Food and Drink

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but this Summer has been full of events and I just haven’t had much time to write. The last event we attended was the Minnesota State Fair, and I thought it would be the perfect way to wrap up the Summer.

I usually do not make it to the State Fair every year, but the last couple of years they have had some great acts come to their grandstand, which makes it completely worth the trip. The following is a list of must-sees, must-dos, and must-eats for when you go to the Minnesota State Fair:

• Australian Potatoes – Whether you have them plain or with sour cream, nacho cheese, chili, or all of the above, they are excellent. The crispy outside and the soft, warm inside are enough to warm you up on a cool September day and when it is hotter than blazes out, they also make a fantastic lemonade that will keep you cool.
• Grandstand Shows – The Minnesota State Fair has been booking some big names over the last few years including KISS, Brandi Carlile, Jeff Dunham, Rush, and many more. With so many big names and fairly inexpensive ticket prices (although the concert ticket cost does not include entrance into the fair) the state fair grandstand is a great place to see an outdoor show.
• Alligator on a Stick – Alligator is one of my must-eats when I go to the State Fair. The alligator stand is located near the grandstand and their main attraction is the deep-fried alligator nuggets. However, my weakness is the alligator sausage on a stick. The alligator meat is seasoned perfectly with just a hint of spice and when you dip in in their hot sauce it’s magical.
• Miracle of Birth Barn – The Minnesota State Fair has a barn that is dedicated to showing baby animals as well as their births. This is a huge attraction at the fair for people of all ages. For many people this will be the only time they will get to see farm animals in such an up-close and personal way. Fun for kids and adults alike.

Of course there are many more attractions and food stops to be made at the Minnesota State Fair, but those are a few of my all-time favorites. Feel free to post your own favorite stops at the fair so that we can all enjoy something new next year!

As promised, I am going to give you a quick run-down of some great South Dakota travel destinations as well as where to eat and stay while you are there.

Lodging:

Rock Crest Lodge and Cabins

We stayed and these adorable little cabins located right off of the road in the city of Custer, SD. While the cabins were located in town close to all of the attractions in the city, the cabins were nestled back off of the road enough so that noise or privacy were non-issues. Each cabin has a large deck as well a queen (or two queens, depending on the size of cabin) bed, and beautiful bathroom. They also have wireless internet and continental breakfast – and a pool. The only downside was that the reception area was way too small to be serving breakfast to all of the people staying there. Otherwise, great place to stay while in South Dakota. Check out their website for details on reservations and more.

Dining:

Pizza Works

This little place in the city of Custer appeared to be open only seasonally – it also appeared as though the same owners owned the coffee shop next door which was closed for the season. What initially appeared to be a sort of mediocre pizza joint actually turned out to be quite wonderful. The building itself is a repurposed old movie theater and the walls are adorned with old movie posters and pictures of the place in its heyday. The pizza was delicious – one of the best I’ve had in a while, in fact. We had a pesto pizza with roasted chopped garlic and it was completely devoured before we left. A great place to grab a quick and delicious bite for a low price.

Desperado’s Cowboy Grill

This restaurant is about 15 iminutes from Custer in Hill City. We were on our way to eat Mexican food when we saw the sign for sweet potato fries outside of this place and had to stop. While the food was ok – I had a buffalo burger and some others had the chicken fried steak – the prices were very high for the quality of food and service. Also, they only take cash or checks – which made it a bit of an inconvenience to eat there. I would not recommend dining here unless you’ve exhausted some other options in the area.

Buglin’ Bull Restaurant

Located in Custer, this little restaurant and sports bar was a great find. Again in search of Mexican, we asked the receptionist at the lodge if there were any places in Custer that had good Mexican food. She said there were no actual Mexican restaurants in town but that this place had a few Mexican dishes. And did they ever. I had a to-die-for beef chimicanga with refried beans and Spanish rice. Even better than the chimichanga were the refried beans, which I actually ended up asking the waitress where they came from because they were so good. Not only was the food great, but they also had very cheap beer – including $3 bottles and $2 draught beers. The service was pretty slow, but overall, it was a great little place to have a relaxing family dinner.

Wineries:

Stone Faces Winery

This was a newer winery located outside of Hill City and while it had free wine tasting (up to three varieties), they did not have much to choose from and the wine they did have was not spectacular. We did buy a bottle of Rushmore White – a white table wine. But aside from that we were a bit underwhelmed. However, it was a cute little place and definitely has the potential to grow its selection.

Prairie Berry Winery

This winery was just down the road from the Stone Faces Winery and it also had free wine tasting (up to five varieties). The wines there were exceptional, including the Wild Plum Fusions (a semi-dry white), the Gold Digger (a semi-sweet white), and their best-seller, the Red Ass Rhubarb (a semi-sweet rhubarb wine). They also had a great gourmet food selection – which is what we ended up purchasing to take to the cabin for dinner that night. I definitely recommend going to this winery if you have the chance to get a bottle (or two) of the Red Ass Rhubarb.

Outdoor Activities:

Badlands National Park

It was over 100 degrees F while we were here – so it ended up being much like the desert. But it was definitely worth stopping and doing a little climbing and walking. It was very cool to see this sort of New Mexico-like structure in the North. It costs $15 to get a pass for your car to get into this sprawling desert area, but it is well worth it. The pass lasts for a week from the day you buy it so you can go through on your way there and on your way home.

 Mt. Rushmore

Another must-see while in South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore is a great piece of American history to take in. While I enjoyed it even more since seeing its appearance in National Treasure 2 – Book of Secrets, it was still a cool place to see one of the marvels of architecture. The cost to park there (mind you they cannot charge to actually see a national monument) is $10 per car, and again, it’s worth it for a fun few hours or a whole afternoon.

Sylvan Lake/Custer State Park/Harney Peak

Custer State Park – and the Sylvan Lake/Harney Peak area in particular, is just breathtaking. A day pass for Custer State Park costs $10, but the cabins we stayed at offered a free pass to their guests. We took several hikes in the Sylvan Lake area and it was beautiful each day were were out there. Also within Custer State Park we saw a lot of wildlife, including a herd of wild buffalo that blocked the road we were on for quite a while. We also drove Needles Highway, which was fun, if not a bit scary in some areas. A definite must-see area/park while you are in South Dakota. You could spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days exploring the area without ever seeing the same thing. Lots of fun for families or couples.

Pactola Lake

The U.S. Forestry Service has an office right next to Pactola Lake, so we stopped to get some trail information as well as to see the lake. The lake was beautiful and looked to be a great place for bikers (motorcycles) to stop off and enjoy the scenery. A fun place to stop on the way to Deadwood.

Deadwood

Deadwood is a town in South Dakota that is known for it’s glory days during the gold rush. This historical mining town is filled with history – including the burial sites of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane – as well as infamy. The town was known for its wild, lawless ways – including gambling, drinking, and prostitution. Today, the town has many casinos, which are said to have saved the town which is actually a historical landmark, as well as many little museums and shops. A great place to stop for gambling is Saloon 10 and a great place to stop for chocolate truffles is the Chubby Chipmunk – a renovated filling station. It can be fun for families, but it is very much geared towards couples and singles.

We will be back to Minnesota Travel spots in the coming posts, but if you are looking for a fun long weekend getaway, the short drive (from most places in Minnesota) and plentiful activities makes South Dakota an ideal vacation destination.

The 501 Club
501 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1127
(612) 338-3848
On a recent weekend excursion to Minneapolis (we were in town for Lilith Fair) a few friends and I stumbled upon a great little bar. It was a rainy night and we had ducked into a bar that was busy with people from the rained out Twins game, so once the rain subsided, we decided to head out in search of another bar one of my friends remembered from a previous zombie pub crawl. Although there was some dispute as to the location and name of the bar, we finally found it – The 501 Club.
For a Saturday night, the club was surprisingly pretty empty, but it definitely wasn’t dead. The people who were in the club were characters in themselves and they gave the place a very chill vibe. The club had two levels – an upstairs lounge area with a few intimate couches and a full bar and a main level with a stage for live music and another full bar. The drinks were relatively well priced and there was no cover – even with the live music.
The live music started shortly after we arrived, around 10 pm. The music was as chill as the bar itself and it added an even more relaxing ambiance to the place. One act in particular, Adam Svec, was a tremendous talent – and the best part about this bar is that all of the musicians are very accessible and they all seemed to stay around and mingle with people in the bar after their sets.
Overall, The 501 Club was a great place to hang out on a Saturday night in the city. And, if you’re hungry, they serve food until 1:30 am and on the weekends they have brunch. The prices were right and for a place just to chill and chat with your friends while listening to some great music, there’s no place better. Check out their website for a schedule of bands and other special events.