Girlinthevalley’s Weblog

I do love the Midwest.  It is charming, clean, and the people are well…just plain friendly.  They say “Hi” to you on the street.  They invite you to sit with them at bars.  They open doors and help you put your coat on.  Things that can happen in California, but it is a rarity.

The other night one of my Minneapolis buddies took me on a mini food crawl.  We started out at a place called Psycho Susie’s Motor Lounge (per my request since I had seen the place mentioned on the Food Network.  Psycho Suzi’s used to be an A&W Drive-In and has been converted into a  tiki bar serving up all kinds of interesting drinks and treats.  I enjoyed a libation called The Suffering Bastard – served in a cute little tiki glass and made from various boozes, spices and mixers.  We each picked out a ” Pu Pu” to share and ended up with Potluck Pickle Roll-Ups and Barracuda Buffalo Wings.

I was a Potluck Pickle Roll-Up Virgin (to the delight of my tour guide.)  And wow, I was surprised that I did actually enjoy the little bites.  For those who don’t know what a Potluck Pickle Roll-up is picture this:  a thin slice of pastrami or corned beef, frosted with cream cheese and then rolled around a pickle.  Then slice into bite size pieces and serve on toothpicks.  Dee-liteful!  I hear they are a favorite at many a midwest gathering.

I will admit I have a buffalo wing obsession and try to eat them at as many different places as possible in search of – the perfect wings.  So of course when they presented themselves on the menu at Suzi’s I had to give them a try.  The Barricuda Buffalo Wings had been marinated in tequila and beer and definately has a kick of heat.  Lots of flavor and not too much grease…they earned an 8 out of 10 in my book.

Psycho Suzie’s Motor Lounge
2519 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 788-9069 Open everyday 11am-2am

The next place we visited was just across the way – Tony Jarro’s.  At Tony Jarro’s they are famous for two drinks called the “Pinkie” and “Greenie”.  I ordered the “Pinkie” and my friend ordered the “Greenie”.  The “Pinkie” is made from Vodka, Collins Mix and something similar to Grenadine.  It tasted like a Shirley Temple and I could see how someone could get very drunk if having more than one at a time.  The “Greenie” tasted like a Mt. Dew – which I used to drink tons of in highschool.  For a snack we decided on the mini-corndogs which were the best I have ever eaten.  A sweet cornbread type batter fried to a crispy perfection.  I dipped mine in plain yellow mustard.  It took me back in time to the bopping around the county fair during summer.

Tony Jaro’s
2500 NE Marshall St
612-789-9728

Down the street we traveled to The Sample Room which has been a Saloon or Tavern since 1893 and was in a beautifully kept red brick building.  The menu here was a little more modern and not typical “bar food”.  At the Sample Room we enjoyed two more little snacks:
1.  Baked Stickney Hill Goat Cheese with Oven Dried Tomatoes and Basil Oil
2.  Pan-Fried Walleye Strips – a really meaty white fish that is local to Minnesota and can only be found in lakes.  The fish is available all year long, even during the long winters when people go ice fishing.

The Sample Room
2124 Marshall Street NE
612.789.0333

There were a couple of additional places on Tom’s list, but after so much eating and drinking we decided to call it a night.  Until next time…