Tom Horgen’s Crooked Pint review begins with a confession, “I didn’t think I was going to like the Crooked Pint Ale House.”

Um, scary!

But read on!

He swallows his words like a chorizo corn dog (a Crooked Pint delight). What follows is a list of six things that surprised him – number one on the list: The New Look. Yes, the layout has Tanek written all over it.

…Is it just me or has Tanek had their hands all over the hippest new restaurants in town??

Tanek has a new project in-the-works and some of those gossipy message-boarders caught wind:

Keep your ears peeled – is that the expression? No? ANYWAY:

I can’t wait to see the Lowry’s menu, logo, and signage BECAUSE I just found out that they were done by Blinc Publishing! Mr. Bill Moran

(he demands that title) owns this St. Paul letterpress/design studio and had some words to say to Chaleece about the new restaurant (opening August 2):

>“I was blown away by the attention to detail and choice of materials. It’s an honor to have our design work associated with your space. Kudos to you and your team.”

I know what you’re thinking: Why didn’t Zeichen Press have anything to do with this? And I swear, I’m not bitter and scheming ways to get such a glorious project. I’m totally cool with it. I refuse to get all competitive with other letterpress studios. Besides, blood doping is very common these days and doesn’t mean I can hand feed my press like the wind. The wind.

For some people, the morning commute includes a drum of coffee, talk radio, and a seat belt.

Not nat.

Hello, Blue Plate!

I used to live across the street from Hollywood Video in Uptown, Minneapolis. And when I say lived across the street, I mean I inhabited a dumpy furniture-less, doorless apartment above a pizza place. Now that I think about it, I don’t think Hollywood Video was even there back then – it sprang up later, with it’s stained carpeting and giant logo.

I will cherish its memory.

BUT I can’t wait to go to the latest creation by the Blue Plate Restaurant Company! It will become, like all of it’s siblings (Edina Grill, Highland Grill, 3 Squares, Longfellow Grill, Groveland Tap, and Scusi) an instant neighborhood classic. They chose Tanek, of course, to design the new restaurant. Possibly because Nat loves a good Patty-Melt

From Blue Plate Restaurant Company’s mouth, “We like to think of ourselves as a different kind of player in the Twin Cities restaurant scene successfully creating places with common characteristics that are suited to their individual locations.”

Indeed.