By: Juble.com
The ideal vacation getaway is one where there are thousands of activities from every aspect imaginable, including the ethnicity. No one wants a vacation full of meals at the same types of restaurants. The same holds true with activities. While the beach may be fun, no one wants to sit on the beach for two weeks straight without a break. They want variety. Finally, who would look forward to the same sports bar every night for after hour’s entertainment? People want variety, and that is what they get in the San Jose California nightlife.
With over forty clubs, bars, and dance spots to choose from, one could not possibly experience them all within a one or two week vacation time. Although the majority of San Jose nightlife locations are on a par of excellence that is unparalleled, there are a few that stand out in their originality, service, and interest.
The Voodoo Lounge: One of the most original and intriguing night sites in the Silicon Valley is that of The Voodoo lounge. The Voodoo lounge gives a dark and romantic atmosphere, while maintaining a defined high-energy mood. The word “vampire” comes to mind. The Voodoo Lounge always has some new DJ or band to keep the energy and music flowing. There are also the occasional big music names in the industry, such as Deep Rooted and Soul Star. As a bonus, another area of this building serves as a grill diner while another is a hotel. You can literally get the entire vacation package at The Voodoo Lounge.
J.J.’s Blues Lounge: If a more traditional older American scene is your venue of choice, give J.J.’s Blues Lounge a shot. This hot spot of the San Jose lifestyle is highly reminiscent of the Chicago nightlife in the late 1950’s era. Here you will find walls covered with photographs and memorabilia from some of the world’s most famous Jazz music artisans. This spot was voted the Best Blues Club in California three times over the past decade. The service here is also themed with a jazz edge to it. The drinks are stout as the music. This is a guaranteed good time if you are a jazzy night lifer!
The Avalon: If elegance, flash, loud music and a fast pace is your theme of choice, then you will be right at home at the Avalon. This is considered to be Silicon Valley’s most elegant nightclub. You won’t find a bunch of young punks with screaming unintelligible excuses for music here. The patrons of this high-class party joint are the cutting edge of the definition of style in this generation. There is dancing, a variety of local popular DJ’s, an excellent and romantic lounge, and occasional live bands. If you want to hold a private party, the Avalon can be rented for a special catered event, complete with drinks!
These are the top three hot nightspots that San Jose has to offer, but you have to go in with the understanding that these are so high on the ladder of excellence that others can’t compare. The forty something other clubs in the area are also a truly wild experience. Shop around and give them all a try when you visit San Jose California.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Quick Bite: Caffe Trieste, downtown San Jose
By Amy Pizarro for the Mercury News
One detail says all you need to know about Caffe Trieste: champagne flutes.
When was the last time you saw those at a neighborhood coffeehouse?
The downtown San Jose newcomer, latest link in a Bay Area chain that originated in San Francisco's North Beach, gets the basics right with a full menu of the usual coffeehouse suspects. But sipping a glass of crisp prosecco in a flute makes it feel far classier than your ordinary mom-and-pop joint.
The 60-seat cafe, which opened in August, is a few doors down from the California Theatre near First and San Carlos streets.
Order at the counter, then find a seat either on the first floor or in the upstairs loft, which has couches as well as tables and chairs. The decor is simple but pleasant, with low-hanging fans and yellow walls framed by dusky blue trim. There's a counter at the window if you wish to people-watch, or keep to yourself at the wooden bar set against a mirrored panel, a cool piece picked up from San Jose's historic Almaden Feed and Fuel.
The menu's best bet is fresh-off-the-press panini, a kind of sandwich I'm crazy about. In fact, I like panini so much I even enjoy those that aren't so good — overloaded with oily filling or so bready you can barely stuff them down. That's not a problem at Caffe Trieste, where the market-fresh ingredients and quality Le Boulanger breads are in perfect balance, at bargain prices.
The ham and cheese panini ($5.95) comes grilled in a ciabatta loaf. Its crisp golden crust gave way to a soft center, with generous portions of smoky ham and Swiss cheese. It was a bit cool in the middle, but that was easy to forgive once I tasted the tangy sun-dried tomato pesto.
Even better is the vegetarian panini ($6.95). Grilled portobello mushrooms mingle with Roma tomato and red onion atop arugula leaves and roasted red pepper pesto. The filling is topped with a layer of creamy goat cheese so thick it burst out the back of the sandwich as I chomped down. It might be a tad rich for some palates, but I was in heaven.
My companion's favorite was the grilled chicken panini ($5.95). This hearty sandwich is layered with fresh tomato and arugula, plus two thin filets of tender, flavorful chicken. Basil pesto finishes the dish.
Also satisfying is the baguette sandwich, served in a sturdy 10-inch roll with a dense crust and a soft, chewy interior. Shaved ham and romaine are laid across a fat strip of creamy Brie in the ham-and-cheese ($5.95). Dijon mustard and a spread of butter give this sandwich a rich European flavor.
There are several varieties of quiche, and I opted for a slice of the savory quiche Lorraine ($5.95). The rich, flaky crust holds fluffy egg and thin folds of ham and Swiss cheese to create a dish that is light but still hearty. It is served alongside a sizable salad of mixed baby greens, balsamic vinegar, shredded Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
I highly recommend finishing your meal with a treat from the pastry case. At the suggestion of our cashier, who thoughtfully remembered we were drinking wine, we sampled an exquisite fruit tart ($3.65) filled with a mound of glazed kiwis, mango and assorted berries. Another strong choice is the creamy cannoli, one of the traditional Italian desserts imported daily from Dianda's Italian American Pastry in San Francisco.
Buying from a local pastry store might be cheaper, but it's that kind of refined detail that sets Caffe Trieste apart.
CAFFE TRIESTE
315 S. First St., San Jose(408) 287-0400, www.caffetrieste.com
Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-midnight Friday, 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Types of food: Pastries, sandwiches and panini, salads
Average price: $6
Good choices: Vegetarian panini, ham-and-brie sandwich
Attitude: Casual
Amenities: Free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating; live music on weekends and open-mic night on Tuesdays
Vegetarian options: Salads, quiche and several sandwiches
Drinks: Full coffeehouse menu, plus wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, soda and tea
Eat in car: The baguette sandwich would be an easy commuter meal.
Next-day edibility: A panini and a baguette sandwich were both lovely after rejuvenation in the microwave.
Who goes there: Families, theatergoers, neighborhood office workers.
Credit cards: Accepted
Parking: On-street parking is metered; otherwise, there are several nearby garages.
Restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously. The Mercury News pays for all meals.
One detail says all you need to know about Caffe Trieste: champagne flutes.
When was the last time you saw those at a neighborhood coffeehouse?
The downtown San Jose newcomer, latest link in a Bay Area chain that originated in San Francisco's North Beach, gets the basics right with a full menu of the usual coffeehouse suspects. But sipping a glass of crisp prosecco in a flute makes it feel far classier than your ordinary mom-and-pop joint.
The 60-seat cafe, which opened in August, is a few doors down from the California Theatre near First and San Carlos streets.
Order at the counter, then find a seat either on the first floor or in the upstairs loft, which has couches as well as tables and chairs. The decor is simple but pleasant, with low-hanging fans and yellow walls framed by dusky blue trim. There's a counter at the window if you wish to people-watch, or keep to yourself at the wooden bar set against a mirrored panel, a cool piece picked up from San Jose's historic Almaden Feed and Fuel.
The menu's best bet is fresh-off-the-press panini, a kind of sandwich I'm crazy about. In fact, I like panini so much I even enjoy those that aren't so good — overloaded with oily filling or so bready you can barely stuff them down. That's not a problem at Caffe Trieste, where the market-fresh ingredients and quality Le Boulanger breads are in perfect balance, at bargain prices.
The ham and cheese panini ($5.95) comes grilled in a ciabatta loaf. Its crisp golden crust gave way to a soft center, with generous portions of smoky ham and Swiss cheese. It was a bit cool in the middle, but that was easy to forgive once I tasted the tangy sun-dried tomato pesto.
Even better is the vegetarian panini ($6.95). Grilled portobello mushrooms mingle with Roma tomato and red onion atop arugula leaves and roasted red pepper pesto. The filling is topped with a layer of creamy goat cheese so thick it burst out the back of the sandwich as I chomped down. It might be a tad rich for some palates, but I was in heaven.
My companion's favorite was the grilled chicken panini ($5.95). This hearty sandwich is layered with fresh tomato and arugula, plus two thin filets of tender, flavorful chicken. Basil pesto finishes the dish.
Also satisfying is the baguette sandwich, served in a sturdy 10-inch roll with a dense crust and a soft, chewy interior. Shaved ham and romaine are laid across a fat strip of creamy Brie in the ham-and-cheese ($5.95). Dijon mustard and a spread of butter give this sandwich a rich European flavor.
There are several varieties of quiche, and I opted for a slice of the savory quiche Lorraine ($5.95). The rich, flaky crust holds fluffy egg and thin folds of ham and Swiss cheese to create a dish that is light but still hearty. It is served alongside a sizable salad of mixed baby greens, balsamic vinegar, shredded Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
I highly recommend finishing your meal with a treat from the pastry case. At the suggestion of our cashier, who thoughtfully remembered we were drinking wine, we sampled an exquisite fruit tart ($3.65) filled with a mound of glazed kiwis, mango and assorted berries. Another strong choice is the creamy cannoli, one of the traditional Italian desserts imported daily from Dianda's Italian American Pastry in San Francisco.
Buying from a local pastry store might be cheaper, but it's that kind of refined detail that sets Caffe Trieste apart.
CAFFE TRIESTE
315 S. First St., San Jose(408) 287-0400, www.caffetrieste.com
Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-midnight Friday, 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Types of food: Pastries, sandwiches and panini, salads
Average price: $6
Good choices: Vegetarian panini, ham-and-brie sandwich
Attitude: Casual
Amenities: Free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating; live music on weekends and open-mic night on Tuesdays
Vegetarian options: Salads, quiche and several sandwiches
Drinks: Full coffeehouse menu, plus wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, soda and tea
Eat in car: The baguette sandwich would be an easy commuter meal.
Next-day edibility: A panini and a baguette sandwich were both lovely after rejuvenation in the microwave.
Who goes there: Families, theatergoers, neighborhood office workers.
Credit cards: Accepted
Parking: On-street parking is metered; otherwise, there are several nearby garages.
Restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously. The Mercury News pays for all meals.
Monday, November 3, 2008
San Jose Police to Ride Segways
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- San Jose police are adopting a new strategy Monday for patrolling the downtown area. Some of them will be hopping on a modern-day "chariot" to fight crime. It is called a Segway, a two-wheeled electronic personal transporter that allows the user to navigate busy streets with relative ease.
KCBS’ Dave Padilla Reports
San Jose mayor Chuck Reed says the police department has just received three Segways that will be used by officers to patrol downtown.
"We think the Segways are going to be a great way to get police officers down with the people on the streets and still give them plenty of mobility,” said Reed. “Our methods of handling large numbers of people in the downtown are constantly evolving and we think the Segways are a nice addition to the portfolio of things that we can use.”
San Jose will become the first major city in Northern California to use the personal transporters. Police Lt. Ruben Chavez says officers on Segways will be more approachable, allowing for a better personal connection between police and residents.
(MGO)
Copyright 2008, KCBS. All Rights Reserved.
KCBS’ Dave Padilla Reports
San Jose mayor Chuck Reed says the police department has just received three Segways that will be used by officers to patrol downtown.
"We think the Segways are going to be a great way to get police officers down with the people on the streets and still give them plenty of mobility,” said Reed. “Our methods of handling large numbers of people in the downtown are constantly evolving and we think the Segways are a nice addition to the portfolio of things that we can use.”
San Jose will become the first major city in Northern California to use the personal transporters. Police Lt. Ruben Chavez says officers on Segways will be more approachable, allowing for a better personal connection between police and residents.
(MGO)
Copyright 2008, KCBS. All Rights Reserved.
2009 Air Medical Transport Conference
The 2009 Air Medical Transport Conference will be held in San Jose, California October 26-28. Please check back regularly for further information and more updates about the AMTC.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thank You to all who attended the 2008 Air Medical Tranport Conference
The Call for Submissions link will be available through www.aams.org shortly. The deadline is December 15, 2008.
The 2009 Air Medical Transport Conference will be in October 2009 in San Jose, California see you there!
The 2009 Air Medical Transport Conference will be in October 2009 in San Jose, California see you there!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Minnesota Timberwolves Preseason Basketball
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a couple of preseason NBA Games while the AMTC is in Minneapolis. Check it out.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Doing Uptown a Big Favor
The Favor Cafe (913 W. Lake St., Minneapolis) is now cooking in the former Restaurant Miami.
The Crockett-and-Tubbs interior remains the same, but the made-from-scratch food is a world apart: catfish po' boys, fried chicken with collard greens, shrimp-crawfish gumbo, fried okra and peach cobbler.
RICK NELSON
The Crockett-and-Tubbs interior remains the same, but the made-from-scratch food is a world apart: catfish po' boys, fried chicken with collard greens, shrimp-crawfish gumbo, fried okra and peach cobbler.
RICK NELSON
Pass the Nutella: Fast-food, French-style, returns to Nicollet Mall
Rick Nelson, Star Tribune
This weekend marks the opening of La Belle Crêpe (825 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, 612-333-1100). Owner Alain Lesse can't wait.
"Every day for the past few weeks, we've had 80 to 100 people a day poke their head in and ask, 'When are you opening?' " he said. "Even the mayor came in."
That's the bonus of doing business at a high-profile location. The slip of a space is just off the glorious lobby of the Medical Arts Building, a few steps from the last crêperie to grace downtown (the former Magic Pan) and fronting the city's busiest pedestrian thoroughfare.
Lesse hopes to capture more attention with a pair of crêpe griddles in the window, where he'll be cooking breakfast, lunch and an unfashionably early weeknight dinner (to 7 p.m.), offering both sweet and savory options: buckwheat crêpes filled with eggs, Gruyère and ham; a lightly sugared flour crêpe filled with berries and crème fraîche; and a design-your-own option taking advantage of a long list of ingredients.
Prices will range from $3.50 (for a classic cream-and-sugar combo) to $8.50 (smoked salmon, asparagus and Havarti). "With today's economy, everyone wants to spend $10 or less," said Lesse. "I'll be giving them affordable fast food." Lesse will also stock Izzy's ice cream as well as popular Italian and French sodas. No seating -- there's no room, given that the space was once home to what seemed to be the World's Smallest Fannie Farmer Store -- but Lesse has added a standing-room-only counter that's roomy enough to fit a dozen eat-and-run diners (that's probably eight or so shy Minnesotans with personal space issues).
Lesse, a native Frenchman who has been in Minnesota for 19 years ("I count them as 19 winters," he said), will be a familiar face to many local diners, with a long tenure as a server in a number of Twin Cities restaurants, including Meritage and the former cafe un deux trois. "I've been around the block," said Lesse with a laugh. "It's time for me to be out on my own."
This weekend marks the opening of La Belle Crêpe (825 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, 612-333-1100). Owner Alain Lesse can't wait.
"Every day for the past few weeks, we've had 80 to 100 people a day poke their head in and ask, 'When are you opening?' " he said. "Even the mayor came in."
That's the bonus of doing business at a high-profile location. The slip of a space is just off the glorious lobby of the Medical Arts Building, a few steps from the last crêperie to grace downtown (the former Magic Pan) and fronting the city's busiest pedestrian thoroughfare.
Lesse hopes to capture more attention with a pair of crêpe griddles in the window, where he'll be cooking breakfast, lunch and an unfashionably early weeknight dinner (to 7 p.m.), offering both sweet and savory options: buckwheat crêpes filled with eggs, Gruyère and ham; a lightly sugared flour crêpe filled with berries and crème fraîche; and a design-your-own option taking advantage of a long list of ingredients.
Prices will range from $3.50 (for a classic cream-and-sugar combo) to $8.50 (smoked salmon, asparagus and Havarti). "With today's economy, everyone wants to spend $10 or less," said Lesse. "I'll be giving them affordable fast food." Lesse will also stock Izzy's ice cream as well as popular Italian and French sodas. No seating -- there's no room, given that the space was once home to what seemed to be the World's Smallest Fannie Farmer Store -- but Lesse has added a standing-room-only counter that's roomy enough to fit a dozen eat-and-run diners (that's probably eight or so shy Minnesotans with personal space issues).
Lesse, a native Frenchman who has been in Minnesota for 19 years ("I count them as 19 winters," he said), will be a familiar face to many local diners, with a long tenure as a server in a number of Twin Cities restaurants, including Meritage and the former cafe un deux trois. "I've been around the block," said Lesse with a laugh. "It's time for me to be out on my own."
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Chance to Glimpse the Rare State Flower
AIMEE BLANCHETTE, Star Tribune
Did you know that Lady's Slippers are members of the orchid family? Learn more about the state flower during the second annual Lady's Slipper Day, Saturday at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis.
"The lady's slipper is a pretty special flower. It's rare, it's an orchid, and it's difficult to grow. They like particular environments," said Lauren Borer, garden program coordinator.
"They really are something to see. The yellow ones are blooming. The state flower, the Showy Lady's Slipper, is a pink-and-white blossom, and it's just that -- showy. It takes your breath away. It's fun to celebrate something that represents our state."
The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is celebrating a time of change in the garden with a month-long schedule of programs, tours and activities.
"June is a really great time to come out to the garden, because spring flowers are nearing the end and we're getting more into our summer blooms," Borer said.
The second annual Showy Lady's Slipper Day starts with a discussion on gardening with native orchids and a sale of the orchids from Winsome Orchids. There will be family activities including storytelling and tours. The tours will focus on the garden's own collection of native orchids, including the yellow lady's slipper and the showy lady's slipper.
Lady's Slipper Day will also include a tour of the Quaking Bog, located across the road from the garden. There are wetland plants growing and blooming in this wetland. Some of the plants that grow there are insectivorous, meaning that they feed on insects.
"It's always a treat to visit the bog, and there's a lot to learn from our naturalists," Borer said.
The garden is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to half-an-hour before sunset, and is free to the public.
Did you know that Lady's Slippers are members of the orchid family? Learn more about the state flower during the second annual Lady's Slipper Day, Saturday at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis.
"The lady's slipper is a pretty special flower. It's rare, it's an orchid, and it's difficult to grow. They like particular environments," said Lauren Borer, garden program coordinator.
"They really are something to see. The yellow ones are blooming. The state flower, the Showy Lady's Slipper, is a pink-and-white blossom, and it's just that -- showy. It takes your breath away. It's fun to celebrate something that represents our state."
The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is celebrating a time of change in the garden with a month-long schedule of programs, tours and activities.
"June is a really great time to come out to the garden, because spring flowers are nearing the end and we're getting more into our summer blooms," Borer said.
The second annual Showy Lady's Slipper Day starts with a discussion on gardening with native orchids and a sale of the orchids from Winsome Orchids. There will be family activities including storytelling and tours. The tours will focus on the garden's own collection of native orchids, including the yellow lady's slipper and the showy lady's slipper.
Lady's Slipper Day will also include a tour of the Quaking Bog, located across the road from the garden. There are wetland plants growing and blooming in this wetland. Some of the plants that grow there are insectivorous, meaning that they feed on insects.
"It's always a treat to visit the bog, and there's a lot to learn from our naturalists," Borer said.
The garden is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to half-an-hour before sunset, and is free to the public.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Finn who shaped modern America
MARY ABBE, Star Tribune
In the United States throughout the 1950s, it was a Finnish-born architect, Eero Saarinen, who shaped American dreams and ambitions with innovative buildings and imaginative furniture.
For 11 short years, Saarinen was a creative dynamo, spinning out designs of extraordinary originality -- the swooping, birdlike TWA terminal at New York's Kennedy Airport and St. Louis' Gateway Arch; buildings for Yale University, General Motors, Bell Labs, IBM and John Deere; homes, churches, embassies, and those icons of modernism, the pedestal chair and table.
He was a household name and magazine cover boy, his face on the front of Time in 1956 and his "womb chair" satirized by Norman Rockwell in a 1959 Saturday Evening Post cover.
And then it ended. In 1961, Saarinen died from complications after surgery for a brain tumor. He was 51. In the next four years, his firm finished nine of his major buildings, including the TWA terminal, Dulles Airport, New York's CBS building and St. Louis' arch. But in successive decades, his fame faded as architecture rejected innovative form in favor of boxy, orthodox modernism followed by postmodern pastiche and irony.
Now an exhibition at Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, running through Jan. 4, redresses that neglect. With hundreds of intimate photos, architectural drawings, huge models and samples of furniture, the show puts Saarinen's work at center stage in all its breathtaking inventiveness, elegant serenity and technological brio.
The architect's daughter, Susan Saarinen, and architectural archivist Mark Coir will discuss his family and work at 2 p.m. today at the institute.
"My father's work was not easy to categorize, and some critics said each building is so different that he doesn't have any consistent style," said Susan Saarinen recently by phone from Golden, Colo., where she is a landscape architect. "He was kind of an oddball in that respect, and he fell out of favor."
That began to change in 2002 after Saarinen's archives were given to Yale University by his successor firm, Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates. With the passage of time and the opportunity to put all of his work in perspective, scholars saw repeated design concepts that clarified his intentions.
"If you look at a Mies [van der Rohe] building, you see the same themes all the way through, but there is not a singular look to my father's work," Saarinen said. "He said each program for a building has to be different, and a New York City skyscraper shouldn't look like an airport and an airport shouldn't look like a chapel. He wanted to express whatever that building should express in its own form."
The Yale archives became the basis of the current show, which opened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2006 before embarking on a four-year tour to Oslo, Norway; Brussels, Belgium; Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. It was organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York; the Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki, and the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., with help from the Yale University School of Architecture.
American modernist
At the epicenter of what has been called the American Century, Saarinen's designs epitomized the country's brash confidence, expansive wealth and technological skills. He applied industrial know-how to corporate buildings, using automotive window seals to fix glass in the General Motors headquarters, surrounding the John Deere building with new Cor-Ten steel that looked like rusted plowshares but didn't corrode, and molding chairs from fiberglass.
Saarinen literally inherited his design prowess. His father, Eliel, was an internationally famous architect, his mother, Loja, a textile designer and sculptor, his sister Pipsan a designer and interior decorator. He was 13 when the family emigrated to the United States, soon settling in suburban Detroit, where his father began designing an educational complex that includes the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Eero worked in his father's office through high school, then studied sculpture in Paris for two years and graduated from Yale's architecture school in 1934.
The 1930s and '40s saw Eero winning competitions, doing high-profile projects at the New York World's Fair and the Museum of Modern Art, and collaborating with his father and Cranbrook grads Charles Eames and Ralph Rapson, among others. After his father's death in 1950, Eero took over the family firm and embarked on a decade of award-winning commissions.
Showboater extraordinaire
"He was arguably the most famous architect in America when he died, the architect of big business, known for his embassies and furniture design," said historian Coir, former director of the Cranbrook Academy archives. "But by the end of the 1960s and early '70s, he wasn't even taught in architecture schools. He had dropped off the face of design. He was considered theatrical, a showboater. ... It wasn't until the resurgence of midcentury modernism in furniture -- the womb chair, the pedestal chair -- that he was looked at again."
The show documents more than 50 of Saarinen's projects, including some unbuilt designs. His staff photographer, Balthazar Korab, who took many of the images, was a lens wizard who invented ways to photograph models so they looked like finished buildings -- a very persuasive sales technique in that precomputer era. The show is rich in marvelous pictures of bold structures under construction, designers debating the merits of huge walk-in models and dramatically lit finished projects. Prototypes show the famous chairs evolving from clunky molded plywood to sleek production numbers.
Because the show is so vast, the two museums have divided it thematically. The Walker features his designs for furniture, residences, churches and academic and corporate campuses. The institute will house his biggest models along with designs for airports, memorials, embassies and early modernist projects. Local highlights include plans for Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis (on which father and son both worked) and the IBM building in Rochester.
"He was a man of his place and time, but then he does go a step beyond in creating these dynamic forms," said Jennifer Komar Olivarez, the institute's associate curator who is overseeing the Minneapolis presentation with Andrew Blauvelt, Walker's design curator. "He learned to look at each problem individually and each building looks different because it fit the job.
"The TWA terminal was about motion and monumentality, but the Yale dormitories are a modern medieval village. ... It's all about exploring tradition and new materials in different ways."
Mary Abbe • 612-673-4431
In the United States throughout the 1950s, it was a Finnish-born architect, Eero Saarinen, who shaped American dreams and ambitions with innovative buildings and imaginative furniture.
For 11 short years, Saarinen was a creative dynamo, spinning out designs of extraordinary originality -- the swooping, birdlike TWA terminal at New York's Kennedy Airport and St. Louis' Gateway Arch; buildings for Yale University, General Motors, Bell Labs, IBM and John Deere; homes, churches, embassies, and those icons of modernism, the pedestal chair and table.
He was a household name and magazine cover boy, his face on the front of Time in 1956 and his "womb chair" satirized by Norman Rockwell in a 1959 Saturday Evening Post cover.
And then it ended. In 1961, Saarinen died from complications after surgery for a brain tumor. He was 51. In the next four years, his firm finished nine of his major buildings, including the TWA terminal, Dulles Airport, New York's CBS building and St. Louis' arch. But in successive decades, his fame faded as architecture rejected innovative form in favor of boxy, orthodox modernism followed by postmodern pastiche and irony.
Now an exhibition at Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, running through Jan. 4, redresses that neglect. With hundreds of intimate photos, architectural drawings, huge models and samples of furniture, the show puts Saarinen's work at center stage in all its breathtaking inventiveness, elegant serenity and technological brio.
The architect's daughter, Susan Saarinen, and architectural archivist Mark Coir will discuss his family and work at 2 p.m. today at the institute.
"My father's work was not easy to categorize, and some critics said each building is so different that he doesn't have any consistent style," said Susan Saarinen recently by phone from Golden, Colo., where she is a landscape architect. "He was kind of an oddball in that respect, and he fell out of favor."
That began to change in 2002 after Saarinen's archives were given to Yale University by his successor firm, Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates. With the passage of time and the opportunity to put all of his work in perspective, scholars saw repeated design concepts that clarified his intentions.
"If you look at a Mies [van der Rohe] building, you see the same themes all the way through, but there is not a singular look to my father's work," Saarinen said. "He said each program for a building has to be different, and a New York City skyscraper shouldn't look like an airport and an airport shouldn't look like a chapel. He wanted to express whatever that building should express in its own form."
The Yale archives became the basis of the current show, which opened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2006 before embarking on a four-year tour to Oslo, Norway; Brussels, Belgium; Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. It was organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York; the Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki, and the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., with help from the Yale University School of Architecture.
American modernist
At the epicenter of what has been called the American Century, Saarinen's designs epitomized the country's brash confidence, expansive wealth and technological skills. He applied industrial know-how to corporate buildings, using automotive window seals to fix glass in the General Motors headquarters, surrounding the John Deere building with new Cor-Ten steel that looked like rusted plowshares but didn't corrode, and molding chairs from fiberglass.
Saarinen literally inherited his design prowess. His father, Eliel, was an internationally famous architect, his mother, Loja, a textile designer and sculptor, his sister Pipsan a designer and interior decorator. He was 13 when the family emigrated to the United States, soon settling in suburban Detroit, where his father began designing an educational complex that includes the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Eero worked in his father's office through high school, then studied sculpture in Paris for two years and graduated from Yale's architecture school in 1934.
The 1930s and '40s saw Eero winning competitions, doing high-profile projects at the New York World's Fair and the Museum of Modern Art, and collaborating with his father and Cranbrook grads Charles Eames and Ralph Rapson, among others. After his father's death in 1950, Eero took over the family firm and embarked on a decade of award-winning commissions.
Showboater extraordinaire
"He was arguably the most famous architect in America when he died, the architect of big business, known for his embassies and furniture design," said historian Coir, former director of the Cranbrook Academy archives. "But by the end of the 1960s and early '70s, he wasn't even taught in architecture schools. He had dropped off the face of design. He was considered theatrical, a showboater. ... It wasn't until the resurgence of midcentury modernism in furniture -- the womb chair, the pedestal chair -- that he was looked at again."
The show documents more than 50 of Saarinen's projects, including some unbuilt designs. His staff photographer, Balthazar Korab, who took many of the images, was a lens wizard who invented ways to photograph models so they looked like finished buildings -- a very persuasive sales technique in that precomputer era. The show is rich in marvelous pictures of bold structures under construction, designers debating the merits of huge walk-in models and dramatically lit finished projects. Prototypes show the famous chairs evolving from clunky molded plywood to sleek production numbers.
Because the show is so vast, the two museums have divided it thematically. The Walker features his designs for furniture, residences, churches and academic and corporate campuses. The institute will house his biggest models along with designs for airports, memorials, embassies and early modernist projects. Local highlights include plans for Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis (on which father and son both worked) and the IBM building in Rochester.
"He was a man of his place and time, but then he does go a step beyond in creating these dynamic forms," said Jennifer Komar Olivarez, the institute's associate curator who is overseeing the Minneapolis presentation with Andrew Blauvelt, Walker's design curator. "He learned to look at each problem individually and each building looks different because it fit the job.
"The TWA terminal was about motion and monumentality, but the Yale dormitories are a modern medieval village. ... It's all about exploring tradition and new materials in different ways."
Mary Abbe • 612-673-4431
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tale of 2 cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul's club scenes are night & day
BY JO PIAZZA
Republicans in Minnesota for the party's National Convention this week are getting a pretty sweet two-for-one deal when it comes to nightlife. The two cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, each have a very distinct brand of after-dark fun.
Republicans in Minnesota for the party's National Convention this week are getting a pretty sweet two-for-one deal when it comes to nightlife. The two cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, each have a very distinct brand of after-dark fun.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Beer flows at the Blue Nile
TOM HORGEN, Star Tribune
As the beer gods would have it, the Twin Cities are now home to quite a few boutique beer bars -- places where a good brew is as coveted as a fine wine. While these spots stand out among metro bars, one destination sticks out even more.
It's not everywhere you can order a premium Belgian beer with a plate of Ethiopian food, but the Blue Nile isn't your average bar. After more than a decade on East Franklin Avenue, it still looks like an Ethiopian restaurant hiding behind a Mexican facade, and it still offers great live music, from African and Caribbean to hip-hop and spoken word.
But how did an Ethiopian restaurant end up with one of the best beer selections in town? Owner Fahmi Katabay points to one man: His bartender, Al.
Al McCarty came looking for a job in the late '90s, intrigued by the restaurant's East African cuisine and worldly music. When Katabay put him in charge of the restaurant's bar, McCarty felt like a kid in a candy shop -- or in this case, a beer lover in charge of drinks.
The craft-beer revolution was just catching steam here. There was no Bulldog, Happy Gnome or Muddy Pig yet. McCarty points to only the Bryant-Lake Bowl and a couple of other bars as craft-beer havens. Regardless, he started asking the local beer distributors for the good stuff: Belgians and boutique American brands.
He only had 10 taps and a couple of big coolers under the bar, but McCarty worked with what he had. Today, he changes the tap selection regularly and has about 50 bottled beers, many of them imports. He does carry Miller and other mass-market beers -- club nights demand it -- but he stacks those bottles on their sides, packing them in to save room for the good stuff. He dreams of installing another 20 or so taps to compete with other beer bars, many of which have 25-plus.
One of his proudest moments was in 2002, when he took a perennial mainstream beer off the tap line: "I dropped Budweiser and replaced it with Maredsous, a Belgian Abbey beer. We got rid of the most ubiquitous beer in the world for a family-owned brewery."
Katabay said McCarty is like family and he supports his bartender's ambition. Plus, the range of beers matches nicely with the restaurant's mix of spicy meat dishes.
However, Katabay joked, "I did not think he would take it to this extent." McCarty will even age certain bottles, allowing the beer to develop more flavor (this works best with darker beers, he said).
He's had release parties for local breweries such as Surly. Lately, he's been trying to introduce a Sri Lankan beer called Lion Stout to the large African-Caribbean crowd that comes in on Thursdays for reggae night. They drink primarily Guinness Extra Stout, which is similar.
McCarty also pushes the importance of serving beers in their proper glassware to amplify the taste and aroma. Of course, some people would rather chug straight from the bottle. But sometimes, he'll get a novice beer drinker who wants to experiment with taste and presentation. And that makes this beer crusader feel good, as if world peace were next on his checklist.
"Every once in a while, you make a little difference," he said.
thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909
As the beer gods would have it, the Twin Cities are now home to quite a few boutique beer bars -- places where a good brew is as coveted as a fine wine. While these spots stand out among metro bars, one destination sticks out even more.
It's not everywhere you can order a premium Belgian beer with a plate of Ethiopian food, but the Blue Nile isn't your average bar. After more than a decade on East Franklin Avenue, it still looks like an Ethiopian restaurant hiding behind a Mexican facade, and it still offers great live music, from African and Caribbean to hip-hop and spoken word.
But how did an Ethiopian restaurant end up with one of the best beer selections in town? Owner Fahmi Katabay points to one man: His bartender, Al.
Al McCarty came looking for a job in the late '90s, intrigued by the restaurant's East African cuisine and worldly music. When Katabay put him in charge of the restaurant's bar, McCarty felt like a kid in a candy shop -- or in this case, a beer lover in charge of drinks.
The craft-beer revolution was just catching steam here. There was no Bulldog, Happy Gnome or Muddy Pig yet. McCarty points to only the Bryant-Lake Bowl and a couple of other bars as craft-beer havens. Regardless, he started asking the local beer distributors for the good stuff: Belgians and boutique American brands.
He only had 10 taps and a couple of big coolers under the bar, but McCarty worked with what he had. Today, he changes the tap selection regularly and has about 50 bottled beers, many of them imports. He does carry Miller and other mass-market beers -- club nights demand it -- but he stacks those bottles on their sides, packing them in to save room for the good stuff. He dreams of installing another 20 or so taps to compete with other beer bars, many of which have 25-plus.
One of his proudest moments was in 2002, when he took a perennial mainstream beer off the tap line: "I dropped Budweiser and replaced it with Maredsous, a Belgian Abbey beer. We got rid of the most ubiquitous beer in the world for a family-owned brewery."
Katabay said McCarty is like family and he supports his bartender's ambition. Plus, the range of beers matches nicely with the restaurant's mix of spicy meat dishes.
However, Katabay joked, "I did not think he would take it to this extent." McCarty will even age certain bottles, allowing the beer to develop more flavor (this works best with darker beers, he said).
He's had release parties for local breweries such as Surly. Lately, he's been trying to introduce a Sri Lankan beer called Lion Stout to the large African-Caribbean crowd that comes in on Thursdays for reggae night. They drink primarily Guinness Extra Stout, which is similar.
McCarty also pushes the importance of serving beers in their proper glassware to amplify the taste and aroma. Of course, some people would rather chug straight from the bottle. But sometimes, he'll get a novice beer drinker who wants to experiment with taste and presentation. And that makes this beer crusader feel good, as if world peace were next on his checklist.
"Every once in a while, you make a little difference," he said.
thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909
What to do in Minneapolis/Twin Cities while you’re waiting for the Republican National Convention
Los Angeles Times staff writer Christopher Reynolds gives an entertaining and informative guide to the Twin Cities for John McCain. For those who struggle to tear themselves away from political news updates on TV, here are some simple suggestions for what to do and where to eat and drink in the Twin Cities while you wait for the GOP convention to begin.
Five Popular attractions in Minneapolis-St. Paul:
1. Walker Art Center
2. Frank Gehry’s Weisman Museum
3. Midtown Global Market
4. Cathedral of Saint Paul
5. Mall of America
Music during the Republican National Convention:
The Twin Cities Daily Planet has the lowdown on all the music events going on in the area during the convention. Read: Music to ripple through Twin Cities during RNC
Where to eat and drink: Gayot’s Hot 10 Restaurants in Minneapolis list includes Alma, Chambers Kitchen, Good Day Café, Heidi’s, Meritage, Modern Café, 112 Eatery, Red Stag Supperclub, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge and Town Talk Diner. Meanwhile the Mpls. St. Paul Magazine has an extensive dining guide and bars + nightclubs guide to get the locals’ dish on where to go.
Five Popular attractions in Minneapolis-St. Paul:
1. Walker Art Center
2. Frank Gehry’s Weisman Museum
3. Midtown Global Market
4. Cathedral of Saint Paul
5. Mall of America
Music during the Republican National Convention:
The Twin Cities Daily Planet has the lowdown on all the music events going on in the area during the convention. Read: Music to ripple through Twin Cities during RNC
Where to eat and drink: Gayot’s Hot 10 Restaurants in Minneapolis list includes Alma, Chambers Kitchen, Good Day Café, Heidi’s, Meritage, Modern Café, 112 Eatery, Red Stag Supperclub, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge and Town Talk Diner. Meanwhile the Mpls. St. Paul Magazine has an extensive dining guide and bars + nightclubs guide to get the locals’ dish on where to go.
Skyway art celebrates new immigrants
MINNEAPOLIS - A busy downtown Minneapolis skyway has been transformed into a celebration of Minnesota's newest immigrants.
The "Speaking of Home" public art project features 23 family photographs of immigrants and other new Minnesotans. The photos are printed on 10-by-13-foot sheets of white transparent fabric and installed consecutively in the skyway window frames.
Artist Nancy Ann Coyne collaborated with the latest Twin Cities residents to create the project. It's one of the official events celebrating Minnesota's 150th birthday.
The project is installed inside the 150-foot skyway connecting the IDS Center and Macy's department store. It's visible to pedestrians passing below on Nicollet Mall.
The display runs through October 31st.
The "Speaking of Home" public art project features 23 family photographs of immigrants and other new Minnesotans. The photos are printed on 10-by-13-foot sheets of white transparent fabric and installed consecutively in the skyway window frames.
Artist Nancy Ann Coyne collaborated with the latest Twin Cities residents to create the project. It's one of the official events celebrating Minnesota's 150th birthday.
The project is installed inside the 150-foot skyway connecting the IDS Center and Macy's department store. It's visible to pedestrians passing below on Nicollet Mall.
The display runs through October 31st.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Metromix Twin Cities
Another interesting link for finding entertainment, restaurants and other fun things do along with the educational, networking and relationship building that you do while at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Minneapolis, October 20-22, 2008
http://twincities.metromix.com/
http://twincities.metromix.com/
Spa at the Airport
We'll all want to linger a while longer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport if plans materialize for a spa for travelers. The airport could have a 5,000-square-foot wellness center in time for September's Republican National Convention. The center is to be part spa--including hair and nail care, plus massage--part medical clinic, with a health practitioner available to diagnoze and treat basic illnesses. Visit http://www.mspairport.com/ for more information.
Start scheduling those October 2008 pre-AMTC manicures now and post AMTC massages before you return home!
Start scheduling those October 2008 pre-AMTC manicures now and post AMTC massages before you return home!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Minneapolis Fountains Poised to Make a Splash
STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune
Water will shoot up from marsh grass, from the shells of river mussels, from a cleft in a giant boulder. Sculpted fountains will represent city water as ice and as a cloud of gas.
And if the designs for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's 10 controversial drinking fountains capture the public's fancy like he hopes, you'll hardly be able to take a walk in the City of Lakes without running into a fountain offering city water.
The designs for $50,000 artist-designed bubblers were unveiled with ceremony Tuesday at the Guthrie Theater, which overlooks the site of the city's original water intake -- before a typhoid outbreak forced it upstream.
"The good news is people are talking about water in Minneapolis again," Rybak said before the unveiling, a reference to the criticism he's taken for the cost of the fountains.
Arts advocates say the project -- half from property taxes, half from water charges -- is a continuation of the city's ongoing public arts program, which has brought the city projects ranging from an oversized bunny sculpture at E. Minnehaha Parkway and Portland Av. S. to artist-designed manhole covers.
The program has its roots in a perennially broken water fountain at Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, a onetime porn palace on Lake Street. That got the theater's artistic director Sandy Spieler musing on the world's water supply, quality and ownership.
"We forget when we bow to take a drink where it is coming from and where it is going," she said. Her watery explorations led to a theatrical work and eventually got the ear of the city's First Spouse, Megan O'Hara, and through her, Rybak.
Spieler worked with a team to design one fountain, to be installed on the plaza next to the Guthrie. On Saturday at 3 p.m., Heart of the Beast also will dedicate a replacement of its own fountain.
Other artists and locations chosen by a selection panel include Mayumi Amada, Northeast Community Library; Lisa Elias, two designs on Marquette and 2nd Avenues; Douglas Freeman, Plymouth and Penn avenues; Gita Ghei, Sara Hanson and Jan Louise Kusske, Midtown YWCA; Seitu Jones, Dinkytown; Andrew MacGuffie, Mozaic development in Uptown; Peter Morales, Ancient Traders Market on Franklin Avenue; and Marjorie Pitz, Nicollet Mall.
None of the designs is ready for installation. Five still need sponsors who will agree to clean them daily and pay for the costs of fall draining and spring pressuring, a restriction set by the City Council. Billed as lasting for 25 years, the designs are getting a rigorous examination for sustainability from sculpture conservator Kristin Cheronis. She looks at factors that undercut durability, such as incompatible materials, and watches for unsafe features such as projecting points.
"Sometimes she has hard questions," said Jones. "She sees things that sometimes we don't see. She sees art in a whole different way from an artist."
Some City Council members initially questioned the initiative, with issues ranging from cost to maintenance. But Rybak eventually got his way, arguing that the project will promote city water at a time when public consumption of it is shrinking, leading to higher water rates.
Rybak said he's hoping that the city's investment in public fountains will stimulate a public demand for like investment by private developers and landowners.
And if they're looking for designs, Spieler, who sat on the selection panel, said she could refer them to "so many beautiful designs" that didn't make the cut.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Water will shoot up from marsh grass, from the shells of river mussels, from a cleft in a giant boulder. Sculpted fountains will represent city water as ice and as a cloud of gas.
And if the designs for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's 10 controversial drinking fountains capture the public's fancy like he hopes, you'll hardly be able to take a walk in the City of Lakes without running into a fountain offering city water.
The designs for $50,000 artist-designed bubblers were unveiled with ceremony Tuesday at the Guthrie Theater, which overlooks the site of the city's original water intake -- before a typhoid outbreak forced it upstream.
"The good news is people are talking about water in Minneapolis again," Rybak said before the unveiling, a reference to the criticism he's taken for the cost of the fountains.
Arts advocates say the project -- half from property taxes, half from water charges -- is a continuation of the city's ongoing public arts program, which has brought the city projects ranging from an oversized bunny sculpture at E. Minnehaha Parkway and Portland Av. S. to artist-designed manhole covers.
The program has its roots in a perennially broken water fountain at Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, a onetime porn palace on Lake Street. That got the theater's artistic director Sandy Spieler musing on the world's water supply, quality and ownership.
"We forget when we bow to take a drink where it is coming from and where it is going," she said. Her watery explorations led to a theatrical work and eventually got the ear of the city's First Spouse, Megan O'Hara, and through her, Rybak.
Spieler worked with a team to design one fountain, to be installed on the plaza next to the Guthrie. On Saturday at 3 p.m., Heart of the Beast also will dedicate a replacement of its own fountain.
Other artists and locations chosen by a selection panel include Mayumi Amada, Northeast Community Library; Lisa Elias, two designs on Marquette and 2nd Avenues; Douglas Freeman, Plymouth and Penn avenues; Gita Ghei, Sara Hanson and Jan Louise Kusske, Midtown YWCA; Seitu Jones, Dinkytown; Andrew MacGuffie, Mozaic development in Uptown; Peter Morales, Ancient Traders Market on Franklin Avenue; and Marjorie Pitz, Nicollet Mall.
None of the designs is ready for installation. Five still need sponsors who will agree to clean them daily and pay for the costs of fall draining and spring pressuring, a restriction set by the City Council. Billed as lasting for 25 years, the designs are getting a rigorous examination for sustainability from sculpture conservator Kristin Cheronis. She looks at factors that undercut durability, such as incompatible materials, and watches for unsafe features such as projecting points.
"Sometimes she has hard questions," said Jones. "She sees things that sometimes we don't see. She sees art in a whole different way from an artist."
Some City Council members initially questioned the initiative, with issues ranging from cost to maintenance. But Rybak eventually got his way, arguing that the project will promote city water at a time when public consumption of it is shrinking, leading to higher water rates.
Rybak said he's hoping that the city's investment in public fountains will stimulate a public demand for like investment by private developers and landowners.
And if they're looking for designs, Spieler, who sat on the selection panel, said she could refer them to "so many beautiful designs" that didn't make the cut.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Another Guthrie Destination
It took first-time restaurateurs Nuntanit Charoensit and Kong Tiyawat to take advantage of what seems to be a prime dining location. The storefront kitty-corner from the Guthrie Theater now hums with their new Kindee Thai Restaurant.
That's Charoensit, a Bangkok native, cooking with her crew behind a great-looking copper-lined bar (the warmly contemporary room -- with prime Guthrie views -- was designed by Thai architect Jiroj Ittiwetchai). Charoensit is cooking the food she said she grew up eating: ground chicken seasoned with mint and lime and rolled into lettuce cups, delicately battered and fried hard-cooked eggs, spicy soups laced with galangal and kaffir lime leaves, super-spicy rice noodles, several curry variations and a few vegetable stir fries -- all served with an eye toward good looks and clean, bright flavors. Top price is $14, and beer and wine should be on their way.
719 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis, 612-465-8303, kindeethairestaurant.com. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
That's Charoensit, a Bangkok native, cooking with her crew behind a great-looking copper-lined bar (the warmly contemporary room -- with prime Guthrie views -- was designed by Thai architect Jiroj Ittiwetchai). Charoensit is cooking the food she said she grew up eating: ground chicken seasoned with mint and lime and rolled into lettuce cups, delicately battered and fried hard-cooked eggs, spicy soups laced with galangal and kaffir lime leaves, super-spicy rice noodles, several curry variations and a few vegetable stir fries -- all served with an eye toward good looks and clean, bright flavors. Top price is $14, and beer and wine should be on their way.
719 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis, 612-465-8303, kindeethairestaurant.com. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Soup Nazi is Back! SoupMan Sets Up Shop in Downtown Minneapolis
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Carissa Wyant Staff Writer
Soup for you! The Original SoupMan restaurant -- of Seinfeld fame -- has set up shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Its located in downtown Minneapolis' 225 South Sixth Street building. Operated by franchisee Michael Barr of Minneapolis, the restaurant is slated to have a grand opening on Tuesday. The flagship restaurant was started in 1984 as Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International. The chain, which is based in Linden, N.J.
It features a menu of 50 varieties of soup such as lobster bisque, mulligatawny and jambalaya. Meals are served with a piece of baguette, fruit and a piece of chocolate.
At the Twin Cities opening, one customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of their life.
cwyant@bizjournals.com | (612) 288-2108
Soup for you! The Original SoupMan restaurant -- of Seinfeld fame -- has set up shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Its located in downtown Minneapolis' 225 South Sixth Street building. Operated by franchisee Michael Barr of Minneapolis, the restaurant is slated to have a grand opening on Tuesday. The flagship restaurant was started in 1984 as Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International. The chain, which is based in Linden, N.J.
It features a menu of 50 varieties of soup such as lobster bisque, mulligatawny and jambalaya. Meals are served with a piece of baguette, fruit and a piece of chocolate.
At the Twin Cities opening, one customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of their life.
cwyant@bizjournals.com | (612) 288-2108
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Minneapolis, St. Paul Parks Shine in National Report
PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune
When it comes to ball fields, tennis courts and recreation centers, St. Paul and Minneapolis rank at or near the top in those categories and numerous other measures taken by a leading park land conservation organization.
As for land dedicated to parks, 16.6 percent of Minneapolis is parkland, first among cities with immediate-high population densities. St. Paul is second (14.7 percent) in the same density category.
The nonprofit Trust for Public Land today reports the following for the state's two largest cities:
• Recreation centers per 20,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 3.0; Minneapolis, 2nd, 2.6.
• Tennis courts per 10,000 residents: Minneapolis, 1st, 4.9; St. Paul, tied for 3rd, 3.7.
• Ball diamonds per 10,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 5.6; Minneapolis, 2nd, 5.3.
• Skateboard parks per 100,000 residents: Minneapolis, 3rd, 1.6; St. Paul, 16th, 0.7.
• Park-related spending per resident: St. Paul, 3rd, $224; Minneapolis, 8th, $151.
• Non-seasonal municipal park employees per 1,000 residents: Minneapolis , 5th, 1.56; St. Paul, 14th, 1.08.
The Twin Cities also landed one of its park destinations among the most visited in the nation. The Lake Harriet/Lyndale Park area in Minneapolis receives about 2.25 million visitors a year, placing it 30th.
The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization. It describes its mission as conserving land "for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
When it comes to ball fields, tennis courts and recreation centers, St. Paul and Minneapolis rank at or near the top in those categories and numerous other measures taken by a leading park land conservation organization.
As for land dedicated to parks, 16.6 percent of Minneapolis is parkland, first among cities with immediate-high population densities. St. Paul is second (14.7 percent) in the same density category.
The nonprofit Trust for Public Land today reports the following for the state's two largest cities:
• Recreation centers per 20,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 3.0; Minneapolis, 2nd, 2.6.
• Tennis courts per 10,000 residents: Minneapolis, 1st, 4.9; St. Paul, tied for 3rd, 3.7.
• Ball diamonds per 10,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 5.6; Minneapolis, 2nd, 5.3.
• Skateboard parks per 100,000 residents: Minneapolis, 3rd, 1.6; St. Paul, 16th, 0.7.
• Park-related spending per resident: St. Paul, 3rd, $224; Minneapolis, 8th, $151.
• Non-seasonal municipal park employees per 1,000 residents: Minneapolis , 5th, 1.56; St. Paul, 14th, 1.08.
The Twin Cities also landed one of its park destinations among the most visited in the nation. The Lake Harriet/Lyndale Park area in Minneapolis receives about 2.25 million visitors a year, placing it 30th.
The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization. It describes its mission as conserving land "for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Minnesota Culture
While we know that AMTC is all about business, the following website may be of interest to those of us who spend a few minutes outside of the education and committee work grind at AMTC. A few short minutes to relax with friends, catch up on personal infromation, and reconnect.
In those few minutes, there is a possibility that beer may be involved- and in Minnesota, beer is not a beverage, it's a culture.
Check out the following website to learn more about the Minneapolis Beer Culture- see you in MN-
http://mnbeer.com/
In those few minutes, there is a possibility that beer may be involved- and in Minnesota, beer is not a beverage, it's a culture.
Check out the following website to learn more about the Minneapolis Beer Culture- see you in MN-
http://mnbeer.com/
Monday, June 30, 2008
Minneapolis girl takes on global role in YouTube video
by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio
June 27, 2008
St. Paul, Minn. — A Minneapolis girl plays a big role in one of this year's most popular and talked-about Internet videos.
Posted about a week ago, the film, simply called "Dancing," has nearly three million hits on YouTube alone, and it is featured at many other Internet sites. The film features a 31-year-old computer programmer turned filmmaker doing a goofy dance in just about every imaginable corner of the globe.
Matthew Harding has made similar videos in the past, but the stars of this year's film are actually the hundreds of people he's met in his journeys around the world. The video's haunting soundtrack features the singing of 17-year-old Palbasha Siddique, who lives in Northeast Minneapolis.
Siddique is a native of Bangladesh and sings the song in her native language. It is a translation of the poem "Stream of Life" by Rabindranath Tagore. You can visit the Dancing with the Universe Web site to learn more about Palbasha Siddique and get a translation of the words of her song.
June 27, 2008
St. Paul, Minn. — A Minneapolis girl plays a big role in one of this year's most popular and talked-about Internet videos.
Posted about a week ago, the film, simply called "Dancing," has nearly three million hits on YouTube alone, and it is featured at many other Internet sites. The film features a 31-year-old computer programmer turned filmmaker doing a goofy dance in just about every imaginable corner of the globe.
Matthew Harding has made similar videos in the past, but the stars of this year's film are actually the hundreds of people he's met in his journeys around the world. The video's haunting soundtrack features the singing of 17-year-old Palbasha Siddique, who lives in Northeast Minneapolis.
Siddique is a native of Bangladesh and sings the song in her native language. It is a translation of the poem "Stream of Life" by Rabindranath Tagore. You can visit the Dancing with the Universe Web site to learn more about Palbasha Siddique and get a translation of the words of her song.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Nightlife back at MOA?
It looks like the Mall of America is finally making moves to restore its fourth floor as a nightlife destination. While the upper level once teemed with restaurants and entertainment, it's now home to just Hooters and a movie theater. The mall has announced a July 16 grand opening for Cantina #1, a Corona-branded restaurant that will go in the old Fat Tuesday's and Knuckleheads locations. The restaurant/bar will feature upscale Mexican food in a cabana-themed setting. More additions are coming, said Maureen Bausch, the mall's vice president of business development. The mall hopes to open a bowling alley/arcade in the old Jillian's space by the end of the summer and renovate the movie theater in the fall, she said
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Downtown Dive Bar
There are more changes coming to the former Harvey's in downtown Minneapolis. The owners recently changed the bar's name to the Ugly Mug, and they're adding another club upstairs. The unused second level is being turned into the water-themed Dive Bar, which will be a sister club to the original in Maplewood. (That Dive Bar was originally T-Birds, for those taking notes.) Ugly Mug co-owner Bob Carlson said bar-goers can expect many of the same aesthetic touches from the Maplewood Dive Bar, including that cool water-encased bar top. He's hoping to have the second level open by the end of the month, pending city permits. Carlson, who also owns the Majors chain and part of Bootleggers, recently helped open a second Bootleggers in Milwaukee. (The Ugly Mug/Dive Bar, 106 N. 3rd St., Mpls. 612-343-5930.)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Spa at the Airport
We'll all want to linger a while longer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport if plans materialize for a spa for travelers. The airport could have a 5,000-square-foot wellness center in time for September's Republican National Convention. The center is to be part spa--including hair and nail care, plus massage--part medical clinic, with a health practitioner available to diagnoze and treat basic illnesses. Visit http://www.mspairport.com/ for more information.
Start scheduling those October 2008 pre-AMTC manicures now and post AMTC massages before you return home!
Start scheduling those October 2008 pre-AMTC manicures now and post AMTC massages before you return home!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
No FAREway Tournament in 2008? How About Miniature Golf Instead?
Art Course
BILL WARD, Star Tribune
Sunlight danced merrily through multihued portholes, dappling the walls of the overturned Chris-Craft Roamer and blurring the task at hand. It's rough trying to execute an exceedingly difficult putt through the constantly shifting focus of other people's recycled bifocals.
It's the sheer ethereal beauty -- so pixilated that one can almost hear Gregorian chants, or at least Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic," wafting about the hull -- that makes playing the seventh hole at Big Stone Mini Golf so distracting. Dubbed "Holey Ship" for its cathedral-like ambience, No. 7 is the newest addition to this Minnetrista mini-golf course concocted by local artist Bruce Stillman.
"I've always liked doing landscape sculpture things, wild stuff," Stillman said. "I'm always asking myself how you can do truly functional art. Somehow it came to me to apply the recreation of mini-golf with the sculptures."
So in 2003, Stillman and some fellow artists built a 12-hole miniature-golf course on some land he owns about halfway between Mound and St. Bonifacius. Augmenting his own works -- largely the kind of stainless-steel sculptures that Stillman has been making for 30 years, fetching as much as $50,000 -- are some striking bronze sculptures by Heidi Hoy, including a few nudes that are just abstract enough to keep this all-ages attraction from entering PG-13 territory.
Virtually everything is a work of art, from the slate table with two checkerboards and pumpkin- and dragonfly-shaped benches (kids can perch on the wings) to the steps made of wood, metal, concrete or brick and even the handicapped-parking sign.
On the course itself, odd angles and slopes abound, and the artistic elements might be components, conduits or the hole design itself. There are fossilized tree trunks, a gargantuan metal bowl producing seemingly endless rolls, a pinball-like steel downslope.
Artistic mini-golf courses are not new; the Walker Art Center has operated an artsy mini-golf course the last several summers. The first U.S. course -- built at Pinehurst, N.C., in 1916 -- was designed after the gardens of the Louvre. Actress Mary Pickford opened a Max Ernst-inspired course in Los Angeles.
Steven Hix, executive director of the Fort Worth-based Miniature Golf Association United States, estimates that there are 7,500 mini-golf courses in the nation, down from more than 50,000 in midcentury America. There are only a handful of courses in the Twin Cities area, down from 15 in the early 1990s and nearly 100 in 1960.
With Putt-Putt courses no longer plastered throughout the land, and video golf on the rise, a more visual approach would seem to fit this sport to a tee.
Strokes of genius
The objets d'golf looming about are not the kind of "gallery" one usually finds at a golf course, and Stillman's windmill would hardly fit in a Norman Rockwell painting. But Big Stone exudes the kind of whimsy and, well, wholesomeness that has made miniature golf a big ol' slice of pure Americana for almost a century.
The bucolic setting doesn't hurt. Getting there means a long, lovely drive along Lake Minnetonka, and then suddenly into some seriously rural landscape. Bikers and hikers will be able to get there via the soon-to-open Dakota Line bike path from Wayzata to St. Bonifacius, which runs right alongside the course.
Abutting Gale Woods to the west, Stillman's 17-acre plot houses goats, miniature horses, chickens galore, and the more than occasional egret or heron lounging in the pond just north of the course. On a recent Saturday, Tonka Bay's Tara Bauman, admonishing her daughter Maia, might have been the first person in mini-golf-course history to utter these words: "Don't shriek at the goats; the goats don't like it."
Aside from the petting zones, there are two cool picnic areas on either side of the pond: another old boat ("Kids love going into the cabin and getting behind the steering wheel," Stillman said) and a Stonehenge-like space (mini, of course) with a fire pit.
"It's just really peaceful out here, really artistic, very unique," said Elaine Fiske of Minnetrista, who was watching granddaughters Annelie and Madeline Scolardi of Chanhassen play.
"I like the little golf-course things," said Madeline, "and the boat, and the fish."
Some good-sized koi live in a pond between two holes, and there's fauna as well, scores of sunflowers shooting up along and around the serpentine 10th hole, a legitimate par 4. But the inanimate objects, the greens' friezes, are the stars of this show.
Many holes require major reconnaissance to discern the best approach, and sometimes it's best to just hit the ball and then see how the hole plays out. The final hole ends with the ball on a large concrete slab with running water, the current inching the ball along a maze-like "stream" to the hole, a good 2 minutes after it first splashes down -- and a fitting finale for its creator.
"My sculptures are always slow-moving pieces that are kinda hypnotic," said Stillman, 50. "I always try to have nature do its work."
Bill Ward • 612-673-7643
BILL WARD, Star Tribune
Sunlight danced merrily through multihued portholes, dappling the walls of the overturned Chris-Craft Roamer and blurring the task at hand. It's rough trying to execute an exceedingly difficult putt through the constantly shifting focus of other people's recycled bifocals.
It's the sheer ethereal beauty -- so pixilated that one can almost hear Gregorian chants, or at least Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic," wafting about the hull -- that makes playing the seventh hole at Big Stone Mini Golf so distracting. Dubbed "Holey Ship" for its cathedral-like ambience, No. 7 is the newest addition to this Minnetrista mini-golf course concocted by local artist Bruce Stillman.
"I've always liked doing landscape sculpture things, wild stuff," Stillman said. "I'm always asking myself how you can do truly functional art. Somehow it came to me to apply the recreation of mini-golf with the sculptures."
So in 2003, Stillman and some fellow artists built a 12-hole miniature-golf course on some land he owns about halfway between Mound and St. Bonifacius. Augmenting his own works -- largely the kind of stainless-steel sculptures that Stillman has been making for 30 years, fetching as much as $50,000 -- are some striking bronze sculptures by Heidi Hoy, including a few nudes that are just abstract enough to keep this all-ages attraction from entering PG-13 territory.
Virtually everything is a work of art, from the slate table with two checkerboards and pumpkin- and dragonfly-shaped benches (kids can perch on the wings) to the steps made of wood, metal, concrete or brick and even the handicapped-parking sign.
On the course itself, odd angles and slopes abound, and the artistic elements might be components, conduits or the hole design itself. There are fossilized tree trunks, a gargantuan metal bowl producing seemingly endless rolls, a pinball-like steel downslope.
Artistic mini-golf courses are not new; the Walker Art Center has operated an artsy mini-golf course the last several summers. The first U.S. course -- built at Pinehurst, N.C., in 1916 -- was designed after the gardens of the Louvre. Actress Mary Pickford opened a Max Ernst-inspired course in Los Angeles.
Steven Hix, executive director of the Fort Worth-based Miniature Golf Association United States, estimates that there are 7,500 mini-golf courses in the nation, down from more than 50,000 in midcentury America. There are only a handful of courses in the Twin Cities area, down from 15 in the early 1990s and nearly 100 in 1960.
With Putt-Putt courses no longer plastered throughout the land, and video golf on the rise, a more visual approach would seem to fit this sport to a tee.
Strokes of genius
The objets d'golf looming about are not the kind of "gallery" one usually finds at a golf course, and Stillman's windmill would hardly fit in a Norman Rockwell painting. But Big Stone exudes the kind of whimsy and, well, wholesomeness that has made miniature golf a big ol' slice of pure Americana for almost a century.
The bucolic setting doesn't hurt. Getting there means a long, lovely drive along Lake Minnetonka, and then suddenly into some seriously rural landscape. Bikers and hikers will be able to get there via the soon-to-open Dakota Line bike path from Wayzata to St. Bonifacius, which runs right alongside the course.
Abutting Gale Woods to the west, Stillman's 17-acre plot houses goats, miniature horses, chickens galore, and the more than occasional egret or heron lounging in the pond just north of the course. On a recent Saturday, Tonka Bay's Tara Bauman, admonishing her daughter Maia, might have been the first person in mini-golf-course history to utter these words: "Don't shriek at the goats; the goats don't like it."
Aside from the petting zones, there are two cool picnic areas on either side of the pond: another old boat ("Kids love going into the cabin and getting behind the steering wheel," Stillman said) and a Stonehenge-like space (mini, of course) with a fire pit.
"It's just really peaceful out here, really artistic, very unique," said Elaine Fiske of Minnetrista, who was watching granddaughters Annelie and Madeline Scolardi of Chanhassen play.
"I like the little golf-course things," said Madeline, "and the boat, and the fish."
Some good-sized koi live in a pond between two holes, and there's fauna as well, scores of sunflowers shooting up along and around the serpentine 10th hole, a legitimate par 4. But the inanimate objects, the greens' friezes, are the stars of this show.
Many holes require major reconnaissance to discern the best approach, and sometimes it's best to just hit the ball and then see how the hole plays out. The final hole ends with the ball on a large concrete slab with running water, the current inching the ball along a maze-like "stream" to the hole, a good 2 minutes after it first splashes down -- and a fitting finale for its creator.
"My sculptures are always slow-moving pieces that are kinda hypnotic," said Stillman, 50. "I always try to have nature do its work."
Bill Ward • 612-673-7643
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Touched by History
KIM ODE, Star Tribune
There are those who make history and are revered with its names and dates and ticker-tape parades. And then there are those whose impact on history is, at most, a glancing blow, a near-miss, a feebly grasped coattail. This would be most of us.
Still, rubbing shoulders with destiny should count for something. In honor of Minnesota's 150th birthday, we asked you to share accounts of your sideways associations with the glories of the state's past. The idea is that we're all a part of Minnesota's lore, darn it -- if we stretch circumstances far enough.
Here are some of the tangential ways in which citizens have been touched by history:
A bachelor godfather
Andrea Blume Tilke's brother's godfather is Dan Ellison, who came up with the idea of creating career jobs to attract women to Herman and so ignited the "Bachelormania" craze in 1994. Ellison, an eligible bachelor, was on "Oprah," in People magazine and was played by Michael O'Keefe in the movie "Herman USA." Tilke lives in Savage.
A ride with Benny
Leah Barnacle's father, John Benson, was the first person to use the state's first drive-through banking lane in November 1963, when Northwestern National Bank asked if it could use Benson's 1911 Maxwell car for the event. The bank's celebrity pitchman, Jack Benny, also owned a Maxwell and rode along as Benson's passenger. Barnacle lives in Wayzata.
A yummy invention
Jodi Schwen says her husband's grandfather, Walter J. Schwen, invented the process to cover a brick of ice cream with chocolate coating, which later was sold and patented to become the Eskimo Pie. Walter was the founder of Schwen's Ice Cream and Candy Co. in Blue Earth. Jodi lives in Brainerd.
All about safety
Two people claimed this link with history: Stephanie Ehlers' father's cousin -- who also is Karen Hanggi's grandfather's aunt -- was Sister Carmela Hanggi, who started the school safety patrol in 1921 while principal of the St. Paul Cathedral School. The first crossing was at Kellogg Boulevard and Summit Avenue. The concept of the school patrol is used by schools in all 50 states. Ehlers lives in St. Paul and Hanggi in Coon Rapids.
Scene of the crime
Myrna Maikkula's cousin's husband was the pastor whom kidnappers called with the information that Virginia Piper was handcuffed and chained to a tree south of Duluth in Jay Cooke State Park in 1972, after having demanded a $1 million ransom. Maikkula also is the city clerk who swore Jesse Ventura into office as mayor of Brooklyn Park, launching his political career. She lives in Brooklyn Park.
A brush with Lindy
Ron Manger's father, Lawrence, and his brother, Dan Doyle, helped Charles Lindbergh push his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, into a hangar at Wold-Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis in 1927. Lindbergh was on a national tour after his famous transatlantic flight. The two young men, bored with the long wait, had driven their Model T to the far end of the airfield where, to their shock, Lindbergh landed to avoid the crowds. Manger lives in Minneapolis.
Good to know her
Lizanne Bristol had her ponytail pulled by Dave Lee on the "Popeye and Pete Show," in 1968, which cued the theme song, "So Long, It's Been Good to Know Ya." She lives in Prior Lake.
Prettying up Prince
When Pamela Diamond worked at Pipka's Workshop, a folk-art studio in Minneapolis, in 1984, she took an urgent Saturday afternoon call from a musician who needed his guitar hand-painted with flowers and a monarch butterfly -- by Monday. The movie "Purple Rain" came out two weeks later, and Prince used the guitar on his world tour. Diamond lives in Minneapolis.
Saved by a pro
Steven M. Hansen was yanked from Rainy Lake when he was 5 by Bronko Nagurski, one of the best football players of all time. Nagurski, who grew up in International Falls, was staying in the cabin next to the Hansens' in the early 1950s when Steven was blown offshore while on a float board. When his mother called for help, Nagurski came charging out of his cabin and into the water to pull Hansen back to shore. "What made the incident memorable is that Bronko didn't bother to open the screen door on the way out of his cabin," Hansen wrote. "Scared as I was, I remember seeing it fly into the air. Afterwards, my Dad and some other guys stood around looking at the twisted brackets and discussing how to put it back on." Hansen lives in St. Louis Park.
One cool apple
Corey Gideon Gunderson's fourth great-uncle, Peter Miller Gideon, developed the Wealthy apple in 1868, the first apple to survive North America's cold winters. Gideon's farm, near Excelsior, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gunderson lives in Lakeville.
Studying with a Miller
Mary J. Jasperson's older brother befriended baseball players who stayed at the hotel where he worked, which is why a Minneapolis Millers rookie named Ted Williams was often seen at the family's kitchen table helping Mary with her homework. She now lives in Richfield.
Little wife on the prairie
Mary Jane Hutchinson Petersen's great-grandmother, Electa, married Royal Wilder, the brother of Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband, Almanzo. Petersen lives in Mankato.
High-flying artwork
Nikki DeGidio Wick's father's sister's husband, Charles (Bud) Morgan, helped design Northwest Airlines red tail in 1948 to make downed planes easier to find. Wick lives in Blaine.
Some photo advice
Iris Pahlberg Peterson's father's best friend, Gordon Haga of the Haga Photography Studio in Minneapolis, took the photo of Abigail Van Buren that ran with her Dear Abby advice columns for many years. Peterson lives in Minneapolis.
Kim Ode • 612-673-7185
There are those who make history and are revered with its names and dates and ticker-tape parades. And then there are those whose impact on history is, at most, a glancing blow, a near-miss, a feebly grasped coattail. This would be most of us.
Still, rubbing shoulders with destiny should count for something. In honor of Minnesota's 150th birthday, we asked you to share accounts of your sideways associations with the glories of the state's past. The idea is that we're all a part of Minnesota's lore, darn it -- if we stretch circumstances far enough.
Here are some of the tangential ways in which citizens have been touched by history:
A bachelor godfather
Andrea Blume Tilke's brother's godfather is Dan Ellison, who came up with the idea of creating career jobs to attract women to Herman and so ignited the "Bachelormania" craze in 1994. Ellison, an eligible bachelor, was on "Oprah," in People magazine and was played by Michael O'Keefe in the movie "Herman USA." Tilke lives in Savage.
A ride with Benny
Leah Barnacle's father, John Benson, was the first person to use the state's first drive-through banking lane in November 1963, when Northwestern National Bank asked if it could use Benson's 1911 Maxwell car for the event. The bank's celebrity pitchman, Jack Benny, also owned a Maxwell and rode along as Benson's passenger. Barnacle lives in Wayzata.
A yummy invention
Jodi Schwen says her husband's grandfather, Walter J. Schwen, invented the process to cover a brick of ice cream with chocolate coating, which later was sold and patented to become the Eskimo Pie. Walter was the founder of Schwen's Ice Cream and Candy Co. in Blue Earth. Jodi lives in Brainerd.
All about safety
Two people claimed this link with history: Stephanie Ehlers' father's cousin -- who also is Karen Hanggi's grandfather's aunt -- was Sister Carmela Hanggi, who started the school safety patrol in 1921 while principal of the St. Paul Cathedral School. The first crossing was at Kellogg Boulevard and Summit Avenue. The concept of the school patrol is used by schools in all 50 states. Ehlers lives in St. Paul and Hanggi in Coon Rapids.
Scene of the crime
Myrna Maikkula's cousin's husband was the pastor whom kidnappers called with the information that Virginia Piper was handcuffed and chained to a tree south of Duluth in Jay Cooke State Park in 1972, after having demanded a $1 million ransom. Maikkula also is the city clerk who swore Jesse Ventura into office as mayor of Brooklyn Park, launching his political career. She lives in Brooklyn Park.
A brush with Lindy
Ron Manger's father, Lawrence, and his brother, Dan Doyle, helped Charles Lindbergh push his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, into a hangar at Wold-Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis in 1927. Lindbergh was on a national tour after his famous transatlantic flight. The two young men, bored with the long wait, had driven their Model T to the far end of the airfield where, to their shock, Lindbergh landed to avoid the crowds. Manger lives in Minneapolis.
Good to know her
Lizanne Bristol had her ponytail pulled by Dave Lee on the "Popeye and Pete Show," in 1968, which cued the theme song, "So Long, It's Been Good to Know Ya." She lives in Prior Lake.
Prettying up Prince
When Pamela Diamond worked at Pipka's Workshop, a folk-art studio in Minneapolis, in 1984, she took an urgent Saturday afternoon call from a musician who needed his guitar hand-painted with flowers and a monarch butterfly -- by Monday. The movie "Purple Rain" came out two weeks later, and Prince used the guitar on his world tour. Diamond lives in Minneapolis.
Saved by a pro
Steven M. Hansen was yanked from Rainy Lake when he was 5 by Bronko Nagurski, one of the best football players of all time. Nagurski, who grew up in International Falls, was staying in the cabin next to the Hansens' in the early 1950s when Steven was blown offshore while on a float board. When his mother called for help, Nagurski came charging out of his cabin and into the water to pull Hansen back to shore. "What made the incident memorable is that Bronko didn't bother to open the screen door on the way out of his cabin," Hansen wrote. "Scared as I was, I remember seeing it fly into the air. Afterwards, my Dad and some other guys stood around looking at the twisted brackets and discussing how to put it back on." Hansen lives in St. Louis Park.
One cool apple
Corey Gideon Gunderson's fourth great-uncle, Peter Miller Gideon, developed the Wealthy apple in 1868, the first apple to survive North America's cold winters. Gideon's farm, near Excelsior, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gunderson lives in Lakeville.
Studying with a Miller
Mary J. Jasperson's older brother befriended baseball players who stayed at the hotel where he worked, which is why a Minneapolis Millers rookie named Ted Williams was often seen at the family's kitchen table helping Mary with her homework. She now lives in Richfield.
Little wife on the prairie
Mary Jane Hutchinson Petersen's great-grandmother, Electa, married Royal Wilder, the brother of Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband, Almanzo. Petersen lives in Mankato.
High-flying artwork
Nikki DeGidio Wick's father's sister's husband, Charles (Bud) Morgan, helped design Northwest Airlines red tail in 1948 to make downed planes easier to find. Wick lives in Blaine.
Some photo advice
Iris Pahlberg Peterson's father's best friend, Gordon Haga of the Haga Photography Studio in Minneapolis, took the photo of Abigail Van Buren that ran with her Dear Abby advice columns for many years. Peterson lives in Minneapolis.
Kim Ode • 612-673-7185
Monday, June 16, 2008
STELLA'S FISH CAFE
The spot: This Uptown staple has been Minneapolis' most coveted rooftop destination. Luckily, the three-story mega-restaurant can fit a gazillion people on its rooftop, with a picture-perfect view of downtown.
Best seat: "The corner table that overlooks Lagoon Avenue," says owner Bob Carlson. "The downtown skyline is in your view and it's just awesome. It's where we sat Vince Vaughn this past summer."
1400 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-824-8862
Best seat: "The corner table that overlooks Lagoon Avenue," says owner Bob Carlson. "The downtown skyline is in your view and it's just awesome. It's where we sat Vince Vaughn this past summer."
1400 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-824-8862
SEVEN SKY BAR
The spot: It's huge, and they've spared no expense. No plastic chairs here -- seating is a mix of cast-aluminum swivel chairs and eye-popping red super sofas. There's a fire pit, pergolas, two granite-top bars and a movie screen. Oh, and downtown's tallest buildings loom overhead.
Best seat: "On one of the red couches in front of the fire pit, where you can see the beautiful skyline and people enjoying themselves," says owner David Koch.
700 Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-238-7777, 7mpls.com
Best seat: "On one of the red couches in front of the fire pit, where you can see the beautiful skyline and people enjoying themselves," says owner David Koch.
700 Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-238-7777, 7mpls.com
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Recipe: The Minneapolis Mojito
From the Star Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS MOJITO
Serves 1.
Otho Restaurant bartender Tony Kauck invented and named this drink, partially because he uses Opulent, a Minnesota-bottled vodka.
• 4 mint leaves
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Crushed ice
• 1 1/2 oz. vodka
• Splash of club soda
• 1 mint sprig
Directions
Put mint leaves, sugar and lime juice in a large glass and muddle together. Add crushed ice. Stir in vodka and top off with club soda. Garnish with mint sprig.
MINNEAPOLIS MOJITO
Serves 1.
Otho Restaurant bartender Tony Kauck invented and named this drink, partially because he uses Opulent, a Minnesota-bottled vodka.
• 4 mint leaves
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Crushed ice
• 1 1/2 oz. vodka
• Splash of club soda
• 1 mint sprig
Directions
Put mint leaves, sugar and lime juice in a large glass and muddle together. Add crushed ice. Stir in vodka and top off with club soda. Garnish with mint sprig.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
During AMTC Make Sure You Watch for Cyclists as Well as Cars!
A Green Light for Bikers, When Traffic Allows
Steve Brandt, Star Tribune
Are Minnesotans willing to grant bicyclists limited immunity from stop signs and red lights?
That question is posed by a legislative proposal introduced during Bike/Walk to Work Week earlier this month by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, both bikers.
Their proposal is based on an Idaho statute that allows bikers to proceed though stops in certain circumstances. It would require bikers approaching a stop signal or sign to slow to a speed that allows them to stop.
They'd be required to stop if a vehicle is in the vicinity. But they could proceed through a stop sign without stopping if there's no traffic close enough to pose a hazard while they'd be moving through the intersection. At a red light, they could also make a right turn, or a left turn onto a one-way street, without stopping. And if there's no vehicle nearby, they could proceed through the intersection after a full stop without waiting for a green light.
"It's how most people behave anyway," said Kahn.
Dateline Minneapolis touched on the issue two weeks ago. We continue to believe there's no excuse for blowing through a congested intersection on a bike against a stop. But this proposal recognizes that the physics of accelerating a bike from a standstill are different from pressing an accelerator. It also recognizes that bikes don't trip the pressure plates that trigger a signal change for cars.
The Kahn/Carlson proposal will be reintroduced for next session. It may be read at www.startribune.com/a4406 .
Memories of a pioneer
We highlighted last month the status of Elsa Johnson as the first woman to serve on the Minneapolis City Council.
That prompted some anecdotes relayed by Chuck Lutz. He's now deputy director of the city's development and planning agency, but has been around City Hall since Father Hennepin was still in seminary.
One tale involved one of Johnson's election bids at the height of the Cold War. Her opponent bore a Russian-sounding name, beginning with a K. In public forums, Johnson slyly addressed him as "Mr. Khrushchev," before correcting herself. Nikita Khrushchev was then the first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.
On another occasion the council was noting the pending observance of Mother's Day. Johnson was recognized, and council members expected some flowery platitudes. "What's so hard about being a mother?" Johnson blurted. "All you have to do is lie on your back!"
Johnson was elected in 1961 and served through 1967. Before her death in 1990, the world had changed enough that women comprised a majority of the council for a time. The gender tally now is seven men and six women, still more balanced than that of the State Legislature.
More First Ward history
Speaking of women on the council, Lutz also provided this interesting bit of trivia. The First Ward in northeast Minneapolis, which stretches from the Camden Bridge to Falcon Heights, is the only one never to be represented by a woman.
Paul Ostrow, who holds that seat now, said he doesn't think voters in his ward are any less inclined to vote for a woman than those elsewhere in the city. His wife, Julie, a political strategist in her own right until she resumed a career as a dietician, said the ward has lots of women capable of holding a council seat.
One reason for the ward's track record arguably could be that three men have locked up the seat electorally for most of the time since Johnson became the council's pioneering woman. First came Don Risk, who was elected the same year as Johnson. He served until he resigned to head the Minneapolis Industrial Development Commission. Walt Dziedzic then held the seat for 20 years before retiring and running for the Park Board. Ostrow challenged Dziedzic unsuccessfully before winning the seat with his backing, and he now is in his third term.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Steve Brandt, Star Tribune
Are Minnesotans willing to grant bicyclists limited immunity from stop signs and red lights?
That question is posed by a legislative proposal introduced during Bike/Walk to Work Week earlier this month by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, both bikers.
Their proposal is based on an Idaho statute that allows bikers to proceed though stops in certain circumstances. It would require bikers approaching a stop signal or sign to slow to a speed that allows them to stop.
They'd be required to stop if a vehicle is in the vicinity. But they could proceed through a stop sign without stopping if there's no traffic close enough to pose a hazard while they'd be moving through the intersection. At a red light, they could also make a right turn, or a left turn onto a one-way street, without stopping. And if there's no vehicle nearby, they could proceed through the intersection after a full stop without waiting for a green light.
"It's how most people behave anyway," said Kahn.
Dateline Minneapolis touched on the issue two weeks ago. We continue to believe there's no excuse for blowing through a congested intersection on a bike against a stop. But this proposal recognizes that the physics of accelerating a bike from a standstill are different from pressing an accelerator. It also recognizes that bikes don't trip the pressure plates that trigger a signal change for cars.
The Kahn/Carlson proposal will be reintroduced for next session. It may be read at www.startribune.com/a4406 .
Memories of a pioneer
We highlighted last month the status of Elsa Johnson as the first woman to serve on the Minneapolis City Council.
That prompted some anecdotes relayed by Chuck Lutz. He's now deputy director of the city's development and planning agency, but has been around City Hall since Father Hennepin was still in seminary.
One tale involved one of Johnson's election bids at the height of the Cold War. Her opponent bore a Russian-sounding name, beginning with a K. In public forums, Johnson slyly addressed him as "Mr. Khrushchev," before correcting herself. Nikita Khrushchev was then the first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.
On another occasion the council was noting the pending observance of Mother's Day. Johnson was recognized, and council members expected some flowery platitudes. "What's so hard about being a mother?" Johnson blurted. "All you have to do is lie on your back!"
Johnson was elected in 1961 and served through 1967. Before her death in 1990, the world had changed enough that women comprised a majority of the council for a time. The gender tally now is seven men and six women, still more balanced than that of the State Legislature.
More First Ward history
Speaking of women on the council, Lutz also provided this interesting bit of trivia. The First Ward in northeast Minneapolis, which stretches from the Camden Bridge to Falcon Heights, is the only one never to be represented by a woman.
Paul Ostrow, who holds that seat now, said he doesn't think voters in his ward are any less inclined to vote for a woman than those elsewhere in the city. His wife, Julie, a political strategist in her own right until she resumed a career as a dietician, said the ward has lots of women capable of holding a council seat.
One reason for the ward's track record arguably could be that three men have locked up the seat electorally for most of the time since Johnson became the council's pioneering woman. First came Don Risk, who was elected the same year as Johnson. He served until he resigned to head the Minneapolis Industrial Development Commission. Walt Dziedzic then held the seat for 20 years before retiring and running for the Park Board. Ostrow challenged Dziedzic unsuccessfully before winning the seat with his backing, and he now is in his third term.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Did You Know that SPAM was Made in Austin, MN!!
Sales of Spam Rise as Consumers Trim Food Costs
EMILY FREDRIX , Star Tribune
MILWAUKEE - Love it, hate it or laugh at it — at least it's inexpensive.
Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets.
What was once cheeky, silly and the subject of a musical (as Monty Python mocked the meat in a can), is now back on the table as people turn to the once-snubbed meat as costs rise, analysts say.
Food prices are increasing faster than they've risen since 1990, at 4 percent in the U.S. last year, according to the Agriculture Department. Many staples are rising even faster, with white bread up 13 percent last year, bacon up 7 percent and peanut butter up 9 percent.
There's no sign of a slowdown. Food inflation is running at an annualized rate of 6.1 percent as of April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The price of Spam is up too, with the average 12 oz. can costing about $2.62. That's an increase of 17 cents, or nearly 7 percent, from the same time last year. But it's not stopping sales, as the pork meat in a can seems like a good alternative to consumers.
Kimberly Quan, a stay-at-home mom of three who lives just outside San Francisco, has been feeding her family more Spam in the last six months as she tries to make her food budget go further.
She cooks meals like Spam fried rice and Spam sandwiches two or three times a month, up from once a month previously.
Pulling Spam from the shelf prevents last-minute grocery store trips and overspending, said Quan, 38, of Pleasanton, Calif.
"It's canned meat and it's in the cupboard and if everything else is gone from the fridge, it's there," she said.
Spam's maker, Hormel Foods Corp., reported last week that it saw strong sales of Spam in the second quarter, helping push up its profits 14 percent. According to sales information coming from Hormel, provided by The Nielsen Co., Spam sales were up 10.6 percent in the 12-week period ending May 3, compared to last year. In the last 24 weeks, sales were up nearly 9 percent.
The Austin, Minn.-based company, also known for the Jennie-O Turkey Store, has embarked on its first national advertising campaign for the 71-year-old brand in several years. They've credited the sales increase to that, along with new products like individually packaged "Spam Singles" slices. Also helping sales, executives said in an earnings conference call, was the fact that people looking to save money are skipping restaurant meals and eating more at home.
Spam sales are reaching across all spectrums, young and old and rich and poor, said Swen Neufeldt, Hormel's group product manager for the area that includes Spam. Many of the eaters are new to Spam, which was created in 1937 and gained fame as the meat that fed Allied troops during World War II.
"We have significantly increased our household penetration," Neufeldt said. "I think it's a lot of folks that are coming into the brand perhaps for the first time and coming back to the brand."
Hormel began its national advertising campaign, including print and television, for Spam in January. Neufeldt said such campaigns are planned in advance and it wasn't tied to perceived weakness in the economy.
Consumers are quick to realize that meats like Spam and other processed foods can be substituted for costlier cuts as a way of controlling costs, said Marcia Mogelonsky, senior research analyst with Mintel International in Chicago.
These products have protein and decent nutritional value, and they provide some variety to consumers who may be bored because they're eating more at home, she said.
"They might not have Spam at every single meal, but they might supplement a couple of meals," she said.
Consumers are also using more coupons and paying more attention to sales, doing anything they can to save money, she said. You may be able to cut back on your driving due to high gas prices, but you're not going to stop eating because of high food prices, she said.
Quan just bought a couple more cans of Spam on sale and some ramen, the instant noodle dish long a staple on college campuses. Her food and gas budgets are together, so she's had to cut back on food spending while the cost of gas increases. Her favorite Spam meal? Spam and macaroni and cheese. She doesn't skimp on nutrition, though. Quan serves her husband and three children — ranging in age from 4 to 11 — organic vegetables like salads, broccoli and carrots.
"It balances out," she said.
Other companies are seeing similar boosts in their lunch meats. Kraft Foods Inc. reported last month that subsidiary Oscar Mayer, which makes hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts, saw double-digit revenue growth in the previous quarter in its Deli Fresh cold cuts. The company, based in Madison, Wis., has recently introduced new products including family sized deli-meat packs and deli carved, which offers thicker slices of meat.
April Smith has been changing the way she feeds her family in Broken Arrow, Okla., to keep up with rising costs. This summer the 33-year-old administrative assistant will feed her two boys, ages 11 and 8, more ramen for lunch. Normally they eat the noodle soup on Saturdays, but since ramen costs about a dime per pack, they'll get it twice a week. Smith says she'll throw in some leftover frozen vegetables to make it more nutritious.
"Since it's cheap and easy, I figure why not let them eat it twice a week instead of once a week," Smith said.
___
On the Net:
Spam: http://www.spam.com
EMILY FREDRIX , Star Tribune
MILWAUKEE - Love it, hate it or laugh at it — at least it's inexpensive.
Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets.
What was once cheeky, silly and the subject of a musical (as Monty Python mocked the meat in a can), is now back on the table as people turn to the once-snubbed meat as costs rise, analysts say.
Food prices are increasing faster than they've risen since 1990, at 4 percent in the U.S. last year, according to the Agriculture Department. Many staples are rising even faster, with white bread up 13 percent last year, bacon up 7 percent and peanut butter up 9 percent.
There's no sign of a slowdown. Food inflation is running at an annualized rate of 6.1 percent as of April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The price of Spam is up too, with the average 12 oz. can costing about $2.62. That's an increase of 17 cents, or nearly 7 percent, from the same time last year. But it's not stopping sales, as the pork meat in a can seems like a good alternative to consumers.
Kimberly Quan, a stay-at-home mom of three who lives just outside San Francisco, has been feeding her family more Spam in the last six months as she tries to make her food budget go further.
She cooks meals like Spam fried rice and Spam sandwiches two or three times a month, up from once a month previously.
Pulling Spam from the shelf prevents last-minute grocery store trips and overspending, said Quan, 38, of Pleasanton, Calif.
"It's canned meat and it's in the cupboard and if everything else is gone from the fridge, it's there," she said.
Spam's maker, Hormel Foods Corp., reported last week that it saw strong sales of Spam in the second quarter, helping push up its profits 14 percent. According to sales information coming from Hormel, provided by The Nielsen Co., Spam sales were up 10.6 percent in the 12-week period ending May 3, compared to last year. In the last 24 weeks, sales were up nearly 9 percent.
The Austin, Minn.-based company, also known for the Jennie-O Turkey Store, has embarked on its first national advertising campaign for the 71-year-old brand in several years. They've credited the sales increase to that, along with new products like individually packaged "Spam Singles" slices. Also helping sales, executives said in an earnings conference call, was the fact that people looking to save money are skipping restaurant meals and eating more at home.
Spam sales are reaching across all spectrums, young and old and rich and poor, said Swen Neufeldt, Hormel's group product manager for the area that includes Spam. Many of the eaters are new to Spam, which was created in 1937 and gained fame as the meat that fed Allied troops during World War II.
"We have significantly increased our household penetration," Neufeldt said. "I think it's a lot of folks that are coming into the brand perhaps for the first time and coming back to the brand."
Hormel began its national advertising campaign, including print and television, for Spam in January. Neufeldt said such campaigns are planned in advance and it wasn't tied to perceived weakness in the economy.
Consumers are quick to realize that meats like Spam and other processed foods can be substituted for costlier cuts as a way of controlling costs, said Marcia Mogelonsky, senior research analyst with Mintel International in Chicago.
These products have protein and decent nutritional value, and they provide some variety to consumers who may be bored because they're eating more at home, she said.
"They might not have Spam at every single meal, but they might supplement a couple of meals," she said.
Consumers are also using more coupons and paying more attention to sales, doing anything they can to save money, she said. You may be able to cut back on your driving due to high gas prices, but you're not going to stop eating because of high food prices, she said.
Quan just bought a couple more cans of Spam on sale and some ramen, the instant noodle dish long a staple on college campuses. Her food and gas budgets are together, so she's had to cut back on food spending while the cost of gas increases. Her favorite Spam meal? Spam and macaroni and cheese. She doesn't skimp on nutrition, though. Quan serves her husband and three children — ranging in age from 4 to 11 — organic vegetables like salads, broccoli and carrots.
"It balances out," she said.
Other companies are seeing similar boosts in their lunch meats. Kraft Foods Inc. reported last month that subsidiary Oscar Mayer, which makes hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts, saw double-digit revenue growth in the previous quarter in its Deli Fresh cold cuts. The company, based in Madison, Wis., has recently introduced new products including family sized deli-meat packs and deli carved, which offers thicker slices of meat.
April Smith has been changing the way she feeds her family in Broken Arrow, Okla., to keep up with rising costs. This summer the 33-year-old administrative assistant will feed her two boys, ages 11 and 8, more ramen for lunch. Normally they eat the noodle soup on Saturdays, but since ramen costs about a dime per pack, they'll get it twice a week. Smith says she'll throw in some leftover frozen vegetables to make it more nutritious.
"Since it's cheap and easy, I figure why not let them eat it twice a week instead of once a week," Smith said.
___
On the Net:
Spam: http://www.spam.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Hip-hop's Underground Shines Outside Metrodome
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, Star Tribune
The Twin Cities' underground hip-hop scene finally had its big day in the sun Sunday.
A who's-who of the local rap community turned out in the Metrodome parking lot for the first Soundset music festival, drawing around 12,000 fans, most under the age of 30.
It was by far the biggest crowd for a nearly all-local hip-hop concert and a clear indicator that Twin Cities hip-hop is no longer just an underground thing -- although not every performer appreciated being out in the daylight.
"I hate the sun," complained Anthony (Ant) Davis, the basement-loving producer/DJ in the Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere, which headlined the 10-hour event.
Hanging out with Ant backstage, another of the fest's big hometown performers, albino rapper Brother Ali, shot back, "You think you got it tough."
Atmosphere and Brother Ali became nationally known thanks to their Minneapolis-based record company Rhymesayers Entertainment, the main instigators of Soundset.
After a decade-plus of hosting sold-out concerts at First Avenue nightclub -- and three weeks after landing its highest-charting album (Atmosphere's latest CD debuted at No. 5 in Billboard), Rhymesayers delivered on its most ambitious production to date.
A theory buster
Not only did Soundset trumpet Rhymesayers' popularity, it spoiled several popular theories: That lake-loving Minnesotans won't attend a big music fest on summer holiday weekends; that major-label recording artists, big corporate sponsors and corporate radio stations are all needed to put on a successful music fest, and that Minneapolis is not a hip-hop city.
"I think these are some of the best hip-hop acts in the country," said Walt Carlson, 22, who drove from Milwaukee.
With the music spread out over two stages and one tent, Soundset looked like a hip-hop version of the ever-popular Vans Warped Tour punk-rockathon -- also held outside the Dome in previous years. Soundset also included daredevil skateboarding exhibitions, a low-rider car show and booths featuring locally made hip-hop fashions.
Forest Lake High School students DJ Dexter, 16, and Fred Ogez, 17, have been fans of Rhymesayers acts for several years but had never been able to see any of them perform. "A lot of times the First Avenue shows are 18-plus, or it's hard for us to get there," said Ogez.
Dexter's first impression: "I think it's a really positive thing."
One more theory disproved: That a big hip-hop concert cannot be pulled off without violence and crime. Minneapolis police at the concert had no incidents to report after six hours.
Their own themes
All of the Soundset rappers eschewed mainstream hip-hop's stereotypical themes of bling-bling, guns and gang-banging. More than any other theme, Soundset's 30-odd sets of rappers stressed hip-hop's classic message to take pride in yourself and express your individuality.
Tattoo-covered, punk-rock-loving Minneapolis rapper P.O.S had a big chunk of the crowd singing along to his proud declaration, "No one will ever be like me."
Atmosphere rapper Slug (Sean Daley) -- the unequivocal star of Soundset and a co-founder of the Rhymesayers label -- seemed content to prove there are, in fact, a lot of young music fans out there like him. "A lot of these kids get put down for liking this music, or for being one of only 10 people in their high school who listen to us," he said before his fest-closing set. "I think this event is as much a validation for them as much as it is for us."
The fans seemed impressed. Rick Carey, 19, from St. Paul, said, "I'm not surprised so many people showed up, but I am sort of overwhelmed just by the enormity of the event."
Tim Smith, 23, of St. Louis Park, hopes the event will become an annual thing -- as do Rhymesayers and co-promoters Rose Presents. "I bet it just gets bigger and bigger if they do it every year," Smith said.
See Atmosphere's set list and fan comments at startribune.com/poplife. Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658
The Twin Cities' underground hip-hop scene finally had its big day in the sun Sunday.
A who's-who of the local rap community turned out in the Metrodome parking lot for the first Soundset music festival, drawing around 12,000 fans, most under the age of 30.
It was by far the biggest crowd for a nearly all-local hip-hop concert and a clear indicator that Twin Cities hip-hop is no longer just an underground thing -- although not every performer appreciated being out in the daylight.
"I hate the sun," complained Anthony (Ant) Davis, the basement-loving producer/DJ in the Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere, which headlined the 10-hour event.
Hanging out with Ant backstage, another of the fest's big hometown performers, albino rapper Brother Ali, shot back, "You think you got it tough."
Atmosphere and Brother Ali became nationally known thanks to their Minneapolis-based record company Rhymesayers Entertainment, the main instigators of Soundset.
After a decade-plus of hosting sold-out concerts at First Avenue nightclub -- and three weeks after landing its highest-charting album (Atmosphere's latest CD debuted at No. 5 in Billboard), Rhymesayers delivered on its most ambitious production to date.
A theory buster
Not only did Soundset trumpet Rhymesayers' popularity, it spoiled several popular theories: That lake-loving Minnesotans won't attend a big music fest on summer holiday weekends; that major-label recording artists, big corporate sponsors and corporate radio stations are all needed to put on a successful music fest, and that Minneapolis is not a hip-hop city.
"I think these are some of the best hip-hop acts in the country," said Walt Carlson, 22, who drove from Milwaukee.
With the music spread out over two stages and one tent, Soundset looked like a hip-hop version of the ever-popular Vans Warped Tour punk-rockathon -- also held outside the Dome in previous years. Soundset also included daredevil skateboarding exhibitions, a low-rider car show and booths featuring locally made hip-hop fashions.
Forest Lake High School students DJ Dexter, 16, and Fred Ogez, 17, have been fans of Rhymesayers acts for several years but had never been able to see any of them perform. "A lot of times the First Avenue shows are 18-plus, or it's hard for us to get there," said Ogez.
Dexter's first impression: "I think it's a really positive thing."
One more theory disproved: That a big hip-hop concert cannot be pulled off without violence and crime. Minneapolis police at the concert had no incidents to report after six hours.
Their own themes
All of the Soundset rappers eschewed mainstream hip-hop's stereotypical themes of bling-bling, guns and gang-banging. More than any other theme, Soundset's 30-odd sets of rappers stressed hip-hop's classic message to take pride in yourself and express your individuality.
Tattoo-covered, punk-rock-loving Minneapolis rapper P.O.S had a big chunk of the crowd singing along to his proud declaration, "No one will ever be like me."
Atmosphere rapper Slug (Sean Daley) -- the unequivocal star of Soundset and a co-founder of the Rhymesayers label -- seemed content to prove there are, in fact, a lot of young music fans out there like him. "A lot of these kids get put down for liking this music, or for being one of only 10 people in their high school who listen to us," he said before his fest-closing set. "I think this event is as much a validation for them as much as it is for us."
The fans seemed impressed. Rick Carey, 19, from St. Paul, said, "I'm not surprised so many people showed up, but I am sort of overwhelmed just by the enormity of the event."
Tim Smith, 23, of St. Louis Park, hopes the event will become an annual thing -- as do Rhymesayers and co-promoters Rose Presents. "I bet it just gets bigger and bigger if they do it every year," Smith said.
See Atmosphere's set list and fan comments at startribune.com/poplife. Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Saints Promotion: Not Quite a Bobblehead
BOB von STERNBERG, Star Tribune
The St. Paul Saints, long known for offbeat, sometimes edgy, promotions, have come up with a real doozy for this Sunday's game.
While lots of sports franchises hand out bobblehead dolls, usually depicting their players, the Saints are handing out 2,500 "bobblefoot" knicknacks.
The keepsakes consist of a miniature bathroom stall with a couple of lower legs and feet. One of the feet is springloaded and "taps," which, the Saints' press release says, is in honor of National Tap Dance Day.
Right.
The team also takes pains to note: "It doesn't matter if your tapping style is done with a 'wide stance' or is used as some sort of code."
That's a none-too-subtle reference to Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct after an undercover police officer arrested him for allegedly soliciting sex in a bathroom stall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The undercover officer who arrested Craig said the senator's foot-tapping, bumping feet and swiping his hand under the bathroom stall amounted to well-known code used in soliciting sex.
Craig, however, said his foot-tapping was the result of the fact that he has "a wide stance."
The St. Paul Saints, long known for offbeat, sometimes edgy, promotions, have come up with a real doozy for this Sunday's game.
While lots of sports franchises hand out bobblehead dolls, usually depicting their players, the Saints are handing out 2,500 "bobblefoot" knicknacks.
The keepsakes consist of a miniature bathroom stall with a couple of lower legs and feet. One of the feet is springloaded and "taps," which, the Saints' press release says, is in honor of National Tap Dance Day.
Right.
The team also takes pains to note: "It doesn't matter if your tapping style is done with a 'wide stance' or is used as some sort of code."
That's a none-too-subtle reference to Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct after an undercover police officer arrested him for allegedly soliciting sex in a bathroom stall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The undercover officer who arrested Craig said the senator's foot-tapping, bumping feet and swiping his hand under the bathroom stall amounted to well-known code used in soliciting sex.
Craig, however, said his foot-tapping was the result of the fact that he has "a wide stance."
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Minneapolis No.7 Place to Raise a Family, Magazine Says
TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune
And the 7th best place to raise a family is?
Minneapolis, according to a survey published in the June-July issue of Best Life magazine.
For its "100 Best Places to Raise a Family," the magazine's editors looked at such criteria as where people feel their children are safe, can attend good schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores, and respectable budgets.
They also looked at places that have scores of museums, parks, and pediatricians that contribute to a high quality of life, as well as factors that don't -- such as cities where drivers experience long commutes, expensive houses, and divorce rates.
Best Life editors used these categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, FBI, American Association of Museums, National Center for Health Statistics, and American Bar Association to evaluate 257 cities.
Leading the list was Honolulu, cited for its low unemployment rate, the amount of money schools spend per pupil and 125 beaches to play on. Next was Virginia Beach, Va., followed by Billings, Mont., Columbus, Ga. and San Diego.
Des Moines, Iowa came in at No. 6, with Minneapolis at No. 7, Madison, Wis. at No. 8, Colorado Springs, Colo. at No. 9 and Santa Rosa, Calif. at No. 10.
On the other end of the scale, the magazine ranked Clarksvile, Tenn. as the worst place to live. Close behind were Beaumont, Texas; Fayetteville, N.C.; Philadelphia; Waco, Texas; Columbia, S.C.; Flint, Mich.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Dayton, Ohio, and Springfield, Mo.
And the 7th best place to raise a family is?
Minneapolis, according to a survey published in the June-July issue of Best Life magazine.
For its "100 Best Places to Raise a Family," the magazine's editors looked at such criteria as where people feel their children are safe, can attend good schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores, and respectable budgets.
They also looked at places that have scores of museums, parks, and pediatricians that contribute to a high quality of life, as well as factors that don't -- such as cities where drivers experience long commutes, expensive houses, and divorce rates.
Best Life editors used these categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, FBI, American Association of Museums, National Center for Health Statistics, and American Bar Association to evaluate 257 cities.
Leading the list was Honolulu, cited for its low unemployment rate, the amount of money schools spend per pupil and 125 beaches to play on. Next was Virginia Beach, Va., followed by Billings, Mont., Columbus, Ga. and San Diego.
Des Moines, Iowa came in at No. 6, with Minneapolis at No. 7, Madison, Wis. at No. 8, Colorado Springs, Colo. at No. 9 and Santa Rosa, Calif. at No. 10.
On the other end of the scale, the magazine ranked Clarksvile, Tenn. as the worst place to live. Close behind were Beaumont, Texas; Fayetteville, N.C.; Philadelphia; Waco, Texas; Columbia, S.C.; Flint, Mich.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Dayton, Ohio, and Springfield, Mo.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Ancestral Mi-Ni-So-Ta
BILL WARD, Star Tribune
If Paul Durand had been one of the Native people he spent his life studying, he might have been dubbed Kikapoo Zibi. That's Ojibwa for "He-Moves-About," which is what Durand spent a half-century doing in search of the original Indian name for every lake, river, creek, forest, hill and dale in these parts.
"On trips, no matter where we were driving, there'd be an Indian reservation, a friend, someone he'd heard of, that we'd stop and see," said Durand's son, Brian.
All that work came to fruition in 1994, when Durand self-published "Where the Waters Gather and the Rivers Meet" and completed a windshield-sized map of the region. Scores of Dakota, Ojibwa and French names dot the map, along with one odd outlier: Fort Snelling.
It's a representation of the area circa 1850, before there was a Minnesota, only a river called Mi-Ni So-Ta (Dakota for "Translucent Waters").
One doesn't have to be fascinated with history or current events (such as the Mdewakanton Sioux's recent property purchases in Shakopee) to spend serious time poring over the map, which covers hundreds of square miles and is loaded with eye-catching icons and tongue-twisting nomenclature.
Some of the names are nearly indecipherable, while others have at least phonetic familiarity, such as Lake Waconia, nee Mde (Lake) Wa-Ko-Ni-Ya ("The Breathing Hole of the Gods").
Quite the life's work -- except that Durand, who was a spry 76 when he "completed" the book and map, kept at it, right up until his death last June at age 89.
"He never stopped collecting names," said Brian Durand.
"He had a big metal box filled with 3-by-5 index cards, plus papers and books piled up on the dining room table. We ate in the kitchen a lot," he said.
"Yes, I think you could call it an obsession," said Dorothy Durand, Paul's widow, with a gentle smile. "But he was a very humble man, so he always called it his little book."
And the little book is now getting a revamp. Brian and his sister, Sue Busse, are culling a slew of typed notes, index-card scribblings and illustrations in the hopes of publishing a second edition of the book in the next few years. The Durand family and the Indian activist group Heart of the Earth Center for American Indian Education have been negotiating a deal to make full-sized prints of the map, with some proceeds going to Indian youth programs.
But Brian Durand indicated that he'd prefer to wait until the publication of the updated book before completing such a deal. He is starting a website, www.wherethewatersgather.com, with information on the map and a means of registering to receive notification when the map and/or book are again available. He also hopes to list libraries and other locations where people can view the map or book (which is such a rare commodity that copies are on sale at used-book website www.alibris.com for up to $379.04.
Hunting and gathering
Paul Durand, who was white, developed an ardor for all things Indian at an early age in south Minneapolis. When playing cowboys and Indians, "Paul always had to be the Indian," his widow said. As a Boy Scout he searched arduously for arrowheads. Alas, she said, "he never found one."
Durand enjoyed eminently more success tracking down appellations over the years, traversing the region and putting in some serious time at the Minnesota Historical Society.
"He knew enough French to translate all of Joseph Nicollet's papers," Dorothy Durand said. "He'd go to Prairie Island to visit the elders. He'd think nothing of pulling over and talking to people who might have some information."
The timing was right, Brian Durand pointed out, "because if he had tried to do it now, the people he needed to talk to would be gone." But it was still a daunting task, especially given that the federal government had outlawed Indian ceremonies and language in 1891.
"The government didn't want us to know our Indian names," said longtime activist Clyde Bellecourt. "They wanted us to all be Matthew, Mark, Luke or John."
Indeed, Bellecourt noted, he was well into adulthood before learning of his Indian name: Nee Gon Nway Wee Dung, or "Thunder Before the Storm."
"Paul found the people, the storytellers, over a 50-year period," Bellecourt said. "When I met him, he was in his 80s, but he still was just like a little boy when it came to this."
Bill Ward • 612-673-7643
If Paul Durand had been one of the Native people he spent his life studying, he might have been dubbed Kikapoo Zibi. That's Ojibwa for "He-Moves-About," which is what Durand spent a half-century doing in search of the original Indian name for every lake, river, creek, forest, hill and dale in these parts.
"On trips, no matter where we were driving, there'd be an Indian reservation, a friend, someone he'd heard of, that we'd stop and see," said Durand's son, Brian.
All that work came to fruition in 1994, when Durand self-published "Where the Waters Gather and the Rivers Meet" and completed a windshield-sized map of the region. Scores of Dakota, Ojibwa and French names dot the map, along with one odd outlier: Fort Snelling.
It's a representation of the area circa 1850, before there was a Minnesota, only a river called Mi-Ni So-Ta (Dakota for "Translucent Waters").
One doesn't have to be fascinated with history or current events (such as the Mdewakanton Sioux's recent property purchases in Shakopee) to spend serious time poring over the map, which covers hundreds of square miles and is loaded with eye-catching icons and tongue-twisting nomenclature.
Some of the names are nearly indecipherable, while others have at least phonetic familiarity, such as Lake Waconia, nee Mde (Lake) Wa-Ko-Ni-Ya ("The Breathing Hole of the Gods").
Quite the life's work -- except that Durand, who was a spry 76 when he "completed" the book and map, kept at it, right up until his death last June at age 89.
"He never stopped collecting names," said Brian Durand.
"He had a big metal box filled with 3-by-5 index cards, plus papers and books piled up on the dining room table. We ate in the kitchen a lot," he said.
"Yes, I think you could call it an obsession," said Dorothy Durand, Paul's widow, with a gentle smile. "But he was a very humble man, so he always called it his little book."
And the little book is now getting a revamp. Brian and his sister, Sue Busse, are culling a slew of typed notes, index-card scribblings and illustrations in the hopes of publishing a second edition of the book in the next few years. The Durand family and the Indian activist group Heart of the Earth Center for American Indian Education have been negotiating a deal to make full-sized prints of the map, with some proceeds going to Indian youth programs.
But Brian Durand indicated that he'd prefer to wait until the publication of the updated book before completing such a deal. He is starting a website, www.wherethewatersgather.com, with information on the map and a means of registering to receive notification when the map and/or book are again available. He also hopes to list libraries and other locations where people can view the map or book (which is such a rare commodity that copies are on sale at used-book website www.alibris.com for up to $379.04.
Hunting and gathering
Paul Durand, who was white, developed an ardor for all things Indian at an early age in south Minneapolis. When playing cowboys and Indians, "Paul always had to be the Indian," his widow said. As a Boy Scout he searched arduously for arrowheads. Alas, she said, "he never found one."
Durand enjoyed eminently more success tracking down appellations over the years, traversing the region and putting in some serious time at the Minnesota Historical Society.
"He knew enough French to translate all of Joseph Nicollet's papers," Dorothy Durand said. "He'd go to Prairie Island to visit the elders. He'd think nothing of pulling over and talking to people who might have some information."
The timing was right, Brian Durand pointed out, "because if he had tried to do it now, the people he needed to talk to would be gone." But it was still a daunting task, especially given that the federal government had outlawed Indian ceremonies and language in 1891.
"The government didn't want us to know our Indian names," said longtime activist Clyde Bellecourt. "They wanted us to all be Matthew, Mark, Luke or John."
Indeed, Bellecourt noted, he was well into adulthood before learning of his Indian name: Nee Gon Nway Wee Dung, or "Thunder Before the Storm."
"Paul found the people, the storytellers, over a 50-year period," Bellecourt said. "When I met him, he was in his 80s, but he still was just like a little boy when it came to this."
Bill Ward • 612-673-7643
Monday, May 19, 2008
An Egomaniacal, Straight-talking Dynamo Who's Perfect for Senate
NICK COLEMAN, Star Tribune
Jesse Ventura is threatening to get into the race for senator from Minnesota, and his bluster has produced the usual chuckles from the usual clowns who point out, correctly, that Jesse always makes noises about running for something when he is trying to sell a book.
Jesse's new book is a dud. Running for Senate might be dynamite.
Jesse's latest literary effort (I use both of those terms loosely) is a boring, repetitive repackaging of stuff he has sold before called "Don't Start The Revolution Without Me." It would make a good doorstop but, at $25 a copy, a rock would be cheaper. But don't underestimate his appeal in a three-way race for Paul Wellstone's old seat in a campaign where the other candidates are Norm Coleman and Al Franken.
These are the kind of odds Jesse Ventura likes.
He shocked the seven-county mosquito district 10 years ago when he beat Republican Coleman and DFLer Skip Humphrey, winning the governorship with a Pawlenty-esque plurality of 37 percent. Yes, yes: In his four years as governor, Jesse often was a jerk and embarrassed the state and his office, but he managed something no one has done since.
He kept the bridges up.
More than that, he put competent people in charge who wanted government to succeed, not to fail and fall down so they could justify their desire to drown it in a bathtub.
I admit to having a thing for having Jesse in office. I like party animals more than I like party loyalists. Jesse was a maverick who brought soap opera to St. Paul but let government work while he fiddled. I thought it was a shame when he didn't run for a second term, and I wrote, three years ago, that he ought to run for the Senate seat vacated by Mark Dayton in 2006 (Amy Klobuchar went on to win it).
Maybe he's ready now.
Jesse is a massive egomaniac who needs the spotlight and hates the heavy lifting of governing. In other words, he's perfect for the Senate, whose 100 members fancy they belong to the most elite club in the world and believe they would look good in togas. We've already seen Jesse in tights and boas and he could pull of a toga better than a spindly-legged Norm or a knock-kneed Franken.
Plus, he'd spice up a campaign focused on fundraising, Franken's bookkeeping problems and Norm's evasiveness more than on war, the economy and infrastructure issues that desperately need debate.
Jesse Ventura is not subtle. But this is no time for subtlety.
When Barack Obama is attacked for not wearing a flag pin and school kids are suspended for not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, it's refreshing to remember that Jesse opposed a 1999 effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration.
"It's the freedom that's important, not the symbol," he said. Even after Sept. 11, he vetoed a law making the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory in school. "Patriotism comes from the heart, not repetition," he said.
Tim Pawlenty signed the law when it was passed again after Jesse left office. It's impossible, now, to imagine politicians standing for freedom as much as for flag-waving.
So it was good to hear Jesse on public radio again last week, raising blood pressures by threatening to run and by calling out his would-be opponents:
Norm Coleman, he said, is a "chicken hawk," someone who did not serve in the military but who "rubber stamp(s) the president on everything he wants to do with the war." And Franken, he said, is "a carpetbagger."
Tell it, Brother Jesse!
A former Navy Seal, Jesse has opposed the war in Iraq more outspokenly than Franken and stood up for veterans more effectively than Coleman. He has kooky ideas about a national sales tax and other things, but on the big issues -- war and peace, freedom and the Constitution -- he is worth hearing. His entrance into the race would bring attention to the stakes in this election. That's more than his book can do. Only a few dozen people came to the Mall of America for a Jesse appearance Thursday.
Forget the book, Jesse. Make some more history. Filings for office close July 15.
Bring it on.
He's tanned and rested and the curb feelers -- his goofy facial hair strands with love beads in them -- are gone. No more Mr. Weird Beard.
He looks very statesman-like these days. At (almost) 57, with a chrome dome and long flowing locks, he looks a bit like Benjamin Franklin, especially if you imagine him in a bathtub with a French woman somewhere in the bubbles.
Who knows? Minnesotans might be able to imagine him in an even stranger place.
The U.S. Senate.
Nick Coleman • ncoleman@startribune.com
Jesse Ventura is threatening to get into the race for senator from Minnesota, and his bluster has produced the usual chuckles from the usual clowns who point out, correctly, that Jesse always makes noises about running for something when he is trying to sell a book.
Jesse's new book is a dud. Running for Senate might be dynamite.
Jesse's latest literary effort (I use both of those terms loosely) is a boring, repetitive repackaging of stuff he has sold before called "Don't Start The Revolution Without Me." It would make a good doorstop but, at $25 a copy, a rock would be cheaper. But don't underestimate his appeal in a three-way race for Paul Wellstone's old seat in a campaign where the other candidates are Norm Coleman and Al Franken.
These are the kind of odds Jesse Ventura likes.
He shocked the seven-county mosquito district 10 years ago when he beat Republican Coleman and DFLer Skip Humphrey, winning the governorship with a Pawlenty-esque plurality of 37 percent. Yes, yes: In his four years as governor, Jesse often was a jerk and embarrassed the state and his office, but he managed something no one has done since.
He kept the bridges up.
More than that, he put competent people in charge who wanted government to succeed, not to fail and fall down so they could justify their desire to drown it in a bathtub.
I admit to having a thing for having Jesse in office. I like party animals more than I like party loyalists. Jesse was a maverick who brought soap opera to St. Paul but let government work while he fiddled. I thought it was a shame when he didn't run for a second term, and I wrote, three years ago, that he ought to run for the Senate seat vacated by Mark Dayton in 2006 (Amy Klobuchar went on to win it).
Maybe he's ready now.
Jesse is a massive egomaniac who needs the spotlight and hates the heavy lifting of governing. In other words, he's perfect for the Senate, whose 100 members fancy they belong to the most elite club in the world and believe they would look good in togas. We've already seen Jesse in tights and boas and he could pull of a toga better than a spindly-legged Norm or a knock-kneed Franken.
Plus, he'd spice up a campaign focused on fundraising, Franken's bookkeeping problems and Norm's evasiveness more than on war, the economy and infrastructure issues that desperately need debate.
Jesse Ventura is not subtle. But this is no time for subtlety.
When Barack Obama is attacked for not wearing a flag pin and school kids are suspended for not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, it's refreshing to remember that Jesse opposed a 1999 effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration.
"It's the freedom that's important, not the symbol," he said. Even after Sept. 11, he vetoed a law making the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory in school. "Patriotism comes from the heart, not repetition," he said.
Tim Pawlenty signed the law when it was passed again after Jesse left office. It's impossible, now, to imagine politicians standing for freedom as much as for flag-waving.
So it was good to hear Jesse on public radio again last week, raising blood pressures by threatening to run and by calling out his would-be opponents:
Norm Coleman, he said, is a "chicken hawk," someone who did not serve in the military but who "rubber stamp(s) the president on everything he wants to do with the war." And Franken, he said, is "a carpetbagger."
Tell it, Brother Jesse!
A former Navy Seal, Jesse has opposed the war in Iraq more outspokenly than Franken and stood up for veterans more effectively than Coleman. He has kooky ideas about a national sales tax and other things, but on the big issues -- war and peace, freedom and the Constitution -- he is worth hearing. His entrance into the race would bring attention to the stakes in this election. That's more than his book can do. Only a few dozen people came to the Mall of America for a Jesse appearance Thursday.
Forget the book, Jesse. Make some more history. Filings for office close July 15.
Bring it on.
He's tanned and rested and the curb feelers -- his goofy facial hair strands with love beads in them -- are gone. No more Mr. Weird Beard.
He looks very statesman-like these days. At (almost) 57, with a chrome dome and long flowing locks, he looks a bit like Benjamin Franklin, especially if you imagine him in a bathtub with a French woman somewhere in the bubbles.
Who knows? Minnesotans might be able to imagine him in an even stranger place.
The U.S. Senate.
Nick Coleman • ncoleman@startribune.com
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Minnesota Quiz: Can We Stump You?
From the Star Tribune
1We're known as The Land of 10,000 Lakes. But how many lakes are there really in Minnesota?
2 Who had his first short story published in 1909 at age 13, while a student at St. Paul Academy?
3What year did both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings arrive in Minnesota?
4How many times did Harold Stassen run for president?
5What does the "SP" in SPAM stand for? ("AM" is for ham, and it doesn't count if you check the pantry.)
6What small but helpful innovation at Southdale Mall has been copied by countless other malls?
7What was Minnesota almost called when the Minnesota Territory needed a name?
8Which team did the U.S. Olympic hockey team -- a collection of amateur and college players, many from Minnesota -- defeat to win the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.?
9What Minnesota company was the world's largest producer of underwear under a single trademark in 1923?
10 What 1962 song brought Bob Dylan his first widespread acclaim?
1. 11,842 (A lake is 10 acres or larger)
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. 1961
4. Nine, between 1948 and 1992
5. Spiced
6. Identifying parking lots by animal
7. Itasca
8. Finland — the famous game against the Russians was a semifinal
9. Munsingwear
10. “Blowin’ in the Wind”
1We're known as The Land of 10,000 Lakes. But how many lakes are there really in Minnesota?
2 Who had his first short story published in 1909 at age 13, while a student at St. Paul Academy?
3What year did both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings arrive in Minnesota?
4How many times did Harold Stassen run for president?
5What does the "SP" in SPAM stand for? ("AM" is for ham, and it doesn't count if you check the pantry.)
6What small but helpful innovation at Southdale Mall has been copied by countless other malls?
7What was Minnesota almost called when the Minnesota Territory needed a name?
8Which team did the U.S. Olympic hockey team -- a collection of amateur and college players, many from Minnesota -- defeat to win the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.?
9What Minnesota company was the world's largest producer of underwear under a single trademark in 1923?
10 What 1962 song brought Bob Dylan his first widespread acclaim?
1. 11,842 (A lake is 10 acres or larger)
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. 1961
4. Nine, between 1948 and 1992
5. Spiced
6. Identifying parking lots by animal
7. Itasca
8. Finland — the famous game against the Russians was a semifinal
9. Munsingwear
10. “Blowin’ in the Wind”
Minnesota Icons from Star Tribune
POPPIN' FRESH
The Pillsbury Doughboy debuted in 1965 with a trademarked giggle provided by Paul Frees, the voice of the evil Boris Badenov in the "Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons.
BETTY CROCKER
The trusted spokeswoman for General Mills (originally Washburn Crosby Co.) since 1921 has had seven makeovers since 1936. Her first portrait blended the features of several General Mills home economics staffers.
JOLLY GREEN GIANT
First appearing as a scowling white ogre in 1921, he went green in 1928. By 1946, he'd been transformed into a smiling, muscular giant. Little Sprout popped up in 1973.
PRINCESS KAY BUTTER HEADS
In 1965, the American Dairy Association of Minnesota, now the Midwest Dairy Association, started the tradition of sculpting the likenesses of the State Fair's princesses in butter.
ø GOLDY GOPHER
The University of Minnesota's mascot was adopted decades after an 1857 political cartoon satirized a proposed $5 million government investment for building western Minnesota railroads. The cartoon showed gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive. The university's Gophers became Golden in the 1930s, when radio announcer Halsey Hall called the school's football teams so because of their gold uniforms.
REDDY KILOWATT
Reddy was used as a corporate symbol by more than 200 utilities around the world, including NSP from 1942 to 1973. NSP bought exclusive rights to Reddy in 1998.
WEATHERBALL
The 12-story tall Weatherball sat atop the Northwestern National Bank building from 1949 until the Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed the building in 1982.
HAMM'S BEAR
The gangly and goofy-looking bear and his animal pals starred in Hamm's Beer commercials from 1953 to 1969.
LAND O' LAKES INDIAN MAIDEN
The Indian maiden trademark for the butter business took hold because Minnesota and Wisconsin were the legendary lands of Hiawatha. The original design (1924) was updated in 1939 and has had only minor changes since.
PAUL BUNYAN AND BABE
Monuments to the legendary lumberjack are found throughout northern Minnesota, but the most memorable ones are in Bemidji and Brainerd.
º SPAM
Hormel Foods introduced SPiced hAM (ergo Spam) canned luncheon meat in 1937.
KENSINGTON RUNESTONE
The controversial Minnesota artifact was discovered in a farm field near Alexandria in 1898. Now considered by most to be a hoax, advocates insist that it proves Nordic explorers were there in 1362.
SPOONBRIDGE AND CHERRY
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen created the signature sculpture of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1988.
PRONTO PUPS
The quintessential State Fair food was introduced to Minnesotans in 1947.
MINNESOTA STATE CAPITAL QUADRIGA
The chariot drawn by four horses: the chariot represents the state; two female figures portray Minnesota agriculture and industry, and the four horses represent earth, fire, water and wind.
EIGHT-POINTED STAR
The state motto "L'Etoile du Nord" (Star of the North) was chosen by the first governor, Henry Sibley.
POST-IT NOTES
The serendipitous invention by two 3M scientists, Spencer Silver and Art Fry, changed the way we all communicate.
CASEY JONES
During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of Minnesota children had their lunch with Casey, a local television star.
º SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE
Congress granted Minnesota $75,000 to build the lighthouse after a storm in November 1905 battered 29 ships along Lake Superior's shoreline. The Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse in 1969 and gave it to Minnesota.
LOON
After a vote by schoolchildren and sportsmen's groups and a letter-writing campaign, the Minnesota Legislature in 1961 made the common loon the official state bird.
MARY RICHARDS
Mary Tyler Moore's plucky single gal worked on the news show of a fictional Minneapolis TV station in the 1970s sitcom. There is now a statue of her on the Nicollet Mall.
MINNEHAHA FALLS
In the 1800s, the falls were a major tourist attraction, due in part to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Song of Hiawatha," published in 1855.
LAKE ITASCA STATE PARK
Minnesota's first state park, founded in 1891, includes more than 100 lakes and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
LUTEFISK
Minnesotans' Norwegian ancestors have been eating lutefisk -- literally, "lye fish" -- since the Middle Ages. It is cod that's been dried, soaked in lye and boiled.
RED WING POTTERY
Popular today as collectibles, Red Wing pottery was once was part of Minnesotans' everyday lives and was the nation's largest pottery-making enterprise.
The Pillsbury Doughboy debuted in 1965 with a trademarked giggle provided by Paul Frees, the voice of the evil Boris Badenov in the "Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons.
BETTY CROCKER
The trusted spokeswoman for General Mills (originally Washburn Crosby Co.) since 1921 has had seven makeovers since 1936. Her first portrait blended the features of several General Mills home economics staffers.
JOLLY GREEN GIANT
First appearing as a scowling white ogre in 1921, he went green in 1928. By 1946, he'd been transformed into a smiling, muscular giant. Little Sprout popped up in 1973.
PRINCESS KAY BUTTER HEADS
In 1965, the American Dairy Association of Minnesota, now the Midwest Dairy Association, started the tradition of sculpting the likenesses of the State Fair's princesses in butter.
ø GOLDY GOPHER
The University of Minnesota's mascot was adopted decades after an 1857 political cartoon satirized a proposed $5 million government investment for building western Minnesota railroads. The cartoon showed gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive. The university's Gophers became Golden in the 1930s, when radio announcer Halsey Hall called the school's football teams so because of their gold uniforms.
REDDY KILOWATT
Reddy was used as a corporate symbol by more than 200 utilities around the world, including NSP from 1942 to 1973. NSP bought exclusive rights to Reddy in 1998.
WEATHERBALL
The 12-story tall Weatherball sat atop the Northwestern National Bank building from 1949 until the Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed the building in 1982.
HAMM'S BEAR
The gangly and goofy-looking bear and his animal pals starred in Hamm's Beer commercials from 1953 to 1969.
LAND O' LAKES INDIAN MAIDEN
The Indian maiden trademark for the butter business took hold because Minnesota and Wisconsin were the legendary lands of Hiawatha. The original design (1924) was updated in 1939 and has had only minor changes since.
PAUL BUNYAN AND BABE
Monuments to the legendary lumberjack are found throughout northern Minnesota, but the most memorable ones are in Bemidji and Brainerd.
º SPAM
Hormel Foods introduced SPiced hAM (ergo Spam) canned luncheon meat in 1937.
KENSINGTON RUNESTONE
The controversial Minnesota artifact was discovered in a farm field near Alexandria in 1898. Now considered by most to be a hoax, advocates insist that it proves Nordic explorers were there in 1362.
SPOONBRIDGE AND CHERRY
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen created the signature sculpture of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1988.
PRONTO PUPS
The quintessential State Fair food was introduced to Minnesotans in 1947.
MINNESOTA STATE CAPITAL QUADRIGA
The chariot drawn by four horses: the chariot represents the state; two female figures portray Minnesota agriculture and industry, and the four horses represent earth, fire, water and wind.
EIGHT-POINTED STAR
The state motto "L'Etoile du Nord" (Star of the North) was chosen by the first governor, Henry Sibley.
POST-IT NOTES
The serendipitous invention by two 3M scientists, Spencer Silver and Art Fry, changed the way we all communicate.
CASEY JONES
During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of Minnesota children had their lunch with Casey, a local television star.
º SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE
Congress granted Minnesota $75,000 to build the lighthouse after a storm in November 1905 battered 29 ships along Lake Superior's shoreline. The Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse in 1969 and gave it to Minnesota.
LOON
After a vote by schoolchildren and sportsmen's groups and a letter-writing campaign, the Minnesota Legislature in 1961 made the common loon the official state bird.
MARY RICHARDS
Mary Tyler Moore's plucky single gal worked on the news show of a fictional Minneapolis TV station in the 1970s sitcom. There is now a statue of her on the Nicollet Mall.
MINNEHAHA FALLS
In the 1800s, the falls were a major tourist attraction, due in part to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Song of Hiawatha," published in 1855.
LAKE ITASCA STATE PARK
Minnesota's first state park, founded in 1891, includes more than 100 lakes and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
LUTEFISK
Minnesotans' Norwegian ancestors have been eating lutefisk -- literally, "lye fish" -- since the Middle Ages. It is cod that's been dried, soaked in lye and boiled.
RED WING POTTERY
Popular today as collectibles, Red Wing pottery was once was part of Minnesotans' everyday lives and was the nation's largest pottery-making enterprise.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul
By Clara James, About.com
The Science Museum of Minnesota is a large museum of science and technology on the bank of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul.
The Science Museum takes full advantage of it's wonderful location on the river. Guests enter on the top floor, which is actually at street level in downtown St. Paul, and from there the galleries extend downwards towards the river. A large, light-filled atrium in the center of the museum displays dinosaur skeletons and scientifically inspired artworks against the river view.
Galleries on three floors exhibit the museum's large paleontology, anthropology, and natural history collections, and many interactive displays demonstrate mathematical, electrical, light and weather phenomena.
Permanent Collections
Mississippi River Gallery The Science Museum pays tribute to the mighty Mississippi in the first gallery. Exhibits include a diorama of Mississippi flora and fauna, the original marker from the source of the Mississippi at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, and a real river tugboat perched on the roof.
Dinosaurs
The dinosaur gallery is hugely popular. The Science Museum has one of the largest paleontology collections in the world, with a roll-call of all the famous dinosaurs: Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and more. Fossils range from mighty to microscopic, beautiful to... well, dinosaur poop.
Electricity and Light This section does an admirable job of turning a rather unexciting area of science into something interesting with elegant displays and instruments demonstrating electromagnetic phenomena.
Weather In this hands-on gallery, ingenious machines make clouds, simulate weather fronts, sand dunes, tornados, waves, and more.
Collections Gallery This gallery could be a whole museum in itself. There's animals from the upper Midwest, plus one gorilla, an ex-resident of Como Zoo. Anthropology exhibits include a Hmong house, and there's a selection of questionable medical devices.
The Human Body Gallery This galley explores how our bodies work. Blood flow, cell biology, disease, and DNA are explained with super-sized models and hands-on activities.
The Big Back Yard Open seasonally, the Big Back Yard garden has a science-themed mini golf course, a maze, water tables, and a stream for visitors to pan for gemstones and fossils.
The Omnitheater
The Omnitheater - the Imax Convertible Dome Omnitheater to be exact - shows incredible educational films inspired by the natural world on a giant screen. The films change every couple of months, and there is usually a couple to choose from at any one time.
There is a charge for Omnitheater shows. Admission to the Omnitheater is separate to general museum admission, it is not necessary to visit the museum to see an Omnitheater show.
Special Exhibitions at the Science Museum
Usually two major travelling exhibitions are on show at the museum, making repeat trips very worthwhile. Entrance to the special exhibitions is usually included in the price of admission.
Special Events at the Science Museum
The museum has weekly senior days and pre-schooler days. There are also frequent lectures, classes and special events.
Visiting the Science Museum
Who would enjoy the Science Museum of Minnesota?
Children as young as two enjoy seeing the dinosaurs, and pressing all the buttons. As for actually appreciating the science, the displays are aimed at children six and up. Many exhibits have higher-level concepts geared for teenagers and older students.
The Omnitheater shows are usually suitable for all ages, except the very young.
Location
120 West Kellogg Boulevard St. Paul, MN 55102 Telephone 651-221-9444
Parking
The entrance to the Science Museum's parking ramp is at the level of the river, and not-at-all obvious how to get to it. There's a couple of other parking ramps on Kellogg Boulevard right next to the museum, but they are not for museum guests. Follow the directions for Science Museum Parking at the museum's website. There is a charge for parking, ask for a parking coupon at the admissions desk.
Public Transportation
The nearest bus routes to the Museum pass through downtown St. Paul, two or three blocks to the north or east.
Food at the Science Museum
There are three cafes at the museum. There's a Caribou coffee shop in the lobby, the Chomp kid-friendly eatery in the dinosaur gallery, and the Elements Café on the top floor with the best view of the Mississippi in town.
There are picnic tables in the Big Back Yard.
Shopping at the Science Museum
A well-stocked store in the lobby sells scientific-themed gifts, toys, mini-experiments, Minnesota souvenirs, and Science Museum merchandise. Visit Their Web Site
The Science Museum of Minnesota is a large museum of science and technology on the bank of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul.
The Science Museum takes full advantage of it's wonderful location on the river. Guests enter on the top floor, which is actually at street level in downtown St. Paul, and from there the galleries extend downwards towards the river. A large, light-filled atrium in the center of the museum displays dinosaur skeletons and scientifically inspired artworks against the river view.
Galleries on three floors exhibit the museum's large paleontology, anthropology, and natural history collections, and many interactive displays demonstrate mathematical, electrical, light and weather phenomena.
Permanent Collections
Mississippi River Gallery The Science Museum pays tribute to the mighty Mississippi in the first gallery. Exhibits include a diorama of Mississippi flora and fauna, the original marker from the source of the Mississippi at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, and a real river tugboat perched on the roof.
Dinosaurs
The dinosaur gallery is hugely popular. The Science Museum has one of the largest paleontology collections in the world, with a roll-call of all the famous dinosaurs: Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and more. Fossils range from mighty to microscopic, beautiful to... well, dinosaur poop.
Electricity and Light This section does an admirable job of turning a rather unexciting area of science into something interesting with elegant displays and instruments demonstrating electromagnetic phenomena.
Weather In this hands-on gallery, ingenious machines make clouds, simulate weather fronts, sand dunes, tornados, waves, and more.
Collections Gallery This gallery could be a whole museum in itself. There's animals from the upper Midwest, plus one gorilla, an ex-resident of Como Zoo. Anthropology exhibits include a Hmong house, and there's a selection of questionable medical devices.
The Human Body Gallery This galley explores how our bodies work. Blood flow, cell biology, disease, and DNA are explained with super-sized models and hands-on activities.
The Big Back Yard Open seasonally, the Big Back Yard garden has a science-themed mini golf course, a maze, water tables, and a stream for visitors to pan for gemstones and fossils.
The Omnitheater
The Omnitheater - the Imax Convertible Dome Omnitheater to be exact - shows incredible educational films inspired by the natural world on a giant screen. The films change every couple of months, and there is usually a couple to choose from at any one time.
There is a charge for Omnitheater shows. Admission to the Omnitheater is separate to general museum admission, it is not necessary to visit the museum to see an Omnitheater show.
Special Exhibitions at the Science Museum
Usually two major travelling exhibitions are on show at the museum, making repeat trips very worthwhile. Entrance to the special exhibitions is usually included in the price of admission.
Special Events at the Science Museum
The museum has weekly senior days and pre-schooler days. There are also frequent lectures, classes and special events.
Visiting the Science Museum
Who would enjoy the Science Museum of Minnesota?
Children as young as two enjoy seeing the dinosaurs, and pressing all the buttons. As for actually appreciating the science, the displays are aimed at children six and up. Many exhibits have higher-level concepts geared for teenagers and older students.
The Omnitheater shows are usually suitable for all ages, except the very young.
Location
120 West Kellogg Boulevard St. Paul, MN 55102 Telephone 651-221-9444
Parking
The entrance to the Science Museum's parking ramp is at the level of the river, and not-at-all obvious how to get to it. There's a couple of other parking ramps on Kellogg Boulevard right next to the museum, but they are not for museum guests. Follow the directions for Science Museum Parking at the museum's website. There is a charge for parking, ask for a parking coupon at the admissions desk.
Public Transportation
The nearest bus routes to the Museum pass through downtown St. Paul, two or three blocks to the north or east.
Food at the Science Museum
There are three cafes at the museum. There's a Caribou coffee shop in the lobby, the Chomp kid-friendly eatery in the dinosaur gallery, and the Elements Café on the top floor with the best view of the Mississippi in town.
There are picnic tables in the Big Back Yard.
Shopping at the Science Museum
A well-stocked store in the lobby sells scientific-themed gifts, toys, mini-experiments, Minnesota souvenirs, and Science Museum merchandise. Visit Their Web Site
Three-wheelers to Patrol Downtown Minneapolis
Outside, inside and all over downtown, police say a new crime fighting tool will help give them the upper hand in Minneapolis.
The T-3 personal mobility vehicles are also turning heads.
"I've seen people with the two wheels, but I've never seen these, they'll get a lot of attention, they'll get a lot of attention," said Alton Brandford who takes a close look at the three-wheeled plug and ride electric machines.
"It's worth checking into and the design is very intriguing because, it reminds you of a chariot," said Ed Foss who's looking for a cheaper way to get around.
The Segway looking three wheeled machines help officers stand tall above crowds, reach speeds of 25 miles an hour and turn on a dime.
"It's an eye catcher, I walked by and immediately they caught my attention," said Brandford.
That's the other and maybe the most significant purpose of the battery powered machines. If police can get people talking and feeling more comfortable around them, it may help with their investigations.
"There's a lot of folks that already want to come up and talk with officers and that way you can see them easier you can communicate with them you can share information," said Minneapolis Police Inspector Janee Harteau.
The first two have been donated with help from Target and four more are on the way at $10,000 a piece.
"Woah, now you're going to knock me out, I'm going to pass out. You can get a car a couple cars for that," said Brandford initially and then added, "Well, if it helps somebody for our safety and in Downtown, I think it's a good thing, I think it's worth ten grand.
"The T-3 able to cover the streets more quickly, rise above a crowd and fight crime in the 21st century.The personal vehicles simply plug in and run.
It has zero-gas emissions and can run on one battery for hours.
Police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport replaced a couple carts with T-3's several months ago.
The Los Angeles Police Department has also been using the machines with success and now regularly uses dozens of them.
Click here for more information about T-3 Motion.
By Jeffrey DeMars, KARE 11 News
The T-3 personal mobility vehicles are also turning heads.
"I've seen people with the two wheels, but I've never seen these, they'll get a lot of attention, they'll get a lot of attention," said Alton Brandford who takes a close look at the three-wheeled plug and ride electric machines.
"It's worth checking into and the design is very intriguing because, it reminds you of a chariot," said Ed Foss who's looking for a cheaper way to get around.
The Segway looking three wheeled machines help officers stand tall above crowds, reach speeds of 25 miles an hour and turn on a dime.
"It's an eye catcher, I walked by and immediately they caught my attention," said Brandford.
That's the other and maybe the most significant purpose of the battery powered machines. If police can get people talking and feeling more comfortable around them, it may help with their investigations.
"There's a lot of folks that already want to come up and talk with officers and that way you can see them easier you can communicate with them you can share information," said Minneapolis Police Inspector Janee Harteau.
The first two have been donated with help from Target and four more are on the way at $10,000 a piece.
"Woah, now you're going to knock me out, I'm going to pass out. You can get a car a couple cars for that," said Brandford initially and then added, "Well, if it helps somebody for our safety and in Downtown, I think it's a good thing, I think it's worth ten grand.
"The T-3 able to cover the streets more quickly, rise above a crowd and fight crime in the 21st century.The personal vehicles simply plug in and run.
It has zero-gas emissions and can run on one battery for hours.
Police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport replaced a couple carts with T-3's several months ago.
The Los Angeles Police Department has also been using the machines with success and now regularly uses dozens of them.
Click here for more information about T-3 Motion.
By Jeffrey DeMars, KARE 11 News
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Psycho Suzi's
This seems like the perfect place for Air Medical Transport Conference attendees to check out while in Minneapolis for AMTC08!
From Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network check out Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge
From Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network check out Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Minneapolis Restaurant Reviews from IgoUgo site
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Destination: Seeing Double
BY LINDA HENRY
The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.
HERE’S A GAME TO PLAY with friends: During coverage of the Republican National Convention this September, take a sip of Pig’s Eye beer every time a reporter claims to be “live from Minneapolis.” In fact, the convention will be held across the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
The Twin Cities—always referred to as “Minneapolis/St. Paul,” never “St. Paul/Minneapolis”—are an unlikely pair. While they share a passion for the arts and a love of walleye (always pan fried, never broiled), each city has its own personality. The perception: Sedate St. Paul takes a back seat to metropolitan Minneapolis. That’s only partly true, but visitors benefit from the twins’ differences by getting two distinct Midwestern cities in one trip.
LAY OF THE LAND
As quiet as the town is now, St. Paul has a raucous, boozy past. In 1839 it was called Pig’s Eye, in honor of saloon owner Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant. Almost immediately after Parrant’s saloon opened, Father Lucien Galtier built a log chapel nearby, christening it the Chapel of St. Paul. Despite that righteous name, the revelers carried on for decades. During Prohibition, resident gangsters described St. Paul as “a perpetual party.”
There’s still plenty of action today, whether it’s opera at the Ordway, “A Prairie Home Companion” at the Fitzgerald or an August Wilson play at the Penumbra Theatre. But St. Paulites do like to be home by midnight.
As for Minneapolis theater, most people probably think of the Guthrie, the esteemed 44-year-old theatrical powerhouse. But the city also hosts the eclectic 11-day Fringe Festival (July 31–August 10; fringefestival.org).
With a population of 388,000, Minneapolis is larger than St. Paul, and locals still party like it’s 1999, as hometown icon Prince would say. First Avenue, the Minneapolis nightclub that Prince made famous in Purple Rain, is still cranking. Today Prince reportedly prefers The Lounge, which has a dress code, couches and a VIP dance floor.
While locals argue over which city is best and what constitutes a party, why not check out all that the twins have to offer?
ST. PAUL
Rice Park, established as a public square in 1849, is a good spot to get a handle on St. Paul’s quirky personality. This shade-filled haven draws office workers at lunchtime and holds free concerts in summer. Historic buildings (the public library, the St. Paul Hotel) surround the square, and statues of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Schulz’s Peppermint Patty pay tribute to St. Paul’s literary legacy.
Across the freeway to the north, the State Capitol rises like Minnesota’s answer to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The building serves as a massive bookend to the city, with the Cathedral of St. Paul, a mile west of Rice Park, as its mate. The cathedral, which has a copper dome and seating space for 3,000, has come a long way since Father Galtier’s log chapel.
Historic Summit
F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was baptized at the cathedral in 1896, wrote This Side of Paradise while living in the Summit Avenue neighborhood just west of Cathedral Hill. Fitzgerald’s old smoke spot, W.A. Frost’s Pharmacy, has been reinvented as a Midwestern bistro serving superb Norwegian grilled-salmon salad and walleye.
Fitzgerald’s old apartment (at 599 Summit Avenue) is modest compared to the area’s historic mansions. Chief among these is the 117-year-old home of railroad baron James J. Hill. His fortresslike red limestone mansion has five floors, 13 bathrooms and 22 fireplaces. When built, the 36,000-square-foot “house” was a mechanical wonder, with elaborate plumbing, electrical and security systems. The Minnesota Historical Society offers tours Wednesday through Sunday; Saturday tours include a pipe-organ demonstration.
A Charming Rebellion to Malldom St. Paul’s best boutiques are on Grand Avenue. The block between Oxford Street and Lexington Parkway offers a good sampling: the Bibelot Shop (1082 Grand), for artsy gifts and clothes; next door’s Wuollet Bakery, for lattes and pastries; and Creative KidStuff, whose staff knows what kids like. For local flavor, check out Saga Living (1856 Grand), selling Marimekko’s Scandinavian designs.
MINNEAPOLIS
Unlike St. Paul, Minneapolis was originally saddled with a ho-hum nickname, Mill City. But today even flour mills are fascinating, thanks to the Mill City Museum, a modern glass-and-steel structure built inside the jagged ruins of Washburn A Mill (704 S. 2nd St.; 612-341-7555; millcitymuseum.org; $8). A half-hour tour includes an eight-floor freight elevator ride that recreates the noisy, industrial process of turning wheat into flour. The tour wraps up with a panoramic view of the riverfront from the ninth-floor observation deck.
A Theatrical Debut
A few doors down, the new Guthrie Theater, designed by Paris architect Jean Nouvel, seems to hover above the river. A black-blue mass of steel, glass and light, it echoes the shapes of the flour mills and silos. Visitors can explore the cantilevered lobby, called the Endless Bridge, and the ninth-floor Amber Box, with a view of the riverfront. This summer the Guthrie presents the world premiere of Little House on the Prairie, a musical based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books about growing up in Minnesota in the late 1800s—when Pa Ingalls’ wheat was milled almost exactly where the play will be performed.
Modern Tastes
On Hennepin Avenue, the clean lines of the Chambers hotel serve as a backdrop for owner Ralph Burnet’s collection of contemporary art. The 60-room hotel is pricey, but you can get a peek by dining at the Chambers Kitchen, where the artworks include a mammoth but otherwise lifelike sculpture of a man’s face and a painting whose subjects appear to blink and breathe.
Southwest of downtown, the renowned Walker Art Center also offers art leavened by cuisine. After rising through its stunning galleries, you’ll reach the top floor and Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21, named for the Walker’s focus on 20th- and 21st-century art. The menu, like that at the Chambers, is Asian-influenced. Forget the traditional walleye here—green Thai seafood curry is the signature dish.
The Uptown Experience
Any trip uptown, which strangely is south of downtown, should include a visit to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater for bowling, beer and sandwiches, comedy cabaret or a little of everything. To find the quintessential lake experience, head to the Tin Fish, a fish shack on Lake Calhoun. The trick is to designate a table-grabber while someone else gets in line to order food: tacos with fried walleye, grilled salmon or halibut, say, or seafood combo platters, all at great prices. The people speeding by on bikes and skates might inspire a walk around the lake—after lunch.
A Final Thought
Oh, yes, you might have heard there’s a large mall in town. That’s the Mall of America, located near the airport in Bloomington. Visitors come to see its 520 stores, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium and the Park at MOA (formerly known as Camp Snoopy). Many shoppers end up never venturing outside Bloomington. With all that the Twins have to offer, don’t let that happen to you.
stay
St. Paul Hotel
The elegant 254-room hotel has been completely refurbished since Lucius Ordway built it in 1910. 350 Market St., St. Paul; 800-292-9292; saintpaulhotel.com; doubles from $160
Nicollet Island Inn
This quiet 24-room inn doesn’t skimp on the amenities (400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, Aveda products). 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; nicolletislandinn.com; doubles from $200
Chambers
A luxurious hotel in the heart of Minneapolis that showcases a museum-quality collection of contemporary artwork. There’s also a rooftop nightclub and a restaurant headed by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Few hotels have raised a city’s profile so much. 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-767-6900; chambersminneapolis.com; doubles from $265; dinner for two, $85
eat
W.A. Frost
Housed in the 1889 Dacotah Building, this restaurant has three rooms and a patio. You can get tasting-size portions of dessert, so there’s no excuse to turn it down. 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; wafrost.com, 651-224-5715; lunch for two, $60*
Nicollet Island Inn
Watch the Segways go by, and lunch on a corn-crusted walleye sandwich with green chili-tomato tartar. 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; (three-course) lunch for two, $55
Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21
It’s elbow-to-elbow here, but the skyline view and impeccable food are worth it. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-253-4210; dinner for two, $90
Tin Fish
This fish shack on Lake Calhoun is open April through October; no reservations are required, but be ready to grab an open table when you see one. 3000 Calhoun Pkwy. E., Minneapolis; tacos, $3–$6; combo platters, $15.
Axel’s River Grille
Try the Coco-Fish-Bull appetizer, with coconut shrimp, walleye and tenderloin “bull bites.” Such delectable fare packs the house, in a suburb south of the Twin Cities. 1318 Sibley Memorial Hwy., Mendota; 651-686-4840; dinner for two, $80
*Prices cover a meal for two, not including drinks, tax or tip.
TO DO: ST. PAUL
Riverboat rides
The Padelford Packet Boat Co. offers day trips on the Mississippi, departing from Harriet Island. riverrides.com
The wicked stage
Summer theater performances take place aboard the old-fashioned Minnesota Centennial Showboat. showboat.umn.edu
High art
Guided tours of the Cathedral of St. Paul are held Mon., Wed. and Fri. at 1 p.m. 239 Selby Ave.; 651-228-1766; cathedralsaintpaul.org
To the manor born
Tour the mansion of railroad magnate James J. Hill. 240 Summit Ave.; 651-297-2555; mnhs.org; $8
The new two-wheelerA 2½-hour Segway tour takes you to Boom Island, across the Stone Arch Bridge and to the Mill City Museum. 952-888-9200; magicalhistorytour.com; $70
TO DO: MINNEAPOLIS
Jazz + food
The Dakota Jazz Club dishes up music and a top-tier restaurant. Visit dakotacooks.com to see who’s playing. 1010 Nicollet; 612-332-1010; dinner for two, $90
Bowled over
Go to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater to bowl, eat and watch a show under one roof. 810 West Lake St.; bryantlakebowl.com; 612-825-3737; dinner for two, $40
Walker Art Center
In April, a Richard Prince retrospective shares top billing with Kara Walker’s racially charged cutouts. 1750 Hennepin Ave.; 612-375-7600; $10
Published: March/April 2008 Issue
Photos: Minnesota Historical Society
The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.
HERE’S A GAME TO PLAY with friends: During coverage of the Republican National Convention this September, take a sip of Pig’s Eye beer every time a reporter claims to be “live from Minneapolis.” In fact, the convention will be held across the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
The Twin Cities—always referred to as “Minneapolis/St. Paul,” never “St. Paul/Minneapolis”—are an unlikely pair. While they share a passion for the arts and a love of walleye (always pan fried, never broiled), each city has its own personality. The perception: Sedate St. Paul takes a back seat to metropolitan Minneapolis. That’s only partly true, but visitors benefit from the twins’ differences by getting two distinct Midwestern cities in one trip.
LAY OF THE LAND
As quiet as the town is now, St. Paul has a raucous, boozy past. In 1839 it was called Pig’s Eye, in honor of saloon owner Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant. Almost immediately after Parrant’s saloon opened, Father Lucien Galtier built a log chapel nearby, christening it the Chapel of St. Paul. Despite that righteous name, the revelers carried on for decades. During Prohibition, resident gangsters described St. Paul as “a perpetual party.”
There’s still plenty of action today, whether it’s opera at the Ordway, “A Prairie Home Companion” at the Fitzgerald or an August Wilson play at the Penumbra Theatre. But St. Paulites do like to be home by midnight.
As for Minneapolis theater, most people probably think of the Guthrie, the esteemed 44-year-old theatrical powerhouse. But the city also hosts the eclectic 11-day Fringe Festival (July 31–August 10; fringefestival.org).
With a population of 388,000, Minneapolis is larger than St. Paul, and locals still party like it’s 1999, as hometown icon Prince would say. First Avenue, the Minneapolis nightclub that Prince made famous in Purple Rain, is still cranking. Today Prince reportedly prefers The Lounge, which has a dress code, couches and a VIP dance floor.
While locals argue over which city is best and what constitutes a party, why not check out all that the twins have to offer?
ST. PAUL
Rice Park, established as a public square in 1849, is a good spot to get a handle on St. Paul’s quirky personality. This shade-filled haven draws office workers at lunchtime and holds free concerts in summer. Historic buildings (the public library, the St. Paul Hotel) surround the square, and statues of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Schulz’s Peppermint Patty pay tribute to St. Paul’s literary legacy.
Across the freeway to the north, the State Capitol rises like Minnesota’s answer to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The building serves as a massive bookend to the city, with the Cathedral of St. Paul, a mile west of Rice Park, as its mate. The cathedral, which has a copper dome and seating space for 3,000, has come a long way since Father Galtier’s log chapel.
Historic Summit
F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was baptized at the cathedral in 1896, wrote This Side of Paradise while living in the Summit Avenue neighborhood just west of Cathedral Hill. Fitzgerald’s old smoke spot, W.A. Frost’s Pharmacy, has been reinvented as a Midwestern bistro serving superb Norwegian grilled-salmon salad and walleye.
Fitzgerald’s old apartment (at 599 Summit Avenue) is modest compared to the area’s historic mansions. Chief among these is the 117-year-old home of railroad baron James J. Hill. His fortresslike red limestone mansion has five floors, 13 bathrooms and 22 fireplaces. When built, the 36,000-square-foot “house” was a mechanical wonder, with elaborate plumbing, electrical and security systems. The Minnesota Historical Society offers tours Wednesday through Sunday; Saturday tours include a pipe-organ demonstration.
A Charming Rebellion to Malldom St. Paul’s best boutiques are on Grand Avenue. The block between Oxford Street and Lexington Parkway offers a good sampling: the Bibelot Shop (1082 Grand), for artsy gifts and clothes; next door’s Wuollet Bakery, for lattes and pastries; and Creative KidStuff, whose staff knows what kids like. For local flavor, check out Saga Living (1856 Grand), selling Marimekko’s Scandinavian designs.
MINNEAPOLIS
Unlike St. Paul, Minneapolis was originally saddled with a ho-hum nickname, Mill City. But today even flour mills are fascinating, thanks to the Mill City Museum, a modern glass-and-steel structure built inside the jagged ruins of Washburn A Mill (704 S. 2nd St.; 612-341-7555; millcitymuseum.org; $8). A half-hour tour includes an eight-floor freight elevator ride that recreates the noisy, industrial process of turning wheat into flour. The tour wraps up with a panoramic view of the riverfront from the ninth-floor observation deck.
A Theatrical Debut
A few doors down, the new Guthrie Theater, designed by Paris architect Jean Nouvel, seems to hover above the river. A black-blue mass of steel, glass and light, it echoes the shapes of the flour mills and silos. Visitors can explore the cantilevered lobby, called the Endless Bridge, and the ninth-floor Amber Box, with a view of the riverfront. This summer the Guthrie presents the world premiere of Little House on the Prairie, a musical based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books about growing up in Minnesota in the late 1800s—when Pa Ingalls’ wheat was milled almost exactly where the play will be performed.
Modern Tastes
On Hennepin Avenue, the clean lines of the Chambers hotel serve as a backdrop for owner Ralph Burnet’s collection of contemporary art. The 60-room hotel is pricey, but you can get a peek by dining at the Chambers Kitchen, where the artworks include a mammoth but otherwise lifelike sculpture of a man’s face and a painting whose subjects appear to blink and breathe.
Southwest of downtown, the renowned Walker Art Center also offers art leavened by cuisine. After rising through its stunning galleries, you’ll reach the top floor and Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21, named for the Walker’s focus on 20th- and 21st-century art. The menu, like that at the Chambers, is Asian-influenced. Forget the traditional walleye here—green Thai seafood curry is the signature dish.
The Uptown Experience
Any trip uptown, which strangely is south of downtown, should include a visit to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater for bowling, beer and sandwiches, comedy cabaret or a little of everything. To find the quintessential lake experience, head to the Tin Fish, a fish shack on Lake Calhoun. The trick is to designate a table-grabber while someone else gets in line to order food: tacos with fried walleye, grilled salmon or halibut, say, or seafood combo platters, all at great prices. The people speeding by on bikes and skates might inspire a walk around the lake—after lunch.
A Final Thought
Oh, yes, you might have heard there’s a large mall in town. That’s the Mall of America, located near the airport in Bloomington. Visitors come to see its 520 stores, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium and the Park at MOA (formerly known as Camp Snoopy). Many shoppers end up never venturing outside Bloomington. With all that the Twins have to offer, don’t let that happen to you.
stay
St. Paul Hotel
The elegant 254-room hotel has been completely refurbished since Lucius Ordway built it in 1910. 350 Market St., St. Paul; 800-292-9292; saintpaulhotel.com; doubles from $160
Nicollet Island Inn
This quiet 24-room inn doesn’t skimp on the amenities (400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, Aveda products). 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; nicolletislandinn.com; doubles from $200
Chambers
A luxurious hotel in the heart of Minneapolis that showcases a museum-quality collection of contemporary artwork. There’s also a rooftop nightclub and a restaurant headed by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Few hotels have raised a city’s profile so much. 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-767-6900; chambersminneapolis.com; doubles from $265; dinner for two, $85
eat
W.A. Frost
Housed in the 1889 Dacotah Building, this restaurant has three rooms and a patio. You can get tasting-size portions of dessert, so there’s no excuse to turn it down. 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; wafrost.com, 651-224-5715; lunch for two, $60*
Nicollet Island Inn
Watch the Segways go by, and lunch on a corn-crusted walleye sandwich with green chili-tomato tartar. 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; (three-course) lunch for two, $55
Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21
It’s elbow-to-elbow here, but the skyline view and impeccable food are worth it. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-253-4210; dinner for two, $90
Tin Fish
This fish shack on Lake Calhoun is open April through October; no reservations are required, but be ready to grab an open table when you see one. 3000 Calhoun Pkwy. E., Minneapolis; tacos, $3–$6; combo platters, $15.
Axel’s River Grille
Try the Coco-Fish-Bull appetizer, with coconut shrimp, walleye and tenderloin “bull bites.” Such delectable fare packs the house, in a suburb south of the Twin Cities. 1318 Sibley Memorial Hwy., Mendota; 651-686-4840; dinner for two, $80
*Prices cover a meal for two, not including drinks, tax or tip.
TO DO: ST. PAUL
Riverboat rides
The Padelford Packet Boat Co. offers day trips on the Mississippi, departing from Harriet Island. riverrides.com
The wicked stage
Summer theater performances take place aboard the old-fashioned Minnesota Centennial Showboat. showboat.umn.edu
High art
Guided tours of the Cathedral of St. Paul are held Mon., Wed. and Fri. at 1 p.m. 239 Selby Ave.; 651-228-1766; cathedralsaintpaul.org
To the manor born
Tour the mansion of railroad magnate James J. Hill. 240 Summit Ave.; 651-297-2555; mnhs.org; $8
The new two-wheelerA 2½-hour Segway tour takes you to Boom Island, across the Stone Arch Bridge and to the Mill City Museum. 952-888-9200; magicalhistorytour.com; $70
TO DO: MINNEAPOLIS
Jazz + food
The Dakota Jazz Club dishes up music and a top-tier restaurant. Visit dakotacooks.com to see who’s playing. 1010 Nicollet; 612-332-1010; dinner for two, $90
Bowled over
Go to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater to bowl, eat and watch a show under one roof. 810 West Lake St.; bryantlakebowl.com; 612-825-3737; dinner for two, $40
Walker Art Center
In April, a Richard Prince retrospective shares top billing with Kara Walker’s racially charged cutouts. 1750 Hennepin Ave.; 612-375-7600; $10
Published: March/April 2008 Issue
Photos: Minnesota Historical Society
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