Like a maiden voyage, I made way for some self-discovery by bike. Sometimes the hardest thing is just to start. It's best not to get preoccupied with negative thoughts, like self-doubt or what have you. Just do it. Half the battle is starting. So this is the start (both food-by bike and training for the World Tour).
Most of this start will be working on how to food-by bike. So then what's the game plan? I might be a self-proclaimed foodie. That's easy (who doesn't know their own food likes and dislikes). The real talent is having the expertise to the best bike savory restaurants. So eager with this aim, I don't want to forget it's really all about enjoying the process. To enjoy the process, and not the victor.
I'd think a good plan would be to take it slowly. Not so much like testing the waters, but to get a lay of the land. Fortunately, I live in a city with great biking accessibility. Bicycling magazine named Minneapolis "America's best bike city" (2010). To bike is to feel the land. It's also knowing how to navigate. I'd want to start with getting a feel for maybe why we are the top bicycling city. All the great bikeways.
The Grand Rounds national scenic byway boasts 50.1 miles of bike paths (seven byway districts that circle around the city of Minneapolis). So step 1) get a feel for the Grand Rounds (and see what I discover about myself on the way).
In 1995, we made Minneapolis our home. The nostalgia from those days is always reminded by the Lakes (the Chain of Lakes byway district). Even back then I knew the best way to see the area was by bike. I'd often tell visiting friends, "the best way to sightsee is by bike". That's the feeling I had as I made way along Lake Harriet. Lake Harriet was our picnic getaway. Our escape from apartment living. For me, Harriet had a settled in charm. "Not too big, or too small, but just right". I know some prefer Lake Calhoun, its larger neighbor. Calhoun to me was more of an oasis for a bustling vibe. Maybe since Uptown is like right there.
The Chain of Lakes district should definitely provide some good food-by bike hunting. But for this first ride I wanted to venture out. Be different, and try something new. Get a sense for a long ride, and not a quick fix in a local area (this ride is also supposed to be training for the World Tour). Actually, more like feel something new. That I'd say is important. To feel something new. Okay, maybe for some there's too much self-discovery, or some might scoff too little going on. I'd sum it up with me simply saying, "alleluia! This is going to be fun." Okay, I didn't really say alleluia. But inside I felt a rejoicing perspective on what circumstances had lead me to food-by bike.
Numb. That's not how I felt. More like wide-eyed and bushy tail. Although, I didn't particularly see anything new (except for seeing Fancy Ray riding what looked like a custom bike). That's because I've driven this route before (Lake Harriet, Minnehaha parkway, River parkway along the Mississippi, and Dinkytown). And shockingly, this was the first time by bike.
Bike savory destination...
To bike is to feel the land. Cycling enthusiasts will know nothing new with that concept. Also nothing novel about biking to a restaurant. Sure some restaurants might be more bike friendly. So the food by bike concept will hopefully promote a map to welcome the self-discovery of food by bike whatever the reason. That's a good at face definition (good exercise, environmentally friendly, or the fun of it). A more subjective criteria is to feel something new. Eating can get routine. Fast food, as a style of eating, or an abundance of it can possibly lessen its sensory appreciation. Increase the effort (harder to come by), then might it accentuate the food experience. That is the less than apparent objective. To make the food experience more attuned. Maybe more simply put, "Hey, I just biked 20 miles to here, better make the food worth it." That I think will be a key subjective criteria behind my foodie-by bike reviews.
To eat is to taste the land. And hopefully, taste the different regions of the world. That will be a big aim for food-by bike to seek out good ethnic eats, locally. To taste the land also conjures up all that buzz about locally grown, and sustainable foods. That's probably because nowadays people are talking about "where" and "how" the food is sourced. What's that saying, "You are what you eat". That will be another aim for foodie-by bike reviews, to seek out local sourcing. So let's eat good.
Foodie-by bike review...
At last, I arrive at Obento-ya. I'll forgo a formidable review since Obento-ya is my restaurant (co-owner/chef). But I will talk about the intent of a food experience. More like meeting a food expectation. I'd say that a food-by bike outing would have a totally different expectation compared to a couple celebrating their anniversary. But what I think both would share is in menu selection. That is, how we select foods from a menu to create a food experience. That I'd say is a subjective intent when reading a review. Good food intent is hard to narrow down (that is, this food goes well with that type of occasion).
Besides food intent, how about a restaurant's intent. That is, what food the restaurant is known for? I'd think it's important for a restaurant to be known for a signature dish, at least for these food-by bike reviews. I'd want to highlight a realistic food expectation. Even the best reviewers don't and cannot eat everything on a restaurant's menu. Lately, I've been a fan of tasting tours, which like a signature dish, its more like a signature wow (experience). It might be subjective, but I'll try to discover the wow in a restaurant.
Okay, I've picked something to eat. Food execution should be a given. But besides those hits or misses, I'll be persnickety about did the food work. That's more of my foodie curiosity, not scoring a restaurant's bating average, but with the depth of food. With that, of course their menu offers more, and we all have different likes. So I'd recommend this bike savory restaurant when you food by bike.
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