MN: How to enjoy life with friends and food

We started Saturday off bright and early, by heading to eat. We found a little place on Trip Adviser and we weren't disappointed. It was called Good Day Cafe. The menu was the hardest thing because I had to pick something! There were so many options between their souffle omelets, their fried egg sandwich, the Apple Souffle, the German Pancake! AHHH...too many things that I want! We ate out on the patio and enjoyed the paper. When my apple pancake showed up it took up the whole plate. Matt's eggs were amazing and I even had a bit of menu jealousy. 

Breakfast: Good Day Café/Bad Day Bar 

ALR: Apple Soufflé Pancake

MJR: Alaskan Eggs Benedict (salmon, capers, poached egg, sauce) and chicken apple sausage

After catching up with the Pinkerton's a bit more, we headed downtown for the afternoon to take in a bit. Matt wanted to see Kramarczuk's, which he'd seen on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and immediately fell in love because of the meat cases and ethnic/Eastern European flare. There were two parts to the place. The deli and the eatery, which felt a bit of a cafeteria.

Lunch: Kramarczuk's
ALR: Piroshok (Baked bread roll stuffed with meat, mushrooms, and hard boiled eggs) and borscht soup
MJR: Polish sausage with kraut and varenyky (similar to a peirogi)

For dessert we went over to the delicatessen where the sausage and desserts and other goods are sold.It was fun to look and gawk over the meat cases. 

ALR: Cherry delight aka Cherry Marlowe

MJR: Soft pretzel with mustard sauce

We took the desserts to a nearby park and talked about the possibility of us ever become "big city" people and moving out of North Dakota. Silly talk of whether we would be 'burp'ers or live downtown, what would our lifestyle look like or what would we do....things that are fun to talk about while eating great food in a big city. 

We took a bit of time and went to the Como Zoo, this may not have been our brightest idea. The place was packed, parking was stressful, and I'd venture to guess that we were the only child-free couple in the place. I'd been here before with girlfriends on a previous trip, it was fun to remember that and compare what's changed and what I could remember.

With a bit of time to kill, we ventured over to St. Paul, as I had discovered a little surprise for Matt that I knew he'd love. The Twin City Model Train Museum.
ALR: Turn right at the light.
MJR: (Gasps) Is it a train museum!
ALR: (nods)
MJR: You do love me!

Was interesting to see the set up. There was two different locations and one location was one model with multiple trains, billboards, scenes and buttons that you could push to make lights work. In the other building they showed the different sizes of trains and models and even a set under construction. Was an interesting way to pass time. 

And on our way to a little pub, we came across something that made both of us light up! Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply, it's the city version of Farm & Home, but way better and had our names written all over it. Fun things for canning, crocking, planting, herbing, growing, we could have spent hours looking and bookos of dollars just supplementing our hobby.

I ended up finding a replacement plant for my purple basil that I had already managed to kill. I'm not sure how I did it, but this time around I was going to be more careful.

We had to get on the move though for the "main event". Saturday morning, Matt found a lead on a paddleboat, in our price range, with some of the features that we were hoping for...canopy, cooler, floatability. We headed out to Stillwater. Was a pretty view and amazed me how close we were to the cities but how rural it felt. We were the first people to respond to the ad and knew upon first look that we were happy with it! Loaded it up, strapped it down, mission accomplished! 

That night, Allison and John took us out and we met up with other friends (and newlyweds) Derek and Lindsay. We started at the New Bohemia Wurst & Bierhaus, which John and Allison hadn't been either. I told Matt afterward that I could take him having any more sausage! He'd had it for all three meals that day! Was a good meal, fun combinations. The atmosphere was unique because of the gigantic picnic tables where you ate. 

Supper: New Bohemia Wurst & Bierhaus 

ALR: Buffalo bleu cheese chicken sausage with onions and apple jicama slaw

MJR: Yak and roasted tomato sausage with kraut and onions

Shared deep fried pickles

Derek and Lindsay joined us and we headed out to Nye's Polonaise Room. This is the world's most perfect dive bar. We had great laughs, great conversation, and the six of us fit into a booth, just barely. The waitress was horrible, which added to the experience and to top it off they had a band, the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band. I can't make this stuff up. They were a cover band of sorts covering Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys, and Bette Midler (Wind Beneath My Wings). The sad part of the story is the bar is slated to be tore down later this summer and replaced by an apartment/condo structure.
Waitress: What would you like to drink?
As others are telling, Allison: I don't want to get just water.
ALR: I don't blame you. Maybe a tonic water with a lime? You said a gin and tonic sounded so good.
Allison: That's a good idea.
Drinks come. Allison drinks.
ALR: (excited voice) See, how's that?
Allison: (deadpan) It's a sprite.

After closing out our tab, we headed further downtown to the Shout House Dueling Piano Bar. It was the first time in a long time that Matt and I have closed down a bar. We both looked at each other at 3:00 and agreed that we may be too old for that business! The bar was fun, the entertainment was great. It was a good night. 

Derek, Lindsay, MJR, and ALR walk into Nye's, door held open by guy with drink in hand.
Guy stops Allison.
Allison gets out ID
John walks in.
She begins to pull ID out of the wallet sleeve. 
Guy says, it's fine to stay in there, you're good.
Allison walks in Nye's.
John tells Allison, you know that guy doesn't work here.