George and the Dragon Pub

I really wanted to love this place, so I was a little disappointed when I merely liked it a whole lot. But considering the fact that they've only been open two weeks, George and the Dragon Pub is off to a great start and has the potential to turn my strong affection all the way toward true love.

GandD is located on the corner of 50th and Bryant, sandwiched between Patina and the Malt Shop in the location that used to be Black Bird. Forgetting the fire that took down Black Bird and Patina, this is a fantastic location for a restaurant and it's in the middle of a neighborhood that has severely been lacking a great local pub. I'm happy to say that GandD has in just two weeks proven itself to be a very good local pub, bordering on great. If you're looking for a beer, the selection is fantastic, with a range including a few local breweries like Summit, Brau Brothers, and Fulton, and some more distant but still nice breweries like Old Speckled Hen. Personally, I'd choose Bass over Old Speckled Hen, but all in all it's a great selection of beers and the older, bald-headed waiter (sorry!) was clearly knowledgeable and excited to answer any questions or offer recommendations.  He wasn't my waiter, but I enjoyed watching his interactions with the tables around me.

They also have a wine list that looks pretty extensive and well rounded, but I don't know nothing about wines so I can't comment. But my friend did get some wine, and it came in a really neat looking glass, so there's that.

The food menu didn't excite me quite as much as the beer menu, but it didn't let me down either. It seemed to be one of those menus that looks great at first glance, but as you read the descriptions, you start to notice things that just sound weird, with almost every selection having at least one ingredient that just sounds... off. Like the cheeseburger that comes with frizzled leeks. Or the Banh Mi with green beans. And while it is definitely cool to have a menu that combines traditional Irish pub fare like Bangers & Mash with more exotic choices like the aforementioned Banh Mi, it will be interesting to see how it goes over in South Minneapolis... a city where people actually consider something like a Banh Mi to be "exotic."

But enough about the menu: Let's get to the actual review already.

I arrived right at 3:00 on a Wednesday afternoon, since that's when they're happy hour begins. I knew this not because it's posted either on their website or Facebook page, but because I had to email them to ask. Happy hour is from 3-5, Monday-Thursday, offering $3.00 taps and certain discounted glasses of wine. No discounted appetizers, which I found disappointing, but the waitress did offer to bring a different menu just for munchies. First piece of advice for George: Don't have a separate, secret menu for cheaper, smaller plates. Just have a couple discounted apps for Happy Hour.


I started with a glass of the Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA and an order of Onion Rings. The beer was fantastic and the onion rings were exceptional. The rings were big and thickly coated, but still oniony and not greasy at all. They came with a side of some kind of chipotle mayo that was pretty good but not all together amazing. But the onion rings themselves were pretty great and well worth the trip. I mean... if you love onion rings, that is.

I probably could've been satisfied on just the onion rings alone since they were big and plentiful, but I only ate half because I wanted to order something else to make this more than just a review of a plate of onion rings. I really wanted a burger, but the only one that really sounded appealing was the plain version with just tomato and arugula, so I ordered the Banh Mi instead because I wanted to be adventurous and really see what this kitchen can do. Not everybody can make an exceptional burger, but a bad burger is still a burger. A bad Banh Mi, on the other hand, is a disaster.

This one wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't the best I've ever had... but that doesn't mean it wasn't high on the list. The first couple bites were a little off, but then I took the green beans out and it got a whole lot better. I like green beans as much as anybody, but as a side, not as a part of a sandwich. They just are too oddly shaped, awkwardly more crunchy than anything else in the sandwich, and just have a flavor that didn't exactly overpower the other elements on the bread, but it didn't compliment them either. The pork was fantastic with a really nice, interesting flavor, and seemed to be shredded instead of a big chunk which I liked and made it easy to eat. Then there was a nice wasabi mayo, daikon, and pickled carrots. This was a very good sandwich... but take off the green beans.

Unfortunately, the french fries (or "handmade chips") that came on the side left a lot to be desired. They were clearly fresh and hand-chopped, but they just weren't cooked enough so they were soggy and just unappealing. They were thick, which I love, but that just made them all the worse because they seemed limp and flaccid. And I'm talking about french fries here, people! When I go back -- and I will, because bad french fries aside, the place was great -- I'll ask them to make my fries extra crispy. But too be sure, I shouldn't have to do that, since the chef should know already that long, limp, undercooked fries are such a disappointment they can knock a perfect A+ down to a B. Sorry to talk so long about fries, but these had the potential to be just as amazing as the onion rings, but they really fell flat.

About the service I can honestly say that it was both good and bad, since the first server's shift ended midway though the meal so she handed us off to somebody else. I didn't catch anybody's name, but the first young lady was attentive -- but not too attentive, which can be annoying -- helpful, and very friendly. I started out alone just to read and have a beer or two, and she mostly left me alone, coming along only when I wanted her to, which seemed to border on the supernatural. The next guy was fine, but bland and a little too slow and attentive, even forgetting to bring my friend's wine until she asked him about it. But to be fair, when I first arrived there were maybe two other people in the place, but toward the end it was close to filling to capacity, so the difference in service quality had a lot to do with that as well.

I also met the owner Frederico Navarro, who was very friendly and likable. I was reading a comic book, and he came over and asked what it was, then told me he's a big fan of Moebius, so we chatted about him for a bit. I liked the guy and respected his ability to know exactly when to come over and introduce himself, and then when to exit the conversation so he could attend to his job and I could get back to my comic.

So all of this was my long, round about way of saying I really liked my first happy hour / dinner at George and the Dragon, but they still have a bit more work to do before it officially becomes my favorite place to hang out. It's right on my bike route to and from work, so if they ever fix those fries and make the service quality a little more consistent, I'll definitely want to become a regular.

I say... check it out.

Uptown Bathroom Survival Guide

Uptown Minneapolis has a lot of bars and coffee shops and restaurants, so that means a lot of people in Uptown have to pee. Sometimes finding a nice -- or, even usable -- bathroom can be an adventure, especially on a weekend when the streets are full of drunk people all on the same mission as you. So that's why I've put together this Uptown bathroom survival guide. I've lived in Uptown for years, and I'm always on the look out for a nice place to do my business.

Anyway, let's get to it. Click on each location's name to be taken to a Google map.

Jackson's Coffee & Gelato
This is my pick for the best bathroom in Uptown. It's always clean, fresh, and well stocked. Even better, there's a back door connected to the bathroom hallway so you can go in and out without being seen or feeling the need to buy anything. Just enter in the side on Bryant. There are two bathrooms, one female and one male, both are singles. Of course, once you're in there you may as well hang out and get a bottle of Bubble Up or some gelato.

Calhoun Square
Lovely facilities. Calhoun Square is a large, mostly abandoned shopping plaza that somehow still has money, so they have great, lush, clean bathrooms that are always stocked and usually empty. They are upstairs, across the hall from Sushi Tango, and just before the exit to the parking ramp. Pretty sure the men's room has two urinals and two stalls, so you'll be treated like a king.

Lunds
Want to talk about money? Lunds is money. Prepare yourself for the cleanest, nicest bathrooms in Uptown. Located on the loft above the produce section, there are two single, unisex bathrooms way in the back, past the magazines and greeting cards. There's even a bench outside in case you need to wait. I live right down the street and actually had to use these bathrooms all the time a few months ago when the toilet in my apartment was broken. I've even been known to sneak down the street to use them when I've had company over. I didn't mind, cause this bathroom is money.


Rainbow
Rainbow ain't money. Rainbow is cheap and gross. I shop there and I've peed there, but I ain't proud of either. This isn't a very good bathroom, but it's there and Rainbow is open 24 hours, so go for it. I've gone for it. 

Booksmart
Located in the basement of Cheapo, Booksmart is a sprawling book store with a pretty nice bathroom way on the back left. There's even a sign pointing toward it because they must know how often people come down there just to pee. Booksmart is a really cool bookstore, but it's huge and usually empty so the bathroom is pretty secluded so it's perfect if you need some privacy. Don't bring in any books that you haven't purchased though, because that's just rude.

McDonald's
As fast food places go, this is ok. This wouldn't be my first choice, but it's on the corner of Hennepin and Lagoon, so it's centrally located and easy to get to. The bathroom is to the right when you first come in, so you don't have to pass the counter or talk to any employees. It's not going to be clean, of course, but it's also not going to be the worst. Then again, I don't think I've ever used this bathroom on a Friday or Saturday, and since I live right down the block, I don't think I ever will.

Lyndale Tap House
I'm not including many restaurants on this list, not only because that's a given that they'll have one, but because they're not usually easy to get to without being seen. But this one is. Go inside and make a right, then go downstairs to the basement and you're golden. You're taking a golden shower, that is. Anyway, lovely, clean, large bathrooms.

Caffrey's
Caffrey's has a bathroom, but you have to walk past the counter and all the way though the deli to get there.  But who cares? Certainly not the hipsters and stoners who work here. They're all nice people, but they're not the type to give a crap if you come in at night just to pee. Go for it, and get a sub while you're there. They're pretty good.

Mesa Pizza
Great pizza, decent bathroom. The bathroom is way down the hall toward the back, and there's even a backdoor you can sneak through without being seen. But stop and get a slice, since the pizza is good and the people there are cool.

Common Roots Cafe
Two bathrooms located to the side of the bar, but there's a side door you can enter through to access them without being seen. Nice bathrooms. 

Arby's
Don't use this bathroom. I mean, if you gotta go, you gotta go and lord knows we all gotta go sometimes. But there are other, better options around, and I'm only including this one because it exists. Have you ever eaten at Arby's? Of course not. No just imagine going to the bathroom there.

I'll update this as I think of more, and please feel free to send in suggestions.

Rusty Quarters Retro Arcade and Museum

(This establishment has closed)

I like Rusty Quarters a lot, but I desperately wish I could love them.

Rusty Quarters, in case you've never been there, bills itself as a "retro arcade and museum," which is to say they have a bunch of old arcade games. Most of their games are from the golden age of the 80s (Ms Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, etc), but they also have a couple fighting games from the 90s, and Asteroids, which I think is the oldest game I've seen there. With at least three decades worth of game cabinets, I'll let them get away with calling themselves a museum.

Of course, museums aren't always fun, even when they are fascinating and full of history. As I said above, I like this arcade a lot, but I just don't really love it. I can't love a place that's only fun for about ten minutes two or three times a month, if that. Whenever I'm in that part of Uptown, I try to stop in and drop a couple quarters, but I always end up getting bored after about five minutes or so. This isn't a knock against Rusty Quarters, since it's a nice place with a decent selection of classic games, but that not all of these games really hold up after all these years.

Here is the list of games on their website, but I'm not sure how up to date it is:

Arkinoid
Asteroids
Attack from Mars Pinball
Bubble Bobble (Neo Geo Cabinet)
Burgertime
Centipede
Defender
Dig-Dug
Donkey Kong (2 of them!)
Donkey Kong Junior
Frogger
Funhouse Pinball

Galaga
Gauntlet II
Indiana Jones Pinball
Joust
Mario Bros.
Metal Slug X (Neo Geo Cabinet)
Mr. Do!
Ms. Pac-Man
Q*Bert
Rampage
Space Invaders Deluxe
Tetris
Track & Field
X-Men: Children of the Atom

I always play a round of Donkey Kong, and it's absolutely as fun today as it was back when Shigeru Miyamoto first unleashed it on the world back in 1981. RQ clearly knows this is their best game, since they have two cabinets. The sequel Donkey Kong Junior isn't as fun and doesn't hold up, in my opinion, but it's worth a quarter at least once.

After DK, the other games that hold up fairly well and make a visit worthwhile are Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede, and maybe Space Invaders. Mario Bros. is also pretty fun, as long as you're playing with a friend and not by yourself.

Some of the others are worth checking out at least once, like Arkinoid, Q*Bert, and Dig-Dug, but most of these others are fairly forgettable. I was actually shocked by just how awful Gauntlet II was. I rememebr loving that game. Honestly, I'd like to see more games from the late 80s and early 90s. For a while they had a Street Fighter game, but it was one of the later ones so I didn't care for it. Get a just straight up Street Fighter 2 in there! Or some other classic beat em ups, like Final Fight, X-Men, or Turtles.

But I can't complain about what they don't have, since I can't imagine stocking a place like this is easy or cheap, so I'll applaud them on how they've managed to actually create a retro arcade in the heart of Uptown Minneapolis. It's not their fault most of these games aren't actually all that fun anymore. The owners are nice and friendly, and this is their third business venture in the same location. First it was a decent but not all together exceptional comic book store (which failed, I'm guessing, because the Twin Cities has more than a few exceptional comic book stores), then it was a cute but fairly forgettable hipster gift ship, and now it's Rusty Quarters, which I hope is hear to stay. Soda and candy are available for purchase, but I usually stop in after I've already some drinks at either Jackson's or Bryant Lake Bowl.

The cabinets all seem to be in good condition and look great. I certainly can't remember having any problems. Some of the slots have signs over them saying "use other slot," but I've never lost a quarter in one of their machines, and I'm confident that if I ever do the manager guy behind the counter would fix it or just reimburse me. My only real comment would be that the games could be louder. I'm saying, they could be obnoxiously loud, since that's how I remember Arcades sounding when I was a kid. You'd walk in and get bombarded by the sound effects and music from every game at once. I'm not saying they have to crank the sound up that much, but maybe a little more than they are now.

So I say check it out. All of the games only cost a quarter, and almost all of them are worth the price, and at least a few of them are worth even more.

Galactic Pizza

I'm going to go ahead and call Galactic Pizza the best pizza place in Minneapolis.

Of course, I haven't tried every pizza place in  Minneapolis, with the most notable lapse in my culinary journey being the critical darling Blacksheep, but I feel confident that Galactic has them all beat not only with their flavor, but with their sense of integrity as well. Galactic uses only locally produced and sourced ingredients, their restaurant is powered completely on "renewable wind energy," and... well... let me just cut and paste from their website, because everything they do is worth mentioning and worth letting them explain in their own words:

Here are a few of the values led activities we are currently engaging in:

• When conditions allow, our food is delivered to your door using 100% electric vehicles.
• All of the power purchased to run our restaurant is renewable wind energy.
• All of our mozzarella cheeses come from cows not treated with rBGH.
• We have incorporated a number of organic items into the menu.
• We have the Second Harvest Heartland pizza, where $1 is donated to this hunger relief organization every time the pizza is ordered.
• We strive to use packaging that is either made from recycled materials, or is 100% biodegradable.
• We incorporate hemp products into each menu category, and print our menu on hemp paper. Hemp is not only good for you, it is also very good for the Earth.
• In season, we try to purchase all of our produce from farms here in Minnesota or in nearby Wisconsin.
• We have an in depth waste reduction program utilizing composting for food waste and recycling whenever possible.
• 5% of our pre-tax profits are donated to charity.

 Very cool.

Of course, all of that wouldn't mean a damn if their food didn't taste good, and luckily their food tastes phenomenal. As I said in my opening: The best pizza in the city. I would even have gone so far as to say the best pizza in the Twin Cities, but that kind of goes without saying. Saint Paul does many great things and has more than its share of wonderful restaurants, but what do they know about pizza? If you want great pizza, don't bother crossing the Mississippi, unless you plan on continuing on all the way to New York City. And, yes, I'm aware that Chicago is en route.

But we were talking about Galactic Pizza. I'll admit that I've been somewhat remiss in my Galactic Pizza eating. I've lived in Uptown for the past five or six years, and I've only had their pizza maybe three times. The first time was probably four years ago, and the next two times have both been within the past month. Of course, I knew about them and had seen their delivery drivers around, all of whom are impossible to miss because they zip around in tiny electric cars and dress like super heroes. For whatever reason, I've always been a Luce man. Or Mesa. Or Parkway. But the other day my friend Ben suggested Galactic because he's a fan, and because somebody gave him a gift card. And now I'm a fan too.

We got a pitcher of beer, but I don't remember which one, but probably something local and delicious. I think it was $15 bucks or so, but we got there after happy hour had ended so that's not too bad for what amounted to maybe four beers or so. For an appetizer we got the Hand Rolled Italian Egg Rolls, which was their twist on an egg roll, except with an Italian flair... and, um, hand rolled. They were basically a gourmet version of a pizza flavored hot pocket. That description is accurate, but it doesn't even begin to do them justice. They were great. The main course was the Pizza Alla Vodka, which had a creamy vodka sauce, mushrooms, prosciutto, and basil. Except they were out of basil, so the waitress suggested we substitute spinach, which we did and it was phenomenal. As I said, the best pizza in Minneapolis. If you ever go, I recommend this one, since the sauce was incredible.

The second time I went, just last week, my friend and I got a large pizza sausage, but half olives and half mushrooms. The mushrooms are my half, the olives are hers. Maybe I've described this pizza before, because that's what my friend Jester and I get every time we get pizza. She's very picky, but I guess so am I cause I don't like olives. Anyway, this pizza was phenomenal. As I said, the best pizza in Minneapolis. This was vastly different from the other one I got, but somehow both are the best pizza in Minneapolis.

Both times my friends and I finished the entire large pizzas, and yet I didn't feel as grossly full as I normally do after gorging myself on too much pizza. I didn't feel great, of course, but I didn't feel sick to my stomach and full of the shame and regret that usually accompanies that kind of meal. So that's another win for Galactic.

And then there's the atmosphere, which is just cool. It's a small place, but it's got a disco ball and decorated in some kind of 70s vibe, but not obnoxiously so. The first time I went with Ben, all of the servers were dressed like basketball players from the 70s, but the second time they were just dressed like normal Uptown hipsters. I preferred the second time around, but the first time was fun too. Also, their menu is decorated in 3D, and they give you 3D glasses alongside. That's just fun.

Anyway, that's Galactic Pizza, doing their part to make the world a better place through sound business practices and great pizza. In fact, it's the best in Minneapolis. Check 'em out.

Breakfast at Common Roots Cafe

I'm currently sitting at Common Roots Cafe, sipping on some Peace Coffee and digesting my breakfast. There: I've managed to make myself look like an annoying hispter and completely disgusting at the same time. Anyway, this was a good breakfast and Common Roots Cafe is a great place, which you'll already know if you read my original review way back when.

Here's what I got: a fried egg and cheese sandwich on a garlic bagel. It came with side of grapes and a slice of orange -- which I haven't eaten yet, but I should even though I'm not excited about them -- and then I smothered it all in Sriracha.

(Interesting tidbit: Until about five seconds ago, I had no idea that it wasn't spelled "Siracha." Sriracha? How do you pronounce that? Certainly not the way I've always said it, which was like "sir ah cha." Sir Ahchah was a Knight from Camelot, right?)

Back to the point: This was a good sandwich. The egg was perfectly cooked, although I might ask for the yolk to be runny next time since that's the way I prefer it, but most people seem to think I'm weird about that. Not sure what kind of cheese was on it, but it tasted mild and melted very nicely. And, of course, the bagel was great. Common Roots always wins the award for Best Bagel every year in various local magazines, a category which seems to exist only because Common Roots exists. Of course they have good bagels, the cafe's owner is a nice Jewish boy from the East Coast. Do these bagels deserve to win awards? Sure. Why not? I wouldn't give them an award for the best thing ever, but best bagel in Minneapolis, sure. I'm also a nice (half) Jewish boy from the East coast so I also know a thing or two about bagels. These are great, but I've probably had better... but maybe not out here in the Midwest.

And Peace Coffee is also great. I'm currently drinking the Roots Blend, which sounds like a blend specifically made by PC for CR. It's a nice, medium bodied cup, even though the description on their website calls it a dark roast. Anyway, Peace Coffee is another great, locally owned company and I've never had a bad cup.

I've had their bagel sandwich before, but the previous time I ordered it with the optional Bison sausage, because that sound delicious. And it was delicious, but nearly impossible to eat, since it wasn't a patty but links that were cut into chunks that didn't work on a sandwich. They weren't uniformly cut so they didn't fit and kept falling off and making the entire thing into a mess, so I ended up taking them off and eating them by themselves. It was still good, but I still recommend going with just the sandwich, saving yourself the extra $1.50 and the added mess. 

So how good was this breakfast? Well... pretty good, considering it was only about five bucks. But the best thing I can say about it is that I came here this morning with my laptop because I was going to write about a couple other things (for this blog and my other), and ended up writing this because I wanted to rave about it.

Pizza Luce's: Italian Sausage Parmigiana Hoagie

For lunch today I went to the Pizza Luce in Seward and got the Italian Sausage Parmigiana Hoagie. This was a darn good sandwich, and I don't have much to say beyond that. A good sandwich is a good sandwich, and a good hoagie is even more so.

Here's the description from their menu:

Italian Sausage Parmigiana: You’d think we flew this one in straight from the old country! Our sausage patty topped with our classic red sauce and topped with onions, tomatoes, melted mozzarella, parmesan and provolone cheeses.

That about sums it up. It was basically a pizza on a roll, and that's about as good as life gets, except for maybe a pizza on a pizza. I asked the waitress which of the hot hoagies was the best, and she said she prefers the chicken because it's not as spicy as the sausage, so I got the sausage. It wasn't too spicy, but just spicy enough to bring out the flavor of the meat. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss french fries, but potato chips are better than nothing.

Also, the Seward Luce is probably the best location in the cities, since it's the brightest, has the nicest layout, and the best and most friendly wait staff. 

Anyway, good sandwich, and one I'll definitely get again, on the rare occasion when I'm at Luce and don't want pizza.