Speak Easy

Every so often a commercial comes across the television with a catchy jingle: Speak Easy. SPEAK EASY. Can you hear it?

The jingle belongs to a Moorhead restaurant with a 1920's theme, and I have been intrigued to try it. I thought it was too probably too expensive for my low-budget dining out, so I was waiting for a special occasion.

Last Sunday, we decided to find Speak Easy in South Moorhead. It's right near the Safari discount movie theater, so it was easy to find, although it really didn't look like much from the outside: just a regular sign post and a plain looking building.


But inside! Inside the decor was perfect. There was even a vintage car in the bar area. A real, red, shiny vintage car from the 1920s. From the furniture to the paintings on the walls to the menu items, everything fell perfectly to the theme of Prohibition, flappers, the Mob...

In fact (and maybe because it was Sunday at lunch time -- post-church crowd), even the clientele fit in with the theme. Most of the diners probably remembered the 1920s or pretty darn close. And they were dressed in suits, with hats and everything.


The menu had tons of great lunch choices, and the prices were very reasonable. In fact, I think we often pay more for lunch at Perkins than we did for lunch at Speak Easy. I had the rigatoni (half) and brought home half of that, it was so much! The husband tried the reuben and enjoyed that, as well. On Sundays, kids eat free from the Babyface menu! Our toddler ate some of her chicken strips and fries; most came home with us.

The waitstaff is very friendly and attentive. The food was great. The price was right. And the atmosphere was exactly what I was hoping it would be.

It was just...fun! I hope to go back to the Speak Easy sometime soon. I hear you get a $10 gift certificate if you stop by on your birthday (with proper ID).

If you are planning a trip to the Speak Easy, I suggest checking out their online coupons before you go.

Just don't fill up on the warm sourdough bread while you wait for your food. Mmmm, bread...

Buffalo River Pumpkin Patch

The privately owned pumpkin patch and farm is a short drive east from Fargo-Moorhead, right near the Buffalo River State Park. In September and October, the pumpkin patch is open -- and it is so much more than a simple pumpkin patch!

For $15, we had a great family day of fun at the Buffalo River Pumpkin Patch. The admission price of $4 per person (less $1 if you print a coupon on their website) covers some of the rides and games, and then you can purchase tickets for the children's barrel cars, petting zoo, and horse-drawn carriage rides. There is also a gift shop, snack stand, cowboy campsite, straw maze, and pumpkins and corn stalks for sale.

The setting is wonderful! So much fun for little kids and their parents! There were so many photo opportunities that I nearly filled my camera's memory card!



Toddlers and preschoolers, as well as their parents, will enjoy the Lil Monsters Game Area, and not just because there is a sandbox full of corn. (Okay, mostly because there is a sandbox full of corn.) There's also Norwegian golf, hoop throw, horseshoes, a straw maze, cardboard cutouts (for you to stick your face in the missing face and get a photo as your favorite cartoon character), and a shed made of magnets and chalkboard. YOU CAN DRAW ON THE WALLS. Also, did I mention there is a sandbox full of corn?

There are two horse-drawn carriage rides, and they each cost $3 per person (children under 2 are free). We took the wagon ride through the Not So Scary Haunted Forest. Michelle, Bucky, and our driver took us through the forest along the Buffalo River. We were greeted by many ghouls and goblins, but they were Not So Scary.


Check the website's schedule, because many weekends offer various extra attractions, such as musical performances and face painting.

Allow for at least a couple of hours at the Buffalo River Pumpkin Patch. If you have a toddler, allow for a little longer -- they will want to spend as much time in the corn-filled sandbox as possible. ;)

Buffalo River State Park

Buffalo River State Park is located about 15 miles east of Fargo-Moorhead on Highway 10. Aside from the nature trails, fishing spots, and prairie grasses, there are also picnic areas, beaches, children's play areas, a community pool, cross country skiing and snowshoe trails, camping sites, and a science center.

Buffalo River State Park is home to a variety of regional animals, from badgers and chipmunks to beavers and red foxes. Over 1300 acres of land to enjoy (including 900 acres of grassland), the park can be packed full of families, hikers, and birdwatchers in the summer months. For golfers, there is a public golf course adjacent to Buffalo River State Park.

The park is open in the winter, too. There is a warming house located by the enclosed picnic area along the river. There are also heated shelters along the snowshoe and cross country ski trails.

The regional science center (pictured) hosts traveling exhibits and educational programs geared to different age groups (and adults). The on-site observatory is used to project the sky into the interpretive center's auditorium. I have heard that viewers are rewarded with an outstanding celestial show.

And if you want to try something different, the park offers you the opportunity to try out your geocaching skills.

One word of caution to Fargoans traveling east: be careful on Highway 10. The traffic can be overwhelming in the summer when everybody is off to the lakes.

Red River Zoo

The Red River Zoo of Fargo calls itself a "world-class, state of the art wildlife habitat." This might be a bit of a stretch. It's a small, regional zoo, with most of the animals native to the surrounding area. Still, it is wonderful to have a zoo in our town, even if it looks out onto the interstate.

Some great features of the Red River Zoo include:

• Lots of shaded, sheltered areas to escape the "heat" (heat being completely relative compared to many other places).
• Reasonable prices; adult admission is $7, children under 14 are $4, and kids under 2 are free. Animal feed still costs a quarter, and a carousel ride is $1. Even the concessions are quite fair; I paid $5 for a soft pretzel, ice cream, and bottled water.
• Oh, yes, the carousel! They give you a nice, long ride on a tremendous pony-filled carousel.
• When I was there, they had free face painting for the kiddies.
  
• Educational offerings for children, including overnight adventures.
• The Barnyard is a hands-on area; in some places you can get right in the pen with the animals.
• Very nice animal habitats and exhibits. My daughter enjoyed watching the meerkats most of all.
  
• The staff and volunteers are incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I cannot say enough about that!

The downsides:

• The zoo is hard to find, if you are not yet familiar with that part of town. We took quite a few wrong turns before we ended up on a curvy road that eventually went by some camels. A-ha!
• The zoo is not stroller friendly. I found this to be a real hassle, as my daughter isn't walking yet and the stroller is how she gets around. In fact, they even rent out wagons so you can pull your kids along. But with quite a few pavilions with double doors (i.e., you have to go through two sets of doors to get inside), it was a struggle with the stroller. If there was a staff member around, they were quick to hold the door. But with tons of people pushing strollers, it would be nice to have electronic doors or handicap accessible buttons.

The Red River Zoo is not the only place to see exotic (and regional) animals. There are some other zoos in the region, all offering different attractions and exhibits.

• Paul Bunyan's Animal Land. The only one on this list that I've been to, and it is outstanding for getting close up to the animals. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, it's more like being in a small forest amid gentle deer and goats than watching the animals from behind a pane of glass. Except for the tigers. They stay behind the glass. ; )
• Chahinkapa Zoo. This zoo is about an hour south of Fargo in Wahpeton, North Dakota.
• The Dakota Zoo is a few hours west of Fargo in the capitol city of Bismarck, North Dakota.
• The Minnesota Zoo is east four to five hours in the Twin Cities. They have a tremendous variety of animals and exhibits.

The Red River Zoo is associated with several blogs. They have one devoted to their porcupines, red pandas, red squirrel, and wolves. Lots of cute pictures; check them out!

Moe's Southwest Grille

After months -- no YEARS -- of my brother's goading us to try Moe's Southwest Grille (a national chain, you probably know), we finally stopped by the Fargo location this afternoon for lunch.

The food, it was good. Perhaps my brother hyped it up a bit TOO much, but I didn't think it was outstanding. The husband concurs.

The problem is not that Moe's is not great. The problem is that we have a non-national chain Mexican fast food (ish) restaurant here in Fargo. It is called Juano's. Juano's is fantastic. The portions are huge. The prices are reasonable. Everything is delicious and tastes authentic. And there are five locations around Fargo-Moorhead, so it's much more convenient to go there.

We had a nice time at Moe's. It was Sunday, and on Sundays kids eat FREE with an adult purchase. This was a good deal for us. Our 15-month-old didn't know what to do with her burrito (Moo Moo Mr. Cow), so she poked it a few times and dubbed it inedible. She feasted on the oatmeal raisin cookie and enjoyed her milk on the way home. (The burrito came home with us -- oh yeah.)

The husband tried a Joey Bag of Donuts burrito, and I brought home most of my Billy Barou nachos -- enough for lunch tomorrow and then some. I had desperately wanted to order the Art Vandelay, but I felt an intense meat craving that overtook my desire to order a vegetarian dish named after a Seinfeld joke.

At any rate, Moe's is not in a convenient location to stop by often.

I think instead we will go to Juano's.

Now I must educate my brother about the wonder that is Juano's. I plan to do so...relentlessly.

Grocery Shopping

There are quite a few choices when it comes to grocery shopping in the area. Even if you are only visiting, it is helpful to know the basics.

Fargo-Moorhead is home to a few chain groceries:

Hornbacher's
Hornbacher's is the Publix of Fargo-Moorhead grocery stores. In non-Floridian terms, it is in this blogger's opinion the premium grocery store of the area. The atmosphere in the store is very pleasant, and although the selection varies from store to store (the Southgate store has an especially expansive international foods aisle, and some stores have salad bars, sushi, and coffee shops), I have always been able to find what I was looking for -- even matzo meal. The prices are sometimes a little higher than the other chains, but if you shop by the ads, there are many great deals. At Hornbacher's you can obtain a free copy of the Fargo-Moorhead cultural magazine, OPEN. Hornbacher's gives out baby bucks when you buy baby products, and you can collect them for a future discount. Hornbacher's has six locations in Fargo-Moorhead. They deliver in the area, as well.

Cash Wise
Unlike Hornbacher's, you can find Cash Wise stores outside of Fargo-Moorhead -- from Bismarck to Minneapolis. Having only been to the Moorhead store, my opinion is limited. Prices at Cash Wise are usually cheaper than Hornbacher's. The selection is not quite as great. Like Hornbacher's, Cash Wise offers baby bucks, online shopping, and double coupons (up to $1). Cash Wise gives out complimentary coffee at the front of the store. Their gimmick is a weekly coupon; if you spend $25, you will get an item FREE. In past weeks, we have received free eggs, free peanut butter, free baby carrots, free bread. I use the Cash Wise pharmacy, and the customer service is outstanding at the Moorhead location.

SunMart
SunMart's prices seem higher than both Cash Wise and Hornbacher's; therefore, I do not shop at SunMart very often and cannot offer as many details. SunMart is a chain that is located in Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska. They are owned by an even bigger company, Nash Finch, that also owns Econofoods, AVANZA, Family Thrift Center, Prairie Market, Family Fresh Market, and military commissaries. Nash Finch is based in Minneapolis. If you have a store with a round apple as part of their logo, it is probably a cousin of Sun Mart. They have a baby bucks type of program as well, although I do not think they offer online shopping. The deli department at SunMart makes excellent deviled eggs.

Super Walmart
Fargo-Moorhead is home to two Super Walmart locations. The one in Dilworth is usually a bit calmer than the West Fargo store. Yes, you can buy groceries much cheaper there, and you can find items that are not sold anywhere else in the region. However, their produce selection is usually terrible. I won't get political or hypocritical about it (as I could surely be both). It's up to you if you think Super Walmart is a good place to do the majority of your grocery shopping.

There are more than just chain grocery stores in Fargo-Moorhead. We are also home to many international markets and specialty grocery stores as well, including:

• Tochi Products and Specialty
• African Market
• Asian and American Market
• Cheep Foods
• Lotus Blossom
• FM International Market
• La Unica Mexican Market
  

Someday I will check out our non-chain markets and let you know how great they are.

Santa Lucia Greek and Italian Restaurant

Santa Lucia is authentic Greek and Italian food. Just stepping through the front doors into the foyer is proof of that!

We picked Santa Lucia in West Fargo for our anniversary. I liked the atmosphere, especially the Greek music playing as we ate. There was a pretty good selection, and we enjoyed excellent service during the course of our meal.

The prices are medium-high ($10 for a wrap...), but you get quite a meal for your money. Gourmet food. Delicious! In addition to the wraps, they have a variety of interesting entrees, appetizers, and desserts. They also serve different types of pizza. Lots of reasons to return to Santa Lucia and sample some more of their menu.


Left: Greek potato soup; right: Athenian wrap with Greek salad.


Aside from restaurants in Manitoba, Santa Lucia has a second location in Fargo on South University where they sell take-and-bake pizza. A sign in the window yesterday announced a pizza for $8.99, which sounds pretty good to me!

The Rising River

The region has captured the nation's eye as the Red River of the North rises...and rises...and rises. The last time the river flooded was in 1997. Since then, dikes have been built, bridges have been raised, and people are vigilant.

A residence preparing to bag sand for their Moorhead neighborhood.

All three of the Fargo-Moorhead universities cancelled classes "until further notice" so that students, faculty, and staff could help with sandbagging efforts. Roads are already washed out.

The most surprising part of my first flood experience is to see the area shut down. Blizzard? Everything goes on as planned. We can deal with snow, sleet, ice, and ridiculous cold. But water is another matter.

- A few cities have shut off city water, because they cannot deal with the backlog.
- Other cities are advising residents not to use water in their homes.
- Fargo-Moorhead has urgently asked motorists to stay away from the river area. The cities ARE the river area.
- The river is expected to crest as early as Friday. As of this morning, they had only sandbagged about 1/3 of what they think they will need (2 million sandbags!)
- Inmates and high school students are working together in the sandbagging efforts.
- City buses are only running routes to take volunteers to sandbag locations.
- Several bridges in Fargo-Moorhead have been closed and many roads are underwater.
- It is raining.


This blog tells one man's flood story. It hits pretty close to home.

Passage to India

I thought Passage to India, an Indian restaurant in West Fargo, would be somewhat like fast food or a Chinese restaurant buffet. It was not.

We went to Passage to India on a Saturday during lunchtime. It was pretty quiet inside, except for the Indian music videos playing fairly quietly from a big screen television. There were not that many patrons. The restaurant was fairly dim. There were tables and booths, authentic artwork and decor. I asked the owner (I think?) if it was okay to have our infant in the restaurant, because the place looked so fancy I almost wasn't sure if it was okay that we were wearing jeans.

The owner spent some time at our table with us, talking about our baby. Then we went to the buffet.

I tried various things. The goat curry was delicious. I have never had goat before. The baby liked the naan bread, pictured at the top of my plate (and she also liked the cantaloupe). I tried a cold dip that was made of potatoes and chickpeas (at about 11 o'clock in the photo). There were some very yummy (and not spicy) veggie appetizers. Those were very good, almost like egg rolls. Of course, the desserts were my favorite part. There was a custardy mango cake. And then these little honey pastry balls called gulab jamoon. Mmmm.

So, this restaurant is quite a bit different. First, the only table service is water refills. And there were a LOT of water refills. They also took our plates the second we showed signs of being done. At the end of the meal, we went up to the register and they had our ticket waiting for us with our table number on it. By this point, there were plenty of customers, several of whom used high chairs to sit next to the table. So I would say the environment is certainly family friendly.

The only negatives I would mention about this place are that 1) they do not label the ingredients for all of the foods (some they do, some they don't), so if a food has an Indian name, it is a gamble; 2) their website keeps resizing my browser, which I find very annoying; and 3) they are not open on Mondays (we stopped by on a Monday and were quite disappointed).

If you have never tasted Indian food before, I definitely recommend Passage to India. Buffet style ($8.95 for lunch) is the perfect way to sample different foods (alternatively, you can order off the menu). The staff are extremely friendly, and they even do special holiday foods for various Indian holidays. It is quite the experience.

West Acres Mall

Billed as a bonafide tourist attraction, the West Acres Shopping Center is the central retail mecca of the Fargo-Moorhead area. As with all good malls, for miles and miles surrounding West Acres the landscape is dotted with box stores and chain restaurants. You will have to travel more than a hundred miles away from Fargo to find another TGI Fridays or Dress Barn.

The mall itself contains all of the standard fare -- even a Macy's -- but with that certain Fargo flair.

Where else but at West Acres would you find a Scandinavian import store nestled between an ice cream parlor and a cell phone retailer?

Before you leave, don't forget to stop by the Roger Maris Museum. Just take a right at Spencer Gifts.

If you time your visit to Fargo just right, you can stop by during one of the coldest months of the year to partake in the Cookbook Festival!

And the movie theater? Well, they boast the biggest traditional screens in all of North Dakota.

See you at the mall, kids. Look out for this guy. He may -- or may not -- be giving out samples. Eh?

Welcome

What do I hope to do with this space? Well, I hope to share with you a little bit about the Fargo-Moorhead area of the Midwestern United States. And hopefully with that, a little humor.

Thanks for stopping by. :)