by Pulse staff, writers, & friends

Aardvark Records
Aardvark is actually more of a dinosaur - a dying breed known as the independentus recordstorius, threatened with extinction thanks to big box retailers and internet song swapping. Vince Murray has owned Aardvark since 2000. He moved the store from its Bloomington strip mall location three years ago into Northeast Minneapolis. Just around the corner from Central Avenue, Murray said he was “at the right place, at the right time” when he decided to buy the business. Slightly more than half of his sales are vinyl, he says, which include an impressive collection of vintage to modern LPs. Aardvark also carries plenty of CDs, DVDs and videos, but don’t expect tons of new releases the day they hit the market. “Tuesday is new release day,” said Murray, “and consistently my worst sales day of the week.” In order to stay afloat, some of Aardvark’s wares are available online at gemm.com—global electronic music market—an e-bay-type, non-bidding website. Murray, who spins vinyl at Grumpy’s in Northeast every Sunday, also offers occasional in-store performances and has the friendliest in-store dog, Cooper, in town. Support your independent music store, because as he reminds us, “If you don’t support it, it goes away.” 924 Lowry Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-781-3404. NANCY SARTOR

Augie Garcia
It’s a gross injustice that this St. Paul rocker isn’t better known. After all, Garcia was once thrown off the stage by Col. Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager. Garcia had opened for the King and so thoroughly sent the joint rocking that Parker worried he was upstaging Presley, and so Garcia had to go. He had a great look, too: Garcia was known for wearing elegant tuxedo tops matched with Bermuda shorts. His music is very nearly impossible to find, but you can track down his lone hit, the Western-themed rave-up “High Yo Silver,” on Música de la Raza: Mexican & Chicano Music in Minnesota. Worth checking out. MAX SPARBER

Band Box Diner
This local favorite in downtown Minneapolis’ historic Elliot Park neighborhood just seems to get better, mostly thanks to the ownership of the grinning, bald-pated Brad Ptacek. Sure, it’s all greasy spoon food—burgers, French fries, grilled cheese and the like. But the Band Box does them exactly right, and the prices couldn’t be better. Sometimes it’s a little hard to find a seat in this small red-and-white restaurant, as it’s usually full of regulars hungrily enjoying the food, but it’s worth squeezing in. You’re liable to become a regular, too. 729 S. 10th St., Mpls. 612-332-0850. SPARBER

Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts
Odd jobs can lead us to amazing places. A few years ago I’d never been to friendly Fridley, but when I got a call to model for a figurative drawing class, I grabbed my robe and headed up the River Road to Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts (BLCA), just 10 minutes or so from Nordeast. Sitting naked in the exquisite summer garden—surrounded by an abundance of blooming lilies, irises and peonies—I savored each pose, half expecting fairies and wood nymphs to show up in the work of the artists who merrily sketched and watercolored at their easels. Break time was just as splendid: I explored the wooded trails that led to the banks of the Mississippi River and glimpsed the biggest blue heron I’d ever seen. While most of you won’t frolic in the buff around BLCA, you can visit this picturesque community art center and gallery fully clothed. Classes in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, fiber arts and creative writing are offered, and BLCA’s art gallery features several visual artists throughout the year. The building itself is on the National Registry of Historic Sites. Once an inn popular with soldiers and fur traders traveling the Red River Trail in the mid-1800s, it later drew city folks from St. Paul who came via the newly built Territorial Road. Later it became a dairy farm and summer home to the Locke family. Today Anoka County owns the Greek Revival house that is BLCA, nestled on a hill surrounded by the lush Manomin Park at the confluence of Rice Creek and the Mississippi River. 6666 E. River Rd., Fridley. 763-574-1850. SARTOR

Bethel Campus
I crash-landed on the Bethel campus at 8 a.m. following a 38-hour train ride from Seattle. But the official St. Paul address is a canard. Instead of Greek revival architecture, a view of the cathedral and sidewalk cafes, I found trees, a lake and an astounding ecological potpourri. Along with a couple of thousand students, Bethel’s 230 acres include pileated woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, owls, deer, goldfinches and cardinals. During winter, Lake Valentine sprouts fishing shacks and ersatz hockey games; it also makes a terrific shortcut to the Arden Hills library. And do not think that a Christian school rolls up the sidewalks at sunset. One foggy winter morning, about 4 a.m., I was on my way to an off-campus job when I passed the side entrance to Benson Hall and saw a student playing a violin in the foyer. “It’s the only place I can practice when my roommates are asleep,” she said when I poked my head in. Then, gesturing with her bow at the floor-to-ceiling glass, she added, “Besides, these are the best acoustics around.” 3900 Bethel Dr., Arden Hills. STEVE BUTCHER

Central Avenue
Ever-encroaching gentrification threatens to homogenize great swaths of our fair cities, but along Central Avenue in Northeast, diversity rules. Up and down Central, from 18th Avenue NE into Columbia Heights, a plethora of ethnic restaurants and businesses line the street. Too numerous to name them all, a few stand out. Patel Groceries offers an impressive array of Indian goods, from bulk quantities of basmati rice to a vast assortment of spices and Bollywood video rentals. Crescent Moon Bakery may be lesser known than Holy Land Deli, but the former makes a phenomenal spicy beef Afghani pizza that is to die for. Locals also enjoy free delivery. Durango Bakery will satiate your sweet tooth. An authentic Mexican bakery (grab a tray and tongs and serve yourself), Durango offers scads of pastries and the best darn tres leches cake north of the border. Be prepared to practice your Spanglish, though: these guys no hablan inglés. And for a great, all-purpose independent market, don’t forget about all the organic, sustainable goodness at Eastside Food Co-op, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Patel Groceries, 1848 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-789-8800; Crescent Moon Bakery, 2339 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-782-0169; Durango Bakery, 2418 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-706-7950; Eastside Food Co-op, 2551 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-788-0950. SARTOR

Como Park Golf Course
Golf for the People! Como Park Golf Course is an 18-hole public course in St. Paul, located across the road from Como Lake. Greens fees are $25 weekdays, $29 weekends and holidays. If you don’t have your own clubs, you may rent them at the pro shop for $10. Afterward, enjoy a snack or beverage in the air-conditioned club house. 1495 N. Lexington Pkwy., St. Paul. 651-488-9673. SID PRANKE

Crafty Planet
Crafts aren’t just for country gals and little old ladies—for the last few years hipsters have been arming themselves with sewing kits, crochet hooks and knitting needles to lead a true Revolution de la Domestic Arts. Just ask Trish Hoskins. She and husband Matt Devries opened Crafty Planet in 2003, and they’ve seen a steady stream of patrons at their Northeast shop ever since. Crafty Planet offers an assortment of “soft craft” paraphernalia—fabrics, yarns and embroidery patterns are just some of the items here (sorry, no scrap-booking gear)—but these goods aren’t what grandma used to use. Crafty Planet carries eclectic products by manufacturers like Sublime Stitching and Subversive Cross-stitch, whose updated designs range from scooter babes and roller derby girls, to pirates and tiki bar icons. The store also consigns goods by several artists. Look for one-of-a-kind items, such as handbags made from recycled album covers and a full-length sock monkey dress by Rebecca Yaker. Crafty Planet offers classes in knitting, crocheting, quilting and sewing, and will even “home school” you with private lessons. And if you don’t need instruction, Crafty Planet invites you to hang out at the store and work on your projects the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Hoskins, who began crafting “as a wee lass,” said she opened the shop to promote do-it-yourself projects and spur creativity. She is well-connected to the local craft community, and said a branch of the Craft Mafia, which originated in Austin, Texas, was recently established in the Twin Cities. Besides being nice folks and offering cool wares, Crafty Planet has the cutest logo I’ve ever seen and promises to “save the world one stitch at a time.” 2318 Lowry Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-788-1180 or CraftyPlanet.com. SARTOR

Dave’s Popcorn
Dave’s Popcorn is a little wooden corner shop just down the street from Matt’s bar in South Minneapolis, itself a hidden treasure, inasmuch as a widely-beloved area bar can be hidden (ask yourself why the Jucy Lucy isn’t associated with Minneapolis like the cheese steak is associated with Philadelphia). There’s not much to it, really: popcorn, sodas, malted drinks, milkshakes. Yet, on a sweltering summer day, what could be better? Better still, the confections are made on the spot, and they’re delicious (the malts are particularly notable). Best suggested used of Dave’s: Picnickers on their way to the nearby Minnehaha Falls would do well to swing by and pick up some desserts. 1848 E. 38th St., Mpls. 612-724-3115. SPARBER

Diamond’s Coffee
Nestled on the first floor of the Thorpe building on Central Avenue in Northeast, Diamond’s has many charms: great coffee, solid sandwiches, tempting treats and a kitschy, playful ’50s atmosphere. But its unexpectedly best quality is as a music venue. Within the coffee shop proper, there’s no place large enough to hold a band, but in the hallway behind it, local folk strummer Gabe Barnett has been hosting other local songwriters on Saturday nights. The high-ceilinged hallway makes for a surprisingly great-sounding show, even when bass and drums are added. A couple weeks ago I was treated to sets by Larissa Anderson and Beight as I sipped coffee and caught up on some quality reading. It served as a pointed reminder that some of the best music venues around don’t even serve alcohol, just coffee and Rice Krispies squares. 1618 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. 612-789-5282) or DiamondsCoffeeShoppe.com. STEVE MCPHERSON

Eagle’s Club
By now, everyone has heard of the Hex. But on the way there, you may have driven within a hair’s breadth of The Eagle’s Club and had no idea you’re missing one of the coolest Seward hot spots in town. Those of us in Seward are ready to let you in on our secret new favorite club, featuring local music legends along with young rockers and twangers. Thanks to terrific, tireless booker Vince Gillespie, the Eagle’s Club features a hugely eclectic roster of nightly music, from alt-country and bluegrass, to funk, old-school punk and no-wave—all for free! Legendary Twin Cities musicians such as Willie Murphy, the X-Boys (featuring members of the Suburbs, the Wallets, Suicide Commandos, and Things That Fall Down), the Butanes, Hillbilly Voodoo Dolls, Trailer Trash and Rockin’ Pinecones are all there ... it’s like Lee’s, with more music hotspots nearby. Many nights are musician residencies. First Mondays feature the popular old-time square dance, with wild percussive stringband music. Other Mondays its Becky Thompson. Wednesdays are the Butanes; Thursdays, Americana or zydeco/Cajun. Shows run from 8 to 10 p.m. and there are really cheap drink specials. Start your dancin’ and drinkin’ early, then catch more live music at the nearby Hex. 2507 E. 25th St., Mpls. 612-724-9714 or 612-729-4469. CYN COLLINS

Eagle Magic & Twin Cities Magic and Costume
The Twin Cities two premiere supply stores for amateur magicians each boasts its own unique quirks. Eagle Magic, in Minneapolis, features an alarming assortment of the sorts of practical jokes one might previously have bought out of the back of comic books—joy buzzers, itching powder, X-ray specs and the like. Better still, look for the garrulous Larry Kahlow, the store’s proprietor, who is usually on hand to offer free demonstrations of the store’s multitude of astounding illusions. Meanwhile, the St. Paul-based Twin Cities Magic and Costume has many of the same over-the-counter sleight-of-hand, but also features the city’s best selection of theatrical costumes and makeup. Aspiring horror makeup artists can often be found hungrily eying the store’s makeup counter, which features such staples as rigid collodion (used for creating disquietingly realistic scars), ghoulish greasepaint and liquid latex injuries that can be affixed with spirit gum, creating the convincing illusion that the wearer has had their mouth replaced by a zipper. Eagle Magic, Grainbelt Exchange Bldg., 301 4th Ave. S., Mpls. 612-333-4702. Twin Cities Magic and Costume, 241 W. 7th St., St. Paul. 651-227-7888. SPARBER

Fasika
Fasika, like every Ethiopian restaurant, offers most of its dishes served atop injera, a flatbread that is porous, healthy and addictive. One grabs small amounts of the injera and shapes it around a bit of the entree. Eating with one’s hands can be tough for the obsessive-compulsive set, but the food is perfect for it and the experience makes me feel talented at something (at 25 you shouldn’t be patting yourself on the back for not staining your clothes when you eat, but you should’ve seen me at 20). Fasika’s menu runs the gamut from intimidating, nearly raw meat all the way to a dish very reminiscent in presentation to fajitas called Zilzil Tibs (pieces of steak presented on a skillet grilled with peppers, onions and magic). You can also hear and see people of many different cultures coming in to enjoy the place that bills itself as the first Ethiopian restaurant in Minnesota. A lot of times you’ll also see me, reading my book about Mississippi floods, waiting for my plate of Zilzil Tibs and asking for more water ’cause I like that spicy sauce. 510 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. 651-646-4747. SEAN MCPHERSON

Fort Snelling State Park Beach
To get to this beach by car, you have to shell out the price of a day pass—$7. But it’s worth it, because not only do you get the historical vibe of the area, but also the beach’s horizon fills with jet airliners coming from or going to the Lindbergh or Humphrey terminals. There are two lifeguards on duty, and canoe rentals are available. Bike trails from Minneapolis lead here too. Pack a lunch and beverage, and don’t forget the sunscreen. To get there, find Hwy. 5 (take Hwy. 55 east from Minneapolis, or from St. Paul, go south on W. 7th St.). From Hwy. 5, exit on Post Rd.—known to Twin Cities natives as a prime make-out spot—and take a left at the stoplight. Drive into the park and pay Mr. or Ms. Ranger the worthy park fee. 612-725-2724. PRANKE

Hastings Dairy Shop
There are many varieties of dairy-filled goodness to be had here in the home of Polka Dot milk, but the real prize at Hastings Dairy Shop is the 50-cent shake. Coming in your choice of flavors—as long as your choice is chocolate—you’d be hard-pressed to find a better ice cream deal on this here earth. Existing in some kind of magic land between shake and straight-up soft serve, this generous helping of frozen delight comes with both a spoon and a straw, although careful experimentation has shown that the straw is pretty much only good for blowing chocolatey, semi-frozen projectiles at your pals. Trying to suck down one of these delicacies through the straw is a recipe for collapsed lungs, so stick to the spoon. Then stroll over to nearby Vermillion Falls to check out the scenery and shovel that ice-cream-so-fresh-you-can-see-granules-of-sugar-in-it into your piehole for all the summery goodness you can handle. 1701 Vermillion St., Hastings. 651-437-9414. MCPHERSON

Lunalux Printing
Any schmoe with a computer and a printer can turn out printed material by the truckload, but not only will it most likely be ugly, it’ll lack the old world charm of slugs striking paper. Since 1993, Lunalux has been turning out top-notch letterpress work that has been featured everywhere from Minnesota Monthly to Martha Stewart Living. You can see the presses in action while you peruse the shop, and if you can’t find the piece you want, they can create custom work for wedding invitations, announcements, personal stationery and old-fashioned wood-type posters. With letterpress, each character on the page isn’t just the manifestation of a binary routine sent to an inkjet printer; it represents an individual hunk of metal striking the page and leaving its mark. Each slug has its own character, and watching the presses fly at Lunalux, you can gather a very real sense of the power and weight of the printing tradition. Now promise me you’ll never use Comic Sans again. 1618 Harmon Pl., Mpls. 612-373-0526 or Lunalux.com. MCPHERSON

Memorial Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery
Lakewood Cemetery rests on 250 acres smack dab in the middle of South Minneapolis between Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun—hardly hidden, but certainly a treasure. Publicly dedicated in 1872, Lakewood was modeled after the cemeteries of 19th century France, such as the famous Père-Lachaise in Paris. And while it might not (yet) hold the bones of famous rockers like Jim Morrison, it is the resting place of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, Hubert H. Humphrey and members of the Walker, Loring and Blaisdell clans. Wooded hills and impeccably manicured gardens (more than 95,000 flowers are planted each season) offer a beautiful respite for everyone—dead or alive. But it’s the extraordinary architecture that makes Lakewood one of the most alluring cemeteries in the country. The resplendent mausoleum is indeed impressive, filled with Italian marble, Impressionist paintings and two-dozen 8-foot-tall stained glass windows. The Memorial Chapel, though, is really the showpiece at Lakewood. This Byzantine structure was built in 1910 and renovated in 1997. It is part of the National Register of Historic Places and for good reason. Minneapolis architect Harry Wild Jones modeled the building after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. The interior was conceived by designer Charles Lamb, who traveled to Italy to commission 10 highly accomplished mosaic artists. Fresh from a project at the Vatican, the Italian artists created the Chapel’s mosaics in Venice, and then came to Minneapolis for the installation. The masterful 65-foot-high domed work includes more than 10 million mosaic pieces made from marble, colored stone and glass fused with silver and gold. It is ringed with stained glass windows that also serve as sundials, telling the time of the day and season. Four angelic figures representing Love, Hope, Faith and Memory sit beneath the dome. It is truly an architectural wonder. 3600 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. 612-822-2171. SARTOR

Memorial Pet Cemetery
As a kid, I attended my share of cat funerals. My family would march down the hill, single-file, my father carrying the shoebox holding Midnight, Bonnie or Ginger, and we would bury them next to the swing set. It seems like we had too many funerals, but country cats live faster and die younger. The ceremonies gave me reassurance, closure and memories, and as far as whether animals go to heaven, I tend to think they do. My friend Elizabeth’s mom, Gloria, after seeing the movie “March of the Penguins,” was truly convinced that penguins go to heaven as a reward for the beautiful, difficult sacrifices they make here on earth. Over the weekend at the Memorial Pet Cemetery in Roseville, the bouquets of flowers at gravesites for animal friends who have passed were plentiful. The cemetery is owned and operated by the Human Society for Companion Animals, and deceased pets are buried once a month—the animals are kept in cold storage at the Humane Society until that time comes. Some families had chosen elaborately-carved headstones for their Fluffy or Bingo, and others had homemade markers longer on love than on price. My dog, Mickey, a beautiful Blue Heeler and the best dog I could ever imagine sharing my life with, died of old age recently, and he will be buried at this pet cemetery. I plan on visiting him there several times a year for a long time to come. 694 Cope St., Roseville (between Lexington & Dale Sts, one block north of Hwy. 36). 651-645-6821. PRANKE

Minnehaha Coffee
As someone who spends a lot of time in coffee shops doing work, I can tell you that the right environment is just as important as quality joe close at hand. Minnehaha Coffee has both in spades. Located inside a renovated gas station, MC has something that most coffee shops lack: abundant natural light. The nearly floor-to-ceiling windows give you plenty of sun, which is just as essential as caffeine when it comes to keeping you alert and productive. Add in a friendly staff, one of the best grilled club sandwiches in town (The Minnehaha—get it on ciabatta), top-notch high-test, patio seating, reliable wi-fi and ice cream from the Grand Ole Creamery, and you’ve got a coffee joint to keep you going on those marathon interview transcription sessions—or whatever else you need to accomplish. If only they were open 24 hours a day. 4554 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls. 612-722-2500 or MinnehahaCoffee.com. MCPHERSON

Mother Earth Gardens
If you already buy organic food at grocery stores and eat out at organic restaurants, maybe you’re ready for the next step: growing your own organic herbs and vegetables during the prime, but short, growing season in Minnesota. Mother Earth Gardens sells a lot of organic seeds and seedlings, and although they are not certified organic, that just means that they are not certified by the FDA. This is a burgeoning trend for smaller suppliers, whose products often exceed the requirements for organic products anyway. Be sure to ask for the organic seedlings section when visiting this beautiful store, laden with earthy merchandise straight from a gardener’s best dream. 3738 42nd Ave., Mpls. 612-724-2296. ADA SCHOCK

Northland Loud Speaker
It’s pretty easy to break your bass equipment if you’re an idiot. I’m an idiot. Taking the following words—frequency, headroom, gain, tube preamps and wiring—and adding a couple prepositions and verbs might not convince the professionals, but it passes the time while Ed Speakerdawg fills out my repair slip. A sound guy in town recommended Northland Speaker Repair, located in the Howe neighborhood. Ed’s one-man shop is a walking museum of attitude-filled signs, such as “Your poor planning doesn’t represent an emergency on my part” and “I’d rather be riding my Harley.” His work is top-notch and the ambience is certainly at least notch. By the way, Ed doesn’t go by Ed Speakerdawg but that’s how he is in my phone, so, let’s keep the Ed Speakerdawg thing between you and the millions of other people who read the Pulse. 3448 42nd Ave. S., Mpls. 612-721-3130. SEAN MCPHERSON

Panaderia El Rey
There are dozens of excellent Mexican bakeries around the Twin Cities, but we have a special fondness for El Rey on Lake St. and Nicollet Ave. It’s not just that their pastries are superb (seriously, check out their empanadas), or that their wedding cakes are so glorious (some are several levels high, connected by a series of stairs, as though a plastic bride and groom need an entire pathway to climb to the top of a cake). We’re also fond of the bakery’s day-glo folk art, which, after a few cookies, take on an almost hallucinogenic intensity. 3041 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls. 612-827-2730. SPARBER

Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Ostensibly, a museum filled with vacuum tubes should be interesting to very few—after all, how many vacuum tube enthusiasts are there in Minnesota? And yet St. Louis Park’s Pavek Museum has inspired a fervent cult following. It helps that many of these vacuum tubes are housed in exquisite vintage television sets, and it helps as well that the Pavek Museum is dedicated to the history of broadcasting, with a special focus on Minnesota’s own piece of that history. The museum features such exhibits as a fully-functioning game show set (play against your own family!), a working theremin (try making the unearthly sounds featured on the soundtrack to “The Day the Earth Stood Still”!) and episodes of the peculiar Minnesotan children’s show “Axel and His Dog,” a mid-20th century example of kitsch ephemera in which local wag Clellan Card donned a Hitler mustache and an incomprehensible Scandinavian accent and argued with his dog. The dog, by the way, was represented only by a puppet arm, which would swing into the frame to smack his master’s chest with unexpected frequency. It’s a great, obscure piece of Minnesota pop culture, but it’ll never be completely lost as long as the Pavek Museum is around. 3515 Raleigh Ave., St. Louis Park. 952-929-6105. SPARBER

Pow Wow Lounge
Bloomington’s Thunderbird Hotel has undergone some remodeling recently (properly speaking, it is now called the Ramada Mall of America Hotel), but they’ve managed to maintain the hotel’s uniquely charming interior decorating scheme: With stuffed coyotes baying behind glass display cases, wigwam-shaped lighting fixtures and a statue of Chief Thunderbird riding a gallant steed at the hotel’s entrance, this is the premier location for Native American kitsch in the greater Twin Cities area. It’s just down the block from the Mall of America, so next time you head to one of the MOA’s many Gap stores (how many are there now, 50?), swing by the Thunderbird’s Pow Wow Lounge and enjoy a cocktail in one of the last great holdouts of ’60s kitsch design. Particularly impressive is the hotel’s massive, Paul Bunyon-sized statues of notable Native historical figures that ring the building, as well as the giant totem pole that keeps watch over the pool. Thunderbird Hotel, 2300 E. American Blvd, Bloomington. 952-854-3411. SPARBER

Roller Garden
Gliding onto the rink at Roller Garden is like a trip through the looking glass. Amid the ambience of colored lights and pulsing rhythms, hot dog aromas and the whirr of wheel bearings, your groove awaits you in another world. Roller Garden has seen a lot of changes since opening its doors in 1943. I knew it first as the boogie-wonderland of the ’70s, a place for first kisses, foosball and sneaking cigs in the “barbecue lung pit,” all set to the gorgeous sounds of Earth, Wind and Fire. These days the air is clean, and in-line skaters mix with die-hard rollerskaters in the landmark, armory-shaped building. You can still hear EWF on Tuesday nights, if old-school is your thing. Every time slot has a different musical flavor and age group in mind, so check out their website for a complete skate schedule. A family-owned and -operated business, Roller Garden boasts a friendly, knowledgable (downright passionate) staff and offers lessons for a wide range of skill levels and ages. Admission starts at around $5, (including skates—a little more for in-line rental), making this venue one of the last great deals in entertainment. It’s worth the ticket price alone just to watch the rubber-legged pros working their moves. Isn’t it time to embrace the current rollerskating renaissance that includes shiny, happy skaters on diet cola commercials and the hugely popular Minnesota Roller Girls? If you want to develop grace, balance and amazing leg muscles, the answer should be “Hell yes!” 5622 W. Lake St., St. Louis Park. RollerGarden.com. LYNN ZECCA

The Spot
This is the real St. Paul. Opened in 1885 and taken over by current owner Mike O’Toole in the early 1980s, the Spot Bar is a neighborhood bar of the highest (lowest?) order: Drinks are cheap, there’s a great jukebox and there’s not much of that bothersome, unflattering light. The Spot sponsored-softball team is called the Regulars, and for those of us that can call ourselves the same, there are great memories here. I saw the better part of the ’87 and ’91 Twins championships here, and when my band and I played here a few years back for the celebration of O’Toole’s 20th year as owner of the Spot, he adorned the wall with a poster of a dorky 11-year old Devaney with Homer Hanky in tow (it seems he always has some of these pictures handy when I’m around). It’s also a great place to poke your head in on St. Patrick’s Day to hang out with the actual Irish, rather than those yahoos with all the glittery lights and shit that can’t hold their Guinness. And my dad still hangs out here on most Friday evenings. It’s all you need in a favorite bar. 859 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. 651-224-7433. MARTIN DEVANEY

Vintage Music Co.
If you’ve ever had a hankering to be the character Seymour from the film “Ghost World,” well, first of all, what the hell’s the matter with you (sample Seymour dialogue: “Maybe I don’t want to meet someone who shares my interests. I hate my interests.”)? But secondly, well, it’s obsessive record collectors such as Seymour who unearth obscure gems like an original pressing of Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman,” the haunting blues number featured so prominently in the film. One expects that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of similar hidden masterpieces to be found in the stacks at Vintage Music Co. in South Minneapolis, a store that specializes in rare 78-rpm records. It’s an adventure to wander through the store, whose ceiling-high piles of manila-wrapped vinyl albums often seem precipitously close to tumbling over, perhaps smashing one of the gloriously restored vintage gramophones on sale, or, worse still, the store cat. But for those who enjoy the thrill of finding an unexpected, crackling musical masterpiece on a worn-down slab of black plastic, Vintage Music Co. is the X on the treasure map. Happy hunting. 1820 E. 38th St. 612-729-8929. SPARBER