My Sausage Sister & Me, Food Building, Minnesota State Fairgrounds

As a second trip to this year's Minnesota State Fair no longer seems feasible for Thurs., Sept. 2, or any other remaining date, I write this post Wed., Sept. 1, with comments on just one new Fair food to share. (Fingers are crossed that wine-based ice cream will still be sold in the Ag building next year!)

The "My Sausage Sister & Me" booth in the fairgrounds' Food Building (see http://www.sausagesisters.com/ for more) has added cheese-&-sausage-stuffed jalapenos to its menu. Anything there would have been new to me, though, as my Sat., Aug. 28, visit to the Sausage Sisters' stand was my first.

Each of three peppers ($5.00 for the tray) is stuffed mostly with cheese and about a marble's worth of sausage. A piece of bacon is wrapped around the roasted pepper and each stuffed jalapeno is kept together with a toothpick.

If you closed your eyes for any reason, you would certainly still know after biting the first pepper that you were eating a jalapeno. That rush wears off within seconds, and I found it worked best to bascially inhale the rest of the pepper without wasting much thought.

As I finished my first, walking past a table of strangers, a guy asked me where I'd bought them. I told him, but then offered him a pepper right from my tray. He said he'd buy his own, which forced me to eat both of the others despite my dominant-yet-delicate, Swedish-Danish-Norwegian blood.

Don't stop while eating, and you'll feel no pain. But wait a minute after eating your final bite, and the real fun will hit your throat for another 30-60 seconds.

Maybe I could've and should've put off buying that blackberry malt from Minnesota's dairy farmers (near the encased butter heads) until after the jalapenos, but it's in my State Fair contract that I always visit the Dairy Building first, and rules are rules.

Instead of more ice cream, I followed my peppers with 33 ounces of Sierra Mist from a stand that sells Pepsi products and only Pepsi products (no food) for $2.25 in the Food Building. I went back to that stand for a refill for just $1.25 more. So, I had 66 ounces of pop -- not soda -- with ice for $3.50. It beat the heat. You couldn't beat the price.

Orient Buffet & Grill, 16314 County Road 30, Maple Grove

I was thinking Chinese for lunch one day last week, and I was open to a buffet or sit-down service. Through a search I learned about the Orient Buffet & Grill in Maple Grove, near I-94. It seemed like a reasonably straight shot from my Osseo office, and so I went.

A Mongolian grill option helps to set any Asian buffet restaurant above the rest, and that was my first station stop at this restaurant after ordering iced tea from a server. I piled raw beef, chicken, broccoli, carrot and pea pods with some noodles on a plate. A worker was ready to grill my creation, and asked how much spice I wanted. I said medium, and she added garlic, ginger, chile, oyster sauce and one or two other condiments to my meats and vegetables. Though my past preference for hot foods has led people such as my own parents to question my Scandinavian heritage, I found my prepared plate of Mongolian stir-fry to be plenty hot for me -- maybe even too much. If I go back, I may go mild.

It was, however, the highlight of my lunch. When a person's favorite offerings from an Asian buffet include cooked green beans and sliced raw cucumber, there's really nothing special there. With a $1 tip for the stir-fry chef, you can leave the Orient Buffet & Grill for less than $10 ... but for a better overall experience for the same amount of money, my next Asian buffet lunch will be at my more usual spot of the Panda Garden Buffet, 8089 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Park.

Duffy's Bar & Grill, 337 Central Ave., Osseo

Only one week back in town after a vacation, I decided to stay in downtown Osseo -- location of my home away from home, the Sun Newspapers building -- for my next Neat Eats entry.

My work home has been in Osseo since April 2008, and early on I was charmed by the town's main drag (Central Avenue) and vowed to make short time in visiting each of the fun-looking, non-chain and locally owned bars and restaurants that lined the street. In 2+ years I've enjoyed a few meals -- and sometimes just beer and popcorn -- with coworkers at Dick's Bar & Grill, 205 Central Ave., and I've eaten a gyro or two from the Olympia Cafe, 247 Central Ave. -- but before Friday, July 30, I had never walked as far north away from the newspaper office as Duffy's Bar & Grill, 337 Central Ave.

Inside, I parked myself at a high-topped table and was greeted quickly by a server. She recited a list of specials and after she mentioned a Philly burger with fries, available for less than $6.00, I didn't give much consideration to anything else on the regular menu though I did scan one before she returned for my order.

The burger and fries were fine, nothing spectacular, though cheese, onion and green pepper are always welcome on top of hot ground beef. What made it better was the news that with each lunch entree purchased, a glass of refillable pop comes free. (Go often enough to buy 10 lunches, and the 11th is free.)

When I return, I may have to go at a different time of day to take advantage of Duffy's happy hour domestic tap beer special -- 24 ounces, $2.50. Regular entertainment through the week includes "Bargo" on Tuesday nights and karaoke Saturdays, with something called "Larryoke" Fridays. One can only guess that would involve karaoke hosted by a guy named Larry -- cheesy for some, but I enjoy that kind of atmosphere. And on an upcoming working weekend, I might have to visit Duffy's for breakfast, served 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.

Comparing Dick's with Duffy's in downtown Osseo, I like the former's layout and seating plan a little more and Dick's also has an asset in an outdoor patio. But everything considered, Duffy's deserves a second visit. Better to have that option (closer to the office!) than Applebee's and all of the other chain restaurants in nearby Maple Grove.

St. Croix Cafe, 103 S. Washington, St. Croix Falls, WI

For my inaugural Neat Eats breakfast post, I drove Friday morning, July 23, to a restaurant I walked past the previous Saturday night as a Wannigan Days parade participant -- crossed the St. Croix River from St. Croix Falls, WI, to Taylors Falls, MN, on foot, I did.

The aptly named St. Croix Cafe can be found across the town's main drag from a tavern where you literally enter through the corner of its building. (How cool is that? Perhaps a future place, new to me, to check out for this blog.)

Among the cafe menu's breakfast options, a selection of "Platters" caught my eye and I went with ordering the Denver Platter that came with ham, onion & green pepper (as you'd expect) along with two eggs served any style -- basted, for me -- with a pile of fried taters (hash browns or American fries, your choice) and toasted HOUSE-MADE BREAD! White, whole wheat or marble rye? I can get white or wheat anywhere. Bring on the rye!

I turned to a daily Sudoku puzzle in a paper I'd brought with me, and as I started to fill out the five-star grid and sipped from a coffee mug (with a pot left on the table), I scanned the narrow room to count 10 tables for customers and another eight stools set around an L-shaped counter. A true diner! But in how many small-town restaurants would you expect to find any copy of the satirical tabloid The Onion, hmm? I spotted a copy at a nearby table , picked it up (though I'd certainly seen the same edition elsewhere) and found it marked "St. Croix Cafe Copy." The issue wasn't current; its print date was April 22 of this year. Then again, a front-page fake story about Vice President Biden getting a lifetime ban from all Dave & Buster's adult amusement centers has a certain timeless quality, don't you think?

My breakfast was served. There was a lot of food (good thing, for $8.00 -- coffee was just $1.25) and every bit of it seemed to hit the spot; in fact, if one spot got covered by what I ate early on, then what followed must have found a new spot because I never tired of eating it. Packets of Smuckers jam and jelly were available on the table, but it seemed wrong to think of using any on the awesome homemade marble rye toast.

The next time I need to drive Hwy. 8 to somewhere in Wisconsin, I may have to time my drive around another stop at the St. Croix Cafe.

Grand Ole Creamery, 750 Grand Ave., St. Paul

I knew, going into vacation last week, that I wanted to continue an annual tradition of representing my company at the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce summer picnic planned for Thurs., July 22, at Central Park in Roseville. So I went that day knowing I couldn't count the event as somewhere new to eat for a report on this blog, but I hoped to find something else after the picnic -- where my presence was definitely productive as I met with an area architect who wanted to pitch a story about her second career of teaching art to senior citizens (including one 100-year-old).

Members and guests at the chamber picnic enjoyed hamburgers, bratwurst and house-made potato chips from Sarna's Classic Grill in Columbia Heights, and sliced watermelon. (Wouldn't be a chamber picnic without that!) But there was really no dessert. True, watermelon is a dessert at times, but on that day it was unmistakably a side dish.

So I left the Roseville park and stopped at the SuperAmerica near County Road B at Lexington Ave., to find (in a phone book) a relatively close ice cream shoppe to check out before heading out of the metro. I drove a few miles south to the Grand Ole Creamery, near Dale Street on St. Paul's Grand Avenue.

Did I need ice cream on that day? Well, no, but in a huge, HUGE two-scoop serving in a waffle "bowl" I ordered one scoop banana ice cream and one scoop red raspberry. Certainly the fruit-flavored choices (over various chocolate, caramel and marshmallow options) gave the impression I was still health-conscious? The house-made ice cream was as rich as you would want it to be, and at the Grand Ole Creamery you will find that a two-scoop serving may literally overflow out of a waffle bowl. Some little drips from my top scoop fell on the table and I simply wiped them up, but when a bigger chunk (a near-boulder, really) fell from the mountain, I pretended that the five-second rule also applied to food that falls onto newsprint -- I was reading that week's edition of The Onion while eating. Did I take the handful of banana ice cream and toss it in my mouth? Heavens no! What kind of pig do you take me for? I merely placed the little lump of lusciousness back atop the mountain and continued to eat.

With tax, my stop on Grand Avenue cost me $6.50 (high, maybe, for people used to paying $1 or $2 for cones at other places). But, compared with the $5 I spent at Target Field the previous day on a waffle cone filled -- barely -- with chocolate-vanilla twist soft-serve that was nothing better than what you'd get at an OCB, $6.50 for two scoops of homemade ice cream that would choke a snowman seemed fair in the end.

Target Field, Minneapolis

I saw my first Twins win at their new Target Field on Wed., July 21, when they shut out the Cleveland Indians 6-0 in salvaging at least one win in three tries against the AL Central's bottom team this week. As recently as Monday morning I wasn't planning to see a game this week, but later Monday I learned an uncle (my dad's brother) offered two ritzy tickets that he had received from someone else -- and my mother encouraged me to find/buy a third ticket so I could join them on the trip (I am on vacation this week).

Calling the Twins ticket office Monday, I ordered a standing-room-only ticket; in their inaugural season at the new park, it's really the only option you could expect through the Twins office just two days ahead. Looking back with 20/20 vision, I believe that's the last time I'll buy an SRO ticket. I woke up Thursday morning with a hurting left foot after as much walking and standing still as I did on Wednesday.

Regardless, I enjoyed a luxury spot as far as SRO tickets go for the first five innings. Being there when the gates opened at 10:40 a.m. (or 90 minutes prior to game time), I checked with an usher to see just where I could go with an SRO ticket. I then found an SRO railing complete with a shelf (one of very few available, from what I could tell) above the third-base line. With more than an hour to wait before first pitch, nonetheless I decided to get lunch to bring back to space on the luxurious shelf before the area got too crowded and I could lose my place.

Though Target Field collectively offers a wider menu than did the Metrodome, Wednesday I wanted to find the new stadium & Schweigert's answer to the old stadium & Hormel's signature Dome Dog. (This was my second game at Target Field. I saw a loss to the White Sox one night in May. This is supposed to be a blog about restaurants and the like that are new to me, but in a way Target Field was still new because all I ate there in May was bagged peanuts.) Wednesday, I walked up to a concession counter with signs marked "Hennepin Grille." I saw an item called a Dinger Dog at the top of a menu board. I asked if that came with chips, explaining that I was looking for an equivalent to the Dome Dog, a larger dog that was always served with a bag of chips. I was told the Dinger Dog was a foot-long without chips, and that what I was wanting could be found a stand or two away.

At a stand with "Mill City Grill" signs, I ordered the Twins Big Dog ($5.25) and was asked if I wanted chips -- what, could I have gotten carrot sticks or a different healthier option? The Twins caught flak before the season for breaking their ties with Hormel and entering a contract with Schweigert (still a Minnesota company). What's the difference between a Hormel Dome Dog and a Schweigert Twins Big Dog? Not much of one unless you're really looking for it. I was more put off that you can no longer find chopped onions available near the ketchup and mustard dispensers like you could at the Metrodome, and they don't offer sauerkraut for free at the counters where you order either. I guess they had to cut corners somewhere to afford the big checks for Joe Mauer. Get there early enough to find space on a shelf near an SRO railing, and you could bring and cut up your own onion, I suppose. (Bring a plastic bag of sauerkraut, too, if that's your game.) When you get done dicing an onion there and you've cleaned up and thrown away the mess, and if you're left a little teary-eyed and someone notices and asks if you're OK, just explain that you still can't get over the Twins dropping two out of three to the Indians.

I had enough standing where I was through five innings, so I started to roam and kept roaming through the final out. For $5.00, I finished my spending there on a chocolate-vanilla twist waffle cone with crushed Butterfinger candy topping. Available toppings include M&M's and other candy, plus strawberries and at least one other fruit choice. You can get a plastic spoon at the counter. The Target Field waffle cone had nothing on the Culver's frozen custard version, and some crumbled Butterfinger managed to do what the mustard on my Twins Big Dog could not (stain my shirt), but it was a sweet treat.

My next trip to Target Field may be Aug. 18, for when I actually have a ticket for a place to sit down. That'll feel new, and I also look forward to trying new foods.

Border Bar & Grill, Taylors Falls, MN

Ashamed as I am to admit it after growing up and then living most of my adult life in Chisago County, MN, my visit today to the Border Bar was my first. As its name would suggest, the place is at a border -- west across the St. Croix River from St. Croix Falls, WI.

Scan the room, and you should see a neon sign above the grill advising, "Sorry No Waitress, Please Order At Bar." No problem -- I sat at the bar, though most of the 8-10 tables on hand were available at 2 p.m. (some high with stools, others low with chairs, each designed for four guests).

After checking the tap selection almost immediately once I entered the place, I ordered a Newcastle Brown Ale (frosty mug) when asked. For food, I scanned a menu for about a minute before deciding on a Cajun pepperjack burger, for $5.50. The bar offers a signature Border Burger ($8.50) that features a three-quarter-pound patty, served California-style with both Swiss and American cheeses -- but I went there knowing I was also planning a visit tonight to Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, MN, where on Tuesdays you can get a hot dog for $1 as well as wager as little as $1 on any horse race.

My burger at the Border Bar packed the punch you'd expect from pepperjack cheese and Cajun seasoning. I enjoyed greater overall value for my dollar by ordering French fries (also seasoned) for an extra $1.75. You'll get a heap of crinkle-cut fries. A side of onion rings can be had for $2.95 on top of the price of any burger or sandwich. Or, I also noticed you could have a side of cole slaw for the same price as the fries, but knowing cole slaw comes from cabbage, that just seemed too good for me to be seriously considered. Having seen the other menu items, I'll return at some point for a Roast Beef Melt with onion & Swiss cheese.

As noted, I was there at a low-key hour; when more people are there you might find someone plugging change into a jukebox or pulltab vending machine. There are also arcade games such as Big Buck Hunter and Golden Tee. But in spring, summer or especially the Minnesota autumn, there is way too much fun to be had outdoors in Taylors Falls to concern yourself much with pulltabs or video games. Walk beneath the bridge that crosses the St. Croix River and you can follow a rock trail that will lead you to river overlooks. You could also rent canoes from a local shop, or board a riverboat and let someone else do the steering.

Macaluso's Roadhouse, Vadnais Heights, MN

I would need at least two hands (maybe even take off a shoe and sock) to count up the number of times I have driven northbound 35E between the County Road E and Hwy. 96 exits -- north of St. Paul -- spotted the sign for Macaluso's Roadhouse east of the freeway and thought, 'That's a place I want to visit.'

Made the trip with my Dad today. I'd checked out Macaluso's website beforehand, and learned there that they offered $5 burger baskets on Mondays. Once we found our table, a server asked if we wanted menus. I said I'd read about the special burger baskets and that I wanted one of those. My Dad ordered the same. What did we want on our burgers, the server asked. Unsure, I replied: "Cheese?" American and Swiss were available. Went with Swiss. After the server suggested other add-ons, I requested full California-style with onion, lettuce and tomato. Fries or chips with the burger? Fries.

A few minutes after placing our burger orders but without being asked about drinks, I walked to the bar to see what beers were on tap. (When no one in your party is averse to beer, how could you order diet cola at a Roadhouse?) I went with ordering two tall mugs of the seasonal Leinie's Summer Shandy, and brought them back to the table. Also, I went to get a paper tray of complimentary popcorn, which I filled a second time while we were there.

When our baskets arrived, I checked my burger for all requested fixings. (Fixin's?) The raw onion came diced, but a little surprisingly the tomato came diced as well and the lettuce was shredded. Best about the burger was the taste of garlic in the beef. Seemed to make the seasoned fries barely taste ordinary.

Before seeing the bill, I wondered how high the add-ons would stack with extra prices. To my pleasant surprise, I learned that on $5 burger basket Mondays at Macaluso's the price stays $5 no matter what you have on the burger. Certainly fries cost you more than chips, my Dad asked. No, the price stayed $5 each.

There are a few cool things to look at on the walls, and several televisions on opposite walls while we were there were tuned to a variety of programs ... from auto racing and a rerun of Sunday's come-from-behind Twins' win, to both fictional soap operas and real-life soap operas (which are also possibly scripted) on the Maury Povich show. Today's topic on "Maury" -- "Are These Babies Mine? Give Me the DNA Results!" Well, were those babies "his"? I'm not sure, but I could tell from the guests' expressions there was an awful lot of yelling going on.

Jukebox music played in Macaluso's while the TV sound was down. A pretty good mix of music, and the most notable recording new to me was a dueling-pianos-style cover of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil."

I'll return to Macaluso's sometime soon. They promote live music Wednesday through Saturday nights, Texas Hold 'Em on Sundays and bar bingo Tuesdays. If you decide to go, you couldn't go wrong with a burger on Monday but whenever you go, an easy way to get there is to take County Road E east from where it crosses 35E, then go north on Labore Road from County E. Headed east, Labore Road is your first left at a stoplight after the Holiday Inn Express. Macaluso's is at 3857 Labore Road, Vadnais Heights.

Welcome to Neat Eats

George's Smokin' BBQ and the Coffee Depot, in the town of Chisago City where I live, are great places to eat, drink and meet with friends. Mansetti's and Big Apple Bagels, in nearby Forest Lake, have their charms too. And let me not forget the fun to be had at the Taco Bell and Subway restaurants in Osseo, where I work.

But on this Monday, the start of a vacation week away from the office, I'm deciding to broaden my horizons and check out restaurants that are new for me. This first week, July 19-23, the goal is to go somewhere new each day and I'll share thoughts on each adventure here. After Friday, my plan is to add at least one post per week.

I'll take suggestions (just know that I'm not one for going more than $10-12 per person too often).