American Road Trip: W Hotel at the Foshay

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Under the category of Knock Your Socks Off Hotels is the W at the Foshay. This one-time office building is now the hippest hotel in the city (although it's not the only hip hotel). Surprisingly, rooms start at about $116 and range up to $415. Judging from the look of the lobby, I thought they would be a lot more. About the lobby. It looks like it was designed by Prince, circa 1984. There are at least 20 sitting areas with jumbo couches, purple velvet, crystal accents and lots of leather. All this is a drop-dead gorgeous Art Deco space with marble floors and impressive ceilings. The lighting is low, low, low so don't even think about bringing a book. Just sit there and look cool. Ultra cool.

American Road Trip: The Juicy Lucy

Minneapolis, Minnesota: I had been throwing out the term 'juicy lucy' before I left home, mostly to sidelong stares that suggested I had some something inappropriate. I'm here to tell you right now just exactly what a juicy lucy is. As luck would have it, the local magazine called Mpls St Paul included a feature story about the best burgers (big hint) in town. I will steal their definition. A juicy lucy is a homegrown favourite. It's stuffed with cheese, griddled and served with a molten interior. Get it? The cheese is on the inside of the patty, just like those cheddar cheese smokies we all love so much.

We headed to The 5-8 Club last night, one of two bars in a lifelong battle over who created the local treat. It's beside the freeway and a stone's throw from the Mall of America. It's been around since 1928 so the local know this place and tend to account for the lion's share of business. It was a speakeasy back in the days of prohibition, serving illegal hooch out the back door. It was rather nostalgic that we had to wait in a line at the back door to secure a seat.

There's nothing fancy about the 5-8. In fact, that same magazine included in its review the following line. "The vibe inside the place isn't especially evocative or fun, particularly near the pull tab lady." Guess where we sat?

The menu suggests a Juicy Lucy may take a while to prepare but that wasn't the case. Our meals arrived with lightening speed. Everything I read about juicy lucys cautioned me to wait a few moments before biting in, so I did. I have to admit that it's kinda cool seeing cheese ooze out of the centre of the burger, but what really impressed me was the taste. A 5-8 juicy lucy tastes like a homemade burger fried in a pan, all crispy, greasy and delicious. It comes with only pickles on the bun and I kept it that way, dipping it in a pool of ketchup with each bite.

I'm not sure if it makes any difference if the cheese is on the inside or the top but I have to admit it's a novelty to have a juicy lucy. It's even more fun to say you had a juicy lucy.