Chatterbox Pub in St. Paul, Minnesota [VIDEO]

The Chatterbox Pub is one of my favorite spots in St. Paul, be it for business lunches or happy hours. The food is great, service excellent, the craft beer is brewed on site and you can play retro video games to your heart’s delight!

Chatterbox Pub is located at 800 Cleveland Ave S, St Paul, MN 55116. Phone: (651) 699-1154. Hours: 11 AM – 1 AM, Mon-Fri; 8 AM – 1 AM Saturday; 8 AM – 12 AM Sunday. Chatterbox Pub in St. Paul, Minnesota via David Erickson.

Rooster’s BBQ Deli in St. Paul, Minnesota [VIDEO]

Q Fanatic in Champlin used to be my favorite Minnesota BBQ restaurant. But they’ve been supplanted by Rooster’s BBQ Deli in Saint Paul since I discovered Rooster’s several years ago. Since I live in St. Paul, Rooster’s obviously is more convenient but it is also a lot better.

It’s a go-to restaurant for me on Saturdays after a few touch football games. I usually get a baby back rib dinner that includes fries, a roll and coleslaw but lately I’ve been getting the combo meal with ribs and chicken. Their spicy hot is actually hot, not “Minnesota hot,” which is mild. You can eat in, though there isn’t a lot of room for that; I always order take out. They also cater.

Roster’s BBQ Deli is located at 979 Randolph Ave St Paul, MN 55102. Phone: (651) 222-0969. Hours: 11 AM – 9 PM, Closed Mondays. Rooster’s BBQ Deli in St. Paul, Minnesota via David Erickson.

LeRoy Neiman, American Impressionist

Saint Paul artist LeRoy Neimman, considered the American impressionist, died Wednesday at 91 years of age. From the New York Times:

Mr. Neiman’s kinetic, quickly executed paintings and drawings, many of them published in Playboy, offered his fans gaudily colored visual reports on heavyweight boxing matches, Super Bowl games and Olympic contests, as well as social panoramas like the horse races at Deauville, France, and the Cannes Film Festival.

Quite consciously, he cast himself in the mold of French Impressionists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir and Degas, chroniclers of public life who found rich social material at racetracks, dance halls and cafes.

LeRoy Neiman Painting of Minnesota Twins Hall Of Famer Harmon Killebrew

LeRoy Neiman - Harmon Killebrew Painting

LeRoy Neiman Self-Portrait

LeRoy Neiman Self Portrait

We’re 50th!

The Best Colleges website has ranked the top 50 most amazing college campuses in the US and the University of Minnesota has made the list…just barely, at number 50. [SEE THE LIST.] Here’s why:

Not only is the main campus of the University of Minnesota located in the “Happiest City in America” it also starts our list of the prettiest college campuses in the country. Ranked as a Public Ivy school for its excellence in academic standards, this campus boasts great facilities like the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, and the oldest building on campus, Pillsbury Hall. Students will enjoy the view between the East and West sides of campus as they cross the Mississippi river via the Washington Avenue Bridge.

Tonight: Dr. Zahi Hawass On Egypt Past & Present – Fitzgerald Theater

Dr. Zahi Hawass On Egypt Past & Present

Dr. Zahi Hawass presents “Egypt Past and Present” at the Fitzgerald Theater on Friday, June 10th at 8:00 p.m. For the first time publicly, since the recent Egyptian revolution, esteemed archaeologist, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and newly appointed Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass will present how the recent events have impacted Egypt’s antiquities. He will also share the latest scientific findings about King Tut based on the recent forensic studies as well as provide insight into his latest discoveries in Egypt. [DETAILS.] Found at YouTube from heritagekeymedia.

Downtown Saint Paul Food Truck Court

Downtown Saint Paul Food Truck Court

Every Wednesday during the Summer a handful of local food trucks form a stationary convoy along Kellogg Boulevard in Downtown Saint Paul to feed the lunchtime crowd. Word of warning: Most of these trucks do not take plastic. Food Truck Court In Saint Paul Minnesota from David Erickson.

I had the Grilled Trout from 128 Cafe. It was absolutely delicious:

Grilled Trout from 128 Cafe
Grilled Trout from 128 Cafe Food Truck

 

Here’s 128 Cafe’s food truck menu:

128 Cafe's Food Truck Menu
128 Cafe's Food Truck Menu

 

Grand Old Day Music Line Up

Grand Old Day Music

This year’s Grand Old Day is this Sunday, June 5, from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and, as usual, there’s a full slate of bands to choose from. Here’s a sampling of the lineup. [DETAILS.]. (Visit Audiolicious.tv for daily music videos.)

Grand Old Day 2011 Trailer

Found at YouTube from GrandOldDay.

Arc Flash Hazard: You’re My Home

Found at YouTube from ArcFlashHazard.

Church Of Cash: Folsom Prison Blues

Found at YouTube from ktebeest.

Tim Sigler Band: Free and Easy

Found at YouTube from timsiglerband.

Hookers & Blow: Led Zeppelin

Found at YouTube from tapemark.

White Iron Band: Minnesota Song

Found at YouTube from hollywood94.

GB Leighton: Lonely Long

Found at YouTube from mw8792.

The Arms Akimbo: Giving Up For Good

Found at YouTube from 893TheCurrent.

Communist Daughter: Not The Kid

Found at YouTube from 893TheCurrent.

Chris Koza: Redwood Skyline

Found at YouTube from GRODMIN.

No Bird Sing: Devil Trombones

Found at YouTube from nobirdsing.

Mayda: Get Loud

Found at YouTube from MNoriginal.

Phantom Trails: Real Savage

Found at YouTube from kingofthecastle7.

Dead Man Winter: Victory

Found at YouTube from rcsskier.

The 4ontheFloor: On Tuesdays

Found at YouTube from Youa55443.

Heiruspecs: 5evs

Found at YouTube from Heiruspecs5ves.

Basilica Block Party Lineup

Basilica Block Party Lineup

The Basilica Block Party this year is scheduled for July 8 & 9. The Basilica Block Party musical lineup will include David Gray, Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, the JAYHAWKS, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Drive-By Truckers, Amos Lee, Gomez, Stuart D’Rozario, Lissie, Scars on 45, Fitz and The Tantrums, G. Love & Special Sauce, Citizen Cope, and The 4onthefloor. [DETAILS.] Get daily music videos at Audiolicious.tv.

Babylon by David Gray

Found at YouTube from davidgrayVEVO.

Beg Steal or Borrow by Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs

Found at YouTube from TheEllenShow.

Blue by The Jayhawks

Found at YouTube from Abstractstv.

The Sound Of Sunshine by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Found at YouTube from MichaelFrantiVEVO.

Never Gonna Change by Drive-By Truckers

Found at YouTube from rspaceball.

Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight by Amos Lee

Found at YouTube from nameinamillion.

See The World by Gomez

Found at YouTube from IndependienteRecords.

Pursuit of Happiness by Lissie

Found at YouTube from LissieVEVO.

Give Me Something by Scars on 45

Found at YouTube from scarson45.

MoneyGrabber by Fitz and The Tantrums

Found at YouTube from FitzandTantrumsVEVO.

Cold Beverage by G. Love & Special Sauce

Found at YouTube from GLoveSSVEVO.

I Couldn’t Explain Why by Citizen Cope

Found at YouTube from citizencope.

Bricklayer by The 4onthefloor

Found at YouTube from mplstv.

Light Rail

Minneapolis Light Rail
Minneapolis Light Rail

I admit to being highly skeptical that light rail would work in the Twin Cities.

You had to convince me–someone who loves to drive (Seriously? I get to do this every day? For free?!?)–to get out of my car and take a train, with a bunch of other people?

No way.

Then, during a trip to Washington, DC, I tried their subway system and I was sold. I’d totally use light rail, if the Twin Cities built such a system.

Well, years removed from that revelation, I finally took my first light rail ride two weeks ago from my office in Bloomington to three blocks from Target Field. It was a breeze and I imagine I’ll be doing a lot more of it once the Central Corridor system connects Minneapolis to Saint Paul.

In the meantime, I’ll need to endure this (still, no pain, no gain):

Light Rail Construction on University Avenue
Light Rail Construction on University Avenue In Saint Paul