Lago Tacos **2.5/5 stars

So true. 

Yes, we're here to talk about tacos, not emotions. Screw emotions.

So a few months ago Heidi's disappeared in a puff of smoke (RIP) and out of the ashes rose Lago Tacos, a comfortable, slightly-better-than-chain taco joint. Joining the likes of the Herkimer and Lyndale Taphouse, I fear it won't be long before this place becomes a total douche magnet. But let's live in the moment, shall we?

Special friends

What I love most about Lago is their patio with the covered bar. It is a bit of an oasis in a land of concrete claustrophobia. It makes me nostalgic for ocean front cantinas and shitty mexican beer. Kind of.

Hey, mix me up another Cuervo Sunrise, bro

Lago was quiet this Sunday morning. Not sure if the brunch word hasn't gotten out yet, or if people have already shrugged it off. 

I was more than slightly disturbed when our server didn't know what a mimosa was, or if they had them (of course they do.) We also ordered a variety of dips with chips (everything looks more fancy when you put it into a ramekin, but really it's just refried beans, guac and some salsas.) Tasty, tho!

Marky, Laurel, Davey

The bloodies are pretty decent AND they come with a deep fried penis, I mean, pickle.

Hmmm...

The menu (apologies for the blurry photo), is what you would expect from a taco joint. Burritos, tostadas, chilaquiles, rancheros...

We waited around for a good while, enjoying our DFP's and variety of dips. Then they delivered fried danishes. Built-in Brunchitizer™! Score! 

So these are the Chorizo Tostadas. Mui, mui bonita! I would put this dish at the top of the menu. Note: Their meats are really good.

And the Pork with Green Chile. Really great flavor, but too soupy for me.

And this is the Rancheros... Kinda weird. If you love beans (and you know I do), then this is your man. But the dish seemed to be missing something...

And it wasn't the toothpick that was buried in David's flauta...

What the...

Stabby.

They were nice enough to comp that meal...but seriously? I'd say skip the brunch and come here for happy hour. The tacos are good and you get a lot for your $$. Hurry, before another uptown bar falls victim to the Embroidered Jeans Brigade.

Wash your hands.

Tiny Diner ***3/5 stars

One of the only covered open patios in town, the lofty blue solar panels make Tiny Diner look more like a futuristic, self-sustaining wicken space village than a classic joint. Cool. We were being chased by rain this fine Sunday, so it was nice to be able to still enjoy outdoor seating. However, if you prefer to sit inside, don't worry about claustrophobia. It's not that tiny. I've only given you a view of the back bar, which wraps around, but there's plenty of seating in front as well.

We were greeted by a nervous host who obviously had the new-girl jitters, but she managed to get us on the list and get us a cocktail menu. We opted for the pear bellini (beer and wine only.) It was only a few minutes before we were seated next to a couple of dudes at one of the community picnic tables. Our neighbors turned out to be bike friends and one tiny, adorable puppy named Artie. Score.

 

The menu is pretty extensive - featuring a rotating theme by city. Right now it's Philly, which means Scrapple is on the list. Scrapple is a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal, flour and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, sliced and then pan-fried before serving (thanks Wikipedia). Congealed meat scraps... hmmm. I'm gonna have to skip that one. Thank god there are lots of other options...

Our friends got the biscuits and gravy and the traditional farmer's breakfast. The biscuits were confirmed to be delicious. Pretty nice looking 2-egg platter as well...

While we waited for our food, we roamed the garden and made a peace offering in the blair witch hut. Random, but cool.

Me and J-love

Window for the full-moon sacrifice.

Finally, our food arrived. We got the breakfast sammy and the veggie omelette. Pretty regular stuff here. The chef went ninja on my veggies. They were cut up so tiny I couldn't even chew them. Kinda weird. But, the pancakes are extra good here. So good they rival the Lowbrow. Side note: The only downside to the space-age roofing is that your food has a blue tint to it... not super appetizing. iPhoto couldn't fully rectify the situation...

So Tiny Diner wins points for interesting design, for not actually being tiny and for serving pretty standard food and drink. It's also a good option in an area of town begging for more decent places to brunch. Thanks Kim B. for spreading the love. Until next time...

Aster Cafe ****4/5 stars

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.

Beer snobs will like the selection.

Adorbs

Whippet Good

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.

Mighty Mighty

Nightengale ****4/5 stars

Today I'm happy to say that I can bring you a higher review than 3 point something. People, Nightengale is just so effing charming. A little deco, a little mod, with super comfy bar stools and booths. I've spent several late evening hours here, sipping half-priced bottles of sparkling rose and beautifully crafted whisky cocktails, listening to vinyl and then stumbling home, blurry-eye'd and happy. But we're here to talk about things that happen in the daylight. Brunchy kinds of things.

What if I told you that Nightengale has a DJ during brunch, spinning smooth soul and r&b. So delightful. What if I told you you can fit about 6-7 people comfortably in their big, luscious booths. Can you dig?

Let's get to the drinks. The bloodies, while totally regular, come with a baby Miller Highlife. Something about a tiny beer (it's like seeing puppies or babies for normal people.) Nicki raved about the coffee. It's Peace and they brew it really right. 

The menu's got good stuff. A hash, a benny, a scramble, shrimp and grits. If you have a sweet tooth, you might not be satisfied with the only sweet option, yeasted flap jacks. We did not try them. They might be amazing?

Say hello to the hash. Pretty, isn't she? Although, the little cubed chunks of pork were weird. I get weird about meat in weird shapes. But the flavor was fantastic.

The Benny (above) is better than average. The Scramble (below) was smaller than average...

Holy pile of mushroom, ham, egg heaven. I want to crawl into these biscuits and gravy and die. Portion is a little out of control, eh?

And finally, meet the pork shoulder with sunny side eggs and masa cakes. Giddyup.

Let's recap. Nightengale = great style, great ambiance, average bloodies, tiny beers, great coffee and super savory food. Plus, the owner's name is Jasha (yes, like Saisha with a "J"). Must be fate. So anyway, grab six or seven of your closest buds, slide yourselves into one of those great big booths and prepare to get down. Or if you only come out at night (the lean and hungry type) try Thursdays. The DJs are salty and so are the fries.

Nighty, night y'all.