Smack that Easy Button

I have down-right bragged about my neighborhoold and the fact that it is close to a foodies paradise.  Imagine something you want to cook, smack the easy button and walk down the street. 

We have Lunds,  Kowalskie’s,  Trader Joes, The Cheese Chop, Mississippi Market, Coastal Sea Foods, The,  Olive Grove, Cooks on Crocus kill – to name a few.  We gave up about 1000, square feet of house, a large yard, a home built after the 1920’s, closet space, dry basement….let me think for a minute and I can come up with more – o ya the houses cost about twice as much as one three time the size in the burbs.  There is no 3^rd garage for you refurbishing trans-am project or a need for a riding lawn mower or snow blower but people will give up over half their yard for a rain-barrel, mulch bin and “organic” vegetable garden.  Leaving just enough room for their native plant garden. 

So you have to want to live in Highland/MacGroveland (or have a husband who has his real-estate license, broker’s license, no contingencies and creep into a double flipped foreclosure right across the street who’s general contractor is a drunk and blabs on and on about the previous foreclosure etc.,).  So given all of that it takes a special person to make the sacrifice to live here.  But the benefits outweigh the draw backs – we have like 100 (seriously) restaurants within 5 miles or us, we have quick simple access to all of the major highways.  We are smack between Mpls and St. Paul and a stone’s throw from the capital, Ordway, Wabasha Caves, Como area, Science Museum and have their own covered famers market where people actually grow their veg. and sell it instead of buying it from another state and selling it.  We can walk to two different vintage theatres and they have super strict rules on fast food restaurants.  We don’t have a McDonalds in our hood.  Noodles wanted to move into the space where the Italian Pie Shop used to be but they awarded the space to Brasa instead!  Whoot whoot!

We have a great shopping district on Grand Avenue, the neighborhood is bubbling over with private education and universities/colleges and for the most part the folks around here are good, honest, organic, love their trees, adopt children from 3^rd world country and the worst crime in the neighborhood is usually graffiti or some frat boy rockin’ down Summit naked on a tandem bike.  (this did happen!). 

Yesterday I learned that the owners of Morton’s Steak House, Tria and the Twin Cities grill opened up a restaurant just south of Randolph on Snelling.  It’s called Joan’s in The Park. They only do dinner and the average meal is around $30 per person.  I don’t know if that includes wine – they only have a wine and liquor license. I reviewed the menu and it looks pretty darn good and I am hoping they do some specials with ingredients that are seasonal. 

Now that I am done bragging I need to make room for a few other neighborhoods – like Mpls – there is no doubt a ton of these same amenities, just more spread out.  The restaurant Travail was named the 5^th best restaurant in the nation by bon appetite!  There are also some really great little joints in each general neighborhood.  Accept for Fridley j/k.  When I take a special trip to the boonies I am typically surprised because it takes a very special person with very special skills to take a risk and open up a nice restaurant (not necessarily $$$) in an area where people would probably opt for a BW3 or Olive Garden.

So check out Joan’s In the Park when you get a chance or take a day trip to Highland.  I promise you won’t be let down!