I think there is still one on North Mattis in Champaign. I haven't been there in years, I am a Monical's Pizza fan myself.
Illinois @ Minnesota 2-10-13
- Thread starter PBLIllini
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I think there is still one on North Mattis in Champaign. I haven't been there in years, I am a Monical's Pizza fan myself.
row19gopher
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IL goes down to Purdue tonite...
Didn't see this one coming...
Didn't see this one coming...
Not really a surprise. I hate playing at Mackey. It's always a slugfest.
I think IL played over their heads a bit early in the year. They have a lot of holes in their roster left behind from Weber. It will take a couple of years to rebuild it. I think the quick start and elevated ranking were a bit of fools gold honestly.
So how far is it from downtown Minneapolis to The Barn? Would staying downtown and driving there be much of a problem? Would going out post game in downtown Minny be appropriate for a group of 25-30 year old fellas?
I have a friend who works for the Hilton company and can get some cheap rates on their hotels, but it looks like the closest Hilton brand hotels are all downtown....
I have a friend who works for the Hilton company and can get some cheap rates on their hotels, but it looks like the closest Hilton brand hotels are all downtown....
Gold Vision
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The university and the barn are right across the Mississippi, about 3 miles from the downtown Hilton. Staying downtown would probably be the best for 25-30 year olds. There are some fun bars on campus, but you'll want to end your night downtown. A cab ride may be cheaper than $10-$15 parking.
Cool. We may try staying downtown then. I'd love to hear further recommendations for restaurants and bars to hit in the downtown area.
By the way, I fully expect to get throttled by the Gophers in this game and possibly at home too. You guys have way too much size and strength for this Illinois team. So that means I will probably be drinking extra to make up for the loss, lol.
By the way, I fully expect to get throttled by the Gophers in this game and possibly at home too. You guys have way too much size and strength for this Illinois team. So that means I will probably be drinking extra to make up for the loss, lol.
WorkingMyTailOff
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Hey Illini guy! One last tip for food on Friday or Saturday night. I would probably just grab drinks at Nye's. It's not that their food is bad, it's just a better place for drinks and atmosphere (there is a polka bar and a piano bar).
For dinner, I would recommend:
1. Red Stag (couple of blocks from Nye's). It might be a little too hipsterish, but their drinks (Old Fashions) and food are good and it has a new/old supper club feel to it.
2. Masu is a good Japanese restaurant also a couple of blocks from Nye's. They have good ramen, good drinks, and decent sushi.
3. Modern Cafe about 10-15 blocks farther into NE Mpls (old school diner but with good food and drinks).
4. Bulldog is a good place for Burgers close to Nyes, Masu, and Red Stag.
5. Brasa Rotisserie also very close to Nyes... excellent place for smoked meats and southern sides. great food.
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O.K. Here is your itinerary:
You want your Hilton buddy to hook you up with the Double Tree at 11th and Lasalle, that will be the best Hilton location for you.
Here is your plan for Friday:
You might skip this plan and just move to (E) on the map (which is totally cool), but read the explanation at the end.
Check in and hit the bricks. (A) on your map
Follow the map, your first stop is Brit's Pub (B) on your map. Grab a pint there (no rooftop bocce ball in the winter for you...sorry). Quick, 1 beer/C-tail stop. Move a couple of blocks to The Local (C) on your map, which sells more Irish Whiskey than any bar in the US. Both of these stops might not be hopping even if you arrive late Friday (as stated in previous post). The map from there depends on your time of arrival. **Option -- Stop right next-door to Barrio for tequila shots, and they show old spaghetti westerns, projected on a huge screen over the bar, an occasional spot for a group of "hens" hitting downtown---avoid The Newsroom across the street, it's not for your group---also resist going into Zelo (a block away, north), too old of a crowd for your group (The Local might also be too old, but it's a wildcard on Fridays)**. The next stop that I suggest is The Depot on 1st Avenue (D) on your map. I only suggest this because it is part of the First Avenue bar, "the bar that Prince built". It might only be worth sticking your head in and then moving on, depending on what's going on. Sorry, but there is no "must see" band at First Avenue or The Entry...don't worry, you don't know what The Entry is, but some awesome bands play there. Anyways, it's only a one-bump stop before you move on. Depending on ETA you might be running out of time by now, and not really seen any hopping places. But the most logical route takes you to Kieran's (E) on our map. Good bar, but now you are in the teeth of the bar scene in Minneapolis. Guys don't need any direction other than placing them in this area and you'll find a spot to hit. Stay on 1st. Avenue, keep moving northwest, you might wander a 1/2 block right or left from there.. There are a couple of spots on Hennepin, but probably not worth walking around to get to. Plenty of trouble to get into on 1st. I won't even bother listing them.
Sorry for the huge map:
So, it's Saturday morning, and you have all day.
First thing is breakfast. You need to fuel for the day, so start at Hell's Kitchen, a brisk 4 block walk from your hotel. You will not be disappointed.
The rest of the day? Since you have a car I would head to "The U" campus to take a look around. Personally, I like walking campuses to see the old architecture, etc. I would park in Dinkytown and start walking. You need to burn off last night, and you need to earn your beers, so wear some walking shoes, and get moving. You can check out the WAM The Weisman Art Museum on campus, even if you don't go in, it's a cool building to check out. There is a bridge right next to the WAM that you can walk across to the West Bank that crosses the Mississippi. People who don't grow up with the Mississippi running through their state seem to enjoy that, but we're just too used to walking over the river for classes to even notice it anymore, sadly. On the west bank there are some great bars, but you want to walk right back across the bridge and hit Stadium Village to some of the places for lunch/beers that people have mentioned before...Stub & Herb's, Sally's, et.al.
Now it's the big part of the weekend. You've gotten back to your hotel, rested a bit and ready to hit it again. Take a cab. Take a cab to Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, and then you're walking (easy) for a while. Suzi's has some really good food, google the menu and trust me. Worst case scenario is that you have a couple of good drinks there and then walk to The Sample Room and eat there. Not a bad place, good food (but over-priced) (and the owner is a bitch) (but she's hot (1998 hot)). Sample Room might be too low key for your group, but it's a good stop before you keep walking to Grumpy's, it's probably your longest walk of the weekend between stops, but it's still only about 10 minutes. Spend a little time at Grumpy's and then head north to The Gastof, a traditional German bar and restaurant. Try the Boot. See the map below for the route:
O.K. You're in "Nordeast" Minneapolis and far from your hotel. Call a cab (cabs DO NOT wander around nordeast...call ahead...install cab4me, etc.) and head to Nye's [Esquire Magazine - Best Bar in America and Top Ten Bars You Must Experience Before You Die, and the home of "The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band. RIP Ruth Adams]. Avoid the restaurant side and head to the bar side. Just ask the bartender for "A Polish". (Like Poland the country, not polish, like you're cleaning a table). You might get 3 or 4 different beers when you get a round, but that's how it goes there. You won't even be able to pronounce the names of the beers, but that is part of the experience. If Nye's has nothing going on, there is a whole bunch of bars a couple of blocks from there. Cab it home, and hope you can make it through Sunday.
It's Sunday morning and now we have to deal with the Al's conundrum. First, let me tell you that I love Al's, spent many a blissful morning there. But if you stay downtown, I'm not sure it's the best option. Hopefully, you've already been to Hell's Kitchen, and if you want a uniquely UofM experience, Al's is your stop...no question. It's a small, cramped place where you rarely sit next to the person you walked in with. Make sure you grab a paper or some other reading material and stand behind one of the 10 or or stools and wait for a spot to open. Might be the best breakfast you've ever had. A close second would be Key's Cafe, just a couple of blocks from your hotel (I'm still working on the assumption that you take the Hilton that I recommended).
Now you have some dead time before the 5pm start of the game. Honestly, after breakfast I would walk over to Loring Park, go over the bridge and wander around the sculpture garden. You have time for it before you head back to Stadium Village or Dinkytown for your pre-game.
***Rationale - You can go to any large city, find bars, have fun, make memories. The plan that I set out tries to put you you into places that are unique to The Twin Cities. Every city, town, or little college village has plenty of places to have beer, pizza, tacos, etc. and you would probably have a great time. My best memories come from finding the out of the way places. Take a little or a lot of what I've offered.
You want your Hilton buddy to hook you up with the Double Tree at 11th and Lasalle, that will be the best Hilton location for you.
Here is your plan for Friday:
You might skip this plan and just move to (E) on the map (which is totally cool), but read the explanation at the end.
Check in and hit the bricks. (A) on your map
Follow the map, your first stop is Brit's Pub (B) on your map. Grab a pint there (no rooftop bocce ball in the winter for you...sorry). Quick, 1 beer/C-tail stop. Move a couple of blocks to The Local (C) on your map, which sells more Irish Whiskey than any bar in the US. Both of these stops might not be hopping even if you arrive late Friday (as stated in previous post). The map from there depends on your time of arrival. **Option -- Stop right next-door to Barrio for tequila shots, and they show old spaghetti westerns, projected on a huge screen over the bar, an occasional spot for a group of "hens" hitting downtown---avoid The Newsroom across the street, it's not for your group---also resist going into Zelo (a block away, north), too old of a crowd for your group (The Local might also be too old, but it's a wildcard on Fridays)**. The next stop that I suggest is The Depot on 1st Avenue (D) on your map. I only suggest this because it is part of the First Avenue bar, "the bar that Prince built". It might only be worth sticking your head in and then moving on, depending on what's going on. Sorry, but there is no "must see" band at First Avenue or The Entry...don't worry, you don't know what The Entry is, but some awesome bands play there. Anyways, it's only a one-bump stop before you move on. Depending on ETA you might be running out of time by now, and not really seen any hopping places. But the most logical route takes you to Kieran's (E) on our map. Good bar, but now you are in the teeth of the bar scene in Minneapolis. Guys don't need any direction other than placing them in this area and you'll find a spot to hit. Stay on 1st. Avenue, keep moving northwest, you might wander a 1/2 block right or left from there.. There are a couple of spots on Hennepin, but probably not worth walking around to get to. Plenty of trouble to get into on 1st. I won't even bother listing them.
Sorry for the huge map:
So, it's Saturday morning, and you have all day.
First thing is breakfast. You need to fuel for the day, so start at Hell's Kitchen, a brisk 4 block walk from your hotel. You will not be disappointed.
The rest of the day? Since you have a car I would head to "The U" campus to take a look around. Personally, I like walking campuses to see the old architecture, etc. I would park in Dinkytown and start walking. You need to burn off last night, and you need to earn your beers, so wear some walking shoes, and get moving. You can check out the WAM The Weisman Art Museum on campus, even if you don't go in, it's a cool building to check out. There is a bridge right next to the WAM that you can walk across to the West Bank that crosses the Mississippi. People who don't grow up with the Mississippi running through their state seem to enjoy that, but we're just too used to walking over the river for classes to even notice it anymore, sadly. On the west bank there are some great bars, but you want to walk right back across the bridge and hit Stadium Village to some of the places for lunch/beers that people have mentioned before...Stub & Herb's, Sally's, et.al.
Now it's the big part of the weekend. You've gotten back to your hotel, rested a bit and ready to hit it again. Take a cab. Take a cab to Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, and then you're walking (easy) for a while. Suzi's has some really good food, google the menu and trust me. Worst case scenario is that you have a couple of good drinks there and then walk to The Sample Room and eat there. Not a bad place, good food (but over-priced) (and the owner is a bitch) (but she's hot (1998 hot)). Sample Room might be too low key for your group, but it's a good stop before you keep walking to Grumpy's, it's probably your longest walk of the weekend between stops, but it's still only about 10 minutes. Spend a little time at Grumpy's and then head north to The Gastof, a traditional German bar and restaurant. Try the Boot. See the map below for the route:
O.K. You're in "Nordeast" Minneapolis and far from your hotel. Call a cab (cabs DO NOT wander around nordeast...call ahead...install cab4me, etc.) and head to Nye's [Esquire Magazine - Best Bar in America and Top Ten Bars You Must Experience Before You Die, and the home of "The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band. RIP Ruth Adams]. Avoid the restaurant side and head to the bar side. Just ask the bartender for "A Polish". (Like Poland the country, not polish, like you're cleaning a table). You might get 3 or 4 different beers when you get a round, but that's how it goes there. You won't even be able to pronounce the names of the beers, but that is part of the experience. If Nye's has nothing going on, there is a whole bunch of bars a couple of blocks from there. Cab it home, and hope you can make it through Sunday.
It's Sunday morning and now we have to deal with the Al's conundrum. First, let me tell you that I love Al's, spent many a blissful morning there. But if you stay downtown, I'm not sure it's the best option. Hopefully, you've already been to Hell's Kitchen, and if you want a uniquely UofM experience, Al's is your stop...no question. It's a small, cramped place where you rarely sit next to the person you walked in with. Make sure you grab a paper or some other reading material and stand behind one of the 10 or or stools and wait for a spot to open. Might be the best breakfast you've ever had. A close second would be Key's Cafe, just a couple of blocks from your hotel (I'm still working on the assumption that you take the Hilton that I recommended).
Now you have some dead time before the 5pm start of the game. Honestly, after breakfast I would walk over to Loring Park, go over the bridge and wander around the sculpture garden. You have time for it before you head back to Stadium Village or Dinkytown for your pre-game.
***Rationale - You can go to any large city, find bars, have fun, make memories. The plan that I set out tries to put you you into places that are unique to The Twin Cities. Every city, town, or little college village has plenty of places to have beer, pizza, tacos, etc. and you would probably have a great time. My best memories come from finding the out of the way places. Take a little or a lot of what I've offered.
That is a frickin' awesome post! Thanks Unregistered! I am emailing this to my buddy for the hotel and everything else.
I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help us. I can't tell you how much we are all looking forward to this trip. We are spread out over three states now and only get together a couple of times (sometimes only once) a year. This is the first time we are heading away from all of our residences in quite some time, we usually stay crash where one of us lives. Haven't had a true road trip since we went to Chicago a few years ago. We are going to hit it hard and make up for lost time. The game is a bonus (especially since we will lose), the nights out are what we really love!!
I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help us. I can't tell you how much we are all looking forward to this trip. We are spread out over three states now and only get together a couple of times (sometimes only once) a year. This is the first time we are heading away from all of our residences in quite some time, we usually stay crash where one of us lives. Haven't had a true road trip since we went to Chicago a few years ago. We are going to hit it hard and make up for lost time. The game is a bonus (especially since we will lose), the nights out are what we really love!!
WorkingMyTailOff
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That is a great writeup Unregistered User!
UU's plan is so perfect that I know I risk upsetting its superb balance, efficiency and quality. However, as you will be at Nye's anyway, you might want to consider a very small but interesting detour.
Not to go all holy roller on anyone, but just a short stumble up the hill is Our Lady of Lourdes church. If any of the group is catholic and wants to take in a Mass or simply sit in a beautiful chapel for an hour, you might want to make the very short walk (about 75 feet) up there. Masses are at 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9, 11AM & 7PM on Sunday.
It is an historic and simply stunning church inside and out. You might see if they are still selling meat pies as well.
Not to go all holy roller on anyone, but just a short stumble up the hill is Our Lady of Lourdes church. If any of the group is catholic and wants to take in a Mass or simply sit in a beautiful chapel for an hour, you might want to make the very short walk (about 75 feet) up there. Masses are at 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9, 11AM & 7PM on Sunday.
It is an historic and simply stunning church inside and out. You might see if they are still selling meat pies as well.
What are you expecting them to do? Go sew their wild oats and go to mass and pray for a crop failure?
Not expecting anything Doc. Just making a option known.
I think pretty much everybody who walks through the front door there has sewn some oats. . . .and worse.
beavergopher
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Crop failure................good one!
I laughed. It's not a bad idea. We will probably all need to hit the confessional after two nights out on the town!
Unregistered User
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XMan
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CrocShots
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Downtown is fine, I'd suggest shout house. There is a mix of clubby places and chiller bars downtown. DM me for a better cab # where you can negotiate your rate. (Nothing should be more than 15 bucks).
Edit: also about downtown, if it sounds/looks like a strip club, it probably is.
My itinerary in champaign.
Arrive, go to Kams (if its open), game, brothers, Firehaus or barhop after.
Tix for the game are plentiful and cheap on stubhub, most are instant download. Hotels range from 55-150 bucks
I think most everything should be open, even Kams. Not sure what the crowds will be like on a weeknight though.
I am just hoping for a good game. We match up well with tOSU, they don't have much inside, but you guys are way too physical for us. We will have to shoot lights out to win.
I am just hoping for a good game. We match up well with tOSU, they don't have much inside, but you guys are way too physical for us. We will have to shoot lights out to win.
underground629
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Good lord, Unregistered User. That was like a homework assignment. I can't imagine how long that took--awesome post though. I've lived in MN my whole life and will still probably reference your post at some point.
Unregistered User
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Ha! Glad you (and others) enjoyed it. Call it a labor of love. It was a project I had planned after a visit to Bunny's, and I needed a reason to stay up to late and drink beer. I have to admit that the next day at work, the helmet was a little tight.