Chilling out at the ice bar

I never really understood the allure of having an ice bar in the dead of winter. It's cold. But compared with last weekend's snowmageddon, spending time inside the chilly ice bar at Le Meridien Chambers should feel like a vacation.

Opening this week, the Eden Ice Chamber is back for a fifth year at the arty hotel -- but this time it has some new design flourishes. The folks at D'Amico Kitchen have carved an ice sculpture that allows bargoers to insert their faces into icy cut-outs of Adam and Eve's faces for what sounds like a goofy photo-op.

The ice bar is in Chambers' courtyard next to the giant glass firepit. Built from 60 blocks of ice, the 256-square-foot igloo features a full ice bar and its own Grey Goose-sponsored cocktail list. You can order shots of flavored vodkas in real ice-carved glasses. If this all sounds a bit chilly, try the new Velvet Iced Coffee cocktail (Grey Goose, Starbucks Coffee Liqueur, Baileys, coffee).

Sounds like the Eden Ice Chamber is getting some competition this year -- from about 200 miles away. Grand Superior Lodge in Two Harbors is debuting its ice bar, dubbed Blu, on Tuesday. The lodge crafted the bar with help from St. Paul Winter Carnival ice-carving champ Chris Swarbrick. The bar will serve an assortment of cocktails in ice glasses and chill them using two ice luges built into the bar. No word yet if it's worth planning a vacation around, but it's there if you find yourself in Two Harbors. (2826 Hwy. 61, Two Harbors, Minn. 1-800-627-9565. www.grandsuperior.com/icebar.)

SOUNDS OF 'JERSEY SHORE' "Jersey Shore's" chiseled head-honcho, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, might have been on "Dancing With the Stars" and he might even have his own workout DVD, but Sitch can't rock a crowd on the turntables. Nope, he leaves that endeavor to his GTL cohort -- DJ Pauly D. The Situation's right-hand man will perform a two-hour DJ set this Friday at Epic. If you watched Pauly D last season on the MTV hit show, then you know it's "T-shirt time!" (If you have no idea what that means, it's not worth losing any brain cells over.)

10 p.m. Fri. 110 N 5th St., Mpls. $30. 18 and older. 612-332-3742. www.epicmpls.com.

BARRIO HITS EDINA Is Edina ready for tequila shots and Mexican street food? Ryan Burnet thinks so. After clobbering Nicollet Mall with the first Barrio and then opening a much larger one in downtown St. Paul, Burnet said he has his eyes on taking the concept nationwide. But first he'll open Cocina del Barrio this Saturday at 50th and France. Located next to Salut, the third Barrio is more great news for this Edina intersection, which has enjoyed an influx of restaurants this year, including Mozza Mia, Raku and Rice Paper. As the name suggests, Cocina del Barrio will pull back a bit on the clubby aspects of the other two locations. No one wants to see shopping soccer moms tanked on tequila, right? Instead of the usual 100-plus tequilas, Cocina will have 60 or 70. But that doesn't mean they'll be skimping on the drinks. Burnet has hired bartender Jeff Rogers to oversee a round of new cocktails at each of the Barrio locations. And let's not forget the food. Mmm ... guacamole.

Opens 5 p.m. Sat. 5036 France Av. S., Edina. 952-920-1860. www.barriotequila.com.

LADMAN LAUGHS AGAIN Cathy Ladman, the L.A.-based comedian, moved here in May (her in-laws are Minnesotans), but she said she'll be leaving us once again. So catch her while you can. Known as one of the funniest women on the national stand-up circuit, Ladman will grace the stage Saturday at the Big Laughs Comedy Club. This new comedy room at the New Hope Cinema Grill is being curated by the Minneapolis Comedy All-Stars (they brought Louie Anderson to town in September). Ladman was a favorite of Johnny Carson, and her face can be seen all over TV, most recently in "Mad Men."

8 p.m. Sat. 2749 Winnetka Av. N., New Hope. $15. 763-417-0017. www.newhopecinemagrill.com.

HEFT A PINT, HELP THE NOOK Juicy Lucy fans everywhere shed a tear when the Nook in St. Paul went up in flames this week (luckily no one was hurt). The Groveland Tap suffered a similar fate in 1998 before rebuilding. That St. Paul bar is staging a benefit of sorts this Saturday called "Help Us Help the Nook." From open to close that day (11 a.m.-1 a.m.), the bar will offer Summit pints for $2.50. Groveland will donate $1.50 from each pint to a fund for the Nook's employees, who might be out of work until the restaurant can be rebuilt. Groveland co-owner Stephanie Shimp, said her staff will also pass around a Christmas stocking if bargoers just want to donate money.

11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sat. 1834 St. Clair Av., St. Paul. 651-699-5058. www.grovelandtap.com.

thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909

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