I just got off the phone with my best friend from high school, Cindy, who told me that her friend Tom Cherveny, a reporter in south central Minnesota told her that my book Twin Cities Prohibition / Minnesota's Blind Pigs and Bootleggers was mentioned on MPR. And here is where the real irony lies; it was included as one of the top three picks of the year by food critic Dara Moskowitz-Grundahl, who is the Minnesota Monthly senior editor and food critic!  And I don't even cook.

Dumping Schell's Beer in the Gutter.

I remember the time my good friend Monica told me I'd never catch myself a man if I didn't learn to make something besides Banquet Chicken.  I like Banquet Chicken, and I bet Big Carl would eat it if I offered it to him.

Really.  I just got off the phone with my mom and my sister Annie, and they both laughed out loud that a food critic would even mention my name. Well . . . she did, so how do you all like me now?

The Juicy Lucy Burger at the 5-8 Club, a former speakeasy in South Minneapolis.

Why was such an unlikely candidate mentioned?  My friend Melanie and I visited a number of Minnesota speakeasies which were included in my book.  Click here to see which ones they were.

I'm pretty sure my old dad will simply shake his head when he hears this news.  He is well aware of my shortcomings.  You can listen to the MPR interview with Tom Crann, from December 22, 2011 by clicking on the arrow on the Minnesota Public Radio icon posted above the Minnesota Country Mouse Folk Blog name.