Not Our Typical Friday Night

Let me start by saying that last Friday night was a good night.  I saw Michelle Obama’s motorcade and my first sharpshooter.  Ben met the First Lady and I met an awesome bartender at La Belle Vie who told me that I can swap my caramels for a cocktail anytime (clearly I met the better person).  And maybe most importantly, we ate like we were preparing for a cold, long winter at The Butcher & the Boar.

If you know Ben, you would know that he is not easily swayed by celebrities or politicians or really anyone that “pats themselves” on the back.  So, when he shook Michelle Obama’s hand on Friday night at the Gen44 event and extolled that “I will never wash this hand again,” it meant a lot.


While Ben was at the event, I was enjoying a cocktail at La Belle Vie which may be the most beautiful bar in the city.  They described the drink as a "sparkling concord grape gin punch with explosive flavors."  I don't know if I would have used the word "explosive" to explain the added absinthe and balsamic but it was definitely tasty.  

And then there was the food.  Perhaps it was because we thought the world was ending as it was in the upper 70s on March 16th or we were confused that winter was around the corner so we needed to build up a fat reserve...but in either case, the food was too delicious to turn down once we sat at the bar of The Butcher & the Boar.  

Our dinner included the:
  1. Pickled Heart Marcella: The hearts come from the StoneBridge beef farm in Long Prairie. I believe that the dish is a family recipe named after the owner's grandmother. This dish is not for the faint of heart (no pun intended) but definitely worth a try. 
  2. Wild Boar Hot Link: The sausage was great but did not taste as unique as I would have liked. Next time I want to try the walleye-wild rice sausage. 
  3. Fulton Beer-Battered Fries: Thank goodness there were only ten of these because I could have--and would have--eaten 50 myself. 
  4. Lobster Grilled Cheese: I do not use this phrase often but this was honestly one of the most amazingly delicious things I have ever eaten in my life.
Pickled Heart Marcella
Wild Boar Hot Link & Fulton Beer-Battered Fries
Lobster Grilled Cheese
Food aside, you must like this restaurant simply because they have one of the best logos ever: