"The amount of Italian iron in the Twin Cities never ceases to amaze me. I was once again stunned by the annual Wheels Of Italy Show that took place at Lake Calhoun this weekend." August 24, 2007 I wrote that last year about this fantastic show (automotively speaking). This year the show was even bigger–in … Read more
WINE & DINE World Flavors at The Bulldog Northeast Hot tip alert! The Rake still has a VERY LIMITED number of tickets left for tonight’s World Flavors dinner at The Bulldog Northeast! Now, I know what you’re thinking, fancy pants, but the Bulldog is not just a cool bar with an awesome outdoor patio, killer … Read more
For many people the very idea of a sequel to Hamlet is preposterous. But if Shakespeare fans want to see a good tragedy, they should check out the last act of Hamlet 2. A truly funny slapstick film for the first hour, the tragedy of Hamlet 2 is that it turns away from its comedic … Read more
STATE FAIR TIP OF THE DAY The Education Building aka "The Free Building" I love free stuff. Even free stuff that sucks. I will happily snap up that pencil with a dentist’s website printed on the side of it, or any kitten/bald eagle/generic landscape calendar that comes into my hemisphere. I think free food tastes … Read more
My friend Nick and I strolled into the Looney Bean coffee shop in the tiny northern town of Crosby, Minnesota. We were grabbing some morning coffee and inquiring about the town’s upcoming community festival that we thought was called "Crosby Days." It was taking place that weekend and it sounded like a fun thing to … Read more
Well, now we know the reason behind Kobe Bryant’s curiously fitful and misguided play during the first seven games of the Olympic tournament: An absence of pressure. Nearly universally (and accurately) regarded as the best clutch shooter in the game today, Kobe’s commanding crunchtime aplomb was a superfluous virtue as the USA men ran roughshod … Read more
I got a hot tip recently – a sighting of a pasta making machine at Italiani’s Family Restaurant Grill & Bar, 3508 E. Lake Street. That’s pretty rare these days – making pasta by hand is very labor intensive. Back when I lived in the neighborhood, the place was known as the Lake Street Garage, … Read more
Perhaps it’s because I’m so NBA-centric and the Olympic team from Argentina has so many quality NBA pros on its roster (Gibobili, Scola, Nocioni, Oberto), but I always thought today’s semifinal would be USA’s toughest game of the tournament. And it probably was. After racing out to a huge lead that was 30-9 with six … Read more
So I’ve been at this blogging thing for a few months now, and judging from my comments sections, it would seem I’ve messed up kind of a lot. Which is to be expected, I suppose, as my personality is composed of equal parts naivety and ego — a mixture conducive to blanket statements that I … Read more
Local Gary Louris must likely get mobbed after shows in Spain, where he spends a good deal of time. I mean, the city of Bilbao gets a full Jayhawks show on September 6 – a Saturday headlining slot, closing out the Azkena Rock Festival. Here in the twin towns, Gary Louris walks among us largely … Read more