Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Over the holidays, Dave Loomer brought me a little gift from Illinois: Tom Seefurth's Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer. For a pizza and beer lover such as myself, one might wonder if this is a match made in heaven or hell.

The bottle indicates that the beer is so good it "deserves a wine glass." A bizarre standard: I generally think many great beers deserve a pint glass. As well, there's glasses with stems that are designed for great beers but I'm not familiar with any beer in a wine glass. Okay, maybe this is part of the joke. This beer is a joke, right?

Well, according to their story they take themselves, well, somewhat half-way seriously, I think. Minus the pink hair. They sure seem to be proud of their product either way.

I put it into a large wine glass and the beer is a darker, cloudy amber color with the scent of what my fridge smells like if I keep pizza leftovers in it for a couple days. Tasting this beer is a continual conflict of flavors: is this pre-chewed major-chain pizza or a NASCAR beer? While either have their time and place (I admit to having a few slices of Little Caesars a couple months ago) I tried hard to allow the flavors to be together as one product. I don't think I can do it again.

I will say is that it certainly is worth trying once.

Visit Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer to find a bottle for yourself. If you're too far away, check out The Onion's A.V. Club taste test Pizza Beer.

Aaron Landry & Liz Glover, originally uploaded by fimoculous.

For the Republican National Convention, CNN transformed the Eagle Street Grille into the CNN Grill. It's directly across the street from the Xcel Energy Center and like a similar establishment in Denver for the RNC, it was completely redone with new exterior signs, red walls, branded umbrellas, televisions, a small studio space and even some of the booths were changed to fit CNN's brand. The pint glasses were changed out and there was even a news marquee and huge neon sign over one of the bars. Photos on the wall ranged from scenes of political signage to a bizarre set of large frames showcasing logos under the CNN brand, like "iReport" and "CNN Airport Network." There was nothing inside or outside that I could see that said "Eagle Street Grille." It was as if this theme restaurant had always been here.

Access required being credentialed for the security perimeter as well as wearing a pass from CNN. Inside were piles of swag and gift bags. It was heavily staffed, brightly lit and had reliable internet access. Like many of the RNC-related parties, everything on the menu was on the house. Quite the deal, especially as it wasn't the Eagle Street Grille's regular menu either: they flew in chef Michael Romano and others from New York to run the kitchen and all the food was replaced out. There were a few special bottles at the bar and the drinks were poured strong. Despite my disdain towards Makers Mark, I couldn't resist ordering from the bottle dipped not only in red wax, but with two more layers in white and blue too (hey, I had to remind myself "when in Rome..." quite a bit during the RNC). At a table I was at on Wednesday, we joked about how a gin and tonic fits into a full pint glass. There was a Texas joke somewhere there. I talked with Andrea Mayer at the Eagle Street Grille the Saturday after the convention and she told me about the long hours people were working confirmed to me what some of the wait staff told me during the week: they don't even know exactly what they're being paid. While this surprised me at first, she, "did it for the experience." The tips were being pooled that week which seemed rather antithetical considering the crowd but then I reminded myself that there were more media people here than there were Republicans. I said I didn't see people tipping when I was there and she interrupted "oh, they were tipping" and without saying directly, indicated she had no qualms about the compensation. During the week, I talked with another woman on the CNN Grill's waitstaff who was a recent college graduate and came back to work for the week because of the deal. Even still, she didn't know how much exactly she was being paid either. It was clear she thought it was going to be enough to be worth it. I asked Mayer if there were any issues or problems they had as a result of the CNN Grill taking over and she paused. She wasn't able to blame CNN for anything but said the main problem was her disappointment of hearing "the regulars wanting their bar back." For the week, it was the place to hang out with media. CNN's "CNN Grill" tag on Political Ticker mentions only a few who were there, New York Times' David Carr humorously includes the CNN Grill in one of his videos, and the people I was with would be frequently pointing out people they knew. It was a big reminder that while I may know some faces in the local media scene, I'm quite unfamiliar with most faces nationally. Some of the people I met would start by asking where I'm from. One responded, "oh, you're from here? Wow." The experience at the booth I sat at went like this: I was sitting next to FishbowlNY's Glynnis MacNicol who was celebrating a birthday after midnight (turning 27 if I remember correctly? ;-) ) so they brought out some cupcakes with packets of red and blue frosting to decorate with. One was lit with a candle with the words "Happy Birthday" written out in frosting. There was a bowl of sprinkles that 23/6's Eugene Mirman grabbed, threatened to use in some form on the booth next to us and then dumped them back in the bowl. No surprise he was earlier questioned by secret service after causing trouble inside the Xcel Energy Center. He talked CNN President Jon Klein into receiving a kiss on the cheek from him. Klein introduced himself to me and shook my hand without saying his name. A couple CNN anchors and correspondents from The Daily Show were hanging out while others donning a boatload of credentials and pins pushed through a thick crowd holding small "McCain/Palin" signs fresh out of Sarah Palin's speech. Wonkette videographer Liz Glover stopped by and showed me her Barbie-branded pink Polaroid camera where I snapped a shot with her and Rex Sorgatz. We played with Glover's "70's microphone" not long after the CNN Grill dog Sara (who roamed the CNN Grill freely) completely control an interview with her. Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar and Time Magazine / Swampland's Ana Marie Cox were behind laptops and I heard that many people spent some long hours there and a few treated it almost as a remote office. I asked Mayer what she thought of all the celebrities and she said that everyone, especially the CNN anchors, were very friendly. She didn't spend any time trying to get to get to know anyone saying "I wanted to treat them like any other customer." Perhaps then, I received the same service Tom Brokaw, Wolf Blitzer and Ben Stein got. After the Republican National Convention ended on Thursday night, The CNN Grill re-opened Saturday as the Eagle Street Grille and "everything is back to normal," including a fresh paint job. They got to keep some of the CNN glassware but everything else CNN took with them -- presumably for another establishment that CNN can take over for a week during a major national event. Eagle Street Grille 174 7th St W Saint Paul, MN 55102 651-225-1382 A couple more photos at Flickr.

Inside the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

For Emily's birthday we went to Levain Bakery for a couple cookies. Probably the thickest cookies I've ever had in my life. They weighed almost a half pound each. She had the pictured Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie and I had the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Quite tasty. Moist and chocolaty with a nice crispier edge. The chocolate was rich and sweet and kept together well. I was expecting a large snack but this really served as lunch for us. They had a bunch of other yummy baked goods as well but we were here for the cookies. Pastries for next time. Either way, strongly recommended.

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St
New York, NY 10023
212-874-6080

Duo Brewing Milk Stout, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

I'm friends with the folks with Duo Brewing and every so often I'm lucky enough to try out their latest tweaks on their recipes. I got six bottles of their Milk Stout, which is one of my favorite beers of all time.

It's a darker stout but it's surprisingly light and in some ways it almost hints at chocolate. It's a tad creamy but still a good bite. In some ways it's a perfect midwinter drink but it's also quite refreshing in the summer. I can't wait until they start producing this on a larger scale.

I'm making a concentrated effort to make sure they build their website with RSS so you can subscribe and be informed when you can taste it. Of course, I'll probably mention something here too. This beer is quite tasty.

Duo Brewing

Rachel and Sheela, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Rachel Kramer Bussel of Cupcakes Take the Cake is in town this weekend tasting cupcakes as well as doing a couple seminars at Smitten Kitten. I got to introduce her to Sheela Namakkal of Miel y Leche and some of the best cupcakes Minneapolis has to offer.

More cupcake photos and if you're interested in hearing Rachel speak she will be doing a free erotica reading at Smitten Kitten on Sunday at 6:00 - 7:30 P.M.

Rett and Rebekah Martin, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Thanks to a heads up from Brew52 and MNBeer, I stopped down to the Ugly Mug for the Flat Earth Brewing Company Black Helicopter release party.

Black Helicopter is a darker stout that's mixed with a bit of coffee. At first glance the pints looked and smelled almost as if they were filled with coffee. Little to no head on this beer and we joked that we could get away with this at the office if we put it in a mug. It's about one part coffee for every twenty-five parts beer but honestly, it tastes like it's closer to one to one. The coffee comes through loud and clear but it's not too overpowering. It's a smooth beer but has what I'm starting to call the "Flat Earth Flat," the tenancy for Flat Earth beers to taste like they have little to almost no carbonation. It's tasty though -- and I don't generally drink coffee. A very drinkable beer overall and I went through three pints without really even noticing it. Well, I noticed it a lot when I was done.

We also took the opportunity to take photos with Flat Earth brewmaster Jeff Williamson who's a very personable and nice guy.

I'd like to have another pint of this soon.
Cross-posted on Brew52

Large Pepperoni Pizza at Marcello's, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

After a recommendation from Katie, I decided to take my father out for his birthday at Marcello's. I brought my sister and brother in law as well.

Marcello's is situated at the end of strip mall and the interior is rather campy. Dark booths, a lot of woodwork and shingles around the kitchen area to simulate another roof. Right away, my sister and I commented on how it "smelled like pizza." It was strong.

We ordered some cheese bread as an appetizer and they gave us so much it could have been a meal by itself. Our large pepperoni pizza came soon after and immediately reminded me of many other midwestern round pizzas cut in squares or party-style. There were little pools of grease and the cheese and sauce dripped off the edges. The slices themselves were quite tasty and most notable was the particularly spicy pepperoni. Outside the pepperoni this pizza was a no-surprises, straight up pie.

The slices came apart nicely and worked great for a party of four. We didn't finish our bread and when it was down to our last slice nobody would claim it. Our waiter, Tony, said that he'd prepare it for take out for us with the bread. We thought he'd just put it all in a box but when he came back, we all were impressed with his packaging: the last slice was individually wrapped in foil. Cute. Great service.

Many locals in Plymouth say this is the best pizza in town. Check it out.

Marcello's Pizza & Pasta
4112 Lancaster Ln N
Plymouth, MN 55441
763-559-8266

Yarusso Bros. Pepperoni Pizza, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Lesley and I decided to check out Yarusso Bros. Italian Restaurant as she's a current and I'm a former Saint Paul resident and neither of us had been before. Yarusso's, as it's more commonly called, has been around for 75 years and many people regard it as an staple of old Saint Paul restaurants. The building is recognizable with a Statue of Liberty on top if you drive down Payne Avenue.

Yarusso's was brought up in a thread on MNspeak and Steve Sundberg chimed in that they are "more famous for their giant meatballs and garlic bread than they are pizza." I would attest that this is likely true as when we arrived we didn't see any pizza at all but many people dining on pasta.

We each ordered a Brewer's Cave Golden Caramel Lager as their menus indicated they were related to the brewer. It wasn't our favorite beer but couldn't exactly put our finger on as to why. Brew52 has more on this beer, including my short experience with it. I'll order it again the next time I'm back. We also got a basket of slices of white bread and bits of butter in pre-packaged containers.

Our pizza arrived it looked a lot better than we expected. The pepperonis were good and it was loaded with cheese. Topped with some grease but not overwhelming. There wasn't much sauce but most notable was the crust: it was surprisingly thick and crispy. We had a hard time comparing it but we kept agreeing it was most like a higher end "self-rising" frozen pizza. We felt bad with that comparison because the pizza was actually good, but it wasn't good enough to avoid the similarity.

One of the owners or managers stopped by our table and asked if we wanted some free carrot cake as well. A nice little bonus.

Overall, not bad. Yarusso's is a well established, family owned and operated joint in Saint Paul and worth a visit if you haven't been. If pasta's your game, you may want to try that instead of the pizza as that's what their known for. Also, for their 75th anniversary they're having "1930's costume night" on the first Thursdays of each month. Sounds like a hoot.

Yarusso Brothers Italian Restaurant
635 Payne Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55130
651-776-4848

Pizza Margherita at Arezzo Ristorante, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

For the Aliveness Project's Dining Out For Life day, where participating restaurants donate a percentage of their proceeds to the organization, Sarah and I went to Arezzo Ristorante. I hadn't been before, and honestly I'm usually not down in the 50th and France area of Minneapolis and Edina.

While Arezzo is technically in Minneapolis, Edina is across the street and the crowd is to match. We were seated near people that were barely murmuring to each other and we had a hard time maintaining a comparable volume. I also muttered a vulgarity in conversation and the family behind us, including the head of the family in a full business suit, turned to stare at me. My mistake, but the point is that one doesn't get away with poor manners here.

Our server was shy but formal and prompt. We ordered a bottle of Allegrini Valpolicella which was quite tasty. Overall their wine menu is well rounded out mostly with Italian wines. Their dinner menu is full of Italian cuisine and their brick oven pizzas are surprisingly tucked away on the bottom part of one of the pages. I wrongly assumed, as they invested in having a brick oven for pizza, that they would put it on the menu more predominantly.

Our Neapolitan-style pizzas came quickly. I got the Margherita. I noticed first that their pizzas are a bit larger than most pizzas of this style. The cheese tasted quite fresh and held together well. It didn't have much basil but the sauce was tasty and sweet. It wasn't too oily and had good consistency. My favorite part was the crust: chewy, a tad bit doughy, not too sweet and a slight crispy edge to it. The cornicione of the crust was just the right size and was enjoyable like a small breadstick at the end.

Our server multiple times made sure our wine glasses were full and was very attentive. Overall great pizza, and a good experience but priced a bit on the higher end. Certainly worth trying if you're in the area.

Arezzo Ristorante
5057 France Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55410
612-285-7444

The Strip Club, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Chef J.D. Fratzke, previously of Muffuletta and Tim Niver and Aaron Johnson of the Town Talk Diner just opened their new restaurant The Strip Club. It's situated in just east of downtown Saint Paul and probably a little too convenient for my commute home from work.

A group of over ten of us popped in on their opening to check it out. It's generally unfair to judge a place by their first night open to the public but our food, drink and service were all fantastic.

I had three small plates: the walleye fritters, escargot and their fries, all of which were very tasty. Ang, who coincidentally lives in one of the condos above the Strip Club ordered the New York Strip and said it was probably one of the best steaks she's ever had. (No doubt that having this place downstairs from her will be too convenient, for better or for worse.)

Everyone seemed to love the mixed drinks, all of which seemed to be modeled after prohibition-era cocktails. As Max from the Bottle Gang noted, "At least three of their cocktails use a brandy base. That's really rare these days; usually they are made with bourbon nowadays. The original recipes were brandy recipes and they're really good with brandy." I agree wholeheartedly.

We were seated on the second floor which is accessible only by a small, tight spiral staircase. My first thought is that it's likely difficult to be carrying food and drinks up it. It's a very nice feature but probably would be my worst enemy if I worked there. Our service was fast, very friendly and made me forget about the staircase they were repeatedly scaling.

The view of downtown Saint Paul from the Strip Club is great, the interior is well lit and the place feels classic. There's also a secret door on the second floor that leads to the Strip Club's office. Cool.

I'm going to be back here a lot.

The Strip Club
378 Maria Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55106
651-793-6247

Also check out my photos from the evening, Brian Moen's write-up on his visit during the friends and family opening, Courtney's photos, Ed's post on The Deets and Cristina's post in The Rake.