Park Diner Slider

Name: Park Diner

Location: St. Cloud, MN

Meal: Breakfast Sliders, batter bit potatoes, and coffee

Type: Diner

St. Cloud offers its visitors a number of different things. The Granite City has the Mississippi River, solid Midwest character, and some great company. I was happy to be taken to Park Diner; on the west side of town this throwback diner is a silvery slice of Americana. As any good diner should, they serve breakfast all day so I was more than happy to oblige them at noon, on a Monday.

They seemed to be on a slider kick so I opted for the breakfast slider with a pun for a name. I was encouraged to opt for the batter bit potatoes instead of regular home fries. Eating in a diner almost requires that you drink a cup of coffee which was good and plentiful (diner coffee should never be strong). The sliders were quite nice starting with a homemade, slightly sweet roll, butter grilled and stuffed with egg, cheese, sausage, and Canadian bacon. The batter bit potatoes were good; imagine home fry sized potatoes accidentally taking a trip through the Arby’s curly fry batter machine.

To me, the Midwest is a vastly under explored (and ofter under appreciated) part of our country. With the majority of the population pressed to the edges, few really have a chance to spend time exploring the inside. Brace yourself for full-blown food analogy. The best foods have distinct parts. Pizza has a crust, a solid outer ring and gooey floppy innards; a cookie is a much the same. When it comes to America and its food, we need all parts. To me, the Midwest is the warm gooey center of America; not greater or lesser than any other part just a different. Few things are quite as nurturing as taking in a late breakfast with someone you care about in a classic American diner. If you find yourself passing through St. Cloud (and being a transportation hub of Minnesota you’re liable to) take a few break to stop in for a meal at the Park Diner, you’ll be glad you did.

Park Diner Coffee, not the 371 Diner

Breakfast

Batter Bite Potatoes

Park Diner

Fried Cheese Curds

Name: 5-8 Club

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Meal: Fried Cheese Curds, Juicy Lucy Burger, and Beer

Type: Burger Joint

The Midwest knows how to eat. Maybe it is the cold winters, the strong tradition of physical labor, or just the abundance of readily available ingredients. Whatever the reasons, there are many foods found here that honestly scare the rest of the country. I made the great choice to try two of these foods on a single evening. The 5-8 Club in Minneapolis is one of the two leading restaurants that claim to make the best Juicy Lucy. “What is a Juicy Lucy?”, you ask. It is a burger cooked with a big hunk of cheddar cheese cooked INSIDE. When you bite into the burger you are met with a spillage of hot molten cheddar; it really is quite nice.

One might think a burger was the extent of the gluttony for one night. No, you’d be wrong. My meal actually began with one of Minnesota/Wisconsin’s proudest foods, the fried cheese curd. Cheese curds are the individual globs of cheese are later formed together to make the familiar blocks and wheels. In the Midwest the natural progression is to take these curds, bread them, fry them, and serve them with marinara sauce. The molten, salty, crunchy bits of cheese are so delicious that you know that they are bad for you yet you know you’re going to eat them all. When you’re in Minneapolis, go to the gym, the go to the 5-8 Club but leave yourself time to get back to the gym. Your guilt will thank you.

The Juicy Lucy looks normal

Juicy Lucy holds a surprise