Monday, January 03, 2011

Dive Night ~ Ruthie & Ray's

Dive Night is a once monthly adventure undertaken by me and Husby, along with our friends Ruthie and Ray. Each couple alternates choosing a restaurant, one which must come under the category of "dive." Our definition of dive: a neighborhood gathering spot hiding under the radar. Casual atmosphere and good food. We're out to find the best food in the Minneapolis/St Paul area without having to pay a fortune or dress up. A sip of beer or wine doesn't hurt either.  See a list and links to the previous dive night posts here.

It has become a tradition with the Dive Night crew to spend December at the home of me and Husby or Ruthie and Ray.  This is done on a rotating basis.  The 2010 Dive Night year wound up at Ruthie and Ray's house.  I can assure you it was hardly a dive.

We have an hors d'oerve evening which was supposed to be pot luck.  I'm sorry to say I provided much less than half of the good food offered.  Ruthie put on a spread that could have stood alone and filled us all without my meager offerings.  My feelings of guilt were overridden only by my feelings of gratitude and satiation.

You can't have hors d'oerves without starting with a good assortment of crackers and cocktail bread.


There were olives and pickles, Ruthie's famous Bacon Bites, a really good herb dip/spread, herring, and M&Ms.


There was an assortment of meats and cheeses, a wine jelly, smoked salmon, smoked oysters, brie cheese, sardines, chicken wings, and bacon dip.


 There were pretzels, deep fried butterflied shrimp with cocktail sauce, and barbequed meatballs.


Ruthie also put out some delicious chocolate chip cookies for a sweet finish to a massive meal of appetizers.

Husby and I are so happy to be able to share the tradition of Dive Night with our friend's Ruthie and Ray, and look forward to the event every month.  Not only are we able to delight in the culinary adventures we embark upon, we also are able to share our journeys through life over a good meal with good friends.  And speaking of good friends, I can't forget to mention Husby's favorite friend at Ruthie and Ray's house...Hoover.


Yeah, Hoover, I see you there, wallowing in Husby's attention.  I have to admit I like snuggling with Hoover too, when he'll let me. 

As we say so long to the Dives of 2010 the four of us are looking forward to another year of gallivanting around the Twin Cities to indulge in and review the dives about town.  I hope you'll continue to join us in our adventures.  Cheers!

2 comments:

MaryAnn said...

Wow, that was quite a tribute to my culinary skills! You made it sound like I actually cook! Thanks! (Although Hoover actually stole the show.) Sounded much more exotic than it really was, but the pictures were great. Made me hungry. Another attempted sabotage to my diet before I've even begun the battle!

Nano said...

Wow, Ruthie went all out. But, she didn't even make her taco dip. Oh well, the bacon bites do make up for the omission. And, blame all the canned oysters and sardines on Ray...more specifically Ray's mother and her upbringing of Ray. Did he even have the mustard sauce sardines? My favorite.

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