Could it be true that spring weather has finally arrived in Minny? I know that rumors of snow are circulating today...but I'm blocking that out and instead focusing on the beautiful day we had yesterday. I hope you all were able to get out and enjoy a piece of it. T and I walked around Harriet and I'm pretty sure all of the inhabitants of Minneapolis had the same idea. Dogs, strollers, walkers, runners, and the occasional over-zealous biker trying to weave through the traffic, all came together to enjoy the sunshine and cheer on the melting.
T and I uncovered our patio furniture early in the day. Given the sun exposure of our backyard, this did involve a bit of ice chipping (T obliged even though he thinks I'm a bit nuts)... I was determined to take advantage of every sunny moment! Someone else was pretty excited to have her favorite sunning-spot back in action as well.
Outside of the sunny weather, the highlight of the weekend was trying out the new uptown eatery, Boneyard Kitchen & Barwith my good friends on Saturday night. This restaurant opened about a month ago and is located where Old Chicago used to be on Hennepin Ave. It has a summer comfort vibe with a nice mix of modern/industrial decor touches. My fave component was the back wall display of cast irons skillets. They have a fun variety of "libations" to choose from, including craft cocktails and a large variety of beers on tap. I tried the Point Brewing "Burly Brown" out of Stevens Point, WI, and really enjoyed it.
Our server recommended the Crab Hush Puppies and the Deviled Eggs, so we opted for both.
It's hard to go wrong with hush puppies...fried dough? I'll take it. We all really enjoyed the curry-mustard dipping sauce they were served with.
An inside view for you. Light, puffy, and crunchy. Again, fried dough...it's tough not to like.
I was most excited to try the deviled eggs. Are deviled eggs making a come back? How do you feel about it? As someone who frequently has hard boiled eggs for lunch...I'm in full support. Seriously though, is this a thing? Martha Stewart has been pinning recipes for several gourmet recipes lately. I digress...back to these deviled eggs: they were delicious. I loved the jalapeno and bacon toppings-a bit of salty crunch, and a bit of zippy spice.
The menu has a lot of great choices, and it was hard to turn down fried chicken and waffles, but we all ended up ordering the "3 Meat Combo," mostly because we couldn't decide which meat we most wanted to try! The platter (enough for at least two other meals), came with brisket, pulled pork, st. louis ribs, coleslaw, and a buttermilk biscuit. You also got to choose two sides. I opted for sweet potato french fries and mac and cheese (made with pimento cheese).
I really enjoyed the ribs, especially because they are served with 3 bbq sauces for you to choose from. Truth be told, I didn't even get to the brisket or pulled pork at the restaurant because I was stuffed. I took those parts home and T and I made wraps with them for lunch on Sunday. I enjoyed the sweet potato fries dipped in the mustard-based bbq sauce, but I wasn't super thrilled with the coleslaw or mac and cheese. This discussion on Eater Minneapolis suggests that if I visit again, I should go for the cottage fries. *Update: a friend gave a strong recommendation for the cornbread, mashed potatoes, and baked beans as alternate side choices!
Overall: the vibe was fun and the bbq/beer were tasty. Most importantly, I got to spend time with my favorite people sampling food. It doesn't get better than that. So far, Boneyard has gotten positive reviews on Yelp, and I saw a tweet from MSP Magazine yesterday that the outdoor patio was packed. So, here's hoping it stays around! Have you tried Boneyard? What other new restaurants are on your radar? Wishing you a great week, -The Delicious Dabbler
