MN Invasion

No matter how many places we live there are a few things I will always like best in MN. One of course is family. Seeing family makes every trip worthwhile. Not sure they would say the same about us, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles. You know how they say "there's one in every family?" I couldn't think who was it in my family. Which is of course when I realized I was it. Please don't judge the rest of my family by me. They aren't all hopeless nut-balls, I must be some strange spontaneous mutation. OR, maybe, it is just as I've always suspected! I am actually a field agent from the future, a brave Star Fleet Officer sent back to gather intel about this misguided time. Maybe not. Right, I'm clearly just strange. Maybe I chewed too much lead paint as a child, who knows? The point is that I loved seeing family again, even though we may make each other crazy, it's like somebody once said, "we put the fun in dysfunctional."

The other thing that MN does better than any other place is it's food stores. I have lived in several and visited most states and I can say with total conviction that no place has better grocery stores than MN. The "average" ones are better than most "upscale" ones other places. But the primo MN stores, like my beloved Byerly's are a whole 'nother level. The window dressings are nice: the bank, the coffee bar, the carpeting, chandeliers, and the spotless way that it is always cleaner than a surgical suite. But the actual offerings are truly hard to believe: the fresh sushi counter, the incredible deli with every strange cheese, lunch meat or other oddity. The pickle and olive bar, the bakery! Oh the bakery. Huge free samples of cookies. Pastries I haven't seen outside of a cruise ship or specialty French bakery. Giant bagels, gourmet chocolates, cakes and pies, tarts, and brownies. Every flavor, every tempting morsel fresh and perfect. Sugar Paradise. Perhaps sugar isn't your thing. Hungry? Maybe you want the restaurant sized food counter. Fresh turkey dinner and all the fixings freshly made. Salads of every description. Meats, poultry, veggies you can't even name. Pick your fancy and head over to sip your coffee creation at one of the tables inside or out near fresh flowers. Or maybe you would rather have a fresh salad and homemade soup and roll from the humongous salad bar? No? Ok, maybe pick your own perfect slice of meat from the meat counter. From organic to wild to the highest rated beef, it's all there. Not into meat? How about fish? A tempting array including King Crab flown in that day. All with ZERO fishy smell! I have no idea how they do it, but if you weren't looking at it, you'd never know there was fish in the store. Minnesotans might take this for granted but walk into a Publix down here and you smell an obnoxious fishy smell from the front door. Vegan? Stroll over to the the fresh produce section and just take in the endless displays of every possible fruit and veggie; perfect, huge, and juicy. I dare you to name something they don't have. Star fruit to pomegranates, kumquats to Brussel sprouts, every cabbage, lettuce in twenty different varieties, bananas, plantains, jicama, whatever. If you really want a treat get a jug of their fresh squeezed OJ. Actually better not, you'll never be able to drink regular stuff again. I haven't even touched on the gourmet sauces, fancy flavors, and interesting spices you can find. A giant fresh floral department adds a splash of color. It is crack for foodies. Just when you think it couldn't get better, you check out. You don't have to unload your stuff. The smiling checker does it for you. You don't bag. You just take your numbers and pull up and the guy loads it into your car. You don't even tip. The guy evens smiles and says hi! I know, it's very strange. It's as if Disney did groceries! Many things change over time but Byerly's is always as good as I remember.