Five favorite bars with Dessa

Among her crewmates in the popular hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dessa sticks out for several reasons. But here's one way you probably hadn't considered.

Dessa can drink every one of those guys under the table.

That's right, the lone female member of this tattooed, sonically aggressive hip-hop crew says she would crush her buddies in a night of all-out boozing.

"I think I'd be the last man standing," she said.

Dessa, 30, sticks out in other ways, too. She's the renaissance woman of the group: Beyond rapping, she's a published short-story writer, a college educator, a spoken-word artist and a singer in the group the Boy Sopranos.

But let's get back to the drinking. As her verbose songwriting indicates, Dessa loves busying herself with deep conversation. Almost five days a week, you'll find her in a Minneapolis bar engaged in a healthy debate.

That makes her a perfect candidate for this latest installment of Five Favorite Bars.

"I'll sprint there sometimes to catch the happy hour. A sweet, boozy drink and a couple plates of sushi is a considerable luxury to me. The staff is really down-to-earth. And the quality of the fish, at least to this uneducated palate, competes with the best in town."

Her drink: The Black Belt, made with Kahlua and sake, on ice and served in a lowball glass.

"I check their calendar more than any other club because I enjoy seeing shows there. First and foremost, I like the decor. It's eclectic. If you want to talk, there are a lot of intimate coves where you can sit on a plush couch or loveseat. I'm not sure how to describe the Kitty Cat's style. There's this Victorian luxury feel with weird stately art and this baroque attitude. It has an upscale-restaurant-meets-Narnia effect. And there's a photo booth. I don't think those will ever lose their teenage appeal."

Her drink: "I almost always have a Godfather [whiskey and Amaretto]."

"They have a really nice golden bar that's lit from below. I'm a sucker for a lit bar. I really like those glowing sources of light. I'm like a cat. The staff is a bunch of gracious, earnest dudes. I enjoyed watching them transform this subterranean space into a hip, viable venue. The DJ nights are really popping. It doesn't even feel like Minneapolis. It's the dimmest bar I've been to. I remember thinking I must be losing my vision."

"The quintessential neighborhood bar. On any weekday evening I'll walk in, scan the room and one out of three faces will be familiar. The bartenders know your name and usually just put your drink down in front of you. There are two-for-ones from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every night. They also have a bank of candy machines. I think I'm the only one who keeps them restocking the Reese's Pieces. I probably come here more than any other bar. The appeal is pretty simple."

Her drink: If the sweetness from one too many Godfathers gets to her tongue, she'll move on to a Black Russian.

"I was probably 17 when I started going to the old coffee shop [at 24th and Lyndale]. I walked inside and was terrified: People seemed so cool and tattooed and pierced out. But in my early 20s when I became a part of the music scene, I realized it really was a hub for the artistic community. So when I found out it was closing this year I was bummed. But when it moved and reopened, I was excited. I love the new spot [at 29th and Lyndale]. The menu is sophisticated and affordable. They've captured the coffee-shop vibe and have introduced this great bar. I like the big windows. A lot of the walls seem to evaporate on a nice day and then you're sitting in this open-air cafe."

Her drink: "So far, I've been pretty conservative. I tried a couple beers and had a flight of Campari. I put away a lot of Godfathers last night."