Camacho Watcho

Kyle’s birthday was last week so to celebrate, we decided to keep it low-key, grabbing a drink and a burger at The Herkimer. A brewpub with an extensive food menu is always intriguing to me.

A large space with several cozy booths and shuffle board along one wall, I can envision going back for a beer on a frequent occasion. The food, however, was a little lacking. It wasn’t bad, but considering that we ordered items that were supposed to be spiced up a bit, the food was a bit bland.

Kyle got the Puerco sandwich, “Cuban braised pork, peppers, onions, pepperjack cheese, and chipotle mayo”. There was definitely shredded pork on the sandwich….but the rest? It didn’t strike me enough to remember.

I ordered the Cajun burger, “ground beef seared in Cajun spices, pepperjack cheese, with a side of bleu cheese dressing”. Again, there was ground beef and a bun, but no spice came through at all for me. Both orders were served with their award winning sweet potato fries, which were crispy and, yes, tasty.

In short, I wouldn’t call the Herkimer a food destination. I may have to go back just to try their after 10pm Happy Hour special of 5 mini burgers, sweet potato fries and a pint of beer for $10 (come on….it sounds like a good deal!), but otherwise I’d just go to enjoy the casual atmosphere and brewpub beer.

Oh, and I apologize for the photography (I was lazy and just had my little point and shoot camera)…and for my obsession with trying to take this shot of me drinking my beer. I never quite got it right, but this is my best attempt. Thankfully, no beer was spilled in the photographing of this shot.

Before trying Buster’s on 28th for the first time last week, the name left me with an image of video games and cheap, rubbery food. I know, I know…that’s Dave and Buster’s that I was thinking of, but I still couldn’t help the thought. After going to Buster’s on 28th, however, I can guarantee that if it was located in my neighborhood, Buster’s on 28th would be my regular pub.

Located on 28th Ave. and 42nd St. in South Minneapolis, Buster’s has that comfy neighborhood feel that attracts all. We went there on a Friday night and was amazed at how crowded the place was at 7pm. With standing room only at the bar and in the crowded entryway, we patiently waited for a table. We knew that if it was this crowded, it would be worth the wait. As we surveyed the crowd, we were surprised to see many couples dining alone or with friends and with young babies in car seats. One guy told us that Buster’s is his 3 month old daughter’s favorite restaurant because it has a constant buzz that aids her in sleeping soundly through the visit. I think that was code for actually being the couple’s favorite restaurant, but regardless, that kid has it right…Buster’s has that great buzz that I love in a restaurant.

While waiting, we surveyed the extensive beer selection. Beers from around the world and with their own glassware (which I love!) made up the menu and with 29 taps and 109 bottles to choose from it took us awhile to figure out what to order. I decided to go Belgian and ordered the Kwak, partly because of the cool glassware and wooden holder it is served in and partly because the description said it has a “slightly sweet, seductive malt character.” One taste and I had to agree.



We were seated for dinner and quickly explored the menu. Although almost tempted into ordering the chorizo drunken mussels and the wild mushroom bruschetta for starters, we went for the fresh cut sea salt and vinegar chips instead. It turns out that this was the exact right order. The potato chips were amazing! The ultra thin slices of potato were fried to a deep golden brown and lightly seasoned with sea salt and vinegar. They were then perfectly paired with a subtle, creamy french onion dip. Although I am usually more of a french fry person, these chips were hands down the best fried potatoes I have eaten all year.

I won’t rave about my dinner, which was a roast beef panini with portobello mushrooms, poblanos, caramelized onions and Fontina on pumpernickel bread, but this is mostly because I didn’t think the bread worked with the sandwich. I thought the bread was good and the sandwich fillings were tasty, but the together they just didn’t work for me. Without the spark that the perfect filling paired with perfect bread can create…a sandwich is just a sandwich.

Despite this, I will definitely return to Buster’s on 28th. The buzz, the beer and the perfectly made potato chips will guarantee that.

Buster’s on 28th
4204 28th Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
612.729.0911

I know this is old hat to many of you, but I just wanted to share my excitement that Maxwell’s is back! It seems unbelieveable that just seven months ago, Maxwell’s was shut down due to a fire that started on the third floor in a storage area (as reported by Ed here), where there were a few apartments as well. It saddened so many regulars who loved Maxwell’s and even prompted a facebook group to be started “Mourning Maxwell’s Pub – We Must Rebuild!”

I’ve read some great reviews on Maxwell’s re-opening including this one from We Got Served, but I had to go myself to see what the new Maxwell’s was all about. It was lovely to see the sign lit up again and walking through the door was just like old times. Everything looks the same, with the exception of the two new pictures above the bar and the new (and improved) bathrooms.

We ordered pints of Summit and then just sat and relaxed. I’m looking forward to more Thursday nights at Maxwell’s. It is so good to be back!

I woke up this past Sunday to a wonderfully sunny, albeit windy, spring day. There were blue skies and fluffy clouds and I had the whole day stretched before me. As I sat, enjoying my coffee, I noticed my cat, Bert, stretched out in a patch of sun just at the foot of my chair. Relaxation was written all over his face and I couldn’t help but feel the same.

That morning I was meeting some girlfriends at French Meadow Bakery in Uptown. I had heard so many times that their breakfast burrito is the best in town, yet I had never eaten there. I am usually the one who speaks in extremes, so that fact that I’ve had not only one person, but several people, tell me to try their burrito, I felt I had no choice. I did not even go inside the restaurant to browse the menu, rather one of my girlfriends put in my burrito order, while I basked in the sun and saved our table. The day could not have been better.

My burrito arrived, topped with a mild salsa and diced scallions. To my delight, there were also sides of a spicier salsa, a cool sour cream sauce and a mix of black beans and corn. The combination of these accompaniments with the fluffy egg, soft tortilla and barely-there hashbrowns nearly melted my heart. The coffee was also quite tasty and free refills were available, making it easy to enjoy a couple cups while catching up with friends.

Our next stop on this lazy Sunday, was to head to Art-a-Whirl. We browsed the studios in Northeast Minneapolis, of course making just a couple purchases and mentally noting a few other things to keep our eye on. I will have to remember to return on First Thursdays, when the studios are also open – so many great, unique things to look at and to buy.

The last adventure of the day was a quick bike ride down the River Road to Longfellow Grill to enjoy a Summit and a little time with Kyle. The drawback was that there were no chairs open in the sun. So we shivered a bit, drank up, and hopped back on our bikes, headed home after a long, lazy day.

Spring was in the air. The sun was shining and the air was only a bit cool…so we decided to head to Minnehaha Falls to eat at SeaSalt.

I love this place. It’s a complete package, with everything from a casual vibe to the freshest of seafood (from Coastal Seafoods, no less!). Located at the top of Minnehaha Falls, there are always people abound enjoying the seafood or just enjoying the park, perhaps picnicing on their own. The slight downfall of this is that the lines can be very, and I mean very, long. It stays very busy throughout any given beautiful day, but this should not deter you; the food is worth the wait. Grab a pitcher of Summit and suddenly the wait doesn’t seem so bad. Or, if you’re like me, somehow convince your friends to go there at a certain time and then show up late so you can slip in line with them just as they are nearing the front…yes, that was me! But, I don’t do that all the time…I promise. It was my birthday, so I made an exception!

I went with my usual order of grilled tilapia tacos. Two corn tortillas with fresh grilled tilapia, chopped onion, fresh salsa, tons of cilantro, and fresh limes on the side. Absolutely fantastic! If fish tacos aren’t your thing, I would highly recommend the fish basket/sandwich or the crab cake basket/sandwich. All are fresh and tasty!

On this particular visit to SeaSalt, we did go slightly astray from the usual ordering and also got oysters on the half-shell. I have not tried a fresh oyster in years, as I had convinced myself that I don’t like them. Surprise, surprise…I know. So, in the spirit of trying things new, I threw this out the window and went for it. I topped my oyster with a squeeze lemon juice, a bit of horseradish and cocktail sauce, then I threw it down the hatch. Yum! I can’t believe what I had been missing all these years. I’ll definitely have to try more oysters in the future. I can’t guarantee I’ll love them as much as I did on this particularly beautiful day at SeaSalt, but I’m going to give it a go!

My first SeaSalt of the season…I can’t wait for the next. Love those tilapia tacos and love that ice cold Summit. On a hot, summer day it just doesn’t get better than that.