It just occurred to me that we began daylight savings time today. No wonder I’m tired!
The weekend brought about excellent opportunities to get out and visit unique places in Minneapolis.
First, the new sushi bar Seven, located one floor above R. Norman’s (a newly opened, high-end restaurant focused on great steak). In the time we sat at Seven, the atmosphere literally evolved. At 7 p.m., plenty of open tables and chairs – as well as lots of room to sit at the bar and sushi counter, which is where we chose to sit. The wine list was plentiful and the wait staff very attentive – even when it got busy later in the evening. By 10 p.m. the place had evolved into a class ultra lounge with great views overlooking Hennepin avenue. It was standing room only but the staff remained smiling – happy to be part of a terrific and popular venue. We held tightly to our chairs at the sushi bar enjoying a Spider and Winter roll all very well prepared and filled with flavor. People, a 20- and 30-something crowd for the most part, dressed in the most expensive suits to the shortest of painted-on skirts and blouses strutted through the venue as the music popped and grew louder. We never felt really out of place, but certainly got our eyes filled with skin and club-like behavior. When in Rome, right? Our visit to Seven ended shortly after midnight and it seemed the place was really just hitting its peak.
Then today, at The Wilde Roast Cafe, a cafe and coffee shop in Northeast Minneapolis, I could barely believe my eyes as I nearly had to push and shove for a table – ala after 9 p.m. at Seven the night before. But as I stood and waited for my iced mocha a table opened up just for us. Sharing a great tasting, fresh cranberry scone (which seemed like it’d just been baked even though it was 2:30 in the afternoon), we people watched again. There’s never a shortage of interesting…ahem…people trapesing through for their coffee or late lunches on the Northeast side of the city. The Wilde Roast’s Victorian-casual atmosphere, with deep leather-covered barrel chairs, a mix-and-match assortment of tables and straight chairs, high-top tables and stools and a hugely uncomfortable bench running the length of the north side of the shop, features breakfast and brunch as well as unique salads, pizza, sandwiches, desserts, and of course a great list of coffees.
Of course any bar, restaurant or coffee shop can be first rate if you’re in the right company. I was definitely with the right girl, which made the explorations of downtown and Northeast Minneapolis all the better.
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Land of 10,000 Perspectives 