Another reason to be mad at my Minneapolis friends

First, they live in a city with both IKEA and Williams-Sonoma. Then they were sitting on Trader Joe's. The latest thing I've discovered that they have access to and I don't: Red Robin

For those of you who don't know, Red Robin is a glorified burger joint. What I would call a 'gourmet burger' place. The first Red Robin is still in business across the Montlake Bridge from the University of Washington campus, overlooking the Cut. But the chain is (according to the website) 350 locations strong.

Sometimes a boy just needs a Banzai Burger, which is a seriously thick juicy yummy burger with teriyaki sauce, a grilled pineapple ring, shredded lettuce, tomato, and enough mayo to bring down a weather satellite. With big huge wunnerful steak fries and/or the biggest thickest onion rings you've ever had in your life. Or a Bleu Ribbon Burger. It's always one of the two. Unless it's the Whisky River Burger or ....

Mmm. I <heart> Red Robin.

In the old days, they had a circus/carousel theme and servers in cheerleader sweaters, girls in pleated skirts, boys in trousers. Now all the servers wear more sober red polo shirts and black slacks, but the decor is still shiny kitchy wall stuff and wood and brass.

And just for the halibut I'm poking around on their website, and I find not one, but three in the Twin Cities area, one in Plymouth, just off the 494. Rats. I gotta go back to the Twin Cities again this summer.