It's a Fresh Flaggin' Friday and if you're at work, hopefully it's only a half day. By sundown, I'll be sippin' mash and talkin' trash with my friends, loved ones, and people who just tolerate me because I cook them dinner. I'm telling a pulled pork, elote, and fennel slaw story this weekend. Happy Fourth!

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NOT OPEN:

Cue has finally shut it's doors as they prepare to soften for Sea Change, coming July 21st. I'm thinking lots of sea nets and oars hot glued to the shiny blue/black walls, you?

AL'S Bar off of Excelsior Blvd. and France Ave. will be closing on July 11th. Really. I know he's been threatenting to close for years, but it seems like this time it's for real. Will the condos erected over the site have the same musty funky peanut-shell smell?

I don't need to go over the whole D'Amico/Chambers thing again, right?

ALMOST OPEN:

I popped over to the impending Galaxy Drive In and, for good or bad, there isn't a hint of the crusty old Wagner's. The joint was hopping with workmen buffing up the last bits of day-glo shine, and they were unloading an army of purple picnic tables. Burgers for all starting on Monday.

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If I'm borderline obsessed with crepes, does that make me a crepeofile? a crepephiliac? or just crepe-y? I won't be able to pass up Chef Alain Lenne of La Belle Crepe turning the buckwheat beauties at the Richfield Farmers Market on July 11th. A demo with free sampling will run from 8:30am to 9:30am.

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It's the summer of the sandwich for Pastrami Jack's. In honor of their win at the Taste of Edina, they're offering $3 off any of their award-winning sammies until August 31. Simply mention the Taste of Edina to score the deal.

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Tangletown Gardens has launched a Daily Farm Market, offering sustainably grown veggies, herbs, and edible plants from their farm near Plato, MN. Lucky neighbors won't have to wait for the weekend markets to get their dirt-fresh allotments of radishes, snap peas, and kohlrabi which are all in-store now.