Any day that begins with dropping your smartphone in the toilet is fraught with symbolism. Down the toilet went my common sense and a big chunk of my day. I managed to squeeze in a quick driving tour of Brainerd, found a nice place to sit next to the Mississippi, and even managed to spend an hour in the library, but I meandered my way through yesterday with little direction or motivation.
To get my phone replaced, I had to brave the big box/chain store world that I’m usually very good at avoiding. This was quite a contrast from the last couple of days where I dealt almost exclusively with small mom-and-pop places.
On the drive up, I stocked up on food from local producers: summer sausage from Haubers in Dickeyville (WI); Wisconsin cheddar from Shullsburg Cheese; fresh baked bread in Alma (WI); bratwurst, turkey sausage, and spicy pork sausage from Paul & Fran’s Grocery in Pepin (WI); tomatoes from the farmers market in La Crosse; and a growler of ESB from the Potosi Brewery. I wanted to buy food that I didn’t have to cook, but the sausage options at Paul and Fran’s were too good to pass up. (I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to cook those sausages!)
In this midst of this shopping spree, I stopped for lunch at the Oasis Eatery at Nesbitts Nursery just south of Prescott, a small café that is placing a big emphasis on local, fresh food. I enjoyed a veggie calzone that came with a side salad of purple bush beans, Swiss chard and raspberries, drizzled with a fresh raspberry dressing.
What really blew me away, though, was the sample of pulled pork. Prepared from local organic pork, the meat had a rich savory flavor, a little crunch from caramelized skin and fat, and a little saltiness to bring out the richness–hands down one of the best I’ve ever had. I’m looking forward to going back for a full serving of that pulled pork.
© Dean Klinkenberg, 2011
