Dave Chappelle

     I originally had believed it would too difficult and impossible to get tickets to Dave Chappelle's tour once I heard they were announced despite being such a huge fan. However, after seeing day after day go by and more and more shows announced, a total of 12 shows altogether I changed my mind. Plus a coworker of mine basically made me so jealous after going Tuesday night that it sealed the deal.

 

     We got tickets to the Friday show on Wednesday at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. I've never been to this theatre but I was surprised how small the venue was, pleasantly I might add. It gave it a more intimate atmosphere to spend with one of hardest to find comics in the industry. I was also surprised at the fact that some people hadn't yet bought tickets and that there were some available at the box office when the doors opened, pretty shocked actually. However once the show started I did not see an empty seat anywhere.

    The bar was really busy so we had decided to forgo a drink but then Todd ventured downstairs for the bathroom and hit pay-dirt. Low and behold another bar! So we went for it. It was pricey, $21 bucks for a Summit and a double-shot rum and diet, yikes! By the time we paid and went to leave the line the secret was out and the lower floor was packed so we had good timing at least and went to find our seats.

    The show started a bit later than advertised, more like 10:30 than 10 and this proved to be a difficult problem for me but I'll get to that later. The first act, Azhar Muhammad Usman was a pretty funny guy. His material jumped around but it was pretty amusing, mostly about his very unusual life where he was born in Kuwait, went to a British private school for awhile and immigrated to the US where he ended up in Houston, Texas as a muslim, Arab child with a British accent. You can't make it up. I enjoyed his material, wasn't fantastic but it was good.

     In between sets we had a DJ mixing hits from the 80's and 90's while we waited for Dave. We were warned many times to not take photos or pictures and if we were caught we would be escorted from the premises. This warning didn't hold on a man in front of us and we watched with glee as he was texting openly and seconds later was being told to "Go out to the lobby for a talk" with a very large bouncer. He was gone for awhile and when he came back the phone never was seen again.

    Before Dave came out we realized the person who had come out of the backroom, leaning against the wall stage right was none other than Dave's friend, Reg Chapman. Reg is a reporter here at WCCO and in fact sat down with Dave this past Thursday for Dave's first interview in years. You can find the interview here. Reg seemed to be enjoying himself immensely during the entire show.

    When Dave entered the stage it was a crazy cacophony of noise and adulation. He does indeed look very different now that he's bulked up. His gangly, lankiness is replaced with a stout build and his walk is much more purposeful. He started off very strong with a lot of crass material about sex which was hilarious and then meandered around featuring Lil Wayne, Paula Deen, the show in Hartford and his own family. One of my favorite parts was regarding Uptown. Dave supposedly had visited there and said he liked it, he liked all the skinny jeans and the men in their twenties with tiny Pringle's can-like moustaches like they were straight out of the civil war. There were very few missteps and moments where I wasn't laughing hysterically. His comedic timing and fast paced cadence when he gets to the punch lines are just the same as you'd remember them from his show.

    Previous reviews I've read had stated that they thought there were a lot of hits and misses and that he was trying out new material. Whatever those shows may have been he appears to have sharpened the scope by the time it came to our turn and I have no similar complaints. I thought it only slowed a bit towards the end during the family material which is when I decided I could no longer hold it and made a sprint to the bathroom. By sprint I am being literal, and I wasn't the only one. People were running down the stairs and running back up. I've never seen girls so fast in the bathroom before, not even looking in the mirror-fast. I almost ran into a man who came running out of the men's, no one wanted to miss a thing but the time delay and alcohol mix couldn't be ignored forever. The material picked right back up when I had returned before coming to a close. The close was also probably my favorite part.

   Before walking off stage Dave engaged the audience, people were shouting where the after party was. Dave of course, took opportunity to say it was four white, drunk girls who were offering to get him high. He played with the audience and decided it would be a game. He'd throw out a hint that he and his white girlfriend might hang out there, alluding to earlier material about Uptown. He also said that while he doesn't condone drinking that the first person to find him would have to yell "I FOUND YOU, DAVE CHAPPELLE!" That person would then have to show the ticket stub from that show (to thwart the people who'd cheat via tweets about the password) and he'd pose for one picture and buy them one drink.

    We didn't go to Uptown, as we were spent and it was nearing 1am. It was a great night and a great show and I highly suggest if you have time to go see him to do so. There's still tickets available for tonight's show at 10pm, the earlier one is sold out and you can find them here. Also if you're willing, there's been scalpers at every showing so there's always a chance of going downtown and looking for a deal on the street.

   Now if you have a ticket stub from one of his 12 shows you should also be aware that on Saturday at the Target Center there's a charity event for the Timberwolves and that stub allows you free entry for the first 1,000 fans. Dave Chappelle will be there and pancakes will be served! Check out the information here. The doors open at 11 and the shoot-around game starts at midnight.

  

Things to do in the Twin Cities, week of 11/11

     There's a lot of things going in the Twin Cities this week and weekend as the weather continues to turn and as things start ramping up for the holidays. So besides the nine sold out Dave Chapelle shows, here's my top picks for everything else going on.

 

Things to do for Families

Top pick: Craft'za in Minneapolis

      Have you started your Christmas shopping? If you're like me, the answer is most definitely, no. So why not get your start with a craft event held by local vendors with handmade wares? Craft'za is a Minneapolis spinoff of the St Paul Craftstravaganza that's held in the Spring. The event is held at the Grain Belt bottling company atrium and is heated and indoors so two great bonuses. The event runs 10am - 5pm on Saturday and entrance is free so you have more money to spend on some early gifts. Oh and did I mention food trucks? BOOM!

Runner-Up: Santa arrives at the Mall of America

      Whether you're ready for it or not you might as well accept it, winter is here. While the turkeys are still frozen in our freezers (or still at Cub) Santa is on his way... to Mall of America that is for the Santa Arrival Celebration. He's officially arriving on Tuesday, the 12th at 6pm in the rotunda. There will be a celebration with some music, don't get too excited, it's by the Teddy Bear Band. However their will be treats handed out by Nestle Tollhouse. The arrival signals the beginning of the Santa photo sessions at the mall. If you want to maximize on your time you can schedule an appointment with Santa in the Macy's court otherwise it's on walk-in, first come, first served basis in the Sears court. If you had your thinking caps on while reading that, yes two Santa's so you might want to avoid running into the other court with small kids or perhaps have a good story in the hopper (oh no, honey that's just Santa's brother, Fred Claus from that horrible movie).

       Cinderella is opening at the Children's Theatre this week and will run through the holidays. This isn't your Disney Cinderella, rather this comical theatre play for all ages is a bit more slapstick and raucous, definitely more fun. Tickets will run you $30 - $50 depending on where you sit.

       A Christmas Carol is opening at the Guthrie this week as well. This is the 39th running year of this play at the Guthrie. Tickets will run a bit higher at $34 - $85 per person depending on where you sit and when you go, also standard child discounts will not apply to this production due to the extremely high demand. In related news the Guthrie itself will be playing the role of Scrooge in keeping with the production's theme for the remainder of the holidays.

      Midwest Home & Holiday Show starts this Friday, the 15th and runs through Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Lots of vendors and experts will be on hand to help you do everything from trimming the tree to completely replacing your flooring, all depending on how inadequate for having family over you feel. The tickets are $12 a person but 17 and under are free.

Things to do for Adults

Top Pick: Lift Bridge Commander Release Party

 

       Nothing better to celebrate than a new brew than with a few, Lift Bridge is hosting on The Commander Release Party Saturday, November 16th from 3pm to 10pm. Commander is described as an "English-Style Barleywine ale brewed with an excessive malt bill and subtle, sweet cardamom." The Ale is aged in bourbon barrels that have been shipped directly from Kentucky shortly after being emptied. The result is a 12.5% ABV which the brewery reminds you to drink slowly and in small portions to "best enjoy" it... and to also stop yourself from behaving like a lunatic. With your ticket you'll get a sample and a glass to keep and there will be contests, including one for best moustache and food. Tickets for the party can be found here and will run cost you ten $10 or $16 for a bottle of your own included.

      Summit Firkin and Meet the Brewer at Grumpy's at Roseville on Friday, November 15th at 3:00pm. A firkin Bière de Garde Firkin with Grand Marnier will be available in small portions for tasting and the brewer, Jeff Williamson will be on hand to meet and greet. The firkin is described as "a medium toasted French Oak that's soaked in Grand Marnier and has the same malt characteristics of the beer. Cherry, caramel, and a hint of chocolate, vanilla, orange and smoky wood." Also Grumpy's has a sandwich to pair with the drink and that's a La Turquie Commercial, a French take on a hot turkey sandwich served on a croissant with brie, oui, oui!



       Stanley's on Wheel's 3rd Anniversary is being celebrated all week long, until Saturday. Stanley's, of Stanley's on Wheels food truck fame will have $3 Summit Taps and $3 Prairie Cucumber Vodka drinks on special during the week.

Things to do for Foodies

Top pick: Pizzeria Lola Anniversary Surly Event

      One of the best pizzerias in the Twin Cities is celebrating it's 3rd year anniversary this week as well and features some great events. Indeed brewing is also featured as a tap takeover but the night gaining the most buzz has got to be Thursday. Starting at 5pm one of the best pizza shops and one of the best brewers in the Twin Cities will collide into the Pizzeria Lola Surly Tap Takeover. Pizza from contest winner's ideas for the most metal pizza will be on hand for tasting as well as several taps from Surly. Admission is free.

      The Charlie Awards is a twin cities awards presentation that celebrates the best and brightest in the Minnesota culinary world. Held on Sunday, November 17th at the Pantages Theatre starting at 3:30pm. Tickets for the awards, which include admittance to the after party in the Crystal Court are $35 a person. If you want to go VIP, there's a $125 option which also includes a VIP dinner after the after party so you can watch awards about food, have a few drinks and talk about food and then eat some food. VIP Dinner ticket holders also get a VIP seat and a SWAG bag, hopefully with some food inside.

Things to do for the Active

Top Pick: Save Sandstone MCA Climber's Fair

       On Sunday, November 17th Vertical Endeavors in Minneapolis is hosting a charity fair from 6:30pm to 9:00pm to Save Sandstone. Proceeds will go towards purchase of a bouldering area in Sandstone, yep they're essentially buying rocks with it. This area is heavily prized by recreational rock climbers and was about to be sold and instead the owners have generously decided to sell to the MCA firstly, but they need to raise the funds. The ticket price is $10 and the evening will include door prizes and contests besides access to free climbing and equipment.



       Athleta Diva Dish is being held at the Blaine National Sports Center on Saturday, November 16th at 9:00am. There is a 10k, 5k and a 5k walk. Sorry guys, this is a ladies only event.

Activities for the Arts

Top pick: Spinning  Plates Documentary

      If you love food as much as I do, make sure you do not miss Spinning Plates. This documentary goes behind the scenes of three very different restaurants; La Cocina De Gabby a family owned and operated restaurant in Tucson, Breitbach's Country Dining which is a small town country diner in Iowa and world famous Alinea in Chicago, Illinois that I've been dying to go see this Fall but plans fell through, perhaps this Spring. As the trailer states, it's not about what you cook but why and the purpose of this documentary is much than exposition of successful restaurants as much as it is exploration of the very culture that surrounds cooking and dining out with the juxtaposition of these very different restaurants. Spinning Plates will be at the Lagoon Theatre starting Friday, see times here.

      Shanghai Ballet is coming to the Orpheum on Tuesday, November 12th. The Shangai Ballet is a highly regarded dance institution and will bringing the Chinese fairytale, The Butterfly Lovers to life. Exquisite costumes and sets will immerse you a Chinese landscape that will hopefully allow you to be transported to a land far away where you can leave everything behind, like the ticket prices of $42 - 79 a person.

Unusual Activities

Top pick of the strange: Hello Kitty Denouement

       This art exhibit features Hello Kitty in different art masterpieces. That's right, Hello Kitty painted into various artworks from Monet to Warhol. This interesting exhibition, Hello Kitty Denouement will open to display at the Burnet Gallery at Le Meridien Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis on Friday, November 15th and will remain so until early January. The opening reception will be held 6-9pm. The gallery is otherwise open daily from 11am - 9pm. I'll leave you with Hello Kitty and Jesus from the collection;

Runner Up for Oddball Event: Monkey Mind Pirates



           Cap'n Fitz as he so calls himself teaches, with the help of his extremely creepy-looking monkey puppets that the monkeys of our mind can hijack our thoughts. So how can we free ourselves from these nightmares in muppet-form? By doing yoga, but of course! "Tap into the power of yoga, rock and puppets." Never thought I'd live to see the day to see those three nouns in the same sentence, the future has arrived. The Monkey Mind Pirates will be performing Saturday, November 16th in St Paul at the Wellstone Center. The event is free and is definitely geared towards small children without aversions to puppets.

      God's Sketchbook of Creation is a very interesting event at the Instinct Art Gallery in Minneapolis. The basic premise behind the art created for the exhibit is that these were God's rough-cut ideas for species, ones that didn't exactly make the cut. The cost is free and runs from 6pm - 8pm each day though mid January.



     On a final note, I started a twitter. Why? Well it's easier to keep up on all the cool stuff happening by following pretty much every food truck, brewery, magazine, newspaper, etc. in the Twin Cities and I do try to retweet the best looking stuff. So... if that sounds cool to you, check it out here at the handle MerryMinnesotan.

    

St. Martin's Day

    St. Martin's Day at the Landmark Center

 

      Typically celebrated on the 11th of November, St. Martin's Day is the feast day for Saint Martin of Tours. St. Martin was known as a friend of the poor and of children. The holiday originated in France and then spread to Germany and throughout Europe. The holiday coincides with the beginning of the harvest and thus the feasting of the fruits from the year's efforts. More modern traditions involved a pig roast, getting together with family and friends, and a procession of children with lanterns following "St Martin" on horseback.

    

       The Landmark Center Event held today was mostly focused on the German traditions with the holiday. The majority of the event was held within the Landmark Center itself and the sight of the mostly empty park was discouraging as we crossed Rice Park to enter the center, however upon entry we discovered the inside was packed! We opted to stand and listen to the speakers rather than to, fruitlessly I'm sure attempt to find a seat in the hall. I was also determinably avoiding the booths that were selling German lessons, etc.

 

     The speakers talked about some of the German traditions and why the event is held and whom helped organize it and so on and so forth, exciting stuff. There was a long list to the event which mostly involved children singing or putting on little skits. That being said, this most certainly was a family event and based on the amount of German being spoken around us, a very German-focused event. Needless to say, me and Todd without kids and without speaking a lick of German felt a tad out of place. Also, the children singing German got a little old and about half-way through the third song we ditched to go get tacos down the street.

 

    Yes, we ditched for an hour. I'm not going to say it was solely due to the children singing but... yea it pretty much was. I'm sure if your own child was involved it was interesting, adorable or tolerable but being that I knew none of them I just searched for the exits. I was mostly disappointed how long the events were inside. Yea, I know it was cold but the winter carnival is mostly outdoors and in January also this is Minnesota I might add. I was expecting "Sundays in the park "to actually be in the park and only some of it was.

 

    After a few tacos and a drink or two at Barrio we trekked back in time for the main event, the processional. This was pretty fun, although St Martin was a little late to the party. When he did show up, and by he I mean a kid dressed up as him on horseback the event really took off. St Martin trekked around Rice Park with all the children with their LED light up lanterns (authenticity over safety here) following him, singing in German again. Once he reached the front steps to the Landmark Center they turned on the lights in Rice Park. I wish the whole event had simply been this because it was rather fun.

 

 

 

   In short, it was a fun family event for young children with either a German background or an interest in German culture. I think it was a little too long to be sure and that the hour and half event list inside could have been shortened up to allow more time spent outside. Also our tacos were delicious, thanks Barrio :)  Final shout-out to the man who ran into me on the completely deserted street on our walk back and then suddenly walked away pretending he was jogging in his jeans and puffy jacket. Yea, I wasn't wearing a purse, sucker! Nice try, though, but you need to steal a pair of glasses first, there wasn't anything to grab!

   

 

 

Sweeney's Abrasive Ale Release Party

Despite the weather forecast, we braved a slight sleet and headed over to Sweeney's Saloon in St Paul not far from where 35E South doesn't meet 94 West for the Abrasive Ale (or two, or three) and to hang out with a few friends.

It was snowing so the bonfires outside, while appealing, were fairly ignored. For 6 bucks a chalice (or wine glass engraved "Vino" when they ran out), the powerful Surly Abrasive Ale was served. We also got bumper stickers and a visit from a well-sloshed member of the Surly sales team who simultaneously greeted us and splashed Abrasive from his glass onto our table to our amusement.

     In general it was a decent turnout for the Surly event, about what you'd expect on a Tuesday night. Abrasive has a great taste and is pretty strong, I actually had not tried it before and now think I prefer it to Furious. The beer and food was great (love their fish and chips at $7.99) and it was fun to be inside, warm with friends, sipping a drink and watching the flurries but was it a party?  Not really. We had a "pint and were waiting for it to all blow over." Good event, very low key also I believe Omar was rumored to show up... although we might have missed him if he had, bummer! Not much to write about, but it was worth the stop on a Tuesday night.

Things to do in the Twin Cities, week of 11/04

 Top things to do for Families
 

Top pick: St Martin's Day at the Landmark Center

 

     It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of him, doesn't mean you can't enjoy some mulled wine or cider and run around in the dark. The landmark center will focus on the German celebration of the holiday of St Martin's Day. The post says that Rice Park will be transformed into a "winter wonderland" which if the weather channel is correct about Tuesday's storm, should be pretty accurate intentional or no. This family friendly event will center around creating a lantern with your kids or just by your lonely selves and then following "St Martin", on horseback around Rice Park on parade. There will be Germanic pastries, wine and cider for the kids. The event is free and runs from 4-6pm on Sunday.

Other notable events for families:

    The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra is a play at the Children's theatre and runs through November 17th. It sounds as kooky as it gets but the critics seem to like it. It "combines the hipness of manga and anime with a fantastic voyage of tenacity..." Someone should alert the writers, reading manga and watching anime has rarely been hailed as hip. Don't wait too long to get tickets though because this super popular play has been selling sold-out shows. Tickets will run you $42 to $54.

     Backyardigans Pirate Party is going on at the Mall of America for Toddlers on Tuesday 10AM - noon. The giant, pastel characters will all be present to meet and greet the kids and they'll play an episode of the show. Sitting through this event as an adult might truly show how much you love your kids, talk about sacrifices.

Top things to do for Adults

Top pick: Ferris Bueller's Day Off; A Drinking Game

 

     This classic movie needs no introduction, and really neither does the explanation of the event. Ferris Bueller's Day Off at Bryant Lake Bowl involes the script being read by improv actors with some props and light audience participation, you've been warned. The poster also recommends coming in your best 80's outfits, I think a side pony-tail suffices. So how does it work? Well the jist I've gotten from youtube is that the cast reads the script and acts out some of the scenes and in Peewee Herman style certain key phrases are passwords which signal you to drink, and not just you but everyone including the actors who run around with glasses or beer in hand alongside their scripts. Ohhhhh Yeahhhhhh!

 

Other notable events for Adults:

    The Landmark Center Gala for you snooty, snooty types is being held on Friday from 5:30 to 10:00pm to celebrate the 111th year of the Landmark Center. Why 10? Well you can't stay out too late for this, you need to get home in time for your butler to bathe you. The ticket price is a $125 a person. The black tie is optional however a period costume is encouraged, these people sure sound like fun. There will be fine dining, door prizes and music along with theatrical entertainment. Funds raised go to benefit the Landmark association.

     Guy Fawkes Day at the Happy Gnome is Tuesday, the 5th of November in St Paul. Remember, Remember the 5th of November and go have a few drinks and forget everything. Before being known as the V for Vendetta Mask, and less well-known Anonymous Mask the Guy Fawkes Mask was renown and worn in remembrance of his plot to blow up the House of Lords in 1605. Britons commonly celebrate with bonfires and beer and occaisionally burning him in effigy... when was the last time you burned someone in effigy? Too long, am I right? Happy Gnome might not actually be condoning that activity but they will be tapping Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Meantime IPA and Blackthorne Cider so something for everyone. The event runs from 5pm to 10pm.

    Sweeney's Abrasive Release Party is also happening tomorrow which is heralding in not only the release of Abrasive but the arrival of Surly to Sweeney's Saloon. There will be a bonfire and both Abrasive and Furious on tap. The event runs from 5pm to 7pm.

Top things to do for Foodies

Top pick: Izzy's Ice Cream Grand Opening- Minneapolis location

 

     Even if for some sick reason you don't like ice cream you should come out to this event just to check out the amazing architecture of the building designed by award-winning Minneapolis architect, David Salmela. This husband and wife owned ice cream shop in St Paul started off as the dream of a former teacher and lawyer and now is a St Paul institution and this week is opening in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis location Grand Opening will be held Saturday and will host kids activities such as face-painting, balloons, giveaways, tours for the adults including tastings of ice cream made with such ingredients as Summit Oatmeal and Wuollet bakery cardamom toast. The event will run all day from noon to 8:30pm.

 

Other notable events for Foodies:

    Autumn Brewhaha is on Thursday at the Cafeteria in Uptown. For $40 you can try unlimited samples, that's right unlimited of eight different breweries along with tasting fall menu creations. The breweries involved included Summit, 612, Bad Weather, Schells, Crispin, Flat Earth, Lucid, and Rush River and the event runs from 5pm-8pm.

    Finally just a side note about the upcoming holidays, if you're sick and tired of the regular Thanksgiving tradition at home, especially if you're the one preparing it here is a link of fabulous restaurants that have Thanksgiving hours. Give your poor Mom or wife a break!



Top things to do for The Arts
 

Top pick: Dialogue and Retrospective with Steve McQueen

 

     So yea, I'm somewhat continuing the obsession with Steve McQueen after seeing 12 years a slave this past weekend. The Walker is hosting a Dialogue and Retrospective with Steve McQueen on Saturday, November 9th at 8pm. He will discuss his creative process and influences in regards to his past work. With the buzz surrounding 12 years a slave this is a rare chance to hear directly from the director himself. Tickets are $25 a person, $20 for Walker members.

Other notable events for The Arts:

    Edina Film Festival is going on this weekend at the Landmark's Edina Cinema. There's a wide variety of films on the schedule although much smaller in scope in comparison to the film festival last weekend in the West End. However I think I should draw special attention to the capstone event, the Put Your Dude On screening on Saturday. Oh yes, it's a Big Lebowski screening complete with costume contest, prizes and trivia. $10 and just in time for Shomer Shabbos to end!

Top unusual activities
 

Top pick: State Capitol Lego Model Display

      No, you read that correctly; There's a six foot long, four foot wide model of the Minnesota State Capitol on display. It took over 150 hours to build and is made up of more than 150,000 bricks. You can take a free guided tour of the capitol, Lego display included during normal tour hours through December 29th. No mention of the point of it, but hey... Legos!

 

Other notable unusual events:

    Jul to the World at the American Swedish Institute is happening on Saturday and is really focused on families with young children. The day kicks off the holiday season with a tomte hunt. What holiday season isn't complete without a tomte? It's basically a mythical elf-gnome creature that was once believed to protect the home and family. After hunting him down there's bakeshop exhibit which will inspire you with tastes of the season. There will be Norwegian singing while families are learning how to cut snowflakes. Finally you can ride Gustaf, the worlds only known mechanical Dala horse... maybe. The event is $9 for adults and $7 for senior, $5 for under 6-16 and free under 6.

Mesa and a movie

     We went with a bit more of a relaxed afternoon after a busy and super exciting morning at the DMV. I leave out the parts where Todd finally changed his address on his driver's license and the clerk made fun of him for the North Oaks to Bloomington transition. We did other, more interesting things today....

   So we went to see 12 Years a Slave and I had meant to secure tickets at the Walker for Wednesday but I slipped up in my wifely planning ahead duties and it was sold out. So the next available showing that worked for us was today in Uptown and previously I've avoided the Uptown area as it's not a favorite of mine. I have my reasons, and they are many. However we decided to give it another go since it's been awhile.

    We first hit up one of my favorite places for a slice, Mesa Pizza. Now being a U of M alum, Mesa was a staple of my college diet and every time I'm near campus I try to work in a stop. I've long been a fan of the Steak and French Fry and lately the Triple Smoked to snack on with my usual Orange Fanta. However I've never been to the Uptown location and was hopeful the same variety was available.

     The Uptown location reminds me of what the Dinkytown location used to look like in my college days pre-remodel and expansion. It's about as big with just two tables and a bar with barstools lining the perimeter. However since we happened upon the joint at 3pm it was thankfully mostly deserted. Plenty of space to sit and munch and to take photos of my food and not be judged.

     I asked for anything with BBQ sauce and was presented with Pulled Pork and Crispy Fried Onions which I have not yet tried! Their BBQ sauce is a delicious tangy and spicy balance and is the same they use on their Steak and French Fry and Triple Smoked slices. The pulled pork was extremely tender and well shredded on each slice. I was apprehensive about the fried onions, but they were absolutely delicious and unlike the french fries on the Steak and French Fry slices, extremely crispy and added a pleasant crunch to a mostly soft mouthful. I think I might have a new favorite! Yea it doesn't photograph well :)

    Todd was looking for his favorite, the Buffalo Chicken but they were all out. Instead he opted to try the Spicy Chicken and Chicken Burrito Slices (two slices, what a fatty, right?). The spicy chicken had a lot of veggies and a hot sauce on top that Todd extremely enjoyed. However the Chicken Burrito was a bit of a disappointment. The burrito had a base of rice and beans besides crust which added up to a lot of dry carbs and besides the melted cheese there was no sauce. A nice, spicy green enchilada sauce would have added a lot to the taste and palatability. Any sauce really would have been nice.

   We headed over a half hour early for our 4 o'clock movie at the Uptown Theatre. I have not been to this theatre yet as I prefer the West End Showplace Icon and Walker but wanted to give it a go. Going early proved to be a rather big mistake as the theatre is closed for cleaning prior to and a rather large crowd had gathered in the lobby to the point of claustrophobia. A rather talkative old women slowly backed me into a trashcan and about gauged out my eyes throwing her hands up in crazy gestures while talking. There really was no reason to arrive early for us since I had purchased my tickets online and there's assigned seating.

    Now when I have a somewhat bad experience I often wonder whether it was the result of the random chance visit or a regular situation at a given place. In this particular case I tend to think it was a little of both for various reasons.

    Our seats were not where they had appeared to be on the seating diagram online when I had chosen them, but that was of minor circumstance. The real frustration was the crowd. The audience was annoying and rude through-out. Besides the usual theatre occurrence of latecomers we had ushers in the middle of the aisles with flashlights looking at tickets well past the previews. I'm not understanding as to why this was being done in the aisles and not at the doors. It was over two hours but the amount of people getting up and in front and going behind us was ridiculous. The people passing behind us constantly grabbed at our headrests to our seats to use as guide rails which would jerk our heads down suddenly and violently. A man two rows ahead answered his phone, mid-movie and luckily for me someone else yelled at him, although I was adrenaline-rush mad for minutes afterwards. But mostly it was the annoyance how every squeak and creak echoed in the auditorium.

      The theatre seems to have no stereo sound nor sound buffering one is accustomed to in a regular cinema. Because of this every single noise and sound around you is much more noticeable and distracting. The sound at points was also very difficult to hear, but also I'm slightly hard of hearing so that could have been the case as well I freely admit. Dang rock music in my youth.

     The movie however was powerful, intense and very moving. I highly recommend it, I'm not much of a film reviewer but I was very impressed with the quality of the acting and directing. Even what would normally be considered stock footage of waves in water, and rain falling down came across as extremely intense and powerful. I felt like I was being mentally tested at times with scenes that made me squirm in unpleasant tension for what seemed like far too long in a very realistic way. Techniques in handling torture can be found here, might come in handy while watching. But trust me, it's completely worth it and for more than just social awareness.

     So in short I loved the film, I disliked the theatre and I just in general have an irritation with everything Uptown. I hate the parking situation down there, the crowds and the mobs of insufferable hipsters. One particular trendy male in his black The North Face jacket and hipster glasses caught Todd's particular wrath when he sashayed lazily in front of our car diagonally across the street, Starbucks in hand. 'What the hell is he doing drinking that at 6:40 at night?" I don't know, Todd but he looks sure damn cool doing it.

Mall of America's Halloween

Mall of America's World's Largest Trick or Treat

    So we normally don't get trick or treaters at our condo since it's a high rise and I didn't want to just sit on my butt, watching The Great Pumpkin, eating candy corn... I did that later. So we went to Mall of America to check out the festivities (and to eat at B-Dubs).

 

      On first arrival, it seemed like the Mall was decently quiet, due to the lack of cars in the parking garage on the upper levels but this was not the case once we ventured inside. It was full of life;

 

 

      The rotunda had a costume contest  and was fully decorated. It also had a line going through the entrance of Camp Nickelodeon (although it'll always be Camp Snoopy to me) for pictures in front of a spooky backdrop. There were people everywhere; kids, adults, babies, way-too-old-for-this-creepy-young-adults all in costumes milling about throughout each level.

 

 

      It wasn't so crowded as to be obnoxious, where you wanted to beat back the masses of people but was enough where it definitely felt like Halloween in the air. I mostly wanted to creep on everyone's kid's costumes. I miss seeing them in our stupid high rise without children. As families walked about the Mall certain stores were labeled with a tombstone sticker and were part of the Trick or Treat experience. Most had a dedicated salesperson at the door to hand out the candy at each stop.

     We walked the 3rd and 2nd levels and noticed the level of participation of stores varied based on the level. I think the lowest level had the highest participation rate. The brochures said 150 stores participating with approximately 520 stores in MOA , so that's about 30% and would be about what I'd guess. I think this event would benefit from more stores participating, but still 150 isn't terrible. I'm sure some would complain about it, but seriously how likely is it you'd hit 150 homes in one night?

 

 

       Besides trick or treating there were areas with free giveaways and science experiments for the children to explore such as the ever popular static electricity generator ball. The lines for these additional activities weren't too long and added to the experience besides the candy gathering. Personally, I'd just hit up more candy!

      In summation, I enjoyed being inside, warm and walking around with all the families and kids in their costumes. I think when we have little ones this might be a very suitable alternative for the neighborhood for these reasons, especially if the weather isn't cooperative and if I'm feeling lazy.