It’s Fresh Forkin’ Friday, also known as National Bourbon Day +1. According to legend, yesterday was the anniversary of that magical day in Bourbon County, Kentucky when the Rev. Elijah Craig first discovered what happens when you distill corn mash and age it in a charred oak barrel. Now there are plenty of historians that can shout about lack of evidence and colloquial practices, not to mention the fact that Bourbon County wasn’t even the location of Craig’s distillery, but there’s something to bourbon that inspires a spinning of a good yarn. It feels like something as backwoods-American as bourbon should have a big ol’ storm of stories surrounding it. Afterall, sippin’ mash talkin’ trash is like a national pastime. Well, it’s mine at least.

Check out this interview with Jefferson’s Bourbon founder Trey Zoeller.

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OPENS

Cowboy Jack’s has opened another whoop-whooping outpost right next to Target Field (in what never became Aherns). This place makes the party statement up front with a mechanical bull anchoring the room. There’s a rooftop patio, it’s a low building so don’t have any visions of Wrigley-watching in your head, but there are a few fire pits, a full bar, and some swings. Girls in Daisy Dukes love swings.

COMING SOON

Fitger’s has announced that they are taking over the vacant Tracaderos space in North Loop (remember when it was Nikki’s?). It looks like it will be a brew-pub, much like their Duluth operations, with a little live music, good food, and rooftop action. The wild rice burger and blueberry porter already have a rabid following, can’t wait for fall!

Fika will be bringing the open-faced sandwich world as a new-Scandinavian cafe in the Nelson Cultural Center starting June 30.

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Taste of the Nation HOTlist is coming up fast so get your tix for the June 25 event. I love this event, it is stacked with the best restaurants in town and there are mixologists shaking drinks all over the place. Plus it benefits Share Our Strength which is a great organization battling childhood hunger.

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Are you up for some Hunger Games? Not the kind that means hunting and slaying your peers, rather the kind that means snacking from food trucks? I like that kind. We’ll be up in White Bear Lake on June 21 for just such fun and frolic, all you have to do is bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to Second Harvest Heartland and you’ll get free snacks from awesome local food trucks (like Natedog, Fork in The Road, Rusty Taco, and more) while they compete for cash and cool points. Much better than a handful of Nightlock.

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Cannon River Winery is opening to the public on a few Saturdays this summer, tomorrow being the first. Bring your own picnic and for a small fee you can get a guided tour of the vineyards, enjoy some live music, and sample a little vino.

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Come out to Linden Hills Co-op tomorrow from 1-2pm for a live broadcast of The Weekly Dish. Chef Scott Pampuch will be my co-host and Josh Thoma of Smack Shack will be on to talk lobster. Dave and Flo from Cedar Summit will also be there to chat about the upcoming Milkapalooza. Stop down and say HI, buy something non-perishable to donate to the Food for Families campaign, and you might get five seconds of fame on the radio!