The semester's quickly coming to an end, which explains why I've been quiet on the blog for awhile. We haven't had a lot of time for trying out new yummy recipes, but Steve and I still had a bit of time to explore a new bar this weekend. The bar we originally were heading too was overrun by Santas for the Santa bar crawl, so I suggested we check out the Muddy Pig, which identifies more as a bistro than a bar. I loved it!
The atmosphere was very warm, cozy, and private. Instead of having one big room, people spread out over a few different rooms to enjoy a sense of privacy and intimacy. Even though we snagged the last open table in the room, we still were able to converse at a comfortable volume. This is probably because the crowd was older than the rowdy college kids we usually share bars with. Many of the patrons looked like faculty members, which would make sense since this is moderately close to Macalester. We were definitely among the youngest in the bar, but that doesn't mean it was lame. Maybe it's just too sophisticated for the youngins? Whatever it was, I welcomed the chance to sit at a private table and quietly chat, rather than fight with the undergrads for the bartender's attention to order $2.50 u-call-its at the Library.
The beer selection at the Muddy Pig was phenomenal. The beer menu was several pages long, and organized by type of beer. Usually, I like to get a stout (mm Young's Double Chocolate Stout!), but I decided to try their Christmas beer. Simply delicious! I believe it had hints of cinnamon and ginger, but I don't remember for sure. Steve got a dark beer that normally I'd love, but surprisingly, I liked the Christmas beer better! With about fifty draft beers and many more bottled types, the Muddy Pig is sure to please those who always want to try something new. Moreover, it's not like the beer list is "Miller, Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Bud, Bud Light,..." All of them are quality beers, both domestic and foreign. With the high quality of beer and the wide selection, I'd say this place is great for beer-enthusiasts. I probably wouldn't want to come here all the time, since each beer is about six dollars, but it would be a great treat from time to time.
In addition to the beer, the bistro has great food. Granted, my sample size was only one appetizer, the steamed mussels, but I gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up! To be honest, I was a very hesitant to get the mussels at first. Usually, I zero in on the nachos because I loooove melted cheese and I am a heathen, but Steve half-jokingly suggested the mussels. I was a bit scared because I grew up in Iowa, a zone of no decent seafood. After a moment of deliberation, I agreed to try to mussels under the condition that he eat them all if I didn't like them. :) I had tried mussels once before and was not at all a fan. It weirded me out that you eat them out of the shell and that the texture is so different from the basic meats Iowans consume. This time though, I liked them a lot better! They came in a garlic and white wine sauce, which was so delicious and buttery! There was also basil and tomato bits floating around, which I also love. Yum! We had some crusty bread to dunk in the sauce, and that's how I realized the flavor was incredible. After that, I got over the mussel-fear and enjoyed the appetizer. At just ten dollars for a plate of probably 15 mussels and four pieces of delicious bread, I would definitely order it again!
The Muddy Pig also has a huge wine, whiskey, scotch, and bourbon collection, but we didn't try any of them. Honestly, I don't even think I could give them a fair review because I don't have very much experience in consuming these things. However, if they're like everything else there, I bet these things are incredible.
If you come to Minneapolis-St Paul metro area and want a cozy place with delicious food and a wide variety of quality drinks, go to the Muddy Pig in St Paul! And invite me! ^_^