Pat's tap, Tap's Pat, Sap's Tat, etc... Whatever you call it, it will never be the same as Casey's. Oh how I miss the smell of urinal in the afternoon. For those who aren't hip to the So-Map jive, Pat's replaced a sketchy local dive with food, atmosphere and a...more hygienic crowd. Oh, and free skee-ball.
The space is a decent size. Nice patio, long bar, two long high-tops and a plethora of tables...And they're often packed.
One of the things that always perplexes me here is the decor. It's very Schwarzwald nightmare.
The wallpaper features a design with poodles touring Paris. I find this so offensive that I sometimes cry myself to sleep at night thinking about it. Even though it's actually a reproduction of the original uncovered during demolition, the color palette is nauseating.
Whoa, settle the negativity! Really, this place has its redeeming qualities. Like this mimosa as big as your head. The juice and bubbles are super fresh.
Beth says she loves the bloody mary as much as she loves re-runs of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman...and that's a lot!
The food is better than okay. Here's Bridget's omelet of the day...
The arugula cheddar scramble and some fresh hashbrowns. I don't really prefer the browns here. Too soggy...
Gorgeous benny...
Okay. I ordered a burger for brunch. This may only happen once in my life, so I'm glad it's being documented. Those giant chips are taking over the world. That's fried cheese...it's tasty. This burger was over-salted and more well done than medium...but the ones I've had here in the past were great. This one, however imperfect, saved my life on this morning.
Here's a sub par photo of some kind of meaty hash...
Chomp.
I'm not gonna say anything great about the service here. It can be hit or miss. And I kinda find free skee-ball to be anti-climactic (sorry for the lack of photo). I'd much rather anticipate some cheap stuffed dragon or framed unicorn mirror as a prize. But, Pat has really taken this neighborhood up a notch. #whenpoodlesattack
Saturday I rolled out of bed a little shaky and decided there was only one cure: BLB. I grabbed my iPhone and texted for backup. Deeps and Petts RSVP'd and we were on our bikes, rollin' into uptown.
The sun gods were shining on us, even though rain was predicted. We propped our pale-skinned bodies up against an outdoor bench to welcome the burn.
This is the classic BLB bloody mary. I reckon it's the best in town. Best I've found so far, anyway. This bloody makes life worth living. I've known non-bloody lovers who've been turned by this beauty. It's that good...
So, my friends were drinking their lunch, but I got my favorite: the bean, avocado and pepper jack omelet. Bit of a salsa over-load here, but other than that, a tasty Mexican breakfast.
Fire fighters cruisin' down Lake Street.
It got way toasty in the sun, so we moved inside for a beer. You can see the lanes in the back. Good times...if you know how to do your own scoring.
It's always busy at BLB. Always. Is it because of the bright, yet cozy atmosphere? The great tap beer selection? The lovely, eclectic music mix?
Okay, the beer for sure... This was a new Witt they had on tap. So fresh and summery.
I love bathroom wisdom.
Thanks, BLB. We will always love you. Now, off to the Harriet brewery!
I love this place too much. I might give it a fourth star for atmosphere alone, but my brunch experience wasn't as good as my previous dinners and happy hours...
Signs of spring...
Not too good to hand out a coffee-stained menu...probably because they were extremely busy, as always. I enjoy the authenticity. I ordered a cappuccino.
Here's some mexican thingy...that's fried yucca, or yumma, as Nicki would say.
This is the brisket benny special. The brisket was fatty, but the rest was unbelievable. I didn't know a poached egg could be so perfect!
Regular benny. Gorgeous!
So, our service was pretty good, despite the raging crowd. The people next to us were doing tequila shots and drinking Budweiser. I bow down to you, virile youth. Muddys is always busy, but we always seem to find a table, a great drink and good company. They also have a nice patio. I suggest trying them on for dinner as well. If you can snag one of the coveted, cozy booths in the back, your date will put out for sure...
Take note: Thanks to Bridget and Jeff, I now have a star rating system...
I can see the Lowbrow from my house. Well, not quite, but it's over the bridge and up the hill, and as far as I know, they're not harboring any nuclear weapons, other than bomb ass good breakfast.
I should have probably asked what is up with this weird badger face. But I didn't. I wonder, is it the honey badger?
The Lowbrow is part grandma's kitchen, part upscale diner and part gastro pub all held together by some creepy, eccentric, psycho, hillbilly cabin in the woods vibe.
WTF.
Okay, I feel better because I know inbred, recluse murderers don't sip Sophia mango mimosas... or do they?
The bloody is made with sake because they have no hard liquor license = boo. But, get this, it's actually the best sake bloody I've had in town...really spicy and jalapeno-y.
Brunchitizer = blueberry buttermilk pancake. The sign don't lie. Best pancakes. Best of what, I don't know, but they're the best I've had in a while... I'm wondering how long they're gonna be able to offer the MN harvested maple syrup. I heard it was a bad year for syrup with the early spring weather. You'll gasp in horror, but I actually prefer the fake stuff.
Jalapeno hash...
Veggie scramble. I get this every time. I want to try the p-nut butter, bacon, banana grilled sandwich, but I just haven't been that hung over...
I dig this custom wallpaper. Sooper hawt.
Those purple pants are a nicht, nicht.
You know a place is cool when this sweet International is parked outside...
Then it was time for a trip to Sister Fun - which is almost never open, but today, we got lucky.
As you can see, it's really fun in here...
The Lowbrow is a Kingfield neighborhood staple. You should probably go there.
