I might be feeling generous lately...maybe it's the weather...but damn, do I love St. Anthony Main and the precious gem that is the Aster Cafe. For you hopeless romantics like me, St. Anthony Main is the perfect date spot. The old MPLS "downtown" with its cobblestone streets (not good for scooter incidents, ask Nicki), the old movie theatre, the view of the Mill City ruins and the Guthrie, and the cool mist that floats off of the raging falls of the Mississippi, makes you feel like you could go for a good make-out sesh...or otherwise stuff your face with food. It's the perfect destination for a leisurely bike ride with friends, which can turn into a struggle if your back wheel wasn't put on correctly (Sorry, Steve, my bike maintenance skills are in development...) Which can also turn into a 3-hour brunch, because, well, this place is just so darn charming.
When you step into Aster on a Sunday, be prepared. It will be over-run with an enthusiastic old-timey dance squad. Wagging their fingers in the air and swinging around the tiny floor like total weirdos. In times like this, I always opt for the patio. The interior is, however, quite charming when it's not packed with dance nerds.
The menu options are excellent here, in my opinion... Waffles, hashes, quiches, burritos, sandwiches... a nice variety. But the drinks have a special place in my heart. The infused vodkas are a dream. My favorite cocktail being the Whippet: Pomegranate green tea-infused vodka, grapefruit juice, sugared rim. It's light, citrusy and not too sweet. And the green tea gives you a boost. There's also a 5-pepper bloody (infused vodka as well). It's not as spicy as you would expect, but still totally decent. Plus you'll want to put the mini caprese skewer in your pocket, call it George, take it home and keep it as your pet, but then you'll decide you'd rather just eat it. You can get Campari and Pimms and all sorts of lovely apertifs as well, Fancy Pants.
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| Beer snobs will like the selection. |
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| Adorbs |
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| Whippet Good |
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| Slobodan Mimosavic (©2014 Ben Davies) |
Let's talk about the food some more... This is the standard Croques Madam (ham and cheese with egg and hollandaise.) Sauce looks a bit on the thick side...
The burrito... I don't know that I can get too poetic about this, but let's just say it's good.
A lovely, lovely pesto and roasted veggie hash...
This dish was a bit odd. It was called a torta, but it was more like a Perkins bread bowl full of cheese with some avacado on top... Hey, you can't get everything right... There were some eggs in there somewhere... **BTW No disrespect to the Perkins bread bowls. They have gotten me through some hard times...
We outlasted the band and the crazy dancers. You could say it was a major success, aside from the incident where Alyssa was touching a stranger affectionately, thinking it was her fiance, Paul. Love is in the air, people. Find it at the Aster.
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| Mighty Mighty |
