Getting Our Lutefisk Fix

 Minneapolis, MN

Donna sporting the T-Shirt we bought to commemorate the occasion

What is Lutefisk

The reason we travel is to experience new things.  Now that we are settled in Minnesota, we want to experience Minnesota things.  We experienced a southern church Friday Fish Fry in Memphis and so we are doing the northern version of that today.  Lutefisk is traditionally served around Christmas time.  It makes sense because Lutefisk was created to preserve fish over the harsh winters.  Lutefisk is dried fish and during the rehydration process, lye is used.  Preparation involves multiple soakings and careful cooking so that the fish doesn't turn out like jelly.  We learned a properly cooked fish is firm.

Donna had mentioned that she was going to a Lutefisk, she pronounced it lute fisk, at pinball and she was corrected by a local saying it was pronounced lute a fisk.  When we arrived at the dinner we heard people saying lute a fisk so I assumed we had been pronouncing it wrong.  Now that I research it, Norwegians pronounce it Luta a fisk and Swedes pronounce it lute fisk.  Donna's family is Swedish so it all makes sense now.

Church Basement Lutefisk Dinner

We bought our tickets for the dinner online about a month in advance.  The dinner was on a Friday from 3pm to 7pm.  We decided to go at around 3:30, after the initial rush but before most people were off of work.  We arrived to a giant full parking lot with 5 people helping direct traffic and park cars.  It was a much larger operation than we were expecting.  

We found our way to the church basement and waited in line.  They ran a smooth operation.  While waiting, we learned that they would be serving some 1800 meals today.  They mentioned how many pounds of each of the food they would be preparing but I wasn't able to get all of the numbers down.  

They processed prepaid attendees as well as attendees paying on arrival quickly.

The tables were decorated and table settings were replaced quickly as meals were finished so that the next round of people could sit.

We ended up arriving at the perfect time.  The long line at opening was almost done.  We didn't have to wait outside like others and we beat the rush of people coming later in the day.

The buffet was self service.

You could take as much or as little lutefisk as you liked.  There were also Swedish Meatballs.

My plate from the top clockwise, Lefse (basically a tortilla made of potato), Potatoes with 3 slices of pickled beats on tope because I ran out of room, Mashed Rutabaga with brown sugar, Swedish Meatballs with a white roll on top, and the Lutefisk with white sauce.

Donna got the same things except she got butter sauce with her lutefisk.  WE wanted to try both.

On the way out Donna picked up a t-shirt for $20.

After the meal they encouraged people to leave and get cookies in the gym to free up seats.  

The meringue was very messy.

Donna had the great idea to eat it over our coffee.

During dessert we sat with some locals and talked to them about travel and theater and stuff like that.  Donna told them this was our first time eating lutefisk and they were surprised.  They wanted to know how we like it.  Donna talked about how she thought it was going to be like gelatin but that it wasn't, it was firm.  They said poorly cooked lutefisk turns to jelly.  We walked about how people liked to hate on lutefisk and many that do probably haven't tried it.  When they asked me what I thought, I compared it to lobster.  It was the same texture and almost the same flavor.  The man we were talking to lit up and said something like, that's what I tell all my friends that make fun of me for eating it!  He seemed very happy that someone else in the world compared it to lobster.  We decided that we liked it but we probably wouldn't prepare it ourselves.  The preparation creates a strong smell, kind of like microwaving fish, and in an apartment it would be overpowering. 

It was a really fun experience and we will do it again next year if we are still here.  

That's it for today but keep checking back.  We have quite a few fun unique experiences planned.  If you missed, A European Christmas Market in St. Paul, check it out. We froze our butts off for some festival food.

A European Christmas Market in St. Paul

 St. Paul, MN

Warming Up

St. Paul European Christmas Market

Today we rode The Green Line to Union Depot to visit our first European Style Christmas Market, The St. Paul European Christmas Market.  We had heard about markets like this in the area and really wanted to go to one.  I have watched a few YouTube videos of Real European Christmas Markets and they looked awesome!

Our ride on The Green Line was easy and soon we were walking around the outdoor Christmas Market.  It was in the low single digits Fahrenheit so it was really cold, for us.

We decorated the day after Thanksgiving. The tree smells really great.

Feels like -10!!!!

Francis has been making full use of his blanket pile recently.  He also has a heated bed.

Donna activated the heater at our local bus shelter while we waited for the bus to take us to The Green Line.

There is also a heater at The Light Rail Station.

The market was hopping with hearty people that didn't care that it felt like -10.

There were festive gifts available for purchase as well as festive food.  We were there for the food, but I was also on the lookout for a warmer hat.

Our first food stop was to buy a Curry Wurst.

It was delicious.

I don't know who Metzgerei is but Deutschland Meats doesn't seem to like them.

Our snack total included the Curry Wurst you saw, Perogies, and Fruit Hand Pies (like Hostess Pies but way better).

After about 45 minutes we were so cold we needed to warm up.  There were 2 warming huts that sold Glühwein, which is a warm mulled wine, and beer.  We opted for the beer because the mulled wine came with a commemorative mug that you had to purchase. 

The warming hut was packed so we didn't get as warm as we wanted so we decided to walk to one of the local breweries to warm up.  Gambit Brewing was about .2 miles away.

Another reason we chose Gambit is because they had 2 pinball tables.  There was an abandoned game on Venom so we played that and then noticed that games were $2 each so we passed.

We bought a tiny amount of pistachios for 75 cents.

The brewery was heavily decorated for Christmas.  It was a nice place to have a beer.

That was our adventure for today.  If you missed, Unexpected Factory Snow, check it out.  We got a surprise dusting of snow caused by an interesting phenomena.  

Unexpected Factory Snow

 Minneapolis, MN

Snow!

A Walk in Unexpected Snow

It's Thanksgiving and Donna and I (mostly Donna) made all of the turkey and fixings on Tuesday.  We have been eating turkey for 2 days so we decided to do what any pinball fan would do, go to LITT Pinball Bar on Thanksgiving.  Our walk there takes us through Loring Park.  We arrived at LITT around noon and had a snack and a beer to support them for being open on Thanksgiving and then played pinball in a somewhat empty bar.  I had made a list of my high scores and decided my goal today would be to beat as many of them as I could.  Having pinball tables at home is starting to make me a better player.  

11/28/2024	Elvira's House of Horrors (Blood Red Kiss)	33,731,680
11/28/2024	Godzilla (LE)	493,936,770
11/28/2024	Metallica Remastered (LE)	58,395,830
11/28/2024	Pirates of the Caribbean (Jersey Jack) (LE)	228,563
11/28/2024	The Uncanny X-Men (LE)	142,875,950

I ended up overachieving.  My Godzilla score blew my high score out of the water.  I was also happy with my X-Men score and my Pirates score (it's a pretty low scoring game unless you know exactly what to do).  My Elvira score was a top score but I still need to figure out ball control on that table.  I will continue to track my high scores when it makes sense.  It is a lot easier now that I am only playing 50 or so tables.  When I was traveling the country we were playing on new tables every day and I ended up tracking every play which became a chore.

LITT was running 2 for 1 Tang Shots for Tangsgiving so we had intended on getting one each but we found out it has Red Bull in it and that isn't really our jam so we stuck with beer.

It was fantastically empty.  Don't worry, it is packed most every other day.  LITT is becoming like Cheers for us.  When we showed up a couple people we knew said hello to us.  We can't go there without seeing people we know now.

Tesla Strike Champion!

Normally that would be the story, We Played Pinball on Thanksgiving, but the real story is the unexpected snow.

When we exited LITT the city was covered in a light dusting of snow.  Since early November it has always been cold enough to snow but we just haven't gotten much moisture coming through.  There was no snow predicted as far as we knew so it was quite a surprise.  We walked home enjoying making fresh footprints and smiling to others out walking.  We stopped and took photos along the way.  Snow is still fun for us.  I grew up in SoCal so I never saw it without a twisty mountain drive.  When we moved to Seattle we saw snow a few times a season and it was a pain in the butt because we usually had to go to work.  Now when it snows we can just enjoy it.  The next day we found out the snow was actually created by a Glass Factory just across the border in Wisconsin. The conditions where just right for water in the air to adhere to particles coming from their chimney creating snow reaching about 100 miles.  

"Factory-enhanced snow" causes crashes and spinouts in Wisconsin, National Weather Service says

This morning, as I write this, we are getting a bit of snow again.  I will probably go for a walk, but I am happy I don't need to drive.

Yesterday ,on my walk, I noticed the ice on the lake at Loring Park is getting thicker.

Here is a fire hydrant with some sort of leaker installed to prevent freezing.

This is this mornings snow taken from the elevator lobby on our floor.

That's it for today.  If you missed, Record Listening at Our Local Library, check it out.  We listened to our records at the library.