People have been singing to their plants for years. And there have even been scientific studies on the effects of music on plant growth.   Now there is a traveling Opera being performed in local Community Gardens in the Twin Cities. Mixed Precipitation is presenting  Orpheus and Eurydice: a picnic operetta,  “a celebration of the sustainable foods system with brave mortals, a three headed-dog, tear-jerking lovers and locally sourced food samplings.”

Roland Hawkins II and Meredith Cain-Nielsen encounter the unexpected during their musical picnic (photo credit-Brad Dahlgaard)

Mixed Precipitation is also hosting a Brunch Benefit at the Bedlam Theater

Saturday August 15th 11:00–1:30
Sunday August 16th 11:00–1:30

Featuring  live music by Karen Townsend, others and a champagne toast to ecological design and backyard barnyards. Leave with a few gardening tips from master gardeners!

Bedlam Theatre is located at 1501 S 6th St, Mpls

This production is directed by Scotty Reynolds and features the spirited music direction of Erik Pearson, dynamic choreography of Taja Will and the work of culinary interludes of collaborating chef Nick Schneider of Café Brenda

Suggested donation: $10 to $40

Community Garden Schedule:

Sat. August 29th 4:00 at the Birchwood Community Garden

(2544 Hwy 100 South in St. Louis Park, behind Reformation Lutheran Church)

***audio description provided at this performance

Sunday August 30th at the JD River’s Children’s Garden

(Glenwood and Washburn Ave in Theodore Wirth Park, Mpls)

Saturday September 5th on Nicollet Island

(Maple Place and Nicollet Street)

Saturday September 12th 4:00 at the Columbus Community Garden

(33rd and Columbus Ave, Minneapolis)

Sunday September 13th 4:00 at Celeste’s Dream Community Garden

(1880 Randolph Ave, outside the Sister of St. Joseph Carondelet, St. Paul)

Saturday September 26th 4:00 at the Augsburg Community Garden

(20th Avenue and 6th Street, Mpls)

Sunday September 27th 4:00 at the Midway Green Spirit Community Garden

(at the intersection of Taylor and Hamline Avenue and Pierce Butler)

Tickets:  612.619.2112

$10–$20 Suggested Donation  (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

This week is Mpls St.Paul Magazine’s Best of the Best Restaurant Week! You have until Friday to to enjoy things like $30 grand-prixe dinners at La Belle Vie and Murray’s, along with other places in St. Paul and the suburbs. I had completely forgotten until right now, so I’ve gotta figure out where I should eat before this is over. Are you taking advantage of this deal?

The first sake brewing restaurant outside japan, moto-i, opened at Lake and Lyndale last month.

I haven’t personally been there yet, but Alexis dug it, and I’ll take her word for it.

I did, however, just get an e-mail about a new sake class series at moto-i, including a tutorial on sake, the opportunity to taste a range of grades and styles, chance to tour the sake brewery and eat some of their izakaya fare.

According to the e-mail, moto-i sake seminar is open to all professionals as well as non-professionals. It is our goal to have the most educated sake enthusiasts right here in the state of Minnesota.

It’s an 8-hour sake seminar for 15 people every month, featuring:

• 20 page training manual
• Tastings that include over 20 sakes, some of which you cannot get in Minnesota.
• Lunch and snacks after the class will be included.
• Blake Richardson and Elise Gee, Head Brewer and Assistant Brewer will be your hosts for this event.

The next seminar will be on Saturday the 8th of November. Cost is $150.

To sign up, email class@moto-i.com with “Sake Seminar” in the subject line and please include your shoe size (seriously).

i was thinking explains the Harrington Household Index (HHI) for local grocery prices, from the point of view of someone who loves a good ethnic market.

Ponedaddy’s Pound has good things to say about Minneapolis Public Schools. One of ‘em, anyway. That would be Cityview in North Minneapolis.

Two items on Northwest Airlines’ nickel-and-diming: News Cut is brainstorming ways to work around the new luggage checking fees. Aaron Landry explains why he’s breaking up with Worldperks.

On the Radar rounds up some of the plentiful free entertainment options in Minneapolis over the next week.

MinnPost says that the Trust for Public Land says St. Paul parks are awesome.

Altered Esthetics is having its first ever Arty Garage Sale this Saturday.

Car Free Family says “[t]he Northeast Parade was as toxic as usual.”

Two upcoming NRP-sponsored workshops: “Neighborhood Volunteer Training” on July 16 and “Walking your way to a safer neighborhood” on July 17.

“So what’s with this Demanding Diner thing?” my millions upon millions of noncommenters may ask if only they could find the time to refill my water glass.

We’ll get there.

Firstly, I love going out for dinner. Honestly, this is something I probably do too often.  In order to maintain this high-flying lifestyle of the rich and famous I’ll often have to hit places that have good food specials with their happy hour or restaurants that have specials on certain nights. Other times I totally splurge and just go for it.

Either way, I say make my life easier!  

It appears mspmag.com has stepped up to the plate with their new feature ‘Our Take on the Local Nightlife Scene’ in the Arts and Entertainment section.

They break down searching by keyword, city/neighborhood, and features such as late night eats, happy hour, etc.  I was especially impressed by the ease of use and the neighborhood feature. This is service I could get used to. Check it out.

Has anyone had a good/bad eating experience you’d like to share? Is there any interest in the occasional restaurant review?

Enquiring minds want to know.

• twin_cities: ISO grassy metro parks for a guinea pig festival! “The grass has to be chemical free as dozens of hungry guinea pigs will be snacking on and simultaneously fertilizing it.” OMG SO KYOOT!
• MPR: College of St. Catherine to become a university. “The new name hasn’t been determined, but will include ‘St. Catherine’s’ and ‘university.’”
• Minneapolis Issues Forum: Do Idaho’s bike safety statutes make more sense?
• MinnPost: How we’re doing so far. Joel Kramer reports in on the first six months of MinnPost. “MinnPost.com has more than 100,000 absolute monthly unique visitors, as measured by Google Analytics. This makes us the most-visited local-news website in Minnesota that is not driving traffic to itself from a legacy medium, like TV, radio or print.”
• Minnesota Monitor: Congress studies wrong city for RNC disaster preparedness. “The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found that Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center did not have sufficient capacity to handle a terrorist attack. The committee completely overlooked St. Paul’s Regions Hospital, which would be the first responder in the unlikely event of a terrorist attack on the RNC.”
• Southwest Journal: Neighborhood organizations are adjusting their fundraising strategies in preparation for the loss of NRP funding. They mention Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association; Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc.; and East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association.
• City of Minneapolis: Sustainability Initiatives
• City of St Paul: Sustainable Saint Paul
• The Deets: Ed looks at recent reports on the link between local food environments (i.e., stores/restaurants in your neighborhood) and obesity and diabetes. Ed’s theory: “The distance you drive to buy groceries effects how you shop.”