Posts Tagged ‘progressive lunch’

Progressive lunch on bike great way to see south Minneapolis

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

The following is a guest post from Masami Kawazoto, local food blogger, Kingfield and Fulton Farmer’s Market board member, and avid cyclist. On Oct. 1, Masami led a ride of 10 south Minneapolis cyclists through south Minneapolis on a “progressive lunch on bike.” The following is her summary of that wonderful Saturday afternoon.

Earlier this summer, Bike Walk Move got in touch with me about organizing a progressive lunch by bike event. I was thrilled to be asked and said yes immediately. Why? For a few reasons – my husband Aaron and I have been car-less by choice since 2003 and use bikes as our main means of transportation from spring to fall, we are passionate about good food (especially the locally-sourced variety), we wanted to learn more about the bicycle amenities in Minneapolis, and we wanted to meet others who feel the same.

So on Sat., Oct. 1, a small group of bicycle and food enthusiasts gathered for the progressive lunch by bike. It was the perfect day for a ride – in Minnesota, you have to take advantage of sunny warm weather in October!

We gathered at the Fulton Farmers Market to peruse the market stands. Upon convening, we realized a number of us had bought the delicious granola from Bliss, who was making her Fulton Farmers Market debut that day. Aaron shared the apple cider he bought from Sweetland Orchards. After introductions, we were off on our bikes! Obeying all traffic laws, we cruised down 52nd Street until we hit Minnehaha Parkway, where we followed the bike path eastwards towards Wise Acre Eatery.

Wise Acre Eatery is pretty new to the restaurant scene in Minneapolis. They opened this summer in the former Liberty Frozen Custard location. For you locavores out there – this is THE place to eat. Most of the ingredients come from a farm near Plato, Minnesota. Wise Acre Manager, Caroline Glawe, was incredibly enthusiastic about our event and put together a “Bikers Special” for us – half of a grilled ham, jam, cheddar sandwich (their most popular sandwich) along with a cup o’ soup and a beverage. I admit I had reservations about strawberry jam in a hot ham and cheese sandwich. But I was so wrong, the sweetness of the jam complimented the briny saltiness of the ham and the rich cheese perfectly. I chose the squash and apple soup, which had a slight zing of ginger and came garnished with popcorn – fun!

Others ordered off the full menu – I saw a hearty hash with beautiful farm eggs, house-made sodas, and ham and egg sandwiches. We were also treated to a small bite of their house-made custard, with our choice of sauces. I chose a silky-smooth pumpkin custard and drizzled salted caramel on top. We all agreed we could’ve drunk vats of the salted caramel on its own. Wise Acre also has a pick-up window so it’s a great option for bicyclists looking for delectable local eats on the go.

Happily fed, we hopped on our bikes again to take the scenic route towards our next location. After backtracking on Minnehaha Parkway, we hit Bryant Avenue, taking advantage of the Bryant Ave. Bike Boulevard. Next was a turn onto 40th Street – also known as the RiverLake Greenway – followed by another turn onto First Avenue to take advantage of its new bike lane. Once we hit Uptown, we hopped onto the Midtown Greenway to make our way over to the Herkimer.

We arrived in time for happy hour at The Herkimer. Sitting outside on their picnic tables, we enjoyed their hand-crafted German beers over conversation. It’s pretty amazing how bikes, food, and drinks can bring people together. We didn’t all know each other but conversation flowed easily amongst us. We talked jobs, schools, kids, bike amenities, favorite restaurants and managed to get some professional networking in. I sampled the Oracle, a local vodka and energy drink cocktail created for our group – a great pick-me-up after biking all over Minneapolis.

We parted ways after the Herkimer after a lovely afternoon. I think my friend Frank Grazzini (picture above at left) summarized our day the best:  “I thought it would be a great way to visit a couple of places that are quickly becoming south Minneapolis landmarks, while getting to meet a few new people from my extended neighborhood.  As luck would have it we ended up getting one of the most beautiful fall days I’ve been able to relax and enjoy for a long time!  For me it sort of summed up most of the reasons I love Minneapolis: interesting people, the possibility of great weather, and an incredibly bike friendly environment.”

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