Sometimes all it takes is the most humblest of foods. After hanging out at the Xcel Center during he RNC in St. Paul waiting for something to happen, Mike B. and I decided to actually leave and go outside the security perimeter and get some lunch instead of eating the God awful arena food. My boss told us about a diner that was not far away, and after half listening to his directions to get there, off we went. Of course we got lost, and after too many wrong turns navigating the cordoned off perimeter, and one Secret Serviceman telling us with a gleam in his eye and a half, no maybe a quarter, joking tone in his voice that the dog with his ears up was going to eat us, we found Mickey’s Diner.
Now Mickey’s, a real honest to goodness Art Deco diner car, looks like it hasn’t changed since it opened before WWII. Really, there is a picture on the cover of the menu, and the place looks eerily the same. And the cooks are very, VERY, good. Nothing really beats a short order cook that knows what the hell they are doing. The grill is maybe three, three and a half feet wide and it’s all cooked there. Burgers, eggs, omelets in a small pan right on the grill, bacon and most importantly, and most beautify, hash browns.
“Yeah, Yeah hash browns.” You say, big deal maybe. But these things are the most amazing pile of potatoes you will ever eat. Mike and I, without expressing it to each other were a little worried. We ordered from the cook, she slapped on a pile of potatoes on the grill and preceded to cook all kinds of other stuff, just sort of leaving the potatoes sitting there. Burgers, fries, omelets and the potatoes just sat there. I was getting kind of nervous for her. Sweat dripping from her brow and lip. Expressing her desire to leave in 15 minutes or so when her shift was done. I all but assumed the hash browns were toast, burnt, and not tasting so good. Well, what a jackass I was, (and later found out so was Mike). Because they were absolutely perfect. Perfectly brown on the grill side, and perfectly steamed on top. The nutty taste of the browned crust, the silky, mellow taste of the rest of the potatoes had me so wanting more of them. I was able to squeeze in one more trip to Mickey’s, a late night meal after day three of the convention. Again they were perfect. I just didn’t, or do , want them again, but crave them. I swear it would be reason enough to go back to that fair and self described friendly city
Now Mickey’s, a real honest to goodness Art Deco diner car, looks like it hasn’t changed since it opened before WWII. Really, there is a picture on the cover of the menu, and the place looks eerily the same. And the cooks are very, VERY, good. Nothing really beats a short order cook that knows what the hell they are doing. The grill is maybe three, three and a half feet wide and it’s all cooked there. Burgers, eggs, omelets in a small pan right on the grill, bacon and most importantly, and most beautify, hash browns.
“Yeah, Yeah hash browns.” You say, big deal maybe. But these things are the most amazing pile of potatoes you will ever eat. Mike and I, without expressing it to each other were a little worried. We ordered from the cook, she slapped on a pile of potatoes on the grill and preceded to cook all kinds of other stuff, just sort of leaving the potatoes sitting there. Burgers, fries, omelets and the potatoes just sat there. I was getting kind of nervous for her. Sweat dripping from her brow and lip. Expressing her desire to leave in 15 minutes or so when her shift was done. I all but assumed the hash browns were toast, burnt, and not tasting so good. Well, what a jackass I was, (and later found out so was Mike). Because they were absolutely perfect. Perfectly brown on the grill side, and perfectly steamed on top. The nutty taste of the browned crust, the silky, mellow taste of the rest of the potatoes had me so wanting more of them. I was able to squeeze in one more trip to Mickey’s, a late night meal after day three of the convention. Again they were perfect. I just didn’t, or do , want them again, but crave them. I swear it would be reason enough to go back to that fair and self described friendly city
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