Doc's Blue Moose |
| On one midday outing, two weary travelers landed at |
| Immediately upon entering, one notices the walls adorned with both vintage and recent shots of local athletic teams. Oh yeah…and the huge moose hovering above the server’s station on the west wall of this long eatery.
The ceiling is old-school; great-looking quilted metal sheets painted white. Seating options range from booths to bar stools – a nice option to get up front and personal.
The grill area is open and inviting. Its sparkling stainless steal east wall is appealing, as well as enviable, to any seasoned home chef!
Spring Grove pop flavors are available, as well as many other sweet choices of soda syrups. These confectionery liquids are visually stunning; lined up in formation and standing ready for action within their art-studio-inspired bottles. Pineapple, blueberry and bubble gum – oh my!
All this and we have yet to tell of the menu and ice cream delights. This day-tripper ordered a garden burger (meatless) and my traveling companion was thrilled to see her favorite dish – Caesar salad. Both items were built to perfection and presented with artist flare.
Trish, our server (who also wears the Manager chapeau), greeted us warmly upon entry and was just the right amount of attentive. Not excessive, not neglectful. Perfect. We pondered dessert with Trish at our side. We admitted our chocolate-loyalty and had to turn down her suggestion of a caramel apple sundae. In a flash, she said…Zanzibar. Decadent. Chocolate ice cream. Maybe even illegal – it was so good!
I have yet to try their espresso or other coffees. Personally, I am dying too, but I was so full upon exit, it would have been a waste of good java. My accomplice prefers straight-up Mt. Dew, which is also available at Doc’s.
We will be return customers and find Doc’s to be worthy of gift certificates to many on our list this holiday season. Also for sale are t-shirts, Frisbees and travel coffee mugs. Reasonably-priced. Devilishly-good. Hometown-proud. Buy-local evident. A+. |
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Doc's Blue Moose | Spring Grove, MN
Los Gables | Fountain, MN
Los Gables |
| Never under-estimate the richness of small town restaurateurs. |
| |
| I am tired. It is 5 pm. I am just leaving Rochester. One child waiting at an after school program in Preston. One child attending wrestling practice in Harmony. Child #3 playing an away basketball game in Caledonia that I could not attend due to – what else – scheduling conflicts.
The trick of parenting teenage athletes is devising clever distractions and activities for you and the other children while “killing time” in remote locations. This to avoid driving all over the country and back in the taxi business.
Through the years, we have become trusted patrons of open-late libraries, long and winding bike trails in the summer and relaxed-atmosphere restaurants that allow us to linger just a little longer than normal.
One such dining establishment is Los Gables in Fountain, MN. Fortunately for my family, we all share a love of Mexican-based dishes. From the road, this charming building appears to be its own island with a circular driveway acting as the protective moat. Inside, are brightly-colored chairs and walls, with a lot of décor to look at. When you go, see if you can find the flip flops strategically placed. Email us if you spot them!
During our last visit, we had no less than 2 hours of unformatted time to get creative with. My young son and I leisurely walked in, visited with our favorite waitress and ordered. This only after a slow-paced nibble on chips and salsa. I told Becky (aforementioned favorite waitress) “take your time” and she was more than happy to oblige. This particular night was on the eve of our first hunker-down winter event and business was slow.
Julie, the owner, cook, server, extraordinaire, sat with us and explained that she would be soon decorating the annual holiday cactus with strings of lights for all to see. During our lazy chat, she decided that it would be good entertainment to do the light-stringing now with the help of my little guy. Perfect distraction for a 6 year old!
That night, we enjoyed our made-to-order chimichangas and burritos and reveled in the comfort of the home-style surroundings in this sweet little restaurant, miles from home. I would be remiss if I did not rave about the home made salsas – there are 3 heat levels.
And the food – delicious and open for discussion. Julie likes to hear about her menu and entertains the diner in whatever modification you can throw at her. My daughter initially commented that the chicken quesadillas were too bland for her. The addition of onions, garlic and a dash of salt made all the difference. The baseline dishes are made with limited spice, as the Los Gables crew recognizes not all folks are fond of fire!
My eldest son loves their rendition of Bistek, a dish with Philippine origin, which incorporates steak strips, peppers, onions and a perfect garlic sauce. It is served with flour tortillas, rice, beans and a lettuce mix. And sour cream of course.
What’s more, Los Gables has breakfast items for the pancake and egg lover to the breakfast burrito for the rushed commuter. My custom drive thru order is a meatless breakfast burrito with green fire salsa and milk. Nature’s candy! All items at Los Gables can be made meatless if requested.
Also for sale are t-shirts and gift certificates. Wonderfully-priced. Happy and gracious staff. Warm and inviting atmosphere. Incredibly-delicious. Culturally-aware. Buy-local evident. Oh yes – and margaritas are great! A+. |
Vegan Shoes Anyone?
I have this pair of shoes that I ordered with much anticipation (like 2 years ago already), as they were VEGAN for goddess sake. Lo, they are not a good fit for me. They have what is called a "Negative Heel" and are really cool looking.
I have tried different socks. Nope, still not comfy.
So they sit here at work, individually wrapped in hemp bags of all damn things and enclosed in a dusty shoe box. I will give them to the highest bidder. It doesn't matter what I paid for them, as I have not worn them other than around the office and not even for full days, as they just feel odd to me.
I just want maybe 25 bucks and they are yours. That will cover shipping I would think. I will check. So if you want to have these gems (BLACK size 8.5), they are yours. Contact me and we'll get the specs hammered out.
Here is the link to research the shoe if you'd like:
http://www.planetshoes.com/itemmatrix.asp?groupcode=1904
Monday, June 15, 2009
Migration | Phase Two
The only way I could undertake this, I gathered, was to educate myself while simultaneously illuminating the work that others had already done before me. I poured some serious energy and passion into the greenfete.org website and met hundreds of people as a result.
And what's more?
I started to live lighter.
After 2 years, I have witnessed how the blogging community has become one of the main conduits for social movement and information exchanges, so here we are - greenfete, the blog. I have much work to do and links to establish and contacts to revisit. Please be patient as we move into our new home.
Peace,
green pedalgrl
