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Decorah Trip No. 2a57fd
Yup. Just made up a hexadecimal number because I have no idea how many times I’ve written about trips to Decorah and I’m too lazy to figure it out. Besides, who really reads hexdec anyway?
Anyway, Lindz and I made one of our regular trips to our old stomping grounds. We stopped by the StoryPeople studio to pick something up and I ran across what I can only assume is one of the limited edition wood paintings.
For those that are curious, the story printed on here is Living Memory. Speaking of my old workplace, I just found a new sculpture that I got quite a kick out of:
You can find it here on the StoryPeople website.
What would a trip to Decorah be without eating at La Rana?
Really not a lot to say. It’s a fun little bar with a great atmosphere and great food all at a small town price.
A Traditional Birthday Meal
Well, a traditional meal if you are over in East Asia. Or if you’re me, it’s something that I’ve been doing for the last six-ish years. That’s right, it’s sushi time!
This year for my birthday meal, Lindz and I went out to Osaka with Matt and Janessa. Since it was my birthday I got to get whatever I wanted (not sure how that is different from any other time we’ve gone there, but I just rolled with it). I decided that it was past due on ordering a boat load of sushi. I mean that quite literally.
Osaka has an item on their menu called the Love Boat. It contains 10 pieces of sushi, 18 pieces of sashimi, a rainbow roll, and a dragon roll. All served in a wooden boat. Hence the name.
All of the pieces were “chef’s choice,” so from the outset I wasn’t expecting anything too lavish as far as selection.
I was right about the selection. A lot of tuna, salmon, and the like. Nothing off the beaten path, but all very tasty and a lot of it.
Ever since Matt and Janessa ordered deep fried crab in RI, we’ve been ordering it as a an appetizer. Been working good so far.
Since I can put away a lot of sushi, I finished off Lindz’s half and still ordered a couple of extra pieces to cap off the meal.
So, it’s quarter to one and I’m awake . . .
. . . So I guess I’ll catch up a little on my posts that I’ve been neglecting. I’m going to do the less involved ones, so don’t pretend there is any actual chronological order here. It’s just what’s convenient for me, and that’s what’s important right?
We ate out a couple of times at places that are worthy of posting. The first one is Mac’s Fish and Chips located on the corner of Hamline and Larpenteur in St. Paul. I cannot speak with any authority about any dishes beyond the cod and chips basket, clam and chips basket, deep fried cheese curds, and salt-water taffy. I’ve never been able to convince myself to order anything else because this subset of their menu is just that good. This is a place that I cannot possible recommend enough. BTW, chips = french fries in the British parlance for those not in the know. Oh, I should note that Mac’s wraps the baskets in newspaper like they do back in England. It’s a nice touch.

On the left we have the clam and chips and on the right we have the cod and chips baskets. Also included was a free piece of taffy! (not shown)
The other place of note that we ate at was Muffuletta on Como Ave. I had never eaten there before so I was interested in going to an alumni dinner that Lindz’s school was throwing. Ok, I was interested in going for a reason beyond just free food. Maybe Narren was right, I am just a food whore. But I think that is a topic for another post. Anyway, Muffuletta is a bistro style place with a globally inspired menu. Since the school took over the whole restaurant, there was a limited menu. I got the salmon wellington and Lindz got the mushroom risotto. Hers was very tasty but nothing I haven’t eaten / made before. I have to admit that curiosity drove my decision to have the salmon. Ever since we honeymooned in Jamaica where I had the most amazing beef wellington, again a topic for another post, I’ve been fascinated with the dish. The salmon dish was over some roast veggies and some kind of cream sausce that I can’t remember the specifics on. On the whole, the dish was good and put together well. My only complaint about it was that the salmon was over cooked. I don’t know of a solution to the problem, so while it is a critique, it is not a judgmental one. It is just something I would have liked differently. If that makes any sense at all.