Restaurant: Grand Cafe

A friend and I checked out the new Grand Café (formerly Bakery on Grand) for brunch Sunday, and mmm… I had stopped in the old Bakery on Grand a couple years ago for a tasty little pastry, and the feel of the place hasn't changed: a classy, slightly upscale café.

I had the heavenly Banana Bread French Toast with Home-Made Peach Syrup and Bavarian Cream. I was afraid it might be a little too weighty for french toast, especially after seeing how huge the regular toast coming out of the kitchen was, but I just couldn't resist the homemade peach syrup. What appeared before me was mouthwatering--one long, thick, piece of banana bread covered in fresh, chunky peach syrup, topped lengthwise with a full-size (what I'm guessing was baked) banana. The french toast was just the right density…heavier than regular french toast but not too much. The syrup was almost thick enough to be preserves but just liquid enough to qualify as syrup. The bavarian cream on the side was just the right flavor. Not super sweet, and nicely balancing the intense sweetness of the french toast.

My friend tried the Huevoes Rancheros (Quesadillas filled with Pork Confit, Oaxaca Cheese, Two Eggs, Roasted Corn Salsa, Black Beans, and Sour-Cream) and gave it a thumbs up as well.

I remember looking at the Bakery on Grand dinner menu when I stopped in that one day, and thinking it wasn't for me. I appreciate unique flavorful food, but my palette is not developed enough to appreciate brisket, pheasant, or fish soup. After checking out the lunch and dinner menu while waiting for the arrival of our food, I can confidently say it is a place I would now happily check out!

added bonus...here is Jeremy Iggers' review of the new place.

Gimme Some Stranger Than Fiction

I finally got to see Stranger Than Fiction this weekend. Yes, I know it didn't get stellar reviews, but between the literary theme and the Britt Daniel-driven soundtrack, there was no way I was going to miss it.

I really liked it. I had read reviews that said it was similar to Momento and Adaptation, but simpler and therefore less successful. So...I went into it not expecting to have to think alot. A person can definitely enjoy it without thinking too much, but there was plenty to think about and figure out. I think the best literature, music, and film should be able to be enjoyed on multiple levels. To compose 2 or 3 successful works takes talent, and to be able to weave 2 or 3 works into one coherent work takes extraordinary skill. Stranger Than Fiction did that.

Great or Grating?

My band-packed funfest continued Friday when we headed over to the Nomad to catch a little of Coach Said Not To's set. We were early, so we caught opener Sleeping in the Aviary. They started off too frenetic for my taste, but I warmed up some to their sound, which brought to mind Tapes 'n Tapes. Their cover of The Exciters' Tell Him was a clever match to the aggresive vox style. But wow did one of his former girlfriends do a number on the lead singer...every song screamed it. Hmm...I'm guessing he just might have been too intense for her!

I had high hopes for Coach Said Not To. I'd heard good things, and I'm always ready to get behind a band fronted by females. Of the 4 or 5 songs we caught, I really liked their sound. It had an ambient, sexy quality that reminded me of Zero 7, though faster and not nearly as electronic. Unfortunately, the lead vocal for all but one of those songs had a voice and a pretentious phrasing that I found grating. If I had known before the show that their latest release was entitled Words That I Employ, I wouldn't have been as surprised. But one of the songs was sung by the bassist, who had a gorgeous, full voice. Maybe she sings lead more than I heard, but if not she should!

Workin' Hard

Got to see another great show Black Friday. Mark Mallman and The Alarmists played a doubleheader at the 400. A friend and I were at the early show, and it felt like walking into a family reunion. I'm assuming it was the Alarmists' family, since the large gang of aunt- and uncle-looking adults left after their set. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Their presence spiked the average age up from sixteen to right about my and my friend's age.

With all the great things I heard about the Alarmists, two things surprised me. One, they didn't look old enough to get into the second show! Two, for how young they appeared, they sounded incredibly tight. But watching them on stage made it apparent how that could be; they are serious and work hard. In tone and simplicity they remind me of Spoon, especially on New Romans and Some Things Never Stop, and the similarity of Eric Lovold's voice to Jeff Tweedy is pretty obvious, especially on Coming to Meet Me. I just read on their website that they are going to start recording their follow-up to A Detail of Soldiers on December 1. I can't wait to hear it.

Like the Alarmists, Mark Mallman sounds great and works hard. But where The Alarmists are economical, Mark Mallman is all about the drama. Through the course of the set, my friend and I compared him to Billy Joel on acid, Rush, Meatloaf, and Alice Cooper, and I'm sure if he'd played longer, we would have come up with a few more. He is undeniably clever and truly entertaining. I would be unlikely to listen to a CD of his at home, but Mark Mallman is not meant to be listened to in the solitude of your own home. You must have him in the room, and be surrounded by friends and booze. I was surprised to learn Mark Mallman is backed by half of The Melismatics, and that that half is married to each other!

(Photos courtesy of Tay-lo.)

Light It Up

I love Faux Jean! They rock, but they're not afraid of a disco, or even a hoedown.

Friday the 17th was their CD release show for Light It Up, Burn It Down. I was sure that it wouldn't measure up to Dead Lover (Drunk and Stoned being one of my favorite songs ever). But no! Though it's not quite as good as Dead Lover over all, there are some great songs that sounded great live, especially Dirty Dogs and Get With That. Like Dead Lover, Light It Up is highly danceable with lyrics that are clever and a little dark. Corinne Caouette really makes the live show. She loves the music and it shows. You wonder if she's forgotten about the crowd, in a good way. The extended-play, Dead-Lover-packed encore was like an extra bonus free show thrown in, and made more complete with a blazin' cover of Jive Talkin'!

The Owls and First Communion After Party opened. I enjoyed The Owls, and their ability to trade instruments nearly every song impressed me. Their sound reminded me of a slightly shinier (less drug-addled?) Velvet Underground. I think I would have been more into them if I hadn't been anticipating the dance beats of Faux Jean. First Communion After Party had an intriguing psychedelic sound also, come to think of it, reminding me of the Velvet Underground in a slightly different way (more drug-addled?), but they need to come up with a way to end their songs. ...and figure out what to do with the chick with no rhythm standing on the side of the stage!

Reading People

So, I admit it. I love looking at People Magazine. Something about looking at pretty people cheers me right up sometimes. Though I did choose the verb "looking" deliberately, I do read one section faithfully. The letters. It is some of the only writing that makes me laugh out loud. Yup. David Sedaris, Dara Moscowitz, and the dear, faithful readers of People. Here is one of this week's highlights, written by Julie C. Pannell of Grayson, GA:

"I do think that Keith [Urban] and Nicole [Kidman] have a solid marriage and truly hope they are for 'better or worse'".

Does she really think she knows anything about how "solid" this marriage of two celebrities is from reading celebrity gossip magazines?

Book: When Charlotte Comes Home

I was nervous about reading When Charlotte Comes Home by Maureen Millea Smith. Ms. Millea Smith is a colleague of mine who I think is just wonderful, and I was afraid I wouldn't like it. What would I say when she came to read at my library tonight? No worries. The story is mainly set in late 60s Omaha, and centers around a family dealing with the serious illness of the charasmatic youngest daughter. The scenes were written with just the right amount of detail; evocative with few wasted words. At first, I wondered at how different the 2 main families were from families that I knew. Yet they were so deftly written that I was quickly wrapped up in their lives and had trouble putting the book down. Going about my day, I would wonder what might happen to them and couldn't wait to get back into their lives at the end of the day.

Another thing I really appreciated about the novel was that there were gay characters and a character with Down syndrome, but that they were well rounded. The author did not let those specific aspects of their personalities define them. Interestingly at the reading, the author related that she only realized later in the process of writing the novel that the main character was gay.

And yay for Maureen! Her book was just featured in Minnesota Monthly as a good gift for book clubbers.

Restaurant: Broder's Pasta Bar

Yum! I'm one of the few people in the Twin Cities who had not been to Broder's Pasta Bar yet, but tonight that all changed. ...And my life is definitely better for it!

I had pretty much sworn off Italian restaurants because the good places were too expensive and the anything-less-than-the-good places? Their menu might as well just say: Giant heap of overcooked pasta with your choice of meat and red or white sauce. Blech...

The soft breads they started us off with were crusty and chewy and the flat bread was crispy. We tried a tasty little anitpasto to whet our appetites: salsicce con finocchio e cipolla, grilled mild Italian sausage links with caramelized fennel and sweet onions in a sambuca reduction.

As for the entrees, I can confidently say that I would not have been disappointed by any of them. I had the gnocchi verde con vitello e coriandolo, homemade gnocchi with veal, carrots, zucchini, coriander, dill, and marsala. It is very easy to get gnocchi wrong, but mine were of the perfect tenderness. My folks ordered the ravioli con zucca (squash-filled ravioli with sage, butter, and parmigiano) and the stringozzi con arragosta (homemade pasta with lobster, roasted squash, and truffle cream). The ravioli were flavorful and, most importantly, not drowning in a sea of butter. Though I wouldn't have been able to finish the stringozzi because it's superb richness, it was again flavorful without so much cream that you couldn't taste the lobster and squash. And all portion sizes were perfect. Not too much...just enough to leave you satisfied and planning your next visit!