The Polar Vortex is over… I think.

But we’ve still had some pretty gloomy weather here in Minnesota the past week. Here’s to hoping all of those April Showers do bring many May Flowers.

But during that Polar Vortex, we stopped at the Eat Street Social in Minneapolis. Who knew that they made a cocktail to get us through that tough winter?

We had been to the Eat Street Social once before, but it was to meet a friend who was in town. At times like that, one is more focused on time talking and catching up with said friend, as it should be. So I can’t give you any real details of that first impression of the restaurant.

We also had been to the her sister restaurant, the Northeast Social {in Northeast Minneapolis} a few times, as it had been introduced to me by my friend Sally. I instantly fell in love with its cozy, almost Parisian-cafe-style ambiance. The setting was intimate, the wine list interesting, the food delicious. Everything about it felt just… well, right.

A few years later, another “Social” was opened in the Eat Street neighborhood of Minneapolis. It’s closer to us South-of-the-River rats, so it’s a no-brainer we’d end up there again eventually.

Eat Street Social is at least twice as big as its Northeast sister, but I still love the laid back vibe of the place. Knowing that this place can get busy. {We’ve made our way there a few times, giving up after difficulty finding parking in the winter.} So we chose to try stopping in during one of our usual off-times: a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

This gave us the opportunity to pull seats up to the bar. This is the kind of place where that is where you should be. Little did I know that this Social’s specialty was craft cocktails.

So despite the decent array of craft brews on tap, it was imperative to sample what delightful concoctions the skilled bartenders had to offer. Wine in wine countries, right?

I chose the Polar Vortex, not based on the name, but on the contents:

Rob chose a cocktail that suited him a little better:

Check out that boulder of an ice cube! It melted slowly into the drink and looked like this when Rob had finished:

Not all cocktails are made with the same sizes and shapes of ice. It depends on the specific drink. Talk about artistry and craft! Apparently, all of the water that makes the ice is filtered. Rumor has it that one guy does all the chipping, too.

We both chose the right cocktails because we each preferred our own better. While I thought I’d never want to experience a Polar Vortex again, I’ll take this version any day. One word: Refreshing.

We started with this because we had planned to stick around for a while and, hey, it was only $3!

We each continued with another drink. I chose a Wild Card White. {Read: wine of the day, note pictured.} Rob went with the Punch of the Day which was made with an herbal vermouth from Oregon, pineapple juice and another liqueur I’d never heard of before.

And for dinner, I chose:

This was quite rich. The leftovers made for a great lunch the next day. And of course, Mr. Burgermeister needed to check out this restaurant’s version.

Rob enjoyed the burger more than I did from the bite I took; but I’m not a huge fan of smoked cheeses. Still, what really stood out to him was the fries. They reminded him of the fries he adored at Claim Jumper during his Seattle days. He said that they were the same shoestring style with the perfect salt-to-pepper ratio. The only difference he could remember was that Claim’s fries were coated with a bit of some sort of breading.

I wanted to finish with an espresso. {I absolutely adore when restaurants and bars offer it!} However, the machine was broken that day. Instead, I got to try their Vortex Coffee – a method that was explained to me at the time, but I have yet to understand.

Eat Street Social is a place where I could imagine “hanging,” or, uh… socializing, especially if we lived in the neighborhood. I like that the food and drinks change with the season here. The food is high quality, farm-to-table fare. The craft cocktails give Bradstreet Crafthouse a run for their money. The bartenders were very passionate about what they’re doing here. I kind of felt like what I would imagine going to an apothecary would be like – all of the elixirs and bitters in tiny bottles screwed on with eyedropper caps.

Oh and did I mention their Torpedo Room? It’s a separate room with a Tiki Bar. We’re told that the temperature of the room is higher to give that tropical feel. Sounds like fun to me… Especially during a Polar Vortex.

What is your favorite place for cocktails?

What is your favorite unique cocktail?

Cheers~
Carrie