Republic:: Minneapolis musts.

Republic is my absolute favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities.  I don't even really remember how I discovered it, but it is my go-to place for happy hours, dinners, and random everythings.  I spent my 20th birthday here, brought my parents when they were in town, celebrated my graduation, met up with friends, and ate a ton of fries at the Seven Corners location (I've yet to be to the Uptown location).

My favorite burger there is no longer on the menu - I can only hope the Brie Burger with a red-wine sauce comes back on the rotation soon.  As I was explaining to my family one time - no one has anything bad or even mediocre to say about the food.  A great beer list, a great wine selection, yum-yum sauce, homemade ketchup...wherever you're looking on the menu, you're going to be impressed (even my six year old brother loved the place and food!).

The food isn't the only fantastic thing about this place.  The environment and decor is great too.  Deep colors, beautiful crown molding and stained glass windows make me think upscale and intimate, but the environment is warm and welcoming.  I've never had a bad experience here, and neither will you.

good food. az pt 5

I was a little spoiled with food while on vacation.  Nathan and I went to In-N-Out, of course, but we had plenty of other wonderful meals with friends and family during the trip.  As the memories that last the longest, they're the ones I'm using to wrap up the AZ series that went on a week longer than I planned (my bad!)!  And thank goodness it's finally warming up in Minnesota - I need to be on a patio again!

Early on in the trip, we went to dinner with some good family friends and had phenomenal steak, ribs, salads, and a jalapeno dip to die for - this coming from the girl who hates anything spicy.  There was a ton of good food between it, some relaxed trips to the deli and plenty of leftovers, and the trip was wrapped up nicely at a fantastic sushi place.  We were seated around the hibachi grill and my birthday was celebrated, which meant I got to stand next to the chef and play around a little.

What was truly fantastic about that particular dinner was the family with two kids sitting next to us.  My grandpa gets a look on his face, one that can only be described as pure joy and wonder, when he sees his loved ones or anyone under the age of 14 having fun.  Getting to see this look as he watched the kids trying sushi and talking with us about their dirt bikes was the best souvenir of the trip.

Arizona sunsets. az part 2

Every time I travel to Arizona, one thing remains constant: sunset will be watched.  Arizona sunsets are one of the most beautiful things to see, and at the time of my trip, it truly was magnificent.  In preparation for the equinox, the sun lines up between the two palm trees and sets so beautifully.  This was taken on my last night, so it was setting slightly behind the house.  If anyone tries to tell you cloudy days are the worst, that may be true, but they make the best sunsets.

There were a couple nights where sunset was watched not only with family, but also with good friends and good food.  There was jalapeno dip and salmon dip I didn't think I would like as much as I did, cheese trays that I could have devoured, and wine that tastes as good as the company you're with.  There were conversations of life and of beauty and of work and as I sit at home in unseasonably cold Minnesota, these are the moments I miss most.  When I look back through my memories, trying to find the ones that stick out to me as "movie moments", these are the ones I want to find, where the only thing missing is the carefully selected background music.