I'm writing a book and finished with round 1 of edits last night so I thought I'd step out for a quick drink.  I go to the University of MN libraries when I want to get stuff done since the only distractions are young nubile college girls.

Here's from the west bank.  That's downtown Minneapolis and the Metrodome in the middle, downtown Mogadishu on the left.


Off to St. Paul to my favorite restaurant.  First course is Octopus.  This was really good stuff.  Every time I have octopus or tako sushi, it's usually rubbery.  This stuff was very tender approaching the consistency of crab meat.



As soon as I bit into it I was inspired to switch immediately from beer to scotch.  Is that a fucking dram or what?  See the bottle missing on the shelf in the background?  That would be the Laphroig quarter cask.  I like Lagavulin more than Laphroig when it comes to peat since Lagavulin seems complex while Laphroig is seems to be all about peat.  The quarter cask is different though, very complex.  Perfect combination with octopus.



This chicken was amazing.  Incredibly tender, incredibly flavorful.  I was trying to figure out a good wine, but thought Sherry would go well with the chicken.  



This little guy kept following me around.  All though this is an upscale restaurant where the waiter will sing Italian opera to you on request and a lot of marriage proposals have happened here, they have these all over the bar for some reason.  Poor guy lost his arms somehow.



And the damage.  Not bad for happy hour for one.

Please, pass the grey poupon bitch.

+1

EDIT: I am just jealous.

1 DESCH PORTER = Deschutes?  They have that in the Midwest?

Now I'm hungry for tentacle...

I agree with you about the quarter cask.  Laphroig is a very good whisky.

+ 1 for your choice of Lagavulin as a fine Scotch.

- 1 for not posting pics of said "young nubile college girls".

Neutral outcome.  

Eats $77 meal, carries a Taurus.

Well, I looked at a map, and Minnesota seems like along ways away from the coast or ocean.  I wouldnt trust any octopus, .  Tako sushi, or tako in general, should depend upon location and how it is prepared.  It could be pre cooked, and flash frozen, and then recooked again giving a rubbery texture, or any number of ways.


Here is somewhat of a correct way to consume tako, semi raw because the top has been more or less charred.  

There is also the entirely raw tako


As far as I know, rubbery tako is due to overcooking.  Overcooked octopus means its like rubber, literally.

I treat myself like that every year or so. Gotta sharpen the saw once in a while. Looks like a good time.  

Looks like some of my expense receipts when I'm traveling.

Been over twelve years since I lived in Mpls....is that "downtown Mogadishu" building still referred to as "the ghetto in the sky?"

I used to work security and section-8 housing patrols in a lot of the, uh, classier areas of the Twin Cities.

Played the game wrong.


Bar tab is supposed to be equal to, or greater than the food tab.

Knew that was coming.  Have you seen all those f'ing pics of the exploded S&W airweights?

Irony = a 80 buck lunch and a pic of a POS Taurus

Yup.  



They painted it a while back.  Still ugly but not that hideous peach colored aberration that it was before.

My old stomping grounds. Thanks for the memories.

What sort of book is it?

I dont know, but a $77 happy hour meal for one. It better be a damn good one!

The bottom pic, a little steamed? W/miso? I wanna try it live!

I didn't even know about that neighborhood until like 2 years ago.  We always would just go to Uptown or DT Mpls when we wanted good food.  Now I'm always trekking over to The Happy Gnome and Frost's.

The book is about a couple of business men who start their own green movement.  I examine the motivations of the movement through the characters.  (Is it about the environment or is it about money?  Or is it about power with the same people trying to control Americans with the same old product just packaged differently.)  I wrote the script for an independent film and thought there was more material that could be good as a novel.  So I'm doing the book after the movie.  Here's the trailer.  

Fuck that.  I'd rather go to the bar and grill and get a good burger , fries, appetizer , and some beer.   Maybe a shot or two,  if I'm not driving.  

Bottom pic isnt steamed, its raw.  IE soy sauce and wasabi, or whatever the shop serves it with.

I noticed that too. My fridge is stocked with Black Butte Porter right now

 

Yup, I've seen it at liquor stores (the kind with lots of craft beer) and hipster bars.  It's here.

Waiting for the $150 dinner pic receipt with the Hi-Point.

I just want to say, if anyone gets there octopus/octopi/cthlulu,  and its rubber, send it back and get a refund.  Octopus should never be like chewing on a tire, IMO it has been overcooked.  It should be rough on the outside, and soft and chewable on the inside.  Rubbery octopus means overcooked octopus.

Edit

If you smell a strong ocean or pugnant smell, best not to eat it raw..