A Sventabulous Time!

What is it about Sven Sundgaard? All the other news anchors are just news anchors; chipper, vaguely good looking, with the ability to pull off a solid color pantsuit. But Sven, there’s just something about him. Is it his frighteningly tan skin, regardless of season? His petite faux-hawk, nice pec muscles, and suspicious gayness? What […]

Tots, Blood, and a Broken Jaw

Yesterday, I went to the State Fair with my dad, who is my all-time favorite person to go to the Fair with. Going to the Fair with my dad is like going to Vegas with Paul Rudd’s character in the movie Knocked Up. Except, instead of ingesting hallucinogens and risking pinkeye, we ingest epic quantities […]

The Mighty Midway and Other State Fair Classics

Day two at the Fair had me excited because I brought my husband, Jason, along. For years, he’s been listening to me say things like: "If we were at the State Fair, you could get that Snickers deep-fried." "I own a collapsable rake." "I mean think about it. Nearly ninety-pounds of butter shaped like our […]

Italiani's Family Restaurant Grill & Bar

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, […]

Stick-It!

*Read about Day Two here. *Then read about Day Three here.  To me, the State Fair rivals sex, strong drinks, and Law and Order: SVU reruns. And I love fornicating almost as much as I love watching TV. Walking into the State Fair, the guy who took my ticket told me to "enjoy something on […]

The Fairest of them All

The Rake‘s own local Olympian. A true athlete dedicated to her calling. A hometown hero back at it again. Special oh-so-brave correspondent Kathryn Savage will be making her rounds at the Minnesota State Fair. Graciously offering to spend more man-hours in attendance than you’d ever want to, our gal-on-the-scene is primed to try just about […]