Hillary Owes Rush and Sean

It was desperate this morning west of the Dry Dock and south of Superior. No coffee! A few beans of de-caf were not going to make it happen, and the likelihood that I was soon going to be stripping off my clothes, painting my warrior-like body barn red with linseed oil and go shrieking off … Read more

Gangchen Bar & Restaurant

At 8:45 on a Friday night, the more popular Eat Street restaurants are still abuzz, but the dining room at 1833 Nicollet Ave. S. is empty. The former Soul City Supper Club has been reborn as the Gangchen Bar & Restaurant, with a logo that includes a martini glass tipped at a rakish angle. A … Read more

A MacGuffin in Minneapolis

Howard Hawks’ magnificent film noir classic, The Big Sleep, opens with a stark, moonlit scene of a car being dragged out of the Malibu Bay with a dead chauffeur inside. Never in the course of the film — which has Humphrey Bogart as private eye Philip Marlowe investigating a blackmailing scheme and falling in love … Read more

Another Plug for Eloquent Nude

Eloquent Nude: The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson is a remarkably resourceful hour-long documentary of the great photographer’s greatest love and the work they inspired in each other. Ms. Wilson, now 93, is candid in her remembrances and the reenactment work of their travels with the likes of Ansel Adams is … Read more

City Pages Snaps a Towel at Al Franken

In a world where everyone, especially celebrities are free roaming targets for everyone with a cellphone camera, Al Franken ought to be thankful City Pages’ newshounds don’t have his workout routine up on YouTube. Maybe tomorrow. City Pages posted a tiddy by writer Ben Westhoff describing Franken’s goofball antics in his condo work-out room. Reaction … Read more

Stink Fest

Garlic is often referred to as the Stinking Rose. Maybe that’s why this Saturday’s Minnesota Garlic Festival is being held waaaaaay out at the Wright County Fairgrounds. I imagine the westerly winds will soften the pungent aromas as they waft toward the Cities, so that on Saturday evening you will be struck by the odd … Read more

Dog Days

It’s been a mighty strange season, and I’m frankly exhausted. It obviously doesn’t take a whole lot of psychic energy to follow a genuinely good team. That’s probably not true, though, at least strictly speaking; to really follow any baseball team, day in and day out, takes a tremendous amount of psychic energy. It’s a … Read more

Life & Style in the Twin Cities

Under the shadow of the I-35W bridge collapse — but totally unrelated — came the launch of a new website, Minneapolis Picks — your total shopping guide. Don’t be misled by the shopping reference, though; this isn’t just trendy tops and shoes. The site covers everything from independent stores, to restaurants and services, events, and … Read more

Weekly Local Podcast

Get out that ipod, and upload the latest Flak Radio segment — or upload all of them and catch up. James Norton, former producer of The Al Franken Show, and Taylor Carik, journalist and man-about-town, interview guest hosts, discuss Flak Magazine stories and crazy stuff they find on the internet, and end each segment with … Read more