My good friends, Cindy and Bill, invited me to meet Jerry Ostensoe, a local Blues musician from Southwest Minnesota who was performing at Bootleggers, a supper club on the edge of Granite Falls. Jerry has recently released a new CD called Just East of West.

Bootleggers is a former speakeasy nestled in the river valley just outside of Granite Falls, Minnesota.  The word that popped into my head when I walked in was roadhouse.  It is a tribute to the history of the 1920's.

The ambience at Bootleggers was downhome and friendly.  I looked around the restaurant at the local clientel and thought, "Yup.  These are my people."  The food was good and the servings were ample.  I had a helping of Torsk swimming in butter.  My mom and dad used to cook up a big batch of it for us kids and call it "poor man's lobster."

So, the food was good and the company was great.  But it was the music of Jerry Ostensoe and his partner that rounded out the experience.  Jerry joined us on his break and I found him to be an articulate and affable gentleman, if not somewhat reserved.  But heck, that's not his fault, he's Norwegian.  If you want to know his story, then you've got to listen to the lyrics.  Here's a link to YouTube music video.

Was it worth the two-and-a-half hour drive from the Twin Cities to Granite Falls for dinner and music at Bootleggers?   Absolutely.  But the next time I pull out a toothpick after a satifying meal in Granite Falls, I'll know I need to join Bill outside while he has his after-dinner smoke.  There is to be no picking in public. Cindy has her standards.