Newlyweds have date nights too...

Tonight we went out with some friends of ours, who are also newly married. They got married April 4th of this last year at Northwestern College's Chapel. Our original plan was to meet at the Malt Shop on Snelling and I94. As I pulled the car off of 94, I looked across the highway and realized that the building was no longer there. In fact, the gas station next door was gone too! The whole block had been bulldozed, and nothing is left standing. So scratch the malts and burgers we've been hankering for. We called our friends and switched plans, fortunately they were running a bit behind and hadn't made it there yet, thereby saving themselves a good distance of driving since they live in the South West suburbs of Minneapolis (Chanhassen). We changed plans and decided to go to Big E's Soul Food. When we got to "E's" we discovered it was now called Soul City Supper Club, and that Eric "Big E" no longer owns/chefs/runs the place. We were tempted to leave, but our friends were almost there, and we had tickets to the play at 7:30 and it was 6:30 already.

The ambience was non-existant. This is a place you go to for the food, and nothing else. The service was poor, slow in every aspect, but friendly. The food is some of the best food I have ever wrapped my lips around. Simply incredible soul food.

My wife and our friends all ordered the fried chicken. I ordered the smothered chicken, and none of us were disappointed. Their fried chicken had what may be the perfect breadding, with incredible Southern seasoning and lots of batter. The chicken was scorching hot when served, just the way it should be. My smothered chicken had been smoked in some way, imparting a delightful flavor to the meat. Then it is served with a brown sauce that is nearly indescribable. This was one of the best meals I've ever eaten! I say brown sauce, as it was much more than just a gravy. We had sides of corn bread that were a bit dry, but very tasty. I had the perfect sweet potatoes and a pretty good mac and cheese for side dishes, along with some spicy (that should read SPICY) potato wedges. The others had some of the same, as well as some dirty rice that was a bit bland, sucatash that was great, and collard greens that weren't very good.

The service was slow. We were one of two tables when we arrived at 6:30. We asked what time they opened, and the waitress said 2:00, but nobody had been coming in all day. We endured the sound check by Knighttrain while we ate our appetizer (a huge plate of fries with cheese, bacon, and sour cream). The band played while we ate, and were much too loud for a space that size were people were eating and trying to converse. We were quite literally yelling at each other to be heard, an we were right next to each other. The decorations of the restaurant were spartan. The tables had nothing on them but ketchup and 2 bottles of hot sauce. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest, nor were they very nice. There is a 4 foot tall wall seperating the dance floor from the dining area that only serves to block the view of the band. Once Knighttrain got to playing, they were quite good covering a range of R&B, Jazz, and Blues.

5 star rating system:
Food: *****
Ambiance: **
Service: **
Overall: Go! Enjoy the food, just don't expect a whole lot else.

Following Soul City, we made our way to the Children's Theatre Company to watch a play called "Reeling". CTC's description is:

Whrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Clickety, click click click click… Flicker... flicker... flicker...

All the slapstick, melodrama, pratfalls and daredevil stunts of the silent movie era are coming off the screen and onto the live stage. So places everyone... a-a-a-and action! Here comes our "leading man." A most recognizable little fellow in a porkpie hat. Our everyman clown/hero with the indomitable spirit, who takes you through his world of Keystone Kop-esque chases – "Hey, you!" Narrow escapes – "Look out!" And pining for the love of his life – "Be still my heart!"

Follow him right into a Hollywood movie studio, where he declares he's going to make something of himself to win his beloved. Predicaments galore? Indeed, but this little guy triumphs in the most endearing, madcap, calamitous way. It's all the best from the silent movie era, now coming to a stage near you.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune's review can be found HERE. The show is effectivly an homage to Buster Keaton, done in the silent film fashion. It is delightfully written, and very well acted. The main character is played by the enormously talented Dean Holt, and he doesn't disappoint. A sure bet to entertain ages 4 -100. It is a bit shorter than many other plays, but you won't notice that until you walk out and look at your watch.

Related Tags: soul food, Soul City, Minneapolis Restaurant, Children's Theatre Company, Reeling, Buster Keaton, Knighttrain, Dean Holt, Theatre, Date Night