Meat in Madtown–

POW!  Here we are gettin’ a little adventurous tryin’ some steaks ‘n’ stuff in Madison, Wisconsin, and our results are mixed.

We love hangin’ out at the Monona Terrace Hilton–one of our camps away from base camp. . .and the main restaurant here is the Capitol Chophouse…”let’s give it a whirl,” we say.  It just so happens that the day of our visit is National Clam Chowder Day. . .so I order this–New England-style, of course–and it is tasty, not bad at all.  We also gobble the wedge salad–crisp and refreshing…after this we have some prime rib, king crab legs, a ‘prime’ NY strip, and an order of creamed spinach. . .everything is ok, just ok…nothing offends us, but then again nothing here makes us go, “WOW!”  By the way, the whole meal is washed down with an ordinary cabernet, which makes us very happy.  The best part of dining here is the people–the whole staff is nice to us and makes us feel comfortable and welcomed…this makes us go, “JAAA!!”

So, if you ever find yerself hangin’ out at the Hilton in Madison, Wisconsin, then consider gobbling some goodness in the Capitol Chophouse…this place will fill yer belly, but it won’t blow you away.

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It’s lovely out there.

Bloody ‘ell!!

Runny eggs, bacon, sausage gravy, home fries, buttered English muffin, Tabasco, a coupla bloodys, and a coupla Spotted Cow chasers. . .bloody ‘ell!!–dis is da brunch of champions. . .jaaaa!!. . .and it is all served up magnificently at a place called the Come Back In on Wilson Street right here in the heart of Madison, Wisconsin. . .mmm, aaaah!!

It doesn’t matter who the president is when you have good stuff in yer mouth.

I send you everything-is-gonna-be-fine vibes from the Come Back In here in Madtown. . .feel them. . .they will help you see the light today…or at least a little lamp somewhere close to you.

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It’s lovely out there.

Old-timey Madtown sippin’–

Apparently everyone from Johnny Cash to Bill Murray to John Cusack to Brett Favre to Neil Young, etc. has sipped a beverage or three in this old-timey bar located on Henry Street halfway between the University of Wisconsin campus and the State Capitol Building. . .it’s called the Plaza Tavern, home of the ‘famous’ Plazaburger, and we are damn happy to be here.

It is said that the decor here has not changed since 1963 or so. . .the walls are covered in large murals painted by an old patron from 1957 to about 1962 in order to pay for his bar bills. . .mmm, aaaaahh!  We love the super-chilled, super-homey, and super-welcoming atmosphere.

The Overture Center for the Arts and the Orpheum Theater on State Street are both just one block away making this an easy go-to spot for after-show and after-performance drinks and snacks.  It is tons of fun checking out the ‘old-school’ charm of the old bars here in Madison, Wisconsin. . .please be sure to pop in here if you ever find yourself wanderin’ around Madtown lookin’ to wet yer whistle–they will take real good care of you right here in the Plaza Tavern…jaaaa!!

I send you long-runnin’ vibes from the Plaza Tavern. . .feel them. . .they will keep yer motor purrin’ along today and every day.

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It’s lovely out there.

Lands’ End sunset–

This is where all of your favorite Lands’ End clothes, bags, home products, and various other odds and ends are conceived, designed, and finalized before being shipped to you and other folks all over the planet. . .right here in little ole Dodgeville, Wisconsin. . .mmmm, aaaah!

The sun sets gloriously over the rolling hills here each and every day, and we feel gratitude for the opportunity to be here to contribute in some small way to the evolution of this great American brand.

The sun will rise again tomorrow…and tomorrow…and tomorrow. . .as we all creep along at our petty paces doing everything we can to enjoy the passage of time and to improve human existence just a tiny scintilla before we move on to another form.  And we will rise with the sun, and say, “thank you, sun, for warming things up for us…without you we are nothing–it’s good having you around–cheers!”

I send you brilliant and pulsating vibes from the rolling hills of southwest Wiskonsen. . .feel them. . .they will make you go, “aaaah,” if you let them.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you want to.

It’s lovely out there.

World’s Greatest Work Boots–

KABLAM!  The world’s greatest work boots are made right here in Red Wing, Minnesota–jaaa!!

This cozy little town located on the Mississippi River about thirty miles south of Minneapolis is the home of the Red Wing Shoe Company.  With over two thousand employees here and in a factory in Missouri, this company has been knocking out fabulous all-leather boots since its founding in 1905.  They have made boots for soldiers in WWI, WWII, and well beyond. . .jaaaa!!

The flagship store here in Red Wing carries every style–about one thousand or so we are told–has a little museum that tells the history of Red Wing boots, and is home to the world’s largest work boot.  The giant boot is a size 684, is made of all leather, and took about 15 months to build and hand stitch. . .there was an old woman living inside, but they recently gave her the boot–hahahehe, we love work boot humor.

Anyway, these shoes and boots are GREAT. . .please feel free to peruse their website and buy a pair today…you’ll be doing a lot to help an American company with lots of American workers of every stripe, color, and ethnicity to continue thriving in the ever-changing economic environment.

I send you leathery vibes from Red Wing, Minnesota…feel them…they will help you walk tall for many years to come.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Changin’ ‘n’ Sippin’–

YES!  Bob Dylan is from Minneapolis…his face is all over town…not sure if he ever pops back up here anymore, but the town has not forgotten him. . .and there is certainly no phrase more appropriate right now than his famous, “the times they are a-changin'”…mmmhhhmmm.

The times they are ALWAYS a-changin’…so we just keep on sipping’ and doin’ our best to enjoy the passage of this thing we call ‘time.’  What is time?  Simply an arbitrary system of measuring human presence and consciousness. . .without humans there would be no ‘time.’  Or would there?  Hmmm, I think I will have me another whiskey and contemplate this for just a ‘little while longer’…until ‘tomorrow’…maybe until ‘next week’…and quite possibly will into the coming ‘months’ and ‘years.’

Minneapolis is a great town for sittin’ back, sippin’, and thinkin’ ’bout stuff. . .and Cuzzy’s Bar on North Washington Avenue is a chill spot to do all of this. . .come on up here some ‘time’ and check this place out. . .you will love it–oh yeah!

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 dining spot…Minneapolis–

MMM!  We have read that this place, Bar La Grassa, is the number one place to eat in Minneapolis, and it appears that the critics and patrons are correct: this place is delicious and delectable–jaaa!!

Bar La Grassa is owned and run by a dude called Isaac Becker…he is a James Beard Award winning chef…his wife, Nancy St. Pierre, works as his partner in crime…the staff are efficient, chilled-out, helpful, and professional…and the food is full of flavor. . .we are extremely happy gobbling away here.

For our meal we choose the following items: spicy and tangy grilled prawns–absolutely scintillating…thinly sliced prosciutto served with shavings of butter–kinda strange but most gobble-worthy…the ‘famous’ eggs with lobster–totally satisfying and fun…fresh smoked spaghetti–really good…squid ink pasta with mussels and lots of other goodies–rich and flavorful…an assortment of the housemade grilled sausages served with intense mustards–mmm!!…a flattened roasted chicken served boneless–mouthwateringly magical. . .and a dessert of housemade ice creams–just because I always have to have ice cream.  All of this was washed down with a Barolo that made us oh-so very happy…BAM!

We are totally satisfied with our experience at Bar La Grassa. . .please consider popping in here for a meal if you ever find yourself hangin’ out in Minneapolis. . .you will be satisfied as well–I gar-ron-taaayy!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Where Prince became a STAR–

JAAA!  Here it is…the famous First Avenue club where Prince became “Prince”. . .the place where Prince filmed most of the music performances for the movie ‘Purple Rain’. . .the place where the “Minneapolis sound” became a thang. . .and the place that all music lovers need to visit at some point before we all fly away–mmmm, aaaahh!

The First Avenue club is located on the corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street here in the heart of Minneapolis. . .the club opened in 1970 with Joe Cocker doing the first performance in this hallowed space. . .Prince started performing here in the late 70s and early 80s…in fact, there is a 75-minute video of him doing a benefit show here in August of 1983 that pops up on YouTube every now and then, and this is one of the hottest recorded live performances that I have ever seen of anyone performing any music anywhere–IT ROCKS!!  This show is particularly important because it marks the first time that Prince played Computer Blue, Let’s Go Crazy, Electric Intercourse, Purple Rain, etc. in public. . .really wonderful.  Check it out some time. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

So, it is an honor for me to send you magically musical vibes from the First Avenue club in Minneapolis. . .feel them. . .they will make you tap your toes spontaneously all day and all night long…enjoy.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you want to.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 ‘fuh’ in America–

BAM!  Here we are gobbling a bowl of pho bo (pronounced “fuh baw”)–Vietnamese beef noodle soup–on “Eat Street” in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it is absolutely delicious–jaaaa!!  This bowl of goodness is the most authentically Vietnamese version of this dish that I have ever had in America, period.

The place to find this great bowl of pho bo is called Quang on Nicollet Avenue, aka, ‘Eat Street.’  Eat Street is a wonderful area in Minneapolis that is lined with all kinds of “ethnic” food shops and markets. . .Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, north African, Mexican, South American, etc. and so on.  You gotta come over here and do some gobblin’ whenever you visit this fun town. . .and as good as Quang is we are told by a local person that the Vietnamese food at a place called ‘Saigon’ in St. Paul is even tastier–we will have to check it out over there the next time we visit…but for now Quang will do just fine–mmmhhmmm!!

A couple of months ago we had the pho at a Vietnamese place down in East New Orleans, and it was wonderful–I thought this was the best in America–but now Quang on Eat Street in Minneapolis gets our vote as the most authentic bowl of pho bo in America.  Please pop on down here and check it out for yourself. . .we would love to hear what you think.

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 Jucy Lucy…Minneapolis–

BOOM!  This place gets our vote for the number one Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis…it’s Matt’s located on South Cedar Avenue just up the road from the main competition: the 5-8 Club.

A Jucy Lucy–spelled incorrectly on purpose at Matt’s–is a hamburger comprised of two burger patties with cheese stuffed in the middle with the patties sealed around the edges to keep the cheese in as it cooks. . .then when you eat it the cheese is supposed to ooze out all over the place and create a greasy-gooey-burgery-cheeesy mess of goodness.  The version of this burger at the 5-8 Club was voted the number one chow down item in America by the Travel Channel back in 2014. . .though President Obama chose to sample the version here at Matt’s when he was in town a number of years ago. . .so both places are famous on some level.

Anyway, we have tried both burgers, and we prefer the overall flavor of the Jucy Lucy at Matt’s. . .there simply seems to be more seasoning on this baby, and the meat is slightly more tasty.  It is fun to pop in here one time to try this revered Minneapolis food item, but we are underwhelmed by both the 5-8 Club and by Matt’s. . .Matt’s is cozier, but the wait is longer. . .frankly, I would skip both of these places the next time we come to Minneapolis and simply find another great restaurant in the North Loop section of town and do some major gobbling there.

So, please visit Matt’s if you ever find yourself hangin’ out in Minneapolis. . .this is an iconic local hang out. . .snap some pix, gobble a burger or three, then move on to bigger and better things in this fun city. . .jaaaa!!

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It’s lovely out there.