Counter intelligence: Dine Out for Life

Dine Out for Life

Last update: April 19, 2006 - 3:36 PM

Dine Out for Life

If you dine out next Thursday at any of the 103 local restaurants that are participating in this year's Dine Out for Life, a portion of your bill will be donated to the Aliveness Project, which provides meals, a food shelf and other services for people with HIV and their families.

Participating restaurants include Auriga, Azia, El Nuevo Rodeo, Joe's Garage and many more. For a complete list of participating restaurants, or any other information, visit the Aliveness Project website at www.aliveness.org and click to see the poster, or call the Aliveness Project at 612-822-7946.

Afghan in Crystal

Hadi Mohammedzadeh, formerly a headwaiter at Nicklow's, now has his own restaurant, the Crystal Bistro, 6408 Bass Lake Rd., Crystal. The cuisine at this modest storefront is billed as Mediterranean and Continental, but many of the specialties, such as the kabli pilau (rice pilaf with lamb or chicken), and the aushak (dumplings stuffed with spinach and onions) are actually from Mohammedzadeh's native Afghanistan. Nearly all the entrees are under $15, and wine and beer are available. A $6.95 lunch buffet is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Feeling crabby?

On Sundays, from 4 to 8 p.m., Tejas, at 50th St. and France Av. S. in Edina, offers all the crab legs you can eat for $28 per person. The price includes your choice of baked potatoes, French fries or Caesar salad.

Harmonic convergence

Next Wednesday is Singalong Night at the Fireroast Mountain Cafe, 3800 37th Av. S., Minneapolis. The singing starts at 6:30 p.m., so bring your Rise Up Singing songbook, or bring ear plugs. And be sure to try a slice of Lisa Piper's Mexican chocolate cake, a steal at $2.50 a slice. (Full disclosure: She's a friend of mine.)

JEREMY IGGERS