The Rake Magazine

Month: July 2007

  • Ouch, That Smarts: Sunday Night In The Motor City

    When Scott Baker pitches a game like that, dammit all to hell, you have to find a way to win.

    Hell, when anybody pitches a game like that for you, you have to find a way to win.

    The Twins have won eight of their last twelve, and just went in and won two of three in Detroit, and they’ve still somehow managed to lose ground in the standings.

    Not somehow, actually; Cleveland just keeps winning.

    “We have a     game plan and we’re sticking to it. Guys are walking, guys are getting in hitting counts. Not being defensive.” So said Michael Cuddyer after Saturday afternoon’s game. Yeah? Really? Where was this game plan against Jeremy Bonderman? The guy was throwing his slider out of the strike zone all night and the Twins were flailing away at it like there was no tomorrow.

    By the way: Sunday was the thirteenth time this season the Twins have scored one or fewer runs.

  • Cheap and easy

    2004_redcms.jpgIt has a refreshingly prosaic name — CMS Red — and a label that reminds me somehow of industrial equipment, with a stamp certifying it’s been approved by the Washington Wine Quality Alliance. But this wine is, in fact, a canny blend produced by Hedges Cellars, a mom-and-pop shop located on Red Mountain in Washington’s Yakima Valley, that sells locally for $9-12 a bottle. CMS stands for Cabernet (39%), Merlot (57%), and Syrah (4%) — an acronym of an appellation. And there’s an equally basic white version, as well (CMS White, what else?) that’s made from Chardonnay (44%), Marsanne (2%), and Sauvignon Blanc (54%).

    I haven’t tried the white, but CMS Red is one of those wines I keep on hand as back-up. It’s big and fruity, full of blackberry and cherry, vanilla, clove, caramel and cassis. The quality of the flavor is very young: there’s no mysterious alchemy of dusty cigar box and oak here. But the finish is respectable, leaving a hint of anise in its wake. I wouldn’t serve CMS at a formal dinner party, but it’s perfect for a 4th of July barbecue. And if you have a few bottles left over, stow them for a year or so. Peter Hedges’ notes claim this blend was specially formulated to age well. Given his track record with finer wines, I believe it.

  • Street Clash

    STYLE by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi

    Runway fashion is to art on a pedestal as street fashion is to art…on a pedestrian. Enter Street Clash, an online style competition driven by bloggers and photographers from cities around the world, our metropolis included. If your favorite page of the Rake is Rake Appeal: Fashion as it Happens, you will lap this right up. Starting today, one photo will be posted from each competing city. Vote for what you think is the best ensemble, or rate them all. The cities that come out on top will then compete one on one, for 5 days at a time. The city that receives the highest number of votes for 3/5 days will move on to the next round. Eventually, there will be just one remaining remnant of prime fashion–the winner of STREET CLASH.

  • First Impressions: Rotisserie Brasa

    If Alex Roberts opened Rotisserie Brasa to prove a point, he has definitely succeeded. Everybody likes the idea of eating locally and sustainably, but the rap against organic-sustainable local restaurants like Roberts’ Restaurant Alma is, we are not going to save the planet by eating that way if most people can’t afford $25 entrees.

    At Rotisserie Brasa, in a former gas station remodeled (with help from Shea Architects) to look like a Caribbean chicken shack, Roberts applies the same planet-friendly approach at a much lower price point. Only two meats are offered: marinated rotisserie chicken, and a slow-roasted glazed pork shoulder. The chicken (from Kadejan Farms in Glenwood) is moist and juicy, but the real star is the fork-tender and succulent roast pork (from Six Point Berkshire Pork Cooperative in Cottonwood). Individual dinners cost $11 for a smaller portion of roast pork or a quarter chicken, or $13.50 for a half chicken or a larger portion of pork. (larger portions for sharing are also available.)

    Roberts has Louisiana roots, and the basic menu structure is a variation on the Southern tradition of meat-and-three: the price includes a choice of two side dishes from a list that includes collard greens, sweet plantains, yellow corn grits with cheddar, rice and pigeon peas with locally smoked ham, and several more. I grew up on a lot of this kind of cooking in Little Rock and New Orleans, and Roberts’ rendition of the sides is about as good as it gets: the corn grits with sharp cheddar is creamy and rich, and the sweet potatoes with andouille sausage are the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.

    A limited list of wines and beers are available.

    Brasa Premium Rotisserie, 600 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.