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In this episode

• Minnesota March weather and the false promise of spring
• Why baseball and spring were inseparable growing up
• Meeting before kindergarten at Elliott Elementary
• Little League, Cub League, Babe Ruth, and neighborhood baseball memories
• Kite flying across from Elliott and the legend of razor-blade kite wars
• Opening Day rituals, stirrups, and looking right in a baseball uniform
• St. Louis Park restaurant memories, including:
• Shakey’s Pizza
• Yangtze Restaurant
• David Woo’s
• Perkins
• Embers
• Mr. Steak
• Jolly Troll
• Bridgeman’s
• Farrell’s
• Carriage House, bowling, pinball, and Saturday hot dogs
• How food places become part of a town’s identity
• Listener callout: favorite St. Louis Park restaurants, past or present
• Sponsor mentions and Carlos’s upcoming novel, The Ghost of Lake Osakis

Notable moments

• Mike and Carlos realizing they forgot to actually introduce themselves
• The case for proper baseball stirrup height, argued like it’s constitutional law
• A wonderfully chaotic detour from restaurants into MSG, hot dogs, and marijuana policy
• The reminder that old neighborhood places were never just businesses—they were landmarks in people’s lives

Mentioned in this episode

• Elliott Elementary
• St. Louis Park baseball
• Sols
• Koch’s Sporting Goods
• Shakey’s Pizza
• Yangtze Restaurant
• David Woo
• Perkins
• Embers
• Mr. Steak
• Jolly Troll
• Bridgeman’s
• Farrell’s
• Carriage House
• Foot Pain Authority
• The Ghost of Lake Osakis by Carlos Figueroa

Sponsors

Foot Pain Authority

If your feet are barking louder than your opinions, check out Foot Pain Authority for insoles and relief. Mention that you “heard about it on the bench.”

https://www.footpainauthority.com

From Carlos

Carlos also shares an update on his upcoming psychological thriller, The Ghost of Lake Osakis, and talks briefly about his Substack writing on institutions, technology, and change.

Join the conversation

What St. Louis Park restaurant do you remember most? Drop a comment and tell us which places still live rent-free in your memory.