Airport bars: No longer among the saddest places in the world.

On a recent Friday, I finagled my way past security at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and asked bartenders for their thoughts on the way people stereotype airport bars.

"They've been going to the wrong airport bars," said Lisa-Marie Danger Smith, who works every weekend at the airport's version of Ike's Food & Cocktails.

The bar scene out at MSP isn't what it used to be -- and that's a good thing. Our airport is ahead of the curve when it comes to bringing local concepts into the concourses. These include the new Surdyk's Flights wine bar, French Meadow Bakery, O'Gara's, Axel's Bonfire and two Ike's locations.

"A lot of airports are trying to emulate what we've done here," said Butch Howard, the man in charge of HMS Host, the company that licenses and operates many of the airport's food and drink tenants.

Junior Pantaleo has been bartending since 1979. He has seen the evolution from serving liquor at a makeshift stand in the concourse to his current position working the morning shift at the shiny, antioxidant-cocktail-making French Meadow Bakery. In 2009, the airport commission got the state to roll back the start time for liquor service to 6 a.m. (it's 8 a.m. everywhere else). "I'd much rather wait on the guy that's drinking at 6 a.m. than someone at midnight," Pantaleo said.

"I've waited on Jessica Simpson -- twice," Pantaleo said. He also served legendary college basketball coach (and all-around hothead) Bobby Knight: "The most gracious, funny guy you'll ever meet."

"Out here, I get to hear stories from all over the world," she said. "Everyone has a story. I always ask them to tell it."

She took a chance on the airport six years ago and never looked back at bars elsewhere. "No more bar fights, no bouncers," she said. "Less chaos, less drama."

Even so, bartending at the airport can feel a lot like working on an island. Some bartenders have quit because they couldn't take the security hassles.

As a platinum member of Continental Airlines, Laura Weisensell flies almost every week. The Cleveland auditing consultant said watching George Clooney in "Up in the Air" was like watching her own life. While the bar scene has changed, flying the friendly skies can still be a bit lonely.

"You really don't have time to form real relationships," Weisensell said. "It's a snapshot in time is how I like to put it."

People have to fly, people have to wait, people have to drink. Might as well do it in style, right? One traveler, Oren Mauldin of Seattle, said it best:

"If you have to spend a couple hours someplace, you could do worse."

Almost fully recovered from his 78-hour Marathon 3 concert, Mark Mallman is going straight into another dangerous stunt. His synth-pop revisionist trio Ruby Isle is releasing its long-in-the-works remake of Guns N' Roses' entire "Appetite for Destruction" album next Tuesday. The daring part, of course, lies in the fact that the band doesn't have any kind of permission from Axl Rose and his protective posse of attorneys. Thus, no one knows how long the record will actually be available, nor what kind of jail sentence Mallman might be in for. The disc includes a guest appearance by Har Mar Superstar on (what else?) "Sweet Child o' Mine" as well as vocals by Nicole Godiva of Waxx Maxx. A video for "Mr. Brownstone" has also been made with Dozer the Doggy Bounce Dog of "Flight of the Conchords." Look for leaks throughout the week at www.mallman.com.

Aaron Johnson's gastro sports pub, the Prairie Ale House, was scheduled to open Saturday but has been pushed back to next week (no exact date is set). Located in an old Timber Lodge in Eden Prairie, the spot sounds like it will be a sports bar for people who didn't even know they liked sports bars. Johnson made a name for himself first at Town Talk Diner and then at the Strip Club Meat & Fish. He's striking out on his own with this venture, which will bring craft beer and crafted cocktails to the southwestern suburbs. The gastro portion of Prairie Ale House will feature left-of-center pub food, while the sports side includes two bars, an arcade room and a 120-inch screen for the real sports fans. Brunch service will start Nov. 13. (Opens 5 p.m. Sat. 16369 Wagner Way, Eden Prairie, 952-949-9700.)

The green team behind the Red Stag, Bryant-Lake Bowl and Barbette are moving into south Minneapolis. Kim and Kari Bartmann say they are closing Casey's Bar at 35th and Nicollet and will reopen it as Pat's Tap. Sounds like they will keep the bar's neighborhood feel but up the ante in most other departments, namely a new gastro-pub menu, a deeper beer and wine list, and a better patio. Like the Red Stag, the build-out will be done with sustainable practices. Super cool: The game room will include a set of 1950s Skee-Ball machines, with proceeds going to nonprofits serving the homeless and hungry.