Happy Ending To North Vent Facebook Drama Regarding "White Dude With A Gun," Everybody Sing Kumbaya...

Photo forwarded to JNS blog by a participant in
North Vent Facebook forum, used under Fair Comment
and Criticism, blog post by John Hoff

KARE and a number of other local media did stories about a minor episode on North Vent Facebook forum regarding a confrontation between a black citizen and a white citizen, the white citizen armed with a gun and suspicious about a guy in a parked car, the black guy in the car concerned about racial profiling. 

Words were exchanged. A cell phone was whipped out to record video. A verbal warning was given and a firearm displayed, though not pointed. Both participants in the drama called 911 to complain about the other guy. 

Then the whole thing went viral on social media...

Stayin' Alive with Jiggity Jake McJackson at The Lowry Cafe

Video and blog post by Nomi Passenger

The other night I was invited to The Lowry Cafe for their second week of live music on Wednesday nights. One of the wait staff, Jake, is quite the musician with some impressive credentials and puts on a good show. It's amazing what entertainment can be created by just a dude on a stool with a guitar and a beer.

I asked him to play his favorite song but I wasn't prepared with the camera, probably because I was too busy drinking wine and talking with friends. So here's a delayed start to the recording but a fun song none the less.

Jake's got all kinds of sites for promoting his music and word is he is out playing live somewhere just about 8 nights a week, quite the ham he is. Check out his myspace page here or his facebook page here. He's also got his own blog here.

If I remember correctly, I think he said he lives northside, but the wine might be interfering with my memory. Jake, are you out there? Do you live over north?

Jake will be playing each Wednesday night from 6 to 9. If you go for dinner and some live music, bring a request, if he doesn't know it, he'll learn it for the next week.

Here's a couple more songs.





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The Lowry Cafe - Offically Opening This Friday!

Photos and Blog Post by Nomi Passenger

The much anticipated opening of The Lowry Cafe is this Friday, May 6. Go ahead, everyone stampede at once and form a line out the door. The staff have been practicing and they will be ready for you. I had the chance to get a sneak peek during one of their practice runs recently and I snapped a few photos to share here, including the menu.

The Cafe's hours will be...

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - Breakfast and Lunch only 6am to 3pm
Wednesday through Saturday - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 6am to 9pm

In the top photo above, the cover of the Cafe's menu features an actual historic photo taken on the same corner of Penn and Lowry Avenues where the Cafe sits today.  Look closely at the photo and you'll see the sign for The Lowry Cafe hanging above the children's heads.  No, there was not a Lowry Cafe in the 1920s. A fun little photo trick was used to make a great menu cover, but they could have fooled me.

A display case will hold the desserts, which will vary day to day. Cakes and pies and such.  An exciting offering will be four flavors of Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream, a popular and highly acclaimed local business which self describes their ice cream as "super premium" and I'd have to agree with them on that.  The four flavors at the Lowry Cafe currently are Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Raspberry Chocolate Chip and Pavarotti(caramel, bananas, chocolate chips - super yummy- I got to try a spoonful!) I'm not sure if they will rotate the two specialty flavors but I imagine they will always keep vanilla and chocolate in stock.

This past Saturday I didn't have time to eat, but I got a salad to go and gave it to John, who gave a two thumbs up (see photo below). I know it's not much of a review, so you'll have to dine their yourselves and share here with the rest of the JNS audience.

For now, take in the photos and preplan your order from the menus below.

Here are five of the nine servers.  From Left to Right we've got Paula, Amy, Matt, Tonya and Geisha.  They were all super friendly and professional. Geisha is quite funny, you'll have a laugh or two when you meet her.

Chef Steve checks the plating of food before it's carried out to the table.

One of the Signatures: Meatloaf on texas toast w/ onion bourbon glaze; shoestring onions and garlic mashed potatoes.

Early Bird Burger features breakfast on top of your burger.

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Buffalo Wings - I hear the sauce is on the mild side - safe for everyone

Chicken Tenders

The Spinach salad with candied pecans, bleu cheese crumbles and strawberry vinaigrette

The walls display the works of local artists. Right now the first featured paintings are befitting. They are by Nomi resident Pat Waddick who is actually also the architect of the Cafe.

The Lowry Cafe is a welcome addition to the up and coming Lowry Avenue corridor - check out the facebook page started to promote all the great things happening on Lowry. The New Lowry Avenue Page
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JNS BLOG CUISINE EXCLUSIVE: The Lowry Cafe Is Looking Good And Soon To Open!

Today, Johnny Northside blog was specially invited for a sneak peak inside the Lowry Cafe, (click here for their Facebook page) which is set to open in early May. The last time I was inside, the place had studs instead of walls. Now it's so close to finished, some cooking ingredients are already stocked.

From its cherry-stained oak bar, to its 12-foot ceilings and 1920s style interior, the new restaurant shows what is possible when you have AN ENTIRE HARDWARE STORE AT YOUR DISPOSAL to finish a space and make it perfect...




The brand new kitchen is like an artist's canvas waiting to receive a masterpiece. I am told the menu will consist of "comfort food with a twist" which could also be described as "home style classics turned up a notch." For example, meatloaf with bourbon onion sauce and shoestring onions, on Texas toast. The pork tenderloin is expected to be "a staple." Bottled beer and wine will be available.

Though the walls are newly finished and empty at the moment, in the future they will feature the works of local artists.



This is not the same kitchen as the previous photo, but the "prep kitchen" in the basement.



Special glassware that says "Lowry Cafe."



Brand new mixer. The kitchen looks like Christmas morning at the Martha Stewart residence!



Dark black, classy cloth napkins. How environmentalist!



Ingredients, ready to go.



One of the rest rooms. Yes, that's real marble tile.



The other rest room. Darryl did all the tile work himself.



Extra outlets have been installed at the bar to accommodate customers with laptops. Johnny Northside blog LIKEY LIKEY.



Here's the chef, Steve Swinney, who has previously worked for independent restaurants, corporate restaurants, and franchises. He's very well-rounded in the food service industry. In addition to "comfort food with a twist," Swinney hopes to have wines of "affordable quality anybody can enjoy" and a local emphasis with the ingredients for the cuisine; including produce from farmers markets when available. The bread used at the Lowry Cafe will be from Franklin Street Bakery, and the coffee will be B & W which is a local "fair trade" company, click here for their website.


The booths will be named after the five North Minneapolis neighborhoods that line Lowry Avenue and will be identified by little brass plaques. Extra big and comfy, the booths seat six. The table tops are huge and will work well to unfurl maps and plot further neighborhood revitalization.

Visible from the windows of the Lowry Cafe are large, open areas of land just itching to be developed. Pouring so much money and effort into the Lowry Cafe is an act of faith in the bright future of our neighborhood.

Here's hoping owner Darryl Weivoda's faith is rewarded with success.

JNS BLOG CUISINE EXCLUSIVE: New Lowry Cafe Plans To Open In February Or March...

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

In a perfect world, says owner Daryl Weivoda, the new Lowry Cafe would have a Valentine's Day 2011 opening. But this is not a perfect world and, realistically, he thinks March of 2011 is more likely.

This blog had the privilege of peaking inside, recently, on our way to visit the Goddess of Glass store next door. I couldn't help but notice the new green sign outside of the cafe location at 2207 Lowry Ave. and when I tried the door--whoah, the door flew open and there was Daryl right in front of me! And Daryl was happy to give me a tour. In fact, he actually handed me a draft of the planned menu, ripping off the last page to preserve some mechanical calculations jotted on the back...

The NoMi Passenger blog did a video tour of this location about some months ago, click here, but since that time there has been a lot of progress on "the mechanicals." By "mechanicals," we don't just mean the cafe. Daryl had hip replacement surgery a few months ago, which slowed progress down on the cafe a bit, but now workmen are pushing the project forward.
Here, some floor repairs are being done at the former doorway to the building, which used to be a notorious "inconvenience store." It was owned by Abdul Quader A Muwahid, according to online city records.
The placement of the new sign at Lowry Cafe allows the Goddess of Glass store, next door, to figure out where they will place their sign.
Daryl Weivoda, who owns Northend Hardware and the commercial space attached to Northend Hardware that faces Lowry Ave., poses in the area where "countertop service" will be available when Lowry Cafe opens.

Weivoda is a "Northside for Life" resident, who grew up with Police Chief Dolan. The architect of the building project, Pat Waddick, is also a Northside for Life resident who used to coach football, including coaching Chief Dolan.

When I went to college in Moorhead, Minnesota in the late 1980s, there was a well-known regional business which constantly ran commercials featuring the energetic, squeaky-voiced "Weivoda Carpet Girl," who was, er, an object of strong fixation for my roommate, A.J.

It turns out Daryl is related to those Weivodas. It's a small world, after all. I have searched in vain for YouTube video of the "Weivoda carpet girl" but turned up nothing. Sigh. For some things I will have to rely on memory, not the internet. But compare with this musical tribute to the Watson's Pool Girl, click here. Back to the Lowry Cafe--!

Here, Daryl Weivoda poses near "the window" where orders will go in, and food will come out. Here's a sneak peak of what will be on the menu:

* Omelets, including the "Meatsa" which is "perfect for the early rising meat lover." The "New Denver" will include homemade hollandaise and sliced tomato. The "meatsa" will be balanced out by the "veggie" omelet. There is also a "create your own omelet" option.

* Scrambles will include the "Nuevo Ranchero" served on a bed of potatoes Obrien with cheddar cheese, ham and homemade pico. Once again, there is a vegetarian option as well as a "create your own" option.

* Eggs Benedict. Not just one, but THREE variations on eggs benedict including "the classic," the "down south Beni" and a "heat hungry Cajun" option.

* Pancakes galore.

* Signature dishes of "biscuits and gravy" as well as (OMG!) Swedish pancakes.

* Five kinds of salad, including the exotic "Sesamun Salad," which includes "a fine mix of red and green cabbage, shredded lettuce, red pepper, green onion, sesame seeds, marinated grilled chicken, fried won tons and a Hong Kong lime dressing with peanut hoisen." Any of the salads can be made into a tortilla wrap with a side of fries.

* Four kinds of burgers, plus "make it your own" topping options including interesting choices like onion strings, salami, and feta cheese.

Yes, there will be sandwiches but this blog will save the "missing page" so something on the menu remains a surprise.

The cafe, which is in a building constructed in 1929, will have a vintage 20s look including hardwood floors.

In response to the most important question of all--will there be wireless internet?--the answer is YES!!!!!!!!!

Johnny Northside blog is excited about the Lowry Cafe and I hope to do some "live blogging" there in front of a big stack of pancakes in early 2011.