Summer Lovin’
By Andrew Zimmern
Lots to talk about kids. Buckle up.
It's getting a little out of control at the Great Minnesota Get-together. Pig Lickers, Pickle Pops, Big Fat Bacon. Charlie Torgerson, who last year gave us Kool-Aid pickles, is doing the Pig Licker, chocolate-dipped bacon strips seasoned with sea salt. Sounds fine to me! Pickle Pops are freezer pops made with real pickle puree and juice. Sounds like that treat will only be as good as the quality of the pickle and the brine. If it is vinegar-based brine and oversized commodity cukes are used, then watch out, not so hot. On hot summer days, I have been known to tipple a juice glass of Ba-Tempte brand pickle juice.
Big Fat Bacon sounds glorious. "One-third pound of bacon, fried and caramelized with maple syrup and served on a stick," according to press releases. I think that barring large execution or quality snafus (always a problem!), this bacon treat should be a huge hit for years to come.
The pickle juice freezer pop will be a dud, and the unless there is a huge surprise, I could care less about the tater tots on a stick (I like mine in a cup or on a plate!); Norwegian-style cheese curds served with lingonberry sauce (again, this is less of a new item and more of a twist on something old—and not a very good one at that); and Leprechaun Legs, which are deep-fried green beans. That one sounds like a complete waste of time—although, I think that somewhere in there is a good idea . . . mixed vegetable tempura, anyone?
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Oceanaire is launching a serious menu in celebration of Copper River and Yukon king salmon season. It all kicks off on June 28.
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Salut in St. Paul is kicking ass and taking names . . . or not taking names in case you are one of the people who would rather not wait in long lines for tables at the outdoor café on Grand Ave. The early reports are very good, service is efficient and friendly, and the food is what we have come to expect from Salut, which is exactly what Grand Ave. needs: simple fare that is well-prepared in stylish and family-friendly surroundings.
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Seth Bixby Daugherty’s new charitable endeavor, Real Food Initiatives, finally has an Internet presence; the site is up and running. You should check it out and forward this link on to all your friends and family. More than a year ago, Seth decided to make this his life’s work, and in that time, the issues he is confronting from a solutions-based perspective (child hunger, healthy school lunch programs, child obesity, rising food prices, etc.) have only grown louder in terms of national conversation. His appearances on national talk shows and his growing roster of contacts have made RFI a program to keep your eye on as the year moves onward.
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Punch Pizza on Grand Ave. opens in September in the space that was formerly occupied by the short-lived Hazelden Book Store, across the street from the Wild Onion. The Punch location will not be one of the full-service restaurants (ie: Highland Park) but will be one of the quick-serve locales (ie: all the other Punch Pizza outlets). Now I don’t know about you, but the speed and efficiency of the Punch outlets doesn’t get me excited at all.
I keep going back to the Punch in Highland Park because I want the offerings of a true Neapolitan-style pizzeria: salads, antipasto, and all the pizza and calzone choices. I understand why the suits at Punch are eager to roll out the kiosks in certain locations (office and business districts, etc.): They are easier to build, replicate, and manage. But in residential areas, such as Grand Ave., I think they have misjudged the marketplace. I would create a duplicate of the Highland location on Grand Ave., and I don’t think it would cannibalize the business by having two sit-down eateries so close to each other. On Grand Ave., there are so many families, so many potential customers willing to contribute to the larger check averages associated with a sit-down eatery that I am dumbfounded as to why the Punch mavens would open a quick-serve property there. And as a customer who lives closer to the new locale than the Highland restaurant, I will continue to go to Highland Park. I love that place.
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Andrew, I probably am not speaking for everyone but as a father with a 1 1/2 year old who can be difficult in restaurant settings, I utilize the Calhoun Punch Pizza outlet quite often. In fact, we probably eat there up to once a week. If our only option was a sit down restaurant, I wouldn't see us eating there more than once a month. So, they probably look at it as this: they could have my $100 over the course of the month or $40 (from a higher bill from sitdown) if they had a sitdown restaurant. On top of that $40, they would most likely have a lower margin on that service due to the employment of wait staff, etc. I actually think the outlet model is very efficient and effective (people can still sit and eat and many do). They even added the benefit/purchase option of a 1/2 beer for $1.50 while you wait for your "to go" purchase. Maybe I am in a small bucket but I would think that for other people with kids who like pizza other than Pizza Hut or Dominos fit in this bucket.
Posted by: Eric on June 24, 2008 at 9:48 AM
AZ...are you ever going to give us your take on Heidi's? Word.
Posted by: Dee Wayne on June 25, 2008 at 8:10 AM
I'll give you my word on Heidi's. It's very good. I'll return, and it is easily my top restaurant experience of 2008. Although I wasn't a fan of the space ( a little loud, open and sparse with waiting couples stuck up front inches away from diners) I did like the food and service, and overall it's a bit of a bargain. Not so hidden gem: the cheese course at the end is fantastic, and the best I've ever had nationwide. The owner obviously cares about the place, the menu is interesting and not overly-ambitious. It's not a place for diners to show off, or for foodies to brag about having been. It's just a good restaurant, plain and simple. We need more of them.
Posted by: Word This on June 25, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Hi Andrew,
John and I appreciate your mention of our upcoming opening on Grand Avenue.
We love out original pizzeria in Highland Park as well and will never change its format. The new pizzeria on Grand will offer, as all of our quick service pizzerias do, the same pizzas that we offer in Highland (the only product difference is more wines and antipasti). We also offer what we affectionately call our "dead pizzas." These are pizzas we used to serve in Highland and are no longer on the menu but have a loyal following. We have a hidden icon in the food section of our website, punchpizza.com, that brings this hidden menu up.
Addtionally, our quick service restaurants have more seats inside and out than our Highland store, and while the coziness of the Highland dining room is hard to beat, the newer pizzerias, Grand included, have community tables and booths made from reclaimed wood that has a nice neighborhood pizza joint feel.
Again thanks for the mention and we understand your preference for full service dining.
P.S. "Suites"? John and I have not worn a suite in 10 years - we even have chefwear baggy pants on when we meet with our banker.
Posted by: john puckett on June 25, 2008 at 1:17 PM
My wife and I go to Punch almost every other week and I continue to just LOVE it. Does it ever get old? I hope not. I'm for the more the merrier, the more Punches the better. We'll see when it opens.
Posted by: rob barrett on June 27, 2008 at 12:21 AM
I usually agree with you on most points, but I could not disagree with you more on your Punch comments. I am a HUGE Punch lover and have been for years. Until a couple months ago however, I had never been the "real" Punch in Highland. All of the old-school Punch lovers have always maintained that the Highland Punch is the only real Punch experience, but I don't really get the big differce, other than the cramped hour long wait for a table on a Friday night and slightly higher prices. I've had some tell me the pizza is better at the Highland location, but I haven't found that to be true. I think it's fabulous whereever you go. Having a quick-serve location on Grand so close to DT St Paul allows the St Paul workforce to treat themselves to a Punch lunch which wouldn't be possible with a sit-down style restaurant. I prefer the path of least resistance when it comes to Punch - the more quick serve establishments, the better.
Posted by: Joe on June 27, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Closed-circuit to Doug Flicker.
I know you read this blog from time to time. The old Zander Cafe space is still open. I drive by every day and it is still dark. It is begging for someone to open it. I know you are at Porter and Frye, but you know Selby Ave and Cathedral Hill could use a forward thinking neighborhood restaurant.
Posted by: Dearly Missing Auriga and Doug on June 27, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Hello Andrew, would you believe the kids love pickle pops. And kids undergoing chemotherapy love them because their taste buds are out of whack. And would you believe it people with cystic fibrosis like them due to their dietary needs.
Posted by: David Millar on June 28, 2008 at 12:44 AM
I'd like to encourage fans of BOTH types of Punch to check out Pizza Nea on E. Hennepin. Pizza is insanely subjective, but Nea is as good or better than anyone's.
Posted by: ScrappyDont on June 29, 2008 at 3:14 PM
hey scrappy...subjectivity is objectivity in an a priori relationship...but I digress. NOTHING GETS ME MORE PERPLEXED than the idea that anyone could think in a million years than Nea is even in the same league as Punch.
It isn't. Punch has no competition in the state for pizza, none. They are 100 times better than their nearest competitor.
Posted by: Andrew Zimmern on July 2, 2008 at 12:27 AM
100 times better?
The only thing I can think of that's 100 times better than ANY pizza would be a date with Marisa Tomei. Maybe that's just me, though.
Punch feels like I'm back in line at the cafeteria in college, and the pizza isn't good enough to overcome that vibe.
Again, maybe it's me. I won't argue with, or diss, the Punch fans...PERPLEXED as I may be.
Posted by: WatchityRatchet on July 4, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Hi Andrew,
Have not seen you since you checked out our egg pizza a few years ago for your TV food segment, thank you again for the opportunity. Also, Thank you for the the kind words by Beth Dooley in the March 2008 edition of MSP "Critics Picks". Thanks Beth!
Pizza Nea Update: We are currently offering seasonal pizzas every 4-6 weeks with a wine pairing, and are very proud of the quality of ingredients in every Pizza Nea pizza both imported (Prosciutto, Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano ) and domestic. All of our Ingredients are listed on the menu (most with their place of origin) so that our customers know what they are paying for. Whenever possible we buy local organic produce.
Thanks again Beth!,
Sincerely, "The marketing Department / Owner of Pizza Nea".
-Mike Sherwood
Posted by: Mike Sherwood on July 22, 2008 at 12:37 PM