Visit Lake Street USA

I stopped by Merlins Rest the other night, to see how the dinner fare was. Merlins Rest is the owned by Lee Tomlin and in addition Bill Watkins, of the former Molly Quinns is often there as well. Bill’s official title is Minister of Culture, which he embodies whole heartedly. He is the author of three books: “A Celtic Childhood“, “Scotland is Not for the Squeamish” and “The Once and Future Celt“.

I first met Bill at Molly Quinns for none other than St Patrick’s day 2003 (or maybe it was 2002.) He immediately welcomed us in and asked us to call him Uncle Bill. Once MQ closed I thought I had lost Uncle Bill forever, that is until I had the good fortune to be invited out for New Years 2010 to Merlin’s Rest . Along with the festivities I was treated to my first Scotch Egg, and quite a bit of fun, but I hadn’t been back until recently for dinner. I had heard about the legendary Fish and Chips. (Best in the Cities, probably in the state). Of course I had to try them. I was quite impressed. Not that I can say that I’m a fish and chip connoisseur, but these were amazing.

They have exactly the right amount of malt vinegar and crunch to them. The batter is delicious and well, the white fish is white fish, but it was cooked well and flakey and delicious. With not even a hint of rubber to them which is often what I find when I’ve ordered fish and chips elsewhere.

They also offer a Yankee version, no newsprint, no malt, and no fun, if you ask me.

On another visit recently I tried the Ploughman’s with English Stilton which was completely unexpected and fantastic. They vary a bit away from a traditional Ploughman’s Lunch in favor of a much greener, healthier, lighter dish. Additionally there was a HUGE chunk of stilton, so they were already on my good list. As much as I pretend that the bread is part of it, I would happily eat the stilton by the handfuls without any bread or crackers. Oh and I haven’t even mentioned the basil butter, divine!!

After a healthy dose of Strongbow we enjoyed the splendid English Toffee Cake. My mother tells me this is almost exactly what her grandmother used to make so for her it’s completely nostalgic. For me it was just fantastic.

In addition to the food is the weekly live entertainment and trivia. While we were dining there was live music which both my daughters enjoyed dancing to and added to the welcoming ambiance. I wholeheartedly enjoyed my dinner, and maybe if I get brave I may go back to try my hand at some trivia.

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Old Arizona: Bridging Community, Cafes, and Classrooms

July 11, 2011

by Lake Street Council intern Brittany Gilbertson

“When we bought our building in the 1980’s, this was the fourth leading corner for drug traffic and prostitution,” says Elizabeth Trumble, co-founder of 29th and Nicollet’s Old Arizona, and Executive Director of the Arizona Bridge Project. “Each year, we saw the prostitutes getting younger and younger and our concerns for the girls in this neighborhood and others like it grew stronger.”

For the past 16 years, Old Arizona has been doing something about it. They have served over 1,800 inner city girls by providing free, after-school and summer arts programming, with an ever-evolving selection of classes and employment opportunities in a positive, supportive setting.

“Our concern for girls also arose from the lack of understanding in the juvenile system, a system that can be of concern in general but especially troublesome for girls. Girls have social needs not met by the justice system and their strong desire to belong to a group leads some girls to gangs and other unhealthy decisions,” says Trumble.

Throughout the years, youth programs at Old Arizona have offered a safe place for girls to belong and have provided a social setting where they are encouraged to follow their dreams and their voices are heard. “Some of the girls we worked with are now in their thirties. Many have come back and thanked us for believing in them, and said “Growing up, people laughed at my dreams. You didn’t. You supported them,’” Trumble says.

The Arizona Bridge Project began in the spring of 1995 when 100 girls showed up for the mini classes offered during an open house that year. The program expanded and a Youth Advisory Council now works with Old Arizona staff to plan the classes most appealing to today’s teen. This summer, four classes meeting Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings provide an outlet for young women to learn dance from professionals in a prime rehearsal space, fashion design (a perpetual favorite) and kickboxing.

Trumble says of kickboxing, “When you’re building muscle at that age it crosses into other areas and gives you muscle for life.” In this way, kickboxing and the other classes teach girls not only a skill but inspire them to build self-esteem.

Old Arizona Collaborative, Inc. is funded by the other half of the operation – Old Arizona Studios, Inc. The space at the intersection of 29th Street and Nicollet Avenue welcomes locals and visitors alike with a cafe, tea shop & chocolate lounge, dance studio, rehearsal loft (where The Jungle Theater rehearses the majority of their plays), off sale wine and spirit bottle shop and a theater/event center that hosts theatrical and dance productions, weddings and receptions, special occasion parties and corporate events. The profit from the retail spaces and rental fees go directly to the youth programs so a great meal or a delightful glass of wine for you can become a life-changing experience for an inner city girl.

When I visited the cafe, serving lunch Wednesday through Saturday 11:00am to 7:00pm, I enjoyed the Red Goat sandwich and the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp afterward. The Red Goat’s crunchy baguette is stuffed full of what the menu description calls “sufficient goat cheese,” a surprisingly sweet roasted red pepper and a peppery bite of arugula. The creamy abundance of the goat cheese paired well with the texture and flavor of the red pepper whose heat and sweetness were brought out in the soft flesh. Dessert also oscillated between tastes as the sweetness of the strawberries melded with the tart rhubarb, though my favorite part was the oat and pecan topping.

In addition to its daily offerings, the 120 seat theater at Old Arizona features a variety of entertainment options this summer, including themed movie nights every other Thursday, Friday night jazz and blues jam sessions, the monthly family-friendly Kenny Kiser variety show as well as fully staged productions this fall. The next time I return to Old Arizona I plan to drop in the Arizona Dance Studio on a weekday evening. At the studio I’ll choose from professionally taught African Dance, Ballet, Latin Dance, or other movement classes for a daily drop-in fee of only $5.

For those truly inspired to contribute to Old Arizona’s youth programs, don’t miss the annual Wine and Roses – A Blooming Benefit. Proceeds from this wine tasting, silent and live auction, with keynote speaker Robyne Robinson and all around good time fund the operations of Old Arizona’s teen run flower shop, the 29th Street Petal Pushers. Doors open at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 22, 2011 for this unique fundraiser with plenty of entertainment.

For more information on upcoming events check out the calendar or contact Darcy Knight, Managing Director.

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Heeding La Sirena’s Call

June 20, 2011

by Courtney Algeo, freelance writer

The truth is this: I went to the Midtown Global Market on a rainy Tuesday evening to review Pacific Islander Cuisine. We went around 6:00 p.m.–prime dinnertime–but only one person was working at the restaurant, cooking and dishing up all of the made to order food herself. She looked like she was working extremely hard, and the food she was making smelled delicious. Unfortunately, I suffer from what some call the hanger. Hanger is a portmanteau of the words “hunger” and “anger”, that signifies the emotion contained in the moment when your desire for food turns into a hot, burning rage. Or, perhaps it’s just a case of crippling impatience.

To shield those near me from my hanger, I simply turned around in the aisle at Midtown Global Market and ordered some delightful fish tacos from La Sirena Gorda, which means (hilariously) “the fat mermaid.” Although this was the first time a name had been associated with the restaurant, I had heard a lot about the fish tacos before I stumbled into this dining experience. Whenever tacos are brought up in conversation (which, if you know me, is a lot) friends and strangers alike always ask if I’ve had the fish tacos at the Midtown Global Market. Now, I can grin slightly, rub my belly, lift my chin and say to them, “Why yes. Yes I have.”

The tacos come in orders of two or four. I would recommend always getting four. This is not because they are small, by any means, but rather the tacos come, for the most part, unassembled. If you order four tacos, you get a healthy portion of taco innards, and then four soft tortilla shells. I’m not sure why they do this, but I was glad to be served that way, because I was in control of how full I filled my tacos, and that made me feel like an empowered consumer. If you order two tacos, I assume you will get a smaller pile of fish bits, and only two tortillas. You will also feel strangely incomplete and sad for the rest of the day, so just get four.

Their taco types are as follows: fish (mahi-mahi)–which were incredibly delicious, and include chunks of fried pineapple in addition to fish, making for a nice sweet and savory experience, calamari–which came with fried pineapple chunks, too, as well as jalapeno slices, shrimp and octopus. It seems that not all of these items can be found on their website, so, maybe it was a chalkboard mirage of unbelievable eats that I saw.

Each order of tacos comes with Spanish rice of a quality I have never seen in a place with such quick service, and refried beans that were tasty, too. Because I was hungry, in addition to these included sides, I ordered a beet salad. It was very large in portion, and a nice balance to the fried fish, rice, and beans.

There are plenty of non-taco items served at La Sirena Gorda, including a torta de cangrejo (crabcake sandwich), various flautas de pescado (fish wraps) and an entire tilapia, fried and served to you with a look of surprise.

Between my husband and I, we spent maybe $35, including tip. Although this is a lot for tacos, it’s not a lot for fish tacos, and definitely not a lot for high quality fish tacos on a rainy day in Minneapolis.

La Sirena Gorda
Midtown Global Market
(612)-870-0037

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Lyn-Lake’s Golden Rule

June 13, 2011

The newest stop on the Lake Street Video Tour is Regla de Oro Gallery, an art and fair trade gift shop in Lyn-Lake. Meet owner Jessica Smith, and have a look at the store’s collection of local art work and assortment of fair trade gifts from around the world. (Regla de Oro means Golden Rule in Spanish)

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