.randipetey.

I'm just a girl from Minneapolis who loves cats, food, art, iking and pretty things in no particular order.

[randipetey]

I got the cutest letter holder for my #makeup #palettes today! More coming soon! Buy Here! #shopping #homedesign

[randipetey]

Miracle at Lawless

Go check this out. If not for the drinks, for the holiday cheer!

On Sundays, they also have local vendors, and this is the LAST weekend!

[randipetey]

The Lynhall

Brunch Time! 

I FINALLY had the pleasure to dine at The Lynhall in Uptown this weekend! I had been meaning to check out this cafe-style restaurant for some time, but winters are hard and parking is awful.

They refer to themselves as a “market-style cafe” which is a pretty accurate description. They also have what I would considered “community style” seating, so you may be sitting at a table with a bunch of strangers. How Minnesotan!


The vibe is classy but comfortable with stark white walls, fixtures, and pops of pastel colors throughout. The wood tables and exposed wood beams on the ceiling offset what could have been a hospital feeling and make the place warm and cozy. They even have a cute fireplace area, which of course I swooped up right away, mimosa in hand!

I can’t attest to how their lunch/dinners fare, but their breakfast crowd was hopping. I was there to get a quick breakfast pastry and coffee, but after seeing the menu and the apple mimosa, I decided I was in it for the long haul and was going all out!


Let’s start with food, because isn’t that what you’re really here for? I’m typically your “Eggs and potatoes” type of girl. They only had one item on the menu like this, so I decided to try something I wouldn’t usually have. When looking online I saw they have a different quiche each day, so after perusing the menu I decided the quiche was the way to go!

Their quiche for the day was a fennel and leek quiche with salt and pepper. They served this with a salad, which made for a filing but light breakfast. The quiche was light and fluffy and not too dense. I was impressed with the bright taste of the food and the portion size. Perfect for one person but not overly filling so it was dragging you down for the rest of the day.

Now the mimosa… O.M.G. I never thought an apple mimosa could be this good! It was citrus and apple and perfect for a winter morning! I don’t know if there’s much more to say about this.

Overall I would definitely go back to The Lynhall. It would be a great place to bring a group of friends, try some food and have some drinks! Maybe on my list for my out-of-town friends when they visit!

[randipetey]

Sonic Highways

Yes, I'm two years behind the rest of the world. And no, this isn't going to be a blog ranting or raving about the Foo Fighters in particular. I don't feel judging this docu-series should be based solely on the musicians that helped create it. I came across Sonic Highways one night this week, when Netflix was being boring, and I finished watching the latest episode of Catfish. Don't judge. I began watching purely based on the fact that it had to do with the Foo Fighters, as I enjoy their music, but I was taken on this crazy musical journey across some of the major US cities. Is this show for people who are a fan of the band? Sure. Does it have more to offer to anyone else? Of course. The series covers cities like Chicago, Nashville, Austin and New York to name a few. It talks about everything from blues to country to punk rockers who helped shape the music scene. Influences from each of these cities are then used to inspire a new song for the Foo Fighters records. It takes you into some famous studios across the country, and paints fascinating picture of how some of these music moguls began their careers. Overall, I think this series is great for anyone who loves the music industry from the inside out. If you check it out, let me know what you think!

[randipetey]

Minneapolis wood prints via www.fashassassin.com

[randipetey]

A Vegan Butcher?!?

That’s right! I went to the Grand Opening of the Herbivorous Butcher this weekend. It’s this super awesome, local shop that opened in Minneapolis, where vegans and their carnivorous friends can get their faux meats and enjoy eating something that isn’t completely processed and unhealthy, all while saving the lives of pretty little animals. 

I began my life as a rather strict vegetarian about 10 years ago, after eating in Chinatown in NYC (we won’t get into that.) For about 6 years, I ate zero meat and nothing that had ever come in contact with gelatin. It came to a point where my diet just wasn’t healthy and conducive to my college/traveling lifestyle. I would eat processed junk, or those Morningstar/Boca faux meats, which are not as nutritious as one may think. At that point, I decided to try being a pescitarian. I respect whatever you eat or choose not to eat, but this is how I choose to eat currently.

I came across the Herbivorous Butcher at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market, and bought a package of their jerky. For anyone who’s ever tried vegetarian jerky, you know that stuff is not delicious. Herbivorous Butcher, you and your jerky won my heart. 

I started following the ventures of the brother and sister team from that moment on, and was excited when their Kickstarter to open a Vegan butcher shop in my beautiful city was underway. I attended a few tastings/events at Sisyphus Brewing, and wanted to try more! 

I’m not one to wait, or stand in line, and to be honest I almost went home, but powered through the two-hour wait to get me some vegan grub. They did an excellent job of keeping the event from turning into total chaos, and most people were able to wait inside until they could enter the butcher shop. The staff was very friendly, engaging, and they passed out some delicious samples. 

What did I taste?

Pastrami, turkey, maple sage sausage, sriracha brats, lots of vegan cheeses, and some other amazing samples. I really would love to try their pulled pork, however it sold out incredibly quickly both days. 

I ended up buying the Korean Ribs (below), Cajun Jerky and Sriracha Brats, because sriracha is literally my life. This was Saturday, and I’ve eaten it all, and am considering bribing people to bring me more sriracha brats, and maybe some Salt N’ Peppa Jerky. 

The Herbivorous Butcher is an excellent new business, and I would encourage anyone to stop in and check it out, vegans or not!

[randipetey]

A trip back to the 1920′s

There isn’t anything I love more than a Prohibition-style establishment, so when I heard there was a new speakeasy style bar in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood, I needed to find it. It was my goal. Keep in mind, you're not going to find a website, directions or even a phone number for this place, so when you find it, it’s like you’ve struck gold, but trust me, it’s worth hunting for. Not to mention, the dude it’s named after is notorious in Minneapolis for withholding booze, so it’s kind of like shoving his face in the mud, er... vodka?

Volstead’s Emporium opened in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood in December 2015. There was an article in the Minneapolis City Pages about it, but nothing to really grab you or hook you if you’re not looking for that kind of establishment. In the middle of the winter, there would normally be no way you’d get me to hunt dark alleyways for a hidden bar, but fuck yeah, I was up for this particular challenge. Taking a turn after the bondage shop, Volstead’s is nestled in a dark alley. You’ll have to take a few turns to get to, if you dare, and if there wasn’t a line of people, I may have even missed it.

Once you’re allowed access behind the thick metal door, you’ll go down some creepy-as-shit stairs into the darkness. You’ll be greeted by the most adorable hostess, who can seat you at a table (which we opted out of, due to the hour wait) however, there is plenty of comforatble standing room. Ok, now for the good stuff! 

Appearance:

Everything about this place screams 1920′s, from the attire of the hostess and bartenders, to their drink wear, tables, pictures, etc. There are crazy hidden passages behind the booths and bookcases, you’ll be amazed just watching the servers navigate through the dining area. My favorite part was the booths, which you were able to completely close off from the rest of the bar with velvet curtains. The picture frames on the other side of the booth opened up and you were able to be served in a completely private area. Despite the fact that the place was packed, it had an intimate feel, so you could get wrapped up in the company of whomever you came with, completely oblivious to the road of the crowd around you. It’s easy to tell the people who built this establishment took their time and worked hard to give you an authentic feel. You’ll forget the world around you when spending a few hours in Volstead’s. 

Drinks/Food:

Fucking awesome. I am a lover of the light liquors and of course, wine, (vodka, gin, tequila and maybe rum,) so this was a change for me. A lot of the drinks are made with bourbon or whiskey, which seems typical for the 20′s era, so I ordered whatever sounded delicious, and tested the drinks of others, you know, to make sure we were getting the good stuff. Unfortunately, this was a month ago, so I don’t remember what exactly I had, but I do know the Old Fashioned was raved upon. Also, not knowing they served food, we had eaten before arriving and can't attest to the food. Hopefully, there will be another outing to Volstead’s in the near future, so the food can be sampled. 

Service: 

This is VERY important to me, and is the number one thing that awed me about Volstead’s. If I have a bad experience some place, the world will hear about it, however, this was not the case at Volstead’s. Upon arriving, the wait was about 15 minutes just to get in the door, but the doorman was quick to let people in when others filed out. The hostess, bartender and waitress were simply amazing. As I said, we didn’t request a table, as there are plenty of rails to drink at, and the bar was right in the middle of everything. We found a place to stand at a rail near the bar, and I went to get drinks. The bartenders were very nice, joking with the patrons and put care into the drinks they were making. If that sliver of lemon peel wasn’t perfect, fuck it, they’ll slice you another one. Towards the end of the first drink, the hostess informed us she had a table if we wanted it. I was thoroughly impressed, as we were perfectly content standing and didn’t even ask to be put on a list for a table, not to mention the wait wasn’t even the 60 minutes she said it might be. 

Overall, Volstead’s is a place to go for a great overall experience. Would I frequent this bar every weekend, no, but I would take someone special there or hit this bar up for a special occasion. Also, I have been told you can book a private room for events, though I do not know how this works. Maybe by telegram? 

[randipetey]

Welcome!

I’m RandiPetey. I live in the great city of Minneapolis, which right now is a frozen tundra which I fucking hate. It’s also what is making me start this blog. 

I love Minneapolis. I love *almost* everything about it, with the exception of winters. I could never see myself leaving and not coming back. I’ve found some amazing places, and had some great adventures here. Most of the places I visit are places everyone has been to, but I want to share my experiences and the little things in life that make me happy. Plus, it’ll make me go out and see all the cool shit this town has to offer. There may be other cities in Minnesota that I cover, and there may be some travel experience. Wherever life takes me in 2016.

I plan to rotate through the following every week, though this month is going to be crazy, since I have things to write about, but not in this order. So, starting in February, expect this:

Week 1: “All things Art!” I’ll review/critique/give my fine artist opinion on a new art gallery/piece/artist I’ve come across. 

Week 2: “All things food!” I’ll give my opinions on some new restaurant I’ve tried. Note to everyone: I am a pescetarian, so you won’t be getting that review on a $100 steak, but I will give you my honest opinions on what I think of everything, from the wine (because I fucking love wine), to the staff, and of course, the food. Maybe I’ll even find someone to eat that steak for me, and give you an awesome guest review every now and then.

Week 3: “All things Local!” I’ll let you know about some super awesome local place. Might be a new local business, might be a new bar, but it will always be something you can only find in Minnesota! 

Week 4: “All things Whatever!” I’ll give you whatever is on my mind for the month. 

For now, I’ll be giving you a review on a new, and probably not-so-secret Speakeasy in Minneapolis tomorrow! Look for a new blog each Sunday going forward.