafe' Brenda) second food spot in Minneapolis. Located by the fabulous Guthrie theater and the Mill City Museum, Spoonriver's focus is on local, organic and fresh - well, as fresh as you can get in February in Minnesota - ingredients.

Our reservations were for 6:00 and Wolfie and Sue were the first to arrive. It's not a big place -- long, narrow galley-type restaurant, simplistic clean lines define the interior. After hanging up coats (thank God for restaurants that still provide this service), we approached the hostess, who was about as cool attitude-wise as the 20-degree weather outside. A Minnesota smile and greeting from me didn't seem to thaw this "frustrated-actress-I-wish-I-had a-job-across-the-street-working-at-the-Guthrie-instead-of-being-here" staff. I noticed she was wearing a houndstooth jumper that strangely reminded me of a home ec project I did in 1972, down to the poorly installed Talon zipper in the back. Fashion note: just because it's vintage, doesn't mean it should be worn again.

OK, I've retracted the claws. We were summarily shown our table where we awaited Matt and Kay. The few minutes of waiting time allowed us to observe the clientele around us. It was hopping, obviously a pre-theater gathering place for the Guthrie crowd. Trendy young hipsters mingled with the boomer-aged season ticket holders. Upon our friends' arrival, our attention turned to drinks. The beer offerings were respectable: I ordered the Victory Pilsner on tap, while Wolfie ordered a dark brown ale. Matt and Kay turned to red wine. The cocktail list for Spoonriver was intriguing but we passed on the pricier libations.

We ordered our customary two appetizers to share among the four of us. Due to our husbands' indecisiveness, Kay and I took control and ordered the shrimp dumplings with ginger sauce and the quesadilla with free-range chicken, sweet peppers and other good stuff. I could see eating about 80 of the dumplings myself. The quesadilla was OK and the tortilla had a flaky tenderness to it.

The specials for the evening were a char and a sweet potato gratin. Three of us ordered the char , which was accompanied by a polenta and a green bean salad. It was well-prepared. But not a party of flavor and texture in your mouth. This is a delicate fish and has to be prepared gently, but I was a bit dismayed by the lack of contrast in texture and flavor of this dish. The green bean salad was OK.

Of course, TasteBuds always order dessert when out to dinner. Tonight was no exception. The dessert tray was presented and I selected the gingerbread and whipped cream, garnished by cashews and accompanied by some brandied dark cherries (I hate cherries in general, so Wolfie nabbed those). I do love gingerbread, though, and the fresh whipped cream with the crunchiness of the nuts made for a nice contrast. I had leaded dark-roast coffee, which was very good.

But I have to go back to attitude again. Our server went to the same hospitality school as our hostess, I am afraid. We were never asked how were how we enjoyed our appetizers, much less our main course. It dawned on me later that were not told the soup of the day. Questions we posed to our waiter during the evening elicted what I felt was a forced response and kind of a "hurry up and order already" demeanor. I just don't get it. Anybody check recently how the economy is doing? If I'm going out to treat myself to dinner with good friends, I want to make sure my money is not only for a great eating experience, but a memorable and welcoming environment as well. That wasn't happening last night.

I rate this restaurant 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

How to steal a blueberry dessert

One of the most important things in life is dessert. And when you are a charter member of the Taste Buds, you love cakes, cookies, pies and ice cream (anyone for Izzy’s?). And what could be better than dessert with close friends after an evening of stuffing yourself with fine Italian food at Luci’s in St. Paul, MN. But better yet, what could be better than eating your friend’s dessert?

How does one accomplish that you ask? Ah, there is a path to such bliss – read on. The first thing you need to do is to find a trusting person that enjoys good food and friends. Then you need an accomplice. During dinner you play along as if it was any other ordinary dinner – making small talk, having some laughs, eating and drinking. And then, when it’s time for dessert, make sure that person is ordering something that you will enjoy. Encourage them to get that blueberry dessert – it looks fabulous! When it arrives, the real work begins. Make sure that your accomplice is positioned strategically next to your victim. Have her chat on some engaging topic, creating a diversion. And when he’s fully engaged, dive! Take the fork, slice off what you need (and deserve) and gorge yourself! Then sit back and enjoy - you’ve earned it.

You may take a bit of abuse for a few years, but it’ll be worth it. And think of the fine lesson you’ll be teaching your friend. But be careful, true Taste Buds never forget…

Floats, floats, floats

What’s better than a Mardi Gras parade? What else than the Taste Buds in New Orleans! In January 05, the Taste Buds went on the road and took on the Big Easy. Of all of the great memories that I have from that trip, one of my favorites was when we went Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. The floats were unbelievably beautiful, and fascinating. We saw everything from giant bathtubs to castles to monsters (no, not Steve stuffing his face with cake…). The only troubling part was when I was tricked into checking out one of the floats a little closer. It’s like we were in the parade… Wolfie, throw those beads!

Revisiting the Big Easy

It was 5 years ago last weekend that TasteBuds undertook their epic journey to New Orleans. I think back to this trip a lot. Too much fun like this should probably be illegal. Because if it was, we would be serving life time sentences.

I think of one place in particular that epitomized the "it's not always the food, it's the moment" phenomenon that makes certain meals so memorable. It was our first food adventure of the weekend -- Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. Mind you, we had left the Twin Cities early in the morning, noshed on some god-awful airport food in Houston so that we wouldn't get the shakes, but otherwise saved ourselves for lunch. We were hungry, and that's an understatement. After depositing our bags at the Hotel Monteleone, we walked to Acme Oyster House, got our table and ordered up the food. Of course, when in New Orleans, do as the New Orleanians do. Fried oyster po'boys were ordered up, along with Dixie beer for a couple of us. It was Nirvana -- Valhalla -- Food Heaven, all wrapped up together. Is there anything better than being so hungry, then being able to enjoy food so fabulously great in such a wonderful city with funny friends? That lunch is etched in my brain like it was yesterday. How about you, fellow 'Buds?

How Taste Buds Began

Taste Buds was born in 1986, a creation brought about by four friends’ (two couples) love of each others’ company, food and the desire to expand their culinary experiences. The Taste Buds are Kay and Matt of Eden Prairie, Minn. and Schnue and Wolfie of Saint Paul, Minn.

The genesis was over dinner at a long-forgotten restaurant somewhere in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. “Trickle down economics” of the Reagan era was in full swing. It began with a conversation about the meal we were enjoying, moved to other establishments at which we had memorable meals. Then, almost as quickly as a bolt of lightning, came the idea from either Kay or Matt.

We would start a dinner club-the four of us would go to a restaurant once a month at which none of us had ever eaten. The planning continued-we’d alternate selecting a dining destination monthly giving each person a choice every four months.

For the next couple of years, the Taste Buds achieved their mission of trying a new establishment nearly each month. Among the memorable early Taste Bud escapades were Ping’s for enjoyable Chinese food and enough laughter that our sides ached; the Barbary Fig where a pleasant and knowledgeable waiter guided us through the intricacies of a Moroccan meal and Sherlock’s Home (R.I.P.), where nutty, full bodied English beer and below average British food (redundant?) ruled the evening.

A child born to Schnue and Wolfie in 1988 severely cut the disposable income and frequency of Taste Buds outings. Then Kay and Matt took new jobs in Chicago further reducing the Taste Buds adventures to once a year.

The mid-90s brought the Chicago wing of the Taste Buds back to the Twin Cities permanently, which meant the group could resume a more regular schedule of dining. Both couples had children so quarterly adventures proved to be logistically and financially preferable. Nearly 15 years later, we continue to dine at a different establishment four times a year.

Since the founding of Taste Buds in 1986 we have broadened the scope of our adventures. We’ve eaten meals ranging from exquisite to nearly inedible, obscenely big to petite at more than 100 different restaurants. Taste Buds has taken its culinary quest on the road to exotic locales near and far- Ellsworth, Wisc., Milwaukee, Chicago, New Orleans and New York to name a few.

Stories of more exploits, unforgettable repasts and dining suggestions to come in future posts so stay tuned.