Mick Jagger, Lucy, and Me

Food and wine can create strange bedfellows. I have a long “bucket list” of food and wine destinations and experiences that I am working my way through, and one of those items on the list recently brought together Mick, Lucy, and me in Minneapolis, MN. How on earth did that happen and who or what is Lucy? Read on to find out!

The original Jucy Lucy from Matt's Bar and Grill

Whenever I travel my wife Laurie and I are always looking for great local restaurants to try. In most cases, the restaurants on my “bucket list” are ones that have won awards and feature an extensive and eclectic wine list as well. Some examples include Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco; Alan Wong’s in Honolulu, HI; Frasca in Boulder, CO; Butter in NYC; and Fiola in Washington DC. But some of the restaurants on my wish list include more casual eateries as well, like Katz’s Deli in NYC, Gott’s Roadside in Napa, CA, and Matt’s Bar and Grill in Minneapolis, MN.

But why Matt’s Bar and Grill? Well, it turns out that Matt’s, which opened in 1954, is the home of the original Jucy Lucy, a fantastic burger made with two hamburger patties with American cheese stuffed in between the two patties. When you bite into the burger, a lava flow of molten cheese oozes out of the burger, creating a fantastic culinary experience and a huge unwieldy mess as well!

So, on a recent trip to visit family in Minneapolis last October, we visited Matt’s with my brother Ken and sister-in-law Lisa to experience the original Jucy Lucy. I mention “original” because there appears to be some controversy surrounding who invented the burger with two bars, Matt’s and the 5-8 Club laying claim to having invented it. My money is on Matt’s, who advertise by saying “Remember, if it (Jucy) is spelled correctly, you are eating a shameless rip-off!”

The place is a dive. When we walked in, I was overcome with the smell of grilled meat, stale beer, and other odd and undefinable odors emanating from the bar area. Once we settled into our bright, cracked, and red naugahyde booth with lovely brown paneling surrounding us on all sides, we perused the extensive menu (yes, that was sarcasm you heard!) and quickly settled on Jucy Lucys with fries and root beers for everyone.

The extensive menu from Matt's Bar and Grill

20 minutes later the server brought our burgers wrapped in wax paper and baskets of fries – no utensils or plates allowed here! We ripped off a few paper towels from the holder and dug in – the burgers were as good (and as messy) as advertised, especially with the addition of the grilled onions. It was well worth the trip and worthy of being on my food bucket list!

A few weeks later, the Rolling Stones arrived in Minneapolis for a stop on their “No Filter” tour, and media reports stated that Mick Jagger regaled the crowd with how he spent his time in the Twin Cities. He mentioned that he "had two Jucy Lucys here: One at Matt's Bar and one at the 5-8 Club, washed down with a Grain Belt, Fulton and a Surly, finished off at Grumpy's Bar." So now you see how Mick and I were “brought together” and bonded, admittedly from afar and unbeknownst to him, over Jucy Lucys at Matt’s Bar and Grill – great minds think alike! Oh, and when Barack Obama was President he also ate a Jucy Lucy at Matt’s as well!

Matt’s Bar and Grill in all its glory!

So, if you ever find yourself in Minneapolis with some time on your hands, definitely go visit Matt’s Bar and Grill and dig into a Jucy Lucy to enjoy one of the best burgers available in the U.S.!