A Couple New Restaurants

In case you were wondering, the end of the world is nigh. The High Plains are flooding with water levels currently set to engulf most of North Dakota and only half of Minnesota. These are scary times filled with sandbags and good intentions, but let's not forget the single most important consideration during these troubled times . . . people in a crisis gotta eat. With that in mind, let me tell ya about a some restaurants I recently had the opportunity to try out.

The first is The Corner Table in south Minneapolis. Mr. Oz implored some recent transplants from West Virginia to join us in our culinary excursion. A well regarded spot known for using only locally grown, seasonal produce, The Corner Table did a fine job tantalizing our taste buds. Chef Scott Pampuch espouses a strong belief in sustainable, organic food that comes straight from the harvest. His philosophy falls right in line with the slow food mantra of Alice Waters and her minions. While some may poo poo this as elitist, I have to tip my proverbial hat to anyone who supports local farmers and takes their time to get it right. Here are some photos. Apologies are in order as these pictures were taken with my IPhone in a low lit environment. IPhone has no flash so ya gotta take what you can get.

Some lovely scallops served as a first course. Swimming in a buttery sauce and dressed with an array of leeks and greens, the scallops were cooked to perfection:


Our dining companions had a tasty looking pork belly -- yes, those fine looking white and pink orbs are, indeed, radishes:



Mr. Oz thoroughly enjoyed this roasted bison:


When dining at The Corner Table my only caution would be the desserts. I wasn't a big fan.

Next restaurant is Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque & Pirate Bar in Stillwater, MN. Mr. Oz and I spent a beautiful Spring day hanging out with my parents in his hometown (aka crazy youth stomping grounds).


Brainchild of restauranters Tim McKee and Josh Thoma of La Belle Vie and Solera fame, Smalley's sits right on the touristy Main St in downtown Stillwater. The St. Croix River at its back, the place kinda exudes the same vibe as a Famous Dave's but trys to take the food up a notch. I'm not sure they always succeed. Mr. Oz had some ribs and deemed them flavorful but a bit chewy. He much prefers the 'fall off the bone' kinda rib experience. My pulled pork sandwich was above average in taste, but a bit dry. It might be that Smalley's takes the approach of a more dry rub Creole, Jamaican style bbq, while we are more accustomed to the saucy southern variety. At any rate, the highlights for me were the sweet potato fries sprinkled with copious amounts of fresh, diced garlic.


A nice little crock of ooey-gooey, warm mac & cheese was a welcome side dish. Is macaroni and cheese ever a bad thing? I dare you to argue this point.


And, you really can't beat the Blackberry Mojito. Very refreshing.


This place really boasts a great selection of tequila and rum, so drink up. It was chilly so the front patio was not open. This looks like it could be a cool spot in the summer.

That's all I got. Do you have any restaurant recommendations to share? I'd love to hear 'em.

Are You A Narcissist?

Take the Narcissistic Personality Inventory:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-16-pinsky-quiz_N.htm

C'mon. It was co-developed by Dr. Drew of Celebrity Rehab fame. You know you want to.

I will award extra special bonus points to those of you who post your score here. Apparently the average score for the general population is 15.3. My score was 12. I'm not sure I want to be below average as it may be a sign of narcissism deficiency (kinda like Vitamin B12 so you have to take supplements or your gums bleed, right?). Eeeks. Does a 12 mean I have low self-worth, that I'm more likely than your average person to get swindled or abused? They claim celebs have slightly higher scores than the general population. I wonder if there is a correlation between your narcissism inventory and your profession? Now that would be interesting.

And, on a completely random and unrelated note -- Mr. Oz miraculously found his missing wedding band! Harken back to early December and my tirade regarding the suddenly absent ring. After many months of wintery snow, Spring seems to have sprung and brought back the lost object. YEAH!!


Incredibly, Mr. Oz was just walking into his work and, BAM, there it was near the parking lot. He spotted it. Apparently it is in excellent condition to boot. What a magnificent thrill and amazing happening. Maybe this was supposed to happen on St. Patrick's Day, but wasn't timed out quite right? I'm just saying the ring is gold and Mr. Oz found it a few mere days after St. Patty's Day so perhaps those crafty Leprachans stole his ring way back when and tried to hide it. I wonder, dear readers, if you believe in miracles? And, if so, does this count? Do you think it is a sign? My sister believes this event signals that many trials and challenges await Mr. Oz and I, but we are destined to overcome each one and live together in harmony. What do you think??

Happy Spring everyone!!

Who Controls The Sun?

Lately I've been feeling a bit out of sorts. Plagued with an odd upper eyelid spasm, an evil cold sore, restless slumber and a general feeling of malaise, my body is definitely trying to send a message. As my crazy symptoms began to add up, I have to admit all kinds of ideas flooded my mind. Am I having a stroke? Do I have Bells Palsy? Some kind of virus? Shingles? My inner hypochondriac went a little nuts for about a day. But I think it is likely a physical manifestation of stress. My immune system is running on low and my body is telling me to slow down. Relax. Drink more water. Eat more vegetables. Go to bed before midnight. In short, take care of yourself. This is what my body is telling me.

Part of the problem rests with the government. Yes, I said it. I blame the government for my ills. Who doesn't, right? I'm not talking about high taxes or the broken down health care system. I'm referring to the silent conspiracy known as Daylight Savings Time. Who invented this program anyway? Spring ahead my ass. Why must the government interfere with TIME? Who gave bureaucrats the power over daylight anyway? It gets me all in a funk. I can't get to sleep at night because my body thinks it is like 9pm when really it is 10pm. Not ready for sleep I toss and turn fitfully through the night. Then, of course, in the morning, I can't wake up.

But here's the real kicker. I believe whomever invented Daylight Savings Time was really trying to eek more productivity from the working class. Probably some elite bourgeoisie capitalist who realized that when it started to get dark at 4pm or 5pm, that was a subtle cue for his factory workers to punch the clock and head home to eat their Dinty Moore Beef Stew, watch a little American Idol and hit the hay. What if we could push up the clock so it really only got dark at like 6pm or 7pm? What if the workers didn't realize it was quittin time? More widgets to be manufactured equals more profit in the capitalist coffers? It's hard, cold science really. I'm convinced Daylight Savings time is really just about the rich getting richer.

To test my theory, I did what every resourceful and curious person does these days -- I Googled it. Turns out some British dude named William Willett invented the concept of DST back in 1907. Apparently old William "observed with dismay how many Londoners slept through a large part of a summer day.^[17] An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk."

I knew it. I just knew that whomever invented DST was a hater of the common man getting his fair share of rest and relaxation. It's all about keeping the working stiffs working while those who can afford it hit the links. So, we have to push our clocks hither and yon because some crusty Brit wanted to get in another round of golf? Huh!? It seems that a later adoption of the program calls out the benefits of energy conservation. We use less electricity, or so some say. I'm not convinced. These facts are just so dull and boring. I find it much more invigorating to classify DST as an overt social control scheme; a manipulation of our God given right to sunlight on our own terms; the puppet master yanking the fabric strings of time to serve his very own master -- the almighty dollar. Doesn't that just pack a whole lot more fire than saving a few cents on electricity? Yeah. I like the subversive angle a whole lot better so I'm going to stick with that.

Excuse me while I go heat up my Dinty Moore and kick back with some American Idol. Marx was wrong. Religion is not the opiate of the masses . . . nope, it's convenience foods and bad reality t.v. Dulls our senses. Makes our eyelids twitch. Keeps us tethered to the puppet controls. Ahhhhh, nice.

Putting My Vacation To a Vote

I'm torn and want your advice. Mr. Oz and I are contemplating a week long vacation to celebrate our one year anniversary of marital bliss. We have narrowed our choices down to two spectacular places. I would like your help picking the spot. Both options are in Spanish speaking countries; cosmopolitan locations with amazing architecture, museums and art galleries, lots of parks, cafes, terrific food and wine; culture galore.

The first city is Barcelona, Spain. We have been talking about visiting Spain for well over a year so this is an obvious pick. Now Mr. Oz has been to Spain -- he lived and traveled throughout southern Spain for two years. But, he has never been to Barcelona. Love the mix of Old World and modern, Catalonia culture, artsy & bohemian yet traditional sensibility. We could take a train south to Valencia or a day trip to southern France. So much to do and see.

The second city is Buenos Aires, Argentina. Neither of us have ever been to South America and it sounds freakin fantastic. Checking out a new continent; Malbec wine, the tango, Evita Peron lore & legend, European influenced yet distinctly Latin. Just a damn cool place to visit me thinks.

From a cost standpoint, these two spots come pretty close. The flight to Argentina is a little higher than Spain, but given the plummeting dollar value and stronger Euro, accomodations are slightly less in Argentina. Flight is a few hours longer to Buenos Aires.

We are targeting the last week in April, so need to make a decision and get my passport updated.

What do you think? Pros and Cons? Help. Gracias.