Turns out – the BDP just got even better. According to CityPages’ Teddy Hobbins, the Blue Door ran an online contest to have patrons vote on the next Juicy Blucy offering on their menu.

The winner? The Frenchy Blucy. It’s a French-dip inspired burger, stuffed with Swiss cheese, topped with onions and more cheese, and served with a side of au jus. The review just drools all over itself and I just might have to break my rule about visiting the same place twice in a row to go back for this one…

Hungry?

—

Blue Door Pub
1811 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN 55104

I’ve been on the hunt for the best one in the Twin Cities since late last summer, and Emily lost her Jucy Lucy virginity back in December and got hooked. JLR announced that we were on dueling tours, only fueling the fire for more Jucy exploration.

Well, now Emily notes over at SOC that Andrew Zimmern is planning to film an episode of his Travel Channel show, Man v. Food, here (!) in Minneapolis and that Jucy Lucys may or may not be involved. I checked the source (Zimmern himself at blogs.mspmag.com), and here’s what I found:

Man v. Food, the Adam Richman vehicle on Travel Channel, is shooting in Minneapolis from February 5 to 8. Word from the office is that they will be checking out everything from Juicy Lucy joints to the brewski at local beer bars. I am going to take Adam to Brasa and see if he can eat everything on the steam table in one sitting. Speaking of Travel Channel, we are continuing to make loads of episodes of Bizarre Foods, and my new series, Bizarre Worlds, starts shooting in April with a plan to begin airing in September.

Last week, he was eating balls, and this week he wants in on the Jucy Lucy tour action?  It’s like a delicious orgy of some truly wonderful things.

Their spin on the Juicy/Jucy Lucy is called the Juicy Blucy. I stopped in last night to try their signature burger, appropriately named The Blucy, which was amazingly delicious.  It was perfectly cooked (just a teeeeeny bit pink, right in the middle), flavorfully bleu-cheesy and garlicky and the bun was perfect.  When you get to the gooey center you’ve got to REALLY love bleu cheese as that is some intense smelly cheese action, but all in all?  Awesome, awesome, awesome.  

I washed it down with a Lift Bridge Biscotti which I think is now one of my favorite beers.

So now instead of just trying all of the Jucy Lucy establishments in the Twin Cities, I want to try all of the ones on Blue Door’s menu (especially the Pizza Lucy!).  

Oh, and the beer-battered green bean appetizer is to die for.  And the servers (boys and girls) are as nice and friendly as they are cute.

I like this place.  Makes me miss living in St. Paul.

The Blue Door Pub
1811 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN 55104

The always light-on-your-pocketbook, The Old Spaghetti Factory just got even lighter.  They’re offering $3 dinners tonight and 40% off dinners every Monday/Tuesday for the rest of January. Get the deets here via City Pages’ Hot Dish.

I freakin’ LOVE this!!!

(via Emily and Girl Friday)

I don’t totally get it, I don’t know where it came from but I absolutely thought it deserved a little more press.

According to CityPages, Sunday Suppers are “back” (though this is news to me).

One Sunday each month, Cooks of Crocus Hill invite guests to join in for a homemade feast. The event hosts up to 40 people, and costs just $15/person (wine can be purchased separately).

While cooks prepare the meal, guests are encouraged to “be nosy” about the recipes, help out, and ask questions. Diners are sent home with a recipe packet of the night’s meals so that they can take what they’ve learned and tasted and bring it to their own kitchens.

I’ve done something like this at Kitchen Window in Calhoun Square, but it was an organized work party rather than an open invitation. Still, it was amazing to be a part of the preparation process and then to share the meal you’ve helped create with everyone once it’s prepared.  I anticipate this is much the same, but bigger and louder.

Register here at the Cooks of Crocus Hill website.  CP blogger, Roseanne Pereira offers this tip: call them if the event appears to be full; apparently extra Sunday suppers have been added in months where the demand has been high.

I’m in! Who’s with me?

Anyway, supporting the business and spending *some* of my own dollars, I  opted to apply the $5.95 towards “another” pizza and got the Borgata ($11.20 – made with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, egg plant and olives), and I washed it all down with a Peroni.  Mmm, beer.

I was extremely impressed with how prepared they were for the influx of patrons due to the offer.  The service was almost over-the-top friendly, they had someone designated to direct traffic and seat people instead of allowing for a chaotic free-for-all, and the pizza was done and ready as fast as if we were the only ones there.  And of course, as delicious as always and I ate the entire pie.

Well-executed viral marketing endeavor and extremely positive in-shop experience.

Nicely done, Punch.

(Coupon is available here and expires today, 12/19/08.)

Not one to half-ass anything involving beer and/or fun, the Jucy Lucy experience was only one part in a day filled with Minnesota Pride activities.  Emily recaps her Summit Brewery tour here, and first MN Rollergirls match here (two things, which as a 12-year resident of Minnesota I’m embarrassed to admit, I have yet to do).

• Beaujo’s Wine Bar and Bistro – great service, tasty bruschetta, and adorably cozy atmosphere – thanks @DeRushaJ for the suggestion!
• Gallery 360 – I’d spend a lot of money here if I had it – but there are some good deals and steals on local artists’ creations. I did some Christmas shopping, and I bought a couple of hand-made cards for my out-of-state friends. And the ladies working there were super sweet; it was obvious how much pride they take in their shop.
• Shop in the City – I actually just popped in looking for locally-made Christmas cards, but was directed across the street to Gallery 360 instead. I will,however swing back into this place. There was SO much there, and I will go back.

I keep meaning to swing by Wuollet’s on my way to work, but thanks to having to dig my car out of the snow (thank you snow plows) brush the snow off of my car every day for a week now, I haven’t been able to get my ass out of bed early enough for pastries and safe driving.

Either way, I’m liking this new neighborhood.  Your suggestions have been heeded!

Scrabble, anyone?