August 27, 2007 by chad.

I swear. No matter how many times I see the Old Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I am continually reminded of the innane phrases of nonsense Gene Wilder says. The title of this post is one of my favs, but I also like the scene where he’s speaking to… was it Mr. Salt or Mr. Boregard? Anyway, he says, “A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” In actuality that diddy is incredibly insightful. It is when we take ourselves too seriously that we miss the fun adventure that life can be. We need to embrace life as is and be willing to laugh when life does not go as planned. I cannot tell you how many times I was giving a presentation and it was going bad. All you need is a little nonsense and you can salvage any situation. Bank on it, webizens.

I know you are reading, but does  anyone have any suggestions for restaurants in the Central MN area that they would like to see reviewed. I still have a few to post, but input from the masses is always appreciated. Post a comment to this thread or email me your suggestions.

I’m keeping it light tonight as sleep needs to take hold of me otherwise I will have a rough day tomorrow. end of line

Posted in Rubish Bin | Print | No Comments »

August 26, 2007 by chad.

Many times in the last three years I have been very tough on myself as a parent. After all, you are your own worst critic and no matter how hard you try to say you are good at something there is always that unspoken streak of doubt that attempts to derail your good thoughts and confidence. I know most parent have to go through the same things as I do.

I will admit, I did not adjust well to the transition my son made from a baby to a toddler and now a pre-schooler. Toddler was the worst! I was dealing with a lot of pain during that time because I had not been diagnosed with crohn’s disease yet, and even after I was I was in a lot of pain until I was treated for and had surgery to remove an abscess this last January. I was very grumpy then. Lack of sleep and constant pain made my patience wane rather easily. I guess my fuse was a little short. During that time I knew I was being that way, but the self-control was definitely not there. It was never a treat of physical violence, merely a anger and a need to leave the situation.

In the last few months I have been living with regrets of that time and those interactions with my children. I hoped and prayed that I would not be setting the learned trigger in my children’s heads that would strain our future relationship or teach them that it was ok to be crabby all the time. I was very critical of myself about it. That was not how a father should treat his children. It required nurturing, patience, and love. Part of my grouchiness stemmed from my need to control things in my life, as everything seemed uncontrollable with my own health. I was not equipped to realize that I could not control these children as I could myself because they are of their own spirit.

Friday I was at the Corner Bean and a barrista who will remain unnamed said to me that she couldn’t understand why parents beat themselves up over such things. She was a parent and made a tonne of mistakes herself. Kids are resilient and forgiving at young ages. Though it didn’t sink in right away, I kept analyzing that statement and it makes sense. It helped bring peace to that turbulent conflict in my mind. Moreover, I found complete peace this morning. I left yesterday during nap time to participate in a couple Jaycee events and did not make it home until after bedtime. This morning, when my son Kieran woke up he came up to our bedroom as he usually does. He crawled up on the bed with specific intent. He crawled over his mom, plunked down on my chest and gave me a big hug. He said he loved me. That always makes me feel good, but today it was really something incredibly special for me.

His sister woke up pretty close to the same time and, when Robin returned with her, she did the same thing…well, without saying it. I had two very wonderful, very loving children covering me almost to smothering. You know what? I loved it. Kids are great and moments like this will last forever if you let them.

Posted in Rubish Bin | Print | No Comments »

August 21, 2007 by chad.

Pete’s Place has been around in different incarnations for some time. If you are looking for the epitome of the neighborhood greasy spoon restaurant then Pete’s is the place for you. It brings in an eclectic mix of young and old. Both college students and locals gravitate towards Pete’s for its good food, friendly nature, and unique atmosphere.

Food: 8 (limited but good)

Pete’s is only open for breakfast and lunch, but it is the type of place that shines in certain ways. The burgers are fabulous. They are fresh ground beef, juicy, and big. The breakfasts are…well, breakfast like your mother makes.(if indeed you have a mother that cooks) My favorite would have to be a toss up between the “Flavored Fruit Pancakes” and the old standby “Diced Ham with Scrambled Eggs and Toast”. Healthy portions at a decent price are always refreshing when eating out and breakfast is the best meal of the day to really “fill the tank”. Everything has a certain amount of grease so be cautioned that the food is by no means exceptionally healthy. There’s a lot of love put into it, and we all know that can be too good for us all the time.

Service: 6

Pete’s tends not to be a place for a speedy in and out meal. This is not so much a criticism as an observation. Its a sit down and enjoy the setting type of place. Service is dependent on who you get and how seriously you take dining. Pete is a great host. He’s warm and friendly and usually engages in plenty of talk with you unless there’s a lot of orders he needs to attend to. The people he has serving are serviceable but not particularly outstanding.

One of his long standing employees is a woman named Tammy. She may seem belligerent and rough edged, but she is part of the character of Pete’s and for that I suggest forgiving her of her transgressions against the norms of restaurant service. You know someone has to have an indelible mark on a place when they have a sandwich named after them.

Atmosphere: 9

This is by far the most colorfully charactered restaurant I have been to in a while. If you are an eccentric, you are probably a regular at Pete’s. A local artist comes in with her digital camera and takes pictures of patrons for Pete’s own Wall of Fame. These candid shots of patrons makes it feel very close nit there. A local cribbage league produces more smoke than the Becker power plant in the back room and there is almost always a game of it going on. Regulars are almost treated like family when they walk through the door and that really is amazing.

This place is alive with the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood. As cities expand and grow there seems to be a shrinking of our world. Neighborhood places like Pete’s are more rare to find unless you go to a town small enough. These are the places that deliver and survive and there friendly nature and outstanding food options.

Overall: 8

Pete’s is a classic in its own right not only because of its humble working man’s appearance and victuals, but also its unique offerings. It is the example of the type of place that goes against the grain of the modern chain restaurant taste and feel. Its because of that the Pete’s occupies a special place in my heart. Hopefully it will occupy a special place in my stomach and yours very soon.

Posted in Grub | Print | No Comments »

August 20, 2007 by chad.

I tend to review only small local chains or stand alone restaurants for a number of reasons. Chains often have a well crafted but significantly uncreative approach to the foods they prepare. Sure, I go to TGI Friday’s now and again, but the true creativity and “make or break” effort comes from smaller independent restauranteurs who NEED to exceed in order to sway people away from the old comfortable shoe Applebee’s provides. Stand alone restaurants are often the only place you can get local favorites. Pike’s on Germain was a great German restaurant and they had the most fabulous cabbage rolls I ever tasted. Alvie’s was a local diner on the east side of St Cloud, that had both meatloaf and liver and onions on the menu…granted, I never ate it, but how often do you suppose those types of dishes find a place on a national chain’s menu? Never. Zizzorts in Sartell cooks up some wild pizza topping combos and throws them on a tortilla. That’s wild and darn tasty as well! Could it be a national phenomenon? You bet! Will it be picked up by a national chain? Nope.

All I am saying is in a battle between David and Goliath, who do you champion? The underdog. All the chains have their own shtick and it works, but everyone has to step outside of their comfort bubble and try a local restaurant. They are counting on you for their survival and your input. Perfection is not made within a bubble. I may appear the pariah of local restaurants but I see it as more a service to them than a criticism. It is my duty to point out weaknesses in their delivery of superior food and service, the smart restaurant owner is going to look at that and say, “Thanks, Chad, for the ideas or input.” Sure, some Bozo’s are going to hate me because I have an opinion, but they are going to be the ones who close shop because they refuse to improve.

Stepping up and stepping out to my local purveyor of delectable comestibles and you should too. end of line

Posted in Grub | Print | No Comments »

August 19, 2007 by chad.

Back in the day before coffee shops were a dime a dozen in this town, I had designs to start my own coffee shop up. I even went so far as to draw up a business plan and scope out locations for opening said coffee shop. It was going to cater to and champion blues as nothing was cooler than blues music. Sadly that plan turned to dust, but there is a home for the blues in St Cloud and its at the Legend’s Grill and Bar.

Legend’s is located in the Holiday Inn Hotel on the corner of Highways 23 and 15. For the purposes of a restaurant review I put my musical tastes aside, but the live blues bands can be pretty awesome to see. For this review I picked a slower time to go and employed the help of my wife and children…the usual suspects. I know the owner of the hotel, so hopefully he does not read this or at least sees my commentary as contructive… as it always is. There were some definite highs and some lows which left me mixed on experience, but let’s get going.

Food: 5 (Mixed reception)

When we arrived I was expecting the whole G&B feel good food menu. Sure, standard American fare was all over the menu, but I was also seeing some more intriguing options. Nestled in the pasta section I found Thyme Roasted Chicken with Cheese Ravioli. Robin had her usual in such locals, a bacon cheeseburger with fries. The Kids menu had the usual 6 or 7 items most families can count on when they eat out, so the kids had Mac’n'Cheese and chicken fingers with fries.

First the Thyme Roasted Chicken. I was not nearly as excited about the dish when it arrived. They seemed to have forgotten half of it in the kitchen because for the price I was expecting to be fully fed. Instead I was greeted with what can be described as a “premium” portion.

Higher class restaurants like to dress up small portions with glitzy presentations. These shows are often camped in commercials and comedies. You know, for $50 they get a little wedge of something in the middle of a huge plate and are left wanting something real. That kind of ostentatious dining does not fly in the land of meat and potatoes. On top of it all the the raviolis were not particularly warm. Since the garlic bread was overly dry I would surmise my dish spent a titch too much time in the window under a warming light. It was a pretty presentation though with a healthy balance of color (Thanks to the spinach leaves) but it was not particularly tasty.

Robin’s burger was moist enough and served with a slice of cheddar rather than American cheese. Actually you had a choice of cheddar, American or Swiss. It was definitely a healthy size and at $3 less than what my meal cost, it was a better buy.

One of the highlights of the meal was the barbecue sauce that was served up with my daughters chicken fingers. It was simultaneously not sweet nor tart. It had a smoky flavor to it that was far from bold but thorough. I am fairly certain that I have had it before someplace else, so it is not likely homemade.

Price was higher for my meal, but I was amazed to find that kids eat free. Is this everyday? I am not sure but it would explain why there were a few tables with multiple children at them. The kids meals were originally priced at $4.89 which would have been a good price for all that they got, but for FREE is even better. Robin’s bacon cheeseburger was $8 and my chicken thingy was $11. Drinks were apparently free as they didn’t appear on the bill. Thanks, Mr Bar Back!

Service: 5 (Mixed reception)

The server we had was actually a bar back, so maybe the service would have been better if an actual server graced our table. The only server who was there kind of said hello to us when we walked in, but that was the last we saw of her until after the food was close fully consumed. (The rest of the family that is, mine was gone all together too fast.) Anyway, between the server and the bar back they had a few families and a few bar patrons to attend so I was not particularly demanding. The bar back offered to get us a high chair for my daughter, but after trying to hold on to a thrashing hungry toddler for ten minutes I had to take it upon myself to find the high chair. After finding it, he asked if I wanted him to carry it. Forget it, buddy. I needed this sense of accomplishment to be all mine.

Atmosphere: 7

The restaurant clearly draws its life from the bar at its center, but the restaurant has a few architectural features of note. There is a glass walled conference room for meetings that is rife with sports memorabilia. Overall the restaurant is dominated by six uniquely arranged areas. This is good for all types of occasions, whether that be a romantic dinner for two, a lunch meeting, a family scrum, or even a blues concert. It has an open floor plan which directs attention to the stage area with little more than cursory decorations.

It appears that they are good at keeping the place clean regardless of how many other toddlers threw their french fries and their brothers Mac’n'Cheese on the floor. Nothing turns the stomach more than seeing until past meals rubbed into the floor and walls, so I was happy to see they take pride in cleanliness. Good luck with the barbecue stain, hope it comes out for you.

Overall: 6

I was generally happy with the food and would anticipate eating there again. Next time I will stick to the American portion of the menu as I know I will be getting my money’s worth. It is a bar through and through so as long as expectations start there, there will be no disappointments and next time I will have to catch a show.

Posted in Grub | Print | No Comments »

August 13, 2007 by chad.

On occasion I like to golf, but, with the addition of children to the family budgetary dynamic, golfing has become a necessary cast-off of my daily…weekly…aw, heck my whole summer. Anyway, today is the 61st St Cloud Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing. Am I golf? No. Am I schmoozing? Indeedy do! The sponsor to the the golf outing is Clearwire Wireless internet’s Authorized Representatives of which Groetsch Technology Group is one. Therefore I am here reping Clearwire with some of the best technology representatives Central Minnesota has. I would mention who they are, but I think that would be counter productive to making money for GTG so….

Anyway, just thirty feet away was a great hole sign so I had to take a pic and modify it. Thanks go to Kris Crandall for being my accomplice. Can you pick out the modification?

Posted in Rubish Bin | Print | 1 Comment »