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Welcome to Minnesota: A Conversation about Immigration and Human Rights

May

26

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Nicky Stein-Grohs

About me

Nicky Stein-Grohs (lsteingrohs@mac.com, Twitter @formica_dinette) is short, sassy, and not afraid to speak her mind about pretty much anything. She is a lover of all things, especially her lovely friends, life without pants, and her dog Ninja.

Personal Web site:

bacontits.com

Facebook profile

Twitter:

@formica_dinette

workaround

Art-a-Whirl and Tough Mudder make for a hot weekend

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

Art-A-Whirl happens this weekend in Northeast Minneapolis. If you’ve never been, you should plan on checking it out. If you like art and/or music, you will want to head over to see some bands at Psycho Suzi’s, Grumpy’s NE, The Sample Room, and the 331 Club; and check out all the open artists; studios and galleries all over the area. There is even an Art-a-Whirl edition of the Hotpants dance party on Saturday night. Usually some of the food trucks park themselves in Northeast to feed the hungry art-lovers. I’ll be checking Art-A-Whirl out on Saturday, since Sunday I will be watching people run around in the mud.MORE »

Clean livin', good eatin': Going meatless in Minneapolis

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

In light of the recent lack of red meat and booze in my life, I thought I’d highlight some of the best places to get meatless foods and boozeless drinks around these parts. It helps that I’ve been hanging out with some extra vegetarian folk lately to teach me some things about eating meatless in the Twin Cities.MORE »

Swearing off the booze—and the gluten, and the red meat. Can it be done?

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

I decided to try to go the month of May completely alcohol-free. Okay, completely minus two days where I’m allowed to cheat. I’m also cutting out gluten and red meat. Upon announcing that on the Facebox and elsewhere, I received a lot of questions as to why I thought I should prohibit myself from enjoying all that is good in the world.MORE »

In which I'm interviewed by Patrick Stephenson about bacon, brunch, dancing, and the TV shows I won't admit to watching

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

I was chatting with my friend Patrick, or @patiomensch, co-founder of @30daysofbiking, and it became apparent that he should probably interview me this week for my column. He also writes his own column over at Groucho Sports, so I will get to interview him, too!

Here is what Patrick wanted to know from me.MORE »

ARTCRANK brings out the shortest of shorts

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

Last weekend, on Saturday, April 14, a super fun party known as the opening night of ARTCRANK happened. Not only does this event attract a whole bunch of super hot biker folks, it also consists of snazzy bike posters, beers, and food trucks. This year Bastian+Skoog even brought their new PEANUTCART! out to sell little bud vases to attach to all of those sexy bikes.MORE »

At Gardens of Salonica, Twin Cities Daily Planet supporters gather for a Greek feast

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

The Twin Cities Daily Planet had a dinner on Wednesday at Gardens of Salonica in Northeast Minneapolis. They've been doing this for a few years now, and I was invited as one of the writers to attend this four-course feast. Yes, a feast! I had recently been dining with friends at Eat Street Social (so good) and @katiesisneros was discussing feasts. She imagined it as a huge table covered with food where she could reach in and grab some kind of animal leg and bite it. So that's what I had in mind when I headed to Gardens of Salonica for the feast.MORE »

Beards, bags, and bikes: Spring has sprung in the Twin Cities

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

Last weekend was a whirlwind of beards and bags and bike rides. The Minnesota Beard-Off (which I wrote about last week) took place at First Avenue on March 24 and was a fantastic event. I’d call it the best Beard-Off yet! I actually didn’t exactly enter. Instead my dog Ninja Biff Rose Dinette competed with her very snazzy beard. She was rocking some big furry eyebrows frosted with pink and a blue beard and mustache combo. Ninja won the Freestyle category of the Beard-Off and I couldn’t be more proud. She was super popular at the event and I never thought I’d be hanging out with the pooch at First Avenue until recently. She wanted to be sure to thank her stylist, Melissa Roy, for the hairdo.MORE »

Minnesota Beard-Off 2012: Ragnar the Viking and the Mustache Rangers will let it all hang out at First Avenue

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

This year The Minnesota Beard-Off is on Saturday March 24. I participated in the event two years ago, the very first, which was fabulously put together by the punny and clever Art Allen. I met some wonderful(ly hairy) people that night and even became a finalist in my category ("freestyle," which includes the fake lady-beards). I ended up covered in glitter and delightfully happy (even though I didn’t win) when I wore my bacon beard home that night.MORE »

Minnesota pie for the faux spring

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

I went to a Pi Party for Pi Day on 3/14/2012, because I can’t say no to a pie potluck (a pieluck?) and it was a lovely start to faux-spring in Minneapolis. I know real-spring starts next week, but with 70- and 80-degree weather I’m back out on my bike, seeing people I only seem to see in the warmer months, and remembering that I don’t always have the desire to be a hermit. It’s funny how some of my people seem to be my summer friends and I feel like I get to re-connect with some long-lost buddies now that it’s warm (and also that I’m no longer in Mexico).MORE »

Minneapolis vs. Mexico: Pros and cons

By Nicky Stein-Grohs, #MSP

After a month in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, I returned to a snowstorm in Minneapolis. I hopped on an earlier flight from Atlanta so as not to arrive (or not arrive) into the ice-slush with which Minneapolis was welcoming me home. The trip home from an adventure is always a great time to reflect on my travels and life in general. I thought a lot about being in Mexico and how nice it was not to care what I was wearing, what stuff I had in my house, who I should try to get together with, etc.…I didn’t want to forget that feeling and lose the appreciation for the simplicity of life that I felt during my month of living in San Miguel.MORE »