Rob and I visited Red Cow for a random late lunch about a month ago and were pleasantly surprised by the specials and the food. The place seems really new and our server was sweet but a bit shaky. Rob got a beer, I had a nice glass of wine, and we shared some wings, fries, and delicious little ahi tuna "crisps," which were served with avocado on a cracker. I love any place where Happy Hour starts at 3:00, so I think we'll probably be back.

   

    

  

Red Cow

3624 W 50th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55410

Food 4/5
Service 2.5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Prices & Specials 4/5
Paleo-Friendly 3/5

(It's been a while since we've actually gone out in Minneapolis; we've been traveling so much lately that it's going to be nice to stay put for a weekend! My mom got in yesterday and Rob and I have been so excited to show her around a bit more. And on Friday, my cousin and aunt are coming from Montana! When we have visitors we usually just stick to our tried-and-true favorites. Any local friends have some recommendations for other places for us to try?)

Rob and I got in the car on Saturday morning and set out to visit a new city. It's so weird to look at a map and discover the new places that are now just a long-ish drive away from your home. I'm so used to getting in the car and going to Charlottesville for the day or DC for the weekend, and it was fun to realize that, for a few hours more than it takes to get from Roanoke to Washington, we could be in Chicago.

On Saturday night we had a romantic dinner at a really cool sushi restaurant before seeing Phoenix play at The Aragon, and then we woke up on Sunday morning and sat outside with coffee at Intelligentsia. It felt like any other trip until we got to Millennium Park, where I unexpectedly got emotional at the sight of that huge bean.

Rob and I are a thousand miles from everything we know, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that we'd be so far from home. Minneapolis was never on my list of places to live, and Chicago wasn't even on my list of places to visit, and yet, standing there in Millennium Park with my hand in Rob's, looking at myself in the reflection of the sculpture, things suddenly felt like they were exactly the way they should be.

We stopped for a delicious lunch at Primehouse before heading back home. We got burgers with truffle fries and I had a Bloody Mary. Rob got an "Over Drive," which was a carrot-orange-ginger juice with vodka. It came in a cute little carafe and it was so good.

I'm obviously not that adventurous if I think that spending a weekend in one of the United States' largest cities is some kind of defining moment, but something happened while we were roaming the streets of Chicago. The weather was perfect and the sky was bright blue and I shed a bit of anxiety. I felt a bit more like myself (or maybe just the person I'd like to be), and I felt even more thankful for this man--the tall one who isn't afraid to drive in traffic--and for this life we're doing together.

I'm back with another Twin Cities restaurant today, but instead of Happy Hour, we're going to go to brunch, which, in my opinion, is pretty much Happy Hour with breakfast.

Rob and I walked around a farmers market a bit one Saturday morning and soon decided that we were starving. We headed to Uptown, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite Minneapolis spots to eat. Bar Abilene is big, with lots of natural light, $5 bottomless mimosas, and a Bloody Mary bar.

Their menu has a bit of a southwestern flair, so I went with it and got their Eggs Benedict (my favorite brunch dish), which was served with slow-roasted pork instead of Canadian bacon and chipotle Hollandaise. Hello! It also came on top of Sourdough bread instead of an English muffin, which I'm sure would have been delicious, but I asked for sliced tomatoes as a base instead. Unlike Happy Hour, brunch is much more Paleo-friendly.

Rob got a beautiful goat cheese and mushroom omelet, which was delicious and came with a side of greens tossed in a zesty lime vinaigrette. As usual, he got a mimosa and I dove right into a Bloody Mary. We have brunch down.

Bar Abilene

1300 Lagoon Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Food 5/5

Service 3/5

Atmosphere 4/5

Prices & Specials 3/5

Paleo-Friendly 5/5