In Minnesota, when winter is chased away by warm sunshine, we embrace it. We embrace it with giddy joy the first time it appears especially, even when it appears in March. March is unnaturally early for such weather to last for more than a day to those who have lived years in Minnesota. But we embrace it none-the-less and revel in the balmy air. On one such lovely day this March, I did a running stop at Rye Deli for re-fueling after the weekly long run with my club on the way to help with the nieces swim lessons. After looking at the menu boards with uncomprehending eyes, I simply asked if they had raisin bagels as I could only see a few varieties. The gal at the counter nicely explained the bagel options, noting that they really don’t do the sweet bagels. No problem for me, I’m just after some carbs! As I stood there still sweating, it seemed to take forever for the guy to slice my bagel and hand it over. Well, somehow cream cheese made it onto the bagel. Not sure how that happened; no time to waste trying to figure that one out. It was amazing…and different than the bagels that I’m accustomed to. The crust was chewy as expected; the inside was light, more bread-like than other bagels I know. It reminded me of the bagel I had in New York City. This is a bagel of a different kind here in the Twin Cities.
As it happened, later that same day, I ended up at Rye for a late lunch. Being an early warm spring day, my friend and I took the opportunity to sit on their patio. It is quite pleasant, shielded from the traffic of Hennepin Ave by a tall wall. The food was spot on and incredibly fresh. The Midnight Turkey Sandwich was as described; then pleasant surprise was the vibrant flavors that could only come from being so fresh. The food at Rye isn’t incredibly complicated or exotic. What it is is fresh, well prepared and well proportioned. I’m a fan.
A couple weeks later, I took the chance to head to the bar section of Rye for a late night nosh. It was cozy and a pleasant bar scene with a decent selection of beer and wine. The only down-side was the lack of crowd; it thinned out to us and the bar-staff by closing time. I hope to see a more robust crowd in the future. The midnight close shouldn’t deter people from heading there as The Lowry is a short two block walk away for those that want to continue the night into the wee hours of the morning.
