Spleen Ain't My Scene

After our brief stop at the Atlantic ChipShop we continued on our way to Ferdinando's Focacceria Ristorante. The block that it is on, Union between Columbia Street and Hicks is really quite a throwback to a bygone era and is truly worth visiting. When is the last time you have seen an actual dry goods store? Well, there is one right across the street from Ferdinando's. And right next store is a tobacco shop with a cigar store Indian right in front. Next time I visit I will take more pictures of the places on this block. And visit again I shall.

The Angles On Ferdinando's




I came here for the spleen sandwich and, by golly, a spleen sandwich is what I got.

Spleen, And More, Much More


This sandwich, called a Vastedda, is a Sicilian style sandwich made with spleen,layered with ricotta and grated cheese, and baked. It is served on a hamburger style bun, but they make their buns and all of their breads on the premises and it is delicious. The bun, that is. The rest of the sandwich, not so much.

Now don't get me wrong. I am sure that if you like spleen you would consider it delicious. It turned out I don't care for it that much and it still was not too bad. I guess I expected the spleen to be more like, I don't know, a heart or something. A bit crunchier maybe. Spleen is more like chicken livers, both in texture and in taste. And I am not a big fan of chicken livers, although I do like gizzards.

Nonetheless, I did eat the whole thing. Like I said, it wasn't bad, actually okay. Just not my cup of tea.

Didn't Stop Me From Eating It, Though


Actually, I am glad I tried it because now I can say that I have had a Vastedda and, if I ever see it on a menu again, I will know not to order it.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman fared much better with her order, sticking with the relatively commonplace Chicken Parmigiana.

Lot's Of Chicken Parmigiana


I thought those brown tube things were sausages but they were nicely crisped potato croquettes. The Chicken Parmigiana itself was kind of ho-hum though, and the spaghetti wasn't freshly made. A bit disappointing, because this was one of their "specials."

Still, this place is one I will go back to again. I just like the ambiance and some of their food is very good indeed. Kind of like McSorley's, though, you don't go there just because you like their beer.

Next time I am having the Trippa, tripe in tomato sauce with peas. I know I like tripe.

Spleen, Just Got To Love The Word

Okay, no spleen on this post, but I was on my way to get a spleen sandwich, really. In fact I even got there and ate it. But, that will have to wait until my next post.

Why, because I passed the Atlantic ChipShop and I am a sucker for a good British Beer. Or any beer, if one must know.

Come Into My Parlor


As you can see, they are touting their selection of British Beers this month and I would really suggest that, if you can, you stop in.

Repeating Myself


Ironically, I missed a three day cask ale festival at Brazen Head the other day. Really pissed me off because I walk by the place every day, almost. How I missed it, I do not know. I have now signed up for their email thing though.

Anyway, the irony was that ChipShop was out of their cask ale too. They said to come back tomorrow, but I missed that too. I will make it a point of getting back one day soon to see what they have.

Today, No, Maybe Tomorrow


The bar here isn't all that big, but it is a decent bar with a nice selection of draft beers and a bit of a bar ambiance. I think it should be set back a bit more from the windows, but it is a small place. I guess they did the best they could do.

Nice Selection, Though


And the bartender, Adam, is really a nice fellow, or mate, or chap, or whatever they call them across the pond. Even though he is from Britain he didn't know anything about snooker. Quite disappointing. But a good guy anyway.

Adam, The Snooker Challenged


I have been in here before and I am sure I mentioned that they have dynamite fish and chips. Probably the best I have ever had. Let me emphasize that a bit, if you have better, let me know. You can eat at the bar, but they do have a nice little dining area in the back.

Cozy, In A British Kind Of Way


I had a draft Well's Bombardier, a really nice ale. I would strongly recommend that, if you can, you stop by the Chip Shop on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before the month is over to try a selection of their British offerings.

My next post will address my spleen sandwich. Trust me when I say that the Mysterious Chinese Woman says the combination of spleen and beer is a truly repellent mixture.

Mainly Murray's

My last day in Minnesota brought back memories of years past when I had to walk three miles to nursery school, in the dark, wolves howling nearby, near blizzard conditions. Ah, those were the days. Lose a mitten, then you probably lost a few fingers too. Ah, yes, those were the days.

Ah, but back to the present. There were snow showers in the morning. That sounds like such a pleasant thing, big fluffy flakes of snow gently drifting downward. Well, there was also strong winds with gusts up to fifty miles an hour. Wind like that can drive a fluffy snowflake right through a two by four.

We spent most of the day tucked inside and watching a football game but I had Murray's on my mind so that is where we headed to for dinner.

We arrived a bit before Murray's opened so we decided to stop next door to Ike's for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Ike's


I have written about Ike's before. It is an excellent place for a hearty lunch or a good dinner. They also have an Ike's at the Minneapolis airport and it is not your typical airport restaurant. It is every bit as well appointed as the one downtown and the food is just as good too. I had a steak with melted blue cheese on top one time and it was fabulous.

Cocktails At The Bar


But before dinner drinks only. Murray's was on my mind and to Murray's we would go.

Murray's


Murray's has been around forever and is the only real classy restaurant left from when I was just a Bar Boy. Oh, there are a lot of very good restaurants in downtown Minneapolis, make no mistake. Far more than when I lived here. It is just that the old great ones like Harry's and Charlie's are now long gone. Although there is a new Harry's that just opened. Not sure how it is related to the old one that burnt down many years ago.

If you go to Murray's you go there for the meat, pure and simple. The Silver Butterknife Steak for two, which is a 28 ounce strip sirloin that they carve at your table and a Chateaubriand for two, a 24 ounce beef tenderloin, also carved tableside. That is the way to go and that is the way we went.

A Carnivores Delight


Capturing The Moment


Let me tell you, this was one of the all-time great meals. If you are ever in Minneapolis and have the time and have the coin, it isn't cheap, you would be remiss if you didn't indulge yourself at Murray's. It has been here since 1946 and doesn't look like it is going anyplace soon.

After a great meal in a classic restaurant like this with old friends, what would be better for dessert than another classic, a real Grasshopper, just like in the old days.

A Couple Of Classics


Well, let me tell you, this was one great way to end up a really fun trip to my old stomping grounds, Northern Minnesota and Minneapolis. I sure wasn't looking forward to getting up early enough to catch a 6:30 AM plane, but I wouldn't have traded the night for anything. Let me rephrase that, I wouldn't have traded for a lot of stuff.

Restaurant Reviews On Yelp

I have decided to branch out a bit and write some restaurant reviews on Yelp. It is kind of a distillation of what I post here, but more oriented towards reviewing a restaurant rather then just posting about a specific visit. I just put up my first review this morning. Not too surprisingly it was a review of Waterfront Ale House.

If you are interested in checking them out you can go to:

www.barman.yelp.com

Let me know what you think.

By the way, my saying for the day:

Rehab is for quitters

Road Trip

Well, it isn't that we traveled all that far, but we did take a little road trip on a brilliantly sunny fall day. We went all the way to Floyd's, a place that I last visited for Nickle Dickle day back in 2005.

Floyd's


We started the day out there because we could combine our morning eye-opener with breakfast. And I mean really combine them.

Breakfast In A Bloody Mary


They serve these with a little beer on the side and it is a great way to start the day.

Sandy, Rico, and Bar Man At Breakfast


We finished up at Floyd's with just enough time to make it to Rico's American Legion Club for a fun filled afternoon of bingo.

Not Quite Seminole Bingo


I was feeling really optimistic about cleaning up at bingo because I got my first drink for free. If the last number of you American Legion membership matched the one they had posted you were a winner.

Sipping My Spoils


You can see that we were well spread out so we had plenty of room for our bingo cards.

Ready To Play


I haven't played bingo in a long time and the game has changed a bit. I remember when you used to get sturdy cardboard cards that you kept throughout the night and used dry corn kernels to mark your numbers. Now they pass out separate cards for each game and they are on paper. You use inkers to mark your number. Most people just use a single marker for each game so they were a bit amused when I marked my cards in multiple colors.

Although none of us won a damn thing, Sandy sure looked like she did.

Bingo, Not


Well, it was disappointing that nobody won anything, but we decided to try our luck elsewhere. Another American Legion Club was having their afternoon meat raffle.

The Fun Never Ends


Meat raffles are very popular in the Midwest and the women who run them become minor celebrities. Well, winters are long and cold in these parts.

Trying Our Luck



The concept is pretty simple, the meat raffle woman goes around and sells number which you draw out of a box. Then a wheel is spun and the person who holds the number that comes up wins... MEAT. Why this is so popular is anyone's guess but people who win actually run around holding their packages of pork chops.

Our luck was no better here though and, again, we left empty handed. At least Rico managed to get his hands on the meat raffle lady.

Rico Won The Booby Prize


It was another fun filled day, even though nobody won a thing. Worn out by the excitement we headed back to Rico and Sandy's where we had smoked brisket sandwiches for supper and a relatively early night.

Minnesota Barbecue

Well, I am back from my trip to Minnesota. I started out in Duluth, where I spent a night, and then headed up to International Falls to visit my old friends Bruce and Donna. I have known them since grade school, so that is going way back. Another friend, Chris, who is Donna's cousin also came up to stay a few days. I have known him since grade school as well. Now that is going way back.

Sadly though, I never got around to taking any pictures. I don't know what I was thinking. Really should have too. Especially the one where Bruce and I made a venison shank and squirrel stew. Now Bruce already had the venison shanks and squirrels in his freezer so we didn't have to actually go out and kill them ourselves. I know, Sarah Palin would say we were wusses.

After spending about a week in International Falls I drove to Ely where another couple of friends of mine, Jon and Ruthie have a lovely house on Wolf Lake. I did manage to get a few pictures here when we went into town and had a few beers in a new brew pub, BoatHouse.

The BoatHouse in Ely


Ely is a pretty small town up in Northern Minnesota and fell on some hard times when the iron mines started shutting down some time ago. It has reinvented itself as a bit of a tourist town now due to its proximity to the Boundary Waters, a large chain of lakes that are prized for canoeing, fishing, and camping. One of the benefits is neat bars and restaurants like BoatHouse.

And it is a real brew pub too. They make their beers right on the premises.

The Brewery


They have the ability to brew up to, and I think this is right, twelve different beers. Currently they are just brewing two. This is primarily due to the fact that they a relatively new operation and are just ramping up and it is getting to be winter when both beer drinking and tourism tends to drop.

Well that didn't stop us from enjoying a few of what they did have to offer.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Ruthie Conversing


Jon And Bar Man Drinking


The following morning I headed down to Minneapolis where I was going stay with my friends Rico and Sandy. I told Jon and Ruthie that I thought Rico would be barbecuing ribs for me because he knows that I really like them. And I was right.

Slaving Over The Grill


As you can see, grilling in the dark requires special equipment. Rico is in the last stage of his preparation. First he puts a rub on them and then smokes them for several hours. Next he puts them in an oven and finishes the cooking at a low heat. Finally he applies some of the barbecue sauce his wife, Sandy, makes and crisps them up over the grill. Believe me, they are truly delicious. Bar Man likes to smoke and grill too, but even I have to admit Rico's ribs are truly inspired. In fact, he recently won second place in a rib contest sponsored by an American Legion. I wonder what the first place ribs tasted like.

I was wondering why Rico was wearing a Hawaiian style shirt on a relatively chilly day. When I went down to his basement bar I saw why. He was selling them for $20 apiece. Well, not really. He actually gave both me and our friend, Jerry, one for free.

Three Amigos, Rico, Jerry, And Bar Man


Jerry and his wife Pat are also old friends of mine and Rico and Sandy had invited them over for the barbecue feast. We all settled down to a truly delicious meal and a rollicking good time.

The Whole Crew Chowing Down


The next day included a breakfast in a Bloody Mary, bingo, and a meat raffle. More on that in my next posting.

Clam Shuck At The Brazen Head

Last Saturday The Brazen Head hosted a Clam Shuck that was sponsored by Long Island Beers, and how could you miss out on something like that.

You Got Me Hooked


The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to head over fairly early because I wanted to make sure I got there before the the clams ran out. Heh Heh, a little clam humor there. Clams don't have legs, so they can't run out.

Early Arrival


Well, I don't know if they would have run out of anything, but the place was already quickly filling up.

Packing Up Early


There was already a fairly slow moving line waiting for the clams. They also had oysters so it was a real raw bar treat.

Worth The Wait


Of course the center of attraction was the shucker, who was certainly earning his keep. He was pretty much working non-stop the whole time I was there. He was quick though, so the line actually didn't move that slowly. It just seemed that way if you were standing in it.

How Many Clams Can A Clam Shucker Shuck?


People eagerly grabbed up their portions when they were ready.

Looking Yummy


Sometimes when a bar hosts one of these things the clams and oysters aren't that good, but that was certainly not the case here. I should have known that because Lou, the manager of The Brazen Head, always runs a decent show. During the summer he used to have a Barbecue With Lou in the back outdoor area and he still has his famous Stew With Lou.

Nice Looking Clams And Oysters


The Brazen Head also has a very decent selection of beers and they usually have a couple of cask ales available. They also have a very nice Scotch selection.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions


Well, the Clam Shuck was sponsored by Long Island Beers so I figured the least I could do would be to have one. I opted for the Hoptical Illusion, a very hoppy IPA that isn't overbearing and went quite well with the oysters and clams. The beers were being very ably served up by the two very busy bartenders, Vikki and Carly.

Vikki


Carly


Although the bar was packed you could still get a comfortable seat in a cosy corner of the bar.

The Cosy Corner


It was such a lovely evening though that I wanted to sit out in the fresh air.

Ah, Fresh Air


It really was quite nice outside and I don't mind my friend smoking his cigar. He is a Budweiser drinker so I can't begrudge him indulging in something with a bit of flavor.

I got a dozen clams and a dozen oysters. At $10 a dozen it was a real steal. At a lot of restaurants these would go for $2 or more each, easily. And they really aren't any better and often times aren't nearly as large. These were delicious.

Beer, Clams, And Oysters - My Oh My


And they slid down easily. I doused them with the sauce that they had prepared with a healthy dollop of horseradish stirred in. Nothing better.

Sliding Down To The Gullet


The Mysterious Chinese Woman tried one of each but raw clams and oysters aren't really her thing. Lou, however, had that covered. He had both Manhattan and New England clam chowder available, and it was free. You can't beat that. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had a bowl of each and said they were both delicious.

Stew Rhymes With Lou, Chowder Doesn't, Oh Well


As usual we had a great time. There was a friendly crowd and we talked about how our neighborhood had changed over the years with a couple of old timers. To be honest though, I am now one of the old timers. I don't care though, I have always looked forward to geezerhood.

I am heading to Minnesota in a couple of days so there probably won't be many, if any, posts until I get back, but what the hell, check anyway. It drives up my hit counter and makes me look popular.

Oh, I found out something interesting to day. There is a real medical condition called Palinopsia (Greek palin, again, and opsis, vision) the symptom of which is persistent or recurrent visual images, following removal of the exciting stimulus. In other words, you continue to see things that no longer exist and often don't see them as they actually were.