Visit Lake Street Blog
Get to know Corner Store Vintage
February 06, 2012
Shoppers are inclined to classify the selection at Corner Store Vintage as “Rockabilly” or “Western,” and upon stepping over the threshold at 900 West Lake it’s obvious why. There are cowboy boots, bowling shirts, oversize belt buckles, daintily printed scarves, and leather goods as far as the eye can see—not to mention the soundtrack.
Owner Linda McHale understands the “Rockabilly” categorization. “It’s probably because we do all this leather and boots,” she says, gesturing toward the floor-to-ceiling display in one corner. “But it’s really a big mix—the boots, the jackets, men’s and women’s vintage, antiques jewelry…”
A look around the Corner Store reveals just that—while there is a country-meets-rock-‘n’-roll theme tying the store together, there’s something for everyone in this shop. There was a time, however, when the goods were less varied.
A Little History
When Linda and her husband, Patrick, opened the Corner Store in 1973, it was next door to the Electric Fetus and sold exclusively furniture. By the time they moved to Lake Street in 1979, they had made the transition to carrying primarily clothing. The store still displays a bunch of quirky old lamps (one of Linda’s favorites is a lamp with a base that is a rather warped bust of Elvis), but unfortunately they’re not for sale.
While they built on the legacy of great vintage clothes and occasional odds and ends, Lyn-Lake evolved around them. “We’ve seen a lot of changes on Lake Street,” notes Linda. “When we were first here it was all car lots.”
What You Will Find
The Corner Store specializes in clothing and accessories from the 1930s–1970s. A few items from the ’80s and ’90s sneak in, but only if they’re particularly delightful and bizarre. There are pieces for people looking to finish costumes, shoppers wanting to add a little vintage to their wardrobes, and diehards that live and breathe vintage.
The Corner Store carries all sizes, which is slightly limited by the size range of the time periods. Women’s clothes in vintage run from 0–14, and generally “Big & Tall” men can’t buy vintage. If the Corner Store doesn’t carry clothing in your size, they definitely make up for it with their collection of accessories.
Most valuable items: In general, the vintage motorcycle jackets have higher value than anything else that Linda buys and sells.
What you won’t find: Vintage platform shoes. Platform shoes were glued together and generally cheap—it’s unlikely that you’ll find them anywhere. In one piece, anyway.
What sells most: Among the top sellers, shoppers leave the Corner Store with a lot of cowboy boots (Linda adds, “People come in here and go, ‘are these new boots?’ because sometimes they can’t tell”) and jewelry.
A denim specialty: “We sell Levi’s—new or used, but focus on vintage,” Linda says. “Lots of guys really like to come here to buy Levi’s because they can come in, be here five minutes, find a pair of jeans, and be gone.”
Linda’s favorites: Good news: she adores just about every piece in the store. When pressured to pick a favorite, she pointed out the ’50s cowboy shirts and patterned sweaters above the corner display of boots and leather jackets.
If you’re in the market for vintage goodies but the Corner Store doesn’t have what you need, Linda is happy to point you to the shop that might have what you’re looking for. “All of us that have vintage stores know each other really well, and we all send people back and forth all the time,” Linda explains. “We all sell vintage, but we all have a different niche.”
Picky, Picky
Linda has a reputation for carrying only the finest goods in the best condition. She says, “I’m super picky. I veto so much stuff that comes through the door that ends up in other stores. That’s how I’ve always been.”
Her philosophy is if a customer is going to spend time and money searching for a perfect piece (or two, or ten), there’s no reason to walk out the door carrying something with a stain. “I clean, wash, and iron everything that comes in. Everything else goes to the dry cleaner’s. People really like the fact that they can actually put something on and wear it that night.”
Famous Friends
A lot of musicians that come through Minneapolis shop vintage, a trend Linda has seen in her store across genres and generations. In fact, they have built a relationship with some return customers.
A couple of years ago when he was coming to town to play at the Target Center, Eric Clapton called Corner Store Vintage—from Japan. “He had heard about the shop when he was in Japan and wanted to visit. He came here and hung out for a whole afternoon and bought a ton of stuff,” Linda recalls. “It was a busy Saturday—there were a lot of people in here, and everybody kind of knew who he was, but no one approached him.”
Better yet, he still gives the Corner Store his business. “We still deal with him,” Linda says. “We send him packages all the time; it’s very cool.”
Talk about a great endorsement.
Go Shopping
Corner Store Vintage is open and ready for you to buy or sell vintage seven days a week.
Monday–Friday 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00–5:00 p.m.
Corner Store Vintage
900 West Lake Street
612-823-1270
Twitter Contest: Win two free tickets to our November 17 fundraiser!
November 07, 2011
Your last chance for two free tickets is here! We want to see you at our 15th Annual Lake Street Wine and Beer Tasting and Silent Auction, and all it takes is a few seconds on Twitter to enter.
How to enter:
1. Follow @VisitLakeStreet.
2. Tweet a link to this blog post.
3. Mention @VisitLakeStreet in the tweet. Example tweet: “I’m gonna win two free tickets to @VisitLakeStreet‘s Nov. 17 wine tasting by tweeting this. http://bit.ly/tc49oT”
4. Encourage your friends to enter! If they win, you can then guilt them into giving you their second ticket.
The winner will be chosen at random after the contest ends Thursday, November 10 at 11:59 p.m.
You can take care of steps #2 and #3 with this button: Tweet
Extra rules (in case you’re feeling tricksy):
1. Don’t create multiple Twitter accounts (you’re likely to get them all suspended).
2. Don’t post the same tweet over and over (only one entry per account).
Facebook Contest: Why do you love Lake Street?
October 31, 2011
Want to win two free tickets to our annual Lake Street Wine and Beer Tasting and Silent Auction November 17? We are hosting a contest on our Facebook page this week, and the prize is exactly that.
All you have to do is tell us why you love Lake Street.
How to enter:
1. Go to the Lake Street, Minneapolis Facebook page.
2. Post on our wall why you love Lake Street.
3. Encourage your friends to participate. (If they win the tickets, they’re pretty much obligated to give you the second one.)
4. Contest ends Friday, November 4 at 11:59 p.m.
Your reason doesn’t need to be a multi-page manifesto, and you don’t need to be funny or poetic. The winner will be selected at random and announced once the contest ends. But in case you’re stuck…
Here are some helpful example posts:
1. “I love Lake Street because there is no better place in the Twin Cities for Mexican food.”
2. “I love Lake Street because of the Uptown Art Fair.”
3. “I love Lake Street because that’s where my mom lives. Incidentally, I also love my mom.”
Now hurry up and get posting!
Fish, Chips & More at Merlins Rest
July 21, 2011
by Dania Miwa, crossposted from the Twin Cities Foodie blog
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.
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
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)
Finding Nirvana at Gandhi Mahal
June 01, 2011
by freelance writer Courtney Algeo
I have no idea why many people are too timid in the palette to dive into some Indian food face first. Indian food is so complex and delicious. Those who haven’t eaten it have no idea what they are missing out on. Similarly, those who enjoy Indian food and haven’t eaten at Gandhi Mahal on East Lake Street are missing out on a whole new level of Indian food deliciousness.
Perhaps I’m doing this review wrong, because at Gandhi Mahal instead ordering something new that I had never tried before, I ordered my favorite Indian dish, Delhi Tikka Masala with chicken. I couldn’t help it! Such an amazing combination of flavors in general–chicken in a spicy tomato and yoghurt sauce–the dish at Gandhi Mahal went above and beyond my already lofty expectations for this particular meal. Served in a bowl that holds much more meal mass than meets the eye, the dish comes with some very aromatic basmati rice. In addition to the Delhi Chicken Tikka Masala, I ordered a glass of their house white wine and, to start, some of their tasty seasonal Fish Pakora.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and welcoming. The walls are decorated with colorful tapestries that look especially enchanting at sunset. There is a small stage near the front door where live music is played during evening hours, Wednesday through Sunday.
Hidden around the corner of 27th avenue from Lake Street, Gandhi Mahal might be my new favorite restaurant for slightly special occasions, or maybe just for payday dinners. However, although the prices don’t seem low enough for daily dining–my dish cost $14, and our love of Tandoori bread set us back $12 (it’s so good)–the portions will leave you with enough food for dinner at the restaurant and lunch the next day at work.
Everything was delicious and delightful, down to the owner and Executive Chef, Ruhel Islam, surveying the scene with a smile on his face, waving Goodbye to us after our meal as we left.
Aside from how delicious their food is, I can offer you the following two pieces of important information about Gandhi Mahal: there is a lunch buffet between 11:30am and 3pm, and yes, they deliver.
Gandhi Mahal
612.729.5222
3009 27th Ave. South, Minneapolis 55406
A Countryman’s Platter at Guayaquil
May 17, 2011
by Courtney Algeo, freelance writer and food critic extraordinaire
Although I tend to eat a lot of Mexican and Mexican-inspired foodstuffs, I recently realized that I’ve never intentionally sought out other types of Latin American delicacies. Rather than sitting around all day trying to figure out why this is, I immediately decided to remedy this issue, and at the suggestion of a friend, dined at Guayaquil at Lake St. and Bloomington Ave.
A simple Ecuadorian restaurant of modest decoration and awesome (I suspect) weekend karaoke offerings after 9 p.m., Guayaquil is almost hidden by all of the hubbub and bright colored buildings in the Phillips area of Lake Street. Despite its ability to blend in, I wouldn’t recommend overlooking this lovely gastronomical gem.
Having never sat down to an Ecuadorian feast, I wasn’t sure what to order. Sure, Guayaquil had plenty of safe, same-old offerings like fried rice and fajitas, but I wanted something adventurous – though not so adventurous as the items which included tripe. I wanted something new, that would knock my socks off and burn the name Guayaquil, and a map of South America, onto my belly. Under the menu heading “Especialidades de la Casa” one item caused for me the room to grow quiet, and my vision to tunnel: Bandeja Paisa. A dish that hails typically from Columbia, Bandeja Paisa is described in the Guayaquil menu as a “countryman’s platter of fried pork, fried egg, fried sweet plantain, an arepa (corn cake) and avocado with beans and rice.” Though not a countryman, I am pretty much always interested in fried pork and avocados.
I feel that typically $13 is a lot to spend on a dish that is mainly beans and rice, but the amount of food that filled my plate was definitely in proportion to the price. Despite being hungry, and a hearty eater, I found myself unable to finish the meal. This was actually a good thing; I was able to relive parts of the meal later, while rummaging through my fridge for a late-night snack. Pro tip: Always, always take home your leftovers.
The fried pork served was actually two different cuts of pork. One cut was more like a pork strip, while the other was literally just a slab of fried fat and was unbelievably delicious. The fried egg was neither too drippy, nor rubbery and added to the richness of the fried meat. While the rice and beans were pretty standard, the arepa was a nice addition to the typical starches, and the fruits offered a break from the heaviness of the rest of the dish.
In fact, the meal was so rich and filling that I am pretty sure that a lazybones like me probably doesn’t deserve (as far as caloric intake goes) such a rich, delicious meal of fats and starches. Of course, that’s never stopped me before.
Guayaquil
1526 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612.722.2344
Taco Salad Monday?
April 11, 2011
Guest post from Courtney Algeo, contributor at the blog All The Tacos I Have Loved
True confession: Until Monday I’d never had a taco salad. Why? Because when I go for a taco I am essentially saying, “Yes, I would like about three handfulls of meat. Radishes on the side.” When I go for a salad, that’s a totally different story. That is a time when I am essentially saying, “I’m feeling kind of gross lately.” It had never occurred to me to stop compartmentalizing my eating until Monday when a friend said to me, “Come get taco salad. It’s Taco Salad Monday at La Loma in the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street.”
Okay, I know that Taco Salad Monday doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as Taco Tuesday, but cheap tacos is cheap tacos no matter what it’s called.
But wait – does a taco salad qualify as tacos?
Let’s see:
A tortilla shell? Yes.
The taco salad at La Loma does come in a bowl that is forged of a delicious hard tortilla shell. But wait, don’t I hate hard shell tacos? Yes. I’m not particularly a fan of the hard shell style tacos. However, this tortilla bowl was really tasty, and because I could chip away the sides to dip into the filling, I avoided my most feared hard shell taco pitfall: cut up gums.
Are the insides delicious? Yes.
Now, I don’t know about taco salads you’ve had, but this particular taco salad was a little confusing, as what filled the tortilla bowl was all sorts of goodness that I usually expect (and delightfully receive) from a burrito. The taco salad contained: pinto beans, rice, steak, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and picked jalapeños.
Personally, I find “taco salad” to be a misnomer, but I guess the name has got everything to do with not what’s on the inside, but rather the outside. Tacos are a shallow food. I guess that if I got any food that came in a curvilinear hard or soft shell I would call it a taco. The bowl counts.
On Mondays the taco salad is only $5.39. It is a taco. And a salad.
I’ll have to return for Taco Thursdays at La Loma – which is actually a tamales place, so I’ll definitely have to go back for those.
Ohhh! One quick note about Midtown Global Market.
I’m originally from Philadelphia, where we have the Reading Terminal Market – which is amazing and a totally fun place to spend the afternoon. The Midtown Global Market is pretty similar, and has a bunch of amazing places to eat, including Los Ocampos where I bought and reviewed my first Minneapolis tacos (they also have awesome horchata).
And, though it’s not a taco, MGM also has this amazing pastry place called Salty Tart. AND now that I have a car I give a hoot about this part: MGM will validate your parking for THREE righteous hours while you hang there.
Party on.
The Grand Tour of Hymie’s Vintage Records
March 30, 2011
Hymie’s is one of those unique small businesses that makes Lake Street great. Specializing in vinyl and 45s, this store has been around for decades, and just last year completed a move to a great new location at 39th & Lake. And now they’re expanding and holding a big outdoor street festival! We stopped by for the grand tour, and were in for quite the treat. Hear from owner Dave Hoenack as he shows us around and explains what makes Hymie’s great:
