1. I loved driving across Minnesota from Duluth to Grand Forks, ND. We saw one gorgeous vista of mostly golden fall colors after another and we saw how modest the Mississippi River is here in its formative stage. We passed over a small bridge and I hadn't notice the sign telling us that we'd passed over the Mississippi River. Crossing it took about a second. We stopped, turned around, came back toward this spot again and turned into a rest stop area where Debbie took some photos. The river is really beautiful here, but it's not quite the Mighty Mississippi just yet!
Scroll to the end of the post and you'll see the pictures.
2. For today's matinee dog friendly brewery stop, we landed in downtown Grand Forks, ND at Rhombus Guys Brewing.
We hit the jackpot.
I arrived first to double check that Gibbs was welcome and met our superb server, Jenna. Jenna enthusiastically confirmed that having Gibbs in the outdoor seating area would be awesome and when I asked if I needed to come indoors to order she said, "Oh, no! I'll come out and serve you. I'll keep an eye out for your arrival!"
I grabbed a tap list and I was immediately impressed that it was not IPA loaded, but had good variety. Unfortunately Rhombus Guys was out of their Irish stout, but no problem. Here are the beers we ordered in our flight:
Greenway Double IPA (2)
Iconic Blond -- blonde ale
3rd St. Be-Bop Wheat Ale
Illusion Red Ale/Amber
Oktoberfest Marzen
We also ordered a cheese plate and it was the best we could ever remember having anywhere. The baguette slices were cut thin and were lightly toasted and were the perfect vehicle for the blue cheese and craisins (I think) and Gouda. The spread also included slices of an Indian curry tasting cheese and pieces of tart and crunchy pickled green tomato. There were honeyed nuts on the board along with a small pool of seeded brown mustard and a small container of plum jam, both tart and sweet.
Our most attentive server, Jenna, came out to check how we were doing and Debbie told her we loved every one of the beers -- and that almost never happens. We also fell over ourselves raving about the cheese plate. We were two very happy customers. We were also happy that Jenna took such an interest in our dog friendly brewery tour of the northern USA. It was fun having Jenna be so delighted and delightful.
We decided we'd like more food to nibble on and ordered sprouts fried in maple sauce and fried cheese curds with a side of ranch. Just like the cheese plate, these appetizers were awesome. I'd never ordered cheese curds before and I loved that these were like eating soft and cheesy tater tots.
We finished the flight and Debbie ordered a pint of Greenway 2IPA and I had a 10 oz pour of Oktoberfest. We were feeling pretty euphoric about these beers and we got to talking to a guy at a nearby table. It turns out he went to high school across the river at East Grand Fork and was home for his delayed 20th high school reunion. He was fascinated by our trip and, unbeknownst to us, he wanted us to experience more of Grand Forks and went next door to the famous Widman's Candy shop. He briefly came back to our table and gave us, as a gift, a package of Widman's chocolate chippers and a wide farewell smile.
We told Jenna what he'd done and she loved his gesture and, about the chippers, ecstatically said, "Oh my God! You'll love those!"
Jenna is the best!
3. I finished my Marzen and decided I'd like to try a 5 oz pour of Rhombus Guys' Chemical X, a sour ale. It was one of the very best sours I've ever tasted. It was like drinking a tart cherry cobbler with a hint of vanilla and, as a bonus, the beer had been brewed with lactose and so it was as if the cherry cobbler had had a splash of half and half poured over it. I ordered a second small pour.
We bought a small growler of Greenway 2 IPA to go, loaded up, and headed to our room where we relaxed, talked about how much we enjoyed Rhombus Guys, and charted out the last leg of our trip -- I think we'll be going to Minot, ND, Malta, MT, Great Falls, MT, and then to Kellogg.
We'll see if this plan holds up.
The quiet Mississippi River:
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