Minneapolis home to best restroom in America

The 2013 winner of Cintas' America's Best Restroom Contest is Varsity Theater, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From Cintas:

The Varsity Theater, formerly The University Theater, was one of the last vaudeville houses in Minneapolis and hosted everything from minstrel shows, to comedians, to screenings of early silent films. In 2005, the current incarnation of The Varsity Theater opened its doors as a vaudeville house for the 21st Century. The restroom, decorated with ornate, gilded mirrors, sassy text plates, and bricks laid as if by a drunken mason on bender, invites guests into an Alice In Wonderland-like grotto – to relieve themselves and re-live childhood fairy tales. One part old-fashioned powder room one part lounge, this restroom allows concert-goers to take a break in an area from which one can still view and hear the stage. Bartenders even serve drinks over the back counter into the restroom area, offering a VIP experience to every guest. The sinks were designed with shower head-faucets with a foot pedal operation, a la grade school restrooms. The lounge and hand washing area is coed, creating quite a social atmosphere, particularly when concert-goers are trying to figure out how to activate the sinks and they need to ask one another for the tip – use your toes. And of course, the women's side of the restroom features four times as many stalls as the men's side. In addition to hosting both local and national music acts the Varsity is a popular location for wedding receptions, private galas, and dream dates, coupled with dinner at their associated restaurant, Loring Pasta Bar.

Yes, this is how you relieve yourself in style...

New foods at the Minnesota State Fair

As a resident of Minnesota I have come to appreciate the curious culinary cacophony that is the State Fair. Just think of any food and add the words "on a stick" and you get the idea.

Naturally, everyone looks forward each year to the introduction of new temptations to tantalize the taste buds. You can expect the obligatory chocolate-covered this and deep-fried that, but some of the best new foods are old favorites that are given a new twist.

The Shrimp Shack is offering just such a treat: Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Shrimp. And yes, it comes on a stick.

Campbell's Flavored Corndogs offers exactly what the name implies. The flavors you can expect are Jalapeño Cheese, Sweet Corn, and Double Bacon. All deep-fried, of course.

At Goertze's Dairy Kone you will find peanut butter and jelly malts and sundaes.

Among the more daring delectables are Cocoa Cheese Bites from Axel's,

Fried Pickles 'n' Chocolate from Preferred Pickles,

and the Candied Bacon Cannoli from Ole's Cannoli.

Check out all the new foods available at the Minnesota State Fair here.

How to park your grocery car(t)

I don't really know why, but I found it amusing to see these two grocery carts, complete with plastic cars attached, all by themselves at the far end of a mall parking lot.

Scrap metal...and other stuff

Seen on the way home today...