Tooties is a low-key family restaurant with good, affordable food, nothing too flashy. The St. Patrick's Day special was corned beef and cabbage.
I was there yesterday with Connie Nompelis, (realtor, historical housing preservationist) Jeff Skrenes, (Hawthorne Housing Director) and Meagan Goodmundson (activist-at-large for the Jordan neighborhood and DFL) having one of our round robin discussions about neighborhood issues. I tried to order a mixed drink and found Tooties only has wine and beer. I was all, like, what's up with that? Only wine and beer?
Connie told me not selling hard liquor kept out "the riff raff."
Well, I certainly approve of that. So I had some red wine.
But then I slammed down the wine glass like a shot. Because I am, after all, part riff raff.
But Tooties is a nice little place. You could bring your little kids to Tooties, and feel very comfortable having dinner there.
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I think places like Tootie's and the 400 Bar ought to have an exemption from the smoking ban. John, with your law degree, do you think there's a way we could write something into law that essentially says, "Are you seriously trying to tell me I can't smoke in a place like this? I mean, come ON!"
ReplyDeleteAh, Tooties. I went there a few times with a neighbor when I first moved to North. It was before the smoking ban and everybody in the joint except me had a cancer stick. I was afraid that the ban must have killed the place. The food wasn't that bad or anything but it was unmistakably a dive. Every neighborhood needs a dive.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to admit. We are sort of "riff raff"! Jennifer, the most defined, stable, cool and profitable flipper, and I have spent a lot of lunches there. We don't hang out in the evening. Is it even open? We were there a couple of days before St. Pat's and didn't even think of ordering the corned beef and cabbage. Jennifer has just finished her top notch flip at 2755 Russell Avenue North. It is so awesome! We will be listing it next week.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I had to have the Tootie Burger and Jennifer had some other sloppy, yummy burger. Old school. Yum!
I believe the reason you can't get a mixed drink at Tootie's is because the area from Broadway to 53rd is designated as "dry". It's only in the last few years you could get wine and strong beer around here. Broadway used to have lots of bars ... and diners ... and restaurants, and a big ol' Woolworth store.
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