Over the past few days we’ve had all-staff meetings at the office, which means meetings, presentations, goal setting and objectives. After all was said and done, we had a little fun at the Ran-Ham, a classic 1950s style bowling alley in Saint Paul, Minn. The lanes broke down on occasion and our balls disappeared into oblivion a few times, but we had fun. I’m fortunate to work with good people. And they like to bowl, which is a bonus.
This is day 29 of Photo 365.
Day 27 of Photo 365.
Amsterdam Bar and Hall is a great place to catch live music almost any day of the week in Saint Paul. My band t-shirts have doubled in number since it opened, and I’m okay with that. If you are walking by the establishment in the skyways, you can see the bar beautifully lit, as I did tonight. I also love this place because they have the best French fries outside of Belgium – curry mayo and all. This is day 14 of Photo 365.
Today my travels only took me a few blocks way from the house, to husband’s new studio space. As we were unloading equipment, I realized these stools had an interesting line to them, and was curious to see what they would look like from the floor, shooting up. This is day 13 of Photo 365.
The fog before the freeze. It was nearly 40 degrees in the Twin Cities today, and tomorrow it will fall to 10 with a stiff wind. So it felt like spring, wet and warm. This is Landmark Center in downtown Saint Paul, and day 11 of Photo 365.
The Saint Paul Athletic Club is re-opening next month, and tonight I got a first glimpse at the restorations inside this grand dame. At nearly 100 years old, she is lovely, and I couldn’t stop staring at the ceilings and chandeliers. This is day nine of Photo 365.
I have lived next to Mears Park since 1999. She is one full city block, and knows my secrets better than anyone. I have journaled, walked, cried and danced in this park. As much as she looks and feels like a place in New York, this is Lowertown Saint Paul.
Day 4 of Photo 365: Winter Skate in downtown Saint Paul on a lovely night.
The Union Depot in the Lowertown district of downtown Saint Paul, Minn. was recently renovated, and it’s a beautiful display of light, both inside and out. This picture was taken outside the Depot on my evening stroll through the neighborhood.
A Dallas-based taco shop looked North when deciding to open up its newest franchise. Rusty Taco, named after its co-founder, Rusty Fenton, debuts in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, April 5.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rusty Taco is sure to draw a crowd from the Saint Paul/Highland Park neighborhood, right across the parking lot from Trader Joe’s on Lexington Parkway, at the 35E and Randolph Avenue interchange.
Rusty and some of his Dallas crew were in Minnesota this weekend, and I got to sample the tongue-tingling delights at a private opening.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a strict vegetarian, but Rusty Taco has one taco for me – the Rajas. The “meat” is grilled poblano, mushrooms, onions, red pepper, cilantro and queso fresco cheese, which I skipped. I liked the smokey, grilled flavor and how the mushrooms were used as the dominant ingredient. Husband is a big fan of the Rusty Taco, filled with achiote pork, pineapple, onion and cilantro. He also enjoyed both brisket offerings, slow roasted and served with onions, or with BBQ sauce and slaw. I also heard several people comment about how good the Baja Shrimp Taco was.
In addition to the Rajas, I made the mistake of diving into a side of chips and salsa, pretty much inhaling the entire thing. The chips are warm and thick, fried to perfection, and the salsa is red tomato fresh, with a slight kick. While I took down the chips and sauce, my table mates devoured chips and guacamole, saying it was excellent.
A few fun facts:
Opening this Tuesday at 7 a.m.
Rusty Taco, 508 Lexington Parkway South, Saint Paul, MN 55105
Travel Snapshots 