Camacho Watcho

Last Saturday was the St. Paul Winter Carnival’s Securian Frozen 5K and Half Marathon. Given the -26 degree (with wind chill) temperature at the race start, the race organizers decided to cut the half marathon in half…I guess making it a quarter marathon? Anyway, you might be wondering why I speak of this, since I am not a runner. Definitely not a runner.

I mention this because my husband was one of the dedicated, Minnesotan runners who did brave the cold temps to run the race. He’s run it several times before and each year I do the same thing. I go to the race start with him then sit in Caribou to read a book or surf the internet until he’s done running. Does that make me a bad person? I mean, I actually get up early and am there to support him, right? I usually do watch him finish and take pictures, but this year…not a chance. I stayed in my warm, cozy spot until he came by to tell me it was all over.

This year, when the race was over, that was when the morning really got started. At that point, Kyle was in desperate need for calories and I was desperate for coffee and eggs. We considered several breakfast places and finally decided to try a nearby place where we had never been – Bon Vie. Located on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, Bon Vie is just as charming as you might expect from a business in this area. Although not a large dining area, it is well laid out to accommodate many diners. When we arrived there was standing room only, but a high top table near the window opened in just 10 or so short minutes. The wait gave us time to look around the place, taking in its Parisian bistro theme, complete with several prints of Paris decorating the walls.

Once we were seated, we explored the menu. Several standard menu items were present, such as eggs, bacon, and french toast, along with several specialties like eggs Benedict. The surprising menu items for me were the Mexican omelet and the Mexican Migas. Of course I immediately gravitated toward these items, while Kyle gravitated toward the french toast. Upon ordering, I asked the waitress about these seemingly out of place items on a French bistro menu, and although she lacked any good explanation besides “we used to have a Mexican cook”, she assured me that they were good. I took her word for it and ordered the migas.

Although we didn’t have to wait long for our food, I quickly drained my cup of coffee, so that when the food arrived I, of course, asked for a refill. Now, hold that coffee thought as I describe the food. The french toast was good, as were the sausage links that came with it. Kyle’s only comment was that he wanted more (he ate a snack when we got home, but probably attributed to his morning run).

My migas were really tasty and actually quite interesting. Traditional breakfast migas are fried tortilla strips (originated to use leftover tortillas) scrambled with eggs, tomatoes, onions, beans, cheese and chiles. While the eggs, tomatoes, etc. were all present in these migas (including chorizo, which I love), they were served instead on a bed of tortilla chips, giving them more of a breakfast nacho personality instead. Interesting concept…and it works.

Now, back to coffee situation…As I said, I finished my cup of coffee quickly and, as breakfast was served, I asked for a refill. Which I never received. After I finished my migas, I caught the waitress’s eye, and she mouthed ‘coffee?’ to me, which I nodded yes. I still did not receive any coffee, but the waitress did proceed to walk around and take orders at several other tables near me. About five minutes later, another waitress came around with coffee. She filled my cup, and as Kyle held his up for a refill, she turned her back and walked away. We did flag her down to get him a refill, but that was really odd.

Overall, I would say that Bon Vie is a quaint breakfast place with good food and flaky service. If you haven’t been, I’d say it’s worth a try even though I wouldn’t give it a high recommendation due to the service. There are just too many other great breakfast places nearby with endless and frequent coffee service.

Bon Vie
518 Selby Ave.
St. Paul, MN
651.287.0112

Bread, Coffee and Cake is a small West St. Paul bakery that bakes amazingly delicious bread made from scratch every morning.

I visited the bakery and sampled several varieties last week, and it did not disappoint. My favorite is pictured below, tres queso y chorizo bread, which I took home with me, toasted and served with a poached egg on top. Oh yeah, that’s right…three cheeses and chorizo sausage baked inside a loaf of bread…with an egg on top. Such a perfect way to start a Sunday.

For a full review and more images of Bread, Coffee and Cake, visit Twin Cities Metromix Restaurants page.

Breakfast is a true treat for me. I love the eggs; I love the coffee; I love the experience. I don’t require anything too fancy, just a cozy atmosphere and good food. A few years ago we decided to try Moose & Sadie’s. It had just been redone and they were excited to welcome a former Birchwood Cafe chef to their staff. On a whole I was underwhelmed by the experience. In fact, I was pretty set to never return there again.

Last week, however, I broke that resolution. I had breakfast plans with my friend Grant (who I’ve now nicknamed my “ham and cheese” friend). We had plans to go a different restaurant, but were disappointed when we pulled upfront to the NE cafe only to find it wasn’t open for breakfast on that particular day. It was 9am and I had not had my first cup of coffee, so we had to think fast and redirect our stomachs. I directed us to a place nearby in the Warehouse District…Moose & Sadie’s.

I will admit that since the last time I was at Moose & Sadie’s, the interior seemed much cozier. In fact, I really like the large windows in the front that let in natural light and the light wood furniture and the colorful walls make for a cheery atmosphere. It probably also helped that there were many more people in the restaurant than the last time I visited, which is always pleasing. My spirits began to lift.

After a review of the menu, I decided on the huevos rancheros and a large coffee and Grant ordered the ham and cheese quiche and a coffee. As with many of the breakfast places I enjoy, we were assigned a table number, served our coffee and then allowed to sit to wait for our food. It didn’t take long for our food to arrive. Grant’s quiche was light and fluffy, and it was actually pretty tasty. But it did look pretty lonely there on the plate with only a couple orange slices for company.

My huevos rancheros were, well, below expectations. The eggs were cooked well, which is definitely a plus. And my portion was definitely more filling than the quiche. But, overall, it lacked personality. The menu read “two soft-fried corn tortillas, roasted tomato salsa, two eggs over easy, refried beans, dry jack cheese, sour cream and avocado.” Tortillas, eggs, beans, sour cream and avocado…check. Dry jack cheese…um, there was cheese, but I wouldn’t say it was very dry or particularly flavorful. That’s okay, but just call it what it is…just cheese. And then there was the roasted tomato salsa…if those tomatoes were roasted, you certainly couldn’t taste it and there was absolutely no flavor beyond just tomato. Now, I know that the overall meaning of ‘salsa’ is just ‘sauce’, but when I order huevos rancheros, a Latin dish, I expect there to be at least a little spice or at least some depth to the flavor…garlic, onion, chiles…anything. The salsa, as they called it, was just tomato sauce.

I ate my huevos rancheros that day (come on, I was hungry!), but a lesson was definitely learned from the experience. Either do the work ahead of time to make sure your breakfast plans include an open establishment or always have a Plan B. Lack of caffeine can lead to poor judgment.

Moose & Sadie’s
212 N. 3rd Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
612.371.0464

I started the first few days of the New Year off with two events…a push up challenge and a Twin Cities fry crawl (aka: fry-day). It’s funny that these two events happened within days of each other given that their intentions are completely at odds. One is a physical challenge that requires discipline and training and the other is a physical challenge that requires complete indulgence and an iron stomach. And so it goes.

Push Up Challenge
The push up challenge was part of a training program that my friend Carly had heard about and recruited sixteen others to do with her. The program consists of an initial push-up test to determine your starting skill level and then six weeks of training with periodic tests to monitor your progress. The goal at the end of the training is to complete the challenge…one hundred good form push-ups…consecutively.

So, you’re probably wondering how the challenge went. I did complete one hundred push-ups consecutively, but only the first 50 were on my toes, the rest were a combination of knee push-ups and some back up on my toes. Fifty consecutive was a new record for me so I was very pleased…but even more than that, I was pleased with the brunch the followed after. We all climbed the stairs from the basement, arms too weak to even grip the banister, and ate a large brunch. I made a new breakfast casserole – sausage and leek – which my mom introduced me to on Christmas Day. It is a fantastic recipe – highly recommended (couple of recommended recipe changes: 1/2 the sausage, can use Monterrey jack instead of pepper jack).

Fry-Day

The conception of Fry-Day was born from the New Years resolution that Kyle and Carly made in 2008…no french fries. Another friend, The Freets, also gave up fries for the last four months of the year. Because of this, Kyle decided that we needed a monumental event to celebrate the eating of the fries in 2009. (I did not give up fries in 2008, but I was not going to miss a day of eating fries.) Similar to the event he does with some friends in the Spring (aka: Greatest Day Ever), where they bike to all the brew-pubs around the Twin Cities, they decided to bike to several places known for the fries to try them all. At this point you might be wondering about the weather. Yes, this is Minnesota. Yes, there was snow on the ground and freezing temperatures. And yes, it did snow/sleet during their adventures. But, no, none of these factors were going to ruin Fry-Day. (I took the easy way out and drove to the places to meet them…cheating? Yes. Do I regret cheating? No).

The day started out at the Longfellow grill, known for their sweet potato fries. Honestly, you just can’t beat these fries. Large wedges of sweet potatoes, fried until just crisp but still sweet and soft in the inside and served with chipotle mayonnaise. I could marry these fries.

The second stop was The Nook, where we ate their hand cut fries. Again, these are perfectly made, skins still on the potatoes, fried to a perfect crisp, and finished with plenty of seasonings. Alongside a Nook burger, I was in heaven.

The next stop (the last that I made with them) was to the Bulldog Lowertown in St. Paul. We sampled both their cajun fries and their cajun tater tots. Verdict? The fries were blah (which seems impossible…they look so tasty above!) but the tots were very tasty and spicy (note: I’ve also had their chipotle tots and their cheese tots…neither of those are recommended). I then left the bikers but they made their way to Maxwell’s in downtown Minneapolis. Maxwell’s serves tasty waffle fries with seasoned sour cream. Always a favorite of mine. All in all, Fry-Day was a success, some great fries eaten and a celebratory way to bring in 2009!

For more stories about Fry-Day from the bikers, you can read about it on The Deets and from Shek.

Before the holidays, we planned a night out with some friends. We would grab some dinner and then go to the British Ad Awards showing at the Walker Art Center. I had never been to the British Ad Awards so I was looking forward to an edgy, (maybe a little racey), humorous evening. Although some of the ads were so long (in my opinion), there were several that were my favorites including this amazingly wonderful Walkman Project ad, the always amazing Skoda car/cake ad, this provocative Levi’s ad, this beautiful Nike ad, and this hilarious VW commercial (watch out for language if you’re at work). There were many great ads and I can appreciate the ad that did win, but I don’t know that it was my favorite. Here it is, the Gorilla ad. Anyway, the British Ad awards were a good time and I’ll have to go again next year.

Before the Walker, however, we grabbed some dinner at the Common Roots Cafe. We had heard a lot of great things about this place, including a comparison to the Birchwood (which is high standards for me). I was also excited to go to Common Roots because of its dedication to local ingredients. In fact their website has a great map of all their suppliers, showing all Minnesota and Wisconsin suppliers.

The inside of Common Roots is open and airy with floor to ceiling windows in the front, light colored wood floors, tables and chairs, and two seating areas. The style is very much like Birchwood with a deli counter for salads and a menu with choices of hot food items. I had heard great things about the Rootsy Lucy (their version of the Jucy Lucy), but it wasn’t a special that day, so I went with the 100% grass fed burger and a Surly on tap. I also ordered a salad for the table to share before our food came out (I was pretty hungry and couldn’t wait). We took our number stand to our table and sat down to enjoy.

The salad, which was sweet potato and curry, was out of this world fantastic! The flavors were sweet and just strong enough and the vegetables were tender but not falling apart. In hindsight I wish I had just ordered a huge serving of it for my meal…it was that good.

Our burgers arrived, looking beautiful with the array of colors in the roasted red peppers and lettuce greens. Unfortunately the first thing I noticed was that the bun was on the harder side (I love a soft, doughy bun) and that the bun bottom was soggy from the burger grease. And although I did enjoy the taste of my meal, the greasiness just didn’t set well with me. I tried to make a few excuses for it, but ended up just realizing that it was too greasy (running down my hand greasy). Perhaps it needed to sit just a bit longer after cooking before serving. I’m a little torn on my Common Roots Cafe experience…On one hand is its atmosphere, dedication to local ingredients and the salad were fantastic. On the other hand is its bun and greasy burger. Not a complete loss, but I was disappointed. I will definitely need to return to Common Roots to give it another go.

Common Roots Cafe
2558 Lyndale Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN
612.871.2360

After the British Ad Awards, I went to First Ave. to photograph the Soul Asylum concert for Metromix. A couple pictures are below, but for more photos of the concert, click here. All in all it was a fun, busy evening. Lots of laughs, some great curry and a little music. Not a bad way to start off the holidays.

Well, Friday turned out to be interesting indeed. It started out just fine, a typical caffeinated morning. But then at noon, things started to go wrong. Going out to my garage, I quickly realized something was wrong. The lights were on, the garage door was up…and three bikes were missing. We had been robbed. More than just annoying, it feels terrible to know that someone was on your private property, going through your things. Yuck! I called the police and they arrived a short time after. They were very nice, helpful and I really appreciate their attention and kindness through this.

It was safe to say that my afternoon errands just weren’t going to happen after that…I had the thieves on my mind. Later that night I photographed the Seven Pounds movie premiere at Southdale, where Will Smith was in attendance. It was cold, but it was also very inspiring to be there and hear him talk about responsibility. He seemed like a really cool guy…he LOVED his fans and spent a lot of time taking pictures, hugging and talking with them. Very cool.

But, I was freezing when I got home and emotionally exhausted. I wanted to go somewhere cozy with good food and drinks. So we headed to Psycho Suzi’s. I love this place, both in the summer for their huge outdoor patio and in the winter when you can cozy up in the dark booths. Their food is fantastic – you just can’t beat a place that serves pot-luck pickle roll-ups and deviled eggs. I’ve never ordered a tiki drink when there, but on that cold night I decided to go for. I went with a “medium” strength drink called the Coconaut. The description says it’s a cross between a white russian and a pina colada. Neither of which I’m particular fond, but I loved the Coconaut. It was creamy and chocolately…delicious! An order of tater tots, a deep dish four barrel pizza and a Coconaut later and I was full and satisfied.

No dreams were broken on Friday, but the food and beverage certainly did help take away the thoughts of the burglary and the freezing cold.

Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
2519 Marshall St. NE
Minneapolis, MN
612.788.9069

Sandwiches are usually are not my thing, unless they happen to be grilled or are in the form of a burger. I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t usually crave a deli sandwich. But that was before I met the roast beef sandwich at Be’wiched. I am forever changed and will crave this sandwich forever more.

Saturday afternoon was bright and sunny with a clear blue sky…which in Minnesota during the winter is a telltale sign that the air is crisp and cold. And besides being cold I was hungry…really hungry. I had eaten at Be’wiched last August right after it opened and remembered liking it very much, yet I hadn’t been back and without good reason. So on that crisp, winter day we headed to this sandwich and deli shop in the Warehouse District.

Just as I had remembered it, the inside is bright and open, with large windows that allow the warm rays of sun to shine in. We ordered up at the counter, paid and then sat with our number to wait for our food. I had to say that I was impressed with the price and the service. We both ordered a half sandwich (a rather large half sandwich, I’d say) and soup, which came with house made pickles and a drink for $8.50. The bonus for this price is that all their food is house made (including the cured meats and the soups) and the ingredients are all sourced locally and are organic when possible. The service was great too! We got our food very quickly and when I asked a few questions about the food, our server gladly asked one of the owners for some info and got back to me quickly.

Kyle’s ham sandwich with brie and apple was very good, but I personally think my sandwich was better. Layers of roast beef with havarti, horseradish, and pickled sweet onions on ciabatta…wow. Again…WOW. And the soup, well, I absolutely loved the soup. It was called ‘cream of Summit beer and white cheddar cheese soup’. The taste was bitter and edgy, from both the Summit and the sharp cheddar, yet smooth and creamy. Delicious.

I don’t know what took me so long to return after my first visit, but Be’wiched has cast a spell on me and I definitely won’t make that mistake again.

Be’wiched
800 Washington Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN
612.767.4330

Awhile back I was reading a friend’s blog post about the Omnivore’s 100 (or the 100 foods to eat before you die). On his list of things he had yet to try was Mole Poblano. Mole (mole-ay) is a Mexican sauce made of ground spices and chiles and it is typically made for special occasions such as weddings due to its lengthy preparation process. I had helped my mom and sister make mole a few years back for Christmas Eve dinner so I decided to give it a go and offered to make Mole Poblano.

While mole in general is made of ground spices and chiles, mole poblano is a bit different due to its history and the addition of one ingredient in particular…chocolate. According to my cookbook “Mexico The Beautiful”, there are several legends about the creation of mole poblano. They tell the tale that the head sister at the convent of Santa Rosa was charged with creating a meal for the archbishop and Spanish viceroy. She used the Mexican mole as the base and added chocolate, which she knew was an ingredient used for royalty. In the end, she created “a festive dish that epitomizes the culinary marriage between the Spanish and Mexican worlds.”

It sounds simple, but let me tell you, mole is the furthest thing from simple. Just check out the ingredient list: mulato chiles, pasilla chiles, ancho chiles, vegetable oil, tomatillos, cloves, peppercorns, Mexican cinnamon stick, anise seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cloves, raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, tortillas, french rolls, chicken broth, Mexican chocolate.

And as if the list wasn’t lengthy enough…each chile must be deseeded, fried, soaked and then pureed, each type of seed must be toasted separately. The tortillas, rolls, almonds and raisins are each fried separately…and it goes on and on.

So where did I find all of these ingredients? The simple answer would have been to go to the Rainbow or Cub Foods on Lake St. in South Minneapolis. But instead, I used this shopping trip as an excuse to visit El Burrito Mercado in W. St. Paul. And, of course, even though I was there for mole ingredients, I had to try their famous Mexican food that they prepare in their deli. Wow – was it good! I had one chicken and one beef taco (both corn tortillas) topped with white onions, cilantro and lime, rice and beans. Absolutely fantastic – especially the beans. They were so creamy and smooth…practically melt in your mouth good! I can’t wait to take my dad there next time he visits!


So back to mole, I spent the afternoon making the mole and a few appetizers of beef and chorizo empanadas. I was almost finished, when I decided to taste the mole to check if I needed to adjust the seasoning. So I took a little taste…hmmm…just as I remembered it. Intense, complex, toasted, dark….a taste that I actually don’t really like. I couldn’t believe that after an entire afternoon of cooking, I was just remembering that of all the moles that I do enjoy, mole poblano is just not my favorite.

But that was okay by me. I loved the process of making the mole and am looking forward to making other mole recipes in the future. Maybe I’ll try the hazelnut mole recipe again that we made a few Christmas’s ago or perhaps a mole verde, since I love tomatillos so much. Perhaps. Regardless, the important part is that we all tried mole poblano and could mark it off the Omnivore’s 100 list of foods to eat before we die. What’s next? Who knows…Ed does keep talking about wanting to try lobster thermidor…

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

Whether you are there to sip a coffee and catch up with an old friend or just to curl up and read a book, Wilde Roast is a cozy spot for a chilly morning. From the moment you walk into Wilde Roast Cafe through the thick velvet curtains hung just inside the door in protection against the elements you are enveloped in warmth. You can feel the coziness in the Victorian inspired fixtures, the ornate fireplace, and especially in their “creative comfort food” menu.

I had been to Wilde Roast for dinner last winter and I recall from that visit that I stared at the menu for a long time before I could make my choice of one of many delicious-sounding items. I also recall the decadent flourless chocolate cake that we had for dessert. All I can say is “wow!”. I had not been back to Wilde Roast since that dinner visit, so I thought it would be perfect to check it out for breakfast last Friday to catch up with a friend.

As happened last time when I looked over the menu I just stared at my choices for several minutes. I couldn’t decide between the creme brulee french toast and the classic egg breakfast. It was up in the air and my friend even offered to split the two with me, but I ultimately gave in to my egg addiction and went for the classic egg breakfast (I mean, come on, it comes with three eggs…it was meant to be). I also ordered a piece of coffee cake and a large coffee to take the edge off my hunger as I waited. We paid at the counter, took our table number and sat down.

We immediately dug into the coffee cake, which was moist and sweet…the perfect accompaniment to the (very) large cup of coffee in front of me. But even with both of us eagerly working at it, we couldn’t finish the coffee cake and eventually had to give up on it when our breakfasts arrived. Both of our plates were fully loaded and they looked delicious. Grant’s ham and cheese omelet was perfectly made – fluffy and well seasoned. Definitely a great choice.


My breakfast, on the other hand, did not live up to my expectations. The eggs were a bit spongy tasting and the potatoes tasted “off”. Both of us tried them to figure out what it was that tasted “off”, but we just couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it was the type of oil…regardless, they weren’t my favorite. I don’t know if it was the coffee cake appetizer, the taste of it all or perhaps I found out the hard way that three eggs is a large amount of food, but it’s the first time in a very long time that I have left an entire egg uneaten on my breakfast plate.

My overall thought on breakfast is a tough call since my choice left me unsatisfied but the omelet and coffee cake were so good. While I don’t have a definite resolution on that, I do know I will definitely be back sometime soon to curl up by the fire with a good book, some coffee cake, and a huge cup of coffee.

Wilde Roast Cafe
518 Hennepin Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN
612.331.4544