Date Night + Roto = BRASA!!!

Anyone who knows me knows I'm into Fantasy Baseball.

Anyone who knows Fantasy Baseball knows it is also known as Rotisserie Baseball.

Anyone who knows Rotisserie Baseball knows Rotisserie is short for Roto.

Anyone who knows Roto knows I dominate. In a fantasy baseball league that has never seen a repeat champion,  I accomplished a three-peat. That speaks for itself.

So, it's no wonder that on my date night tonight, I went Roto on it!

Steph and I received a wedding gift card to a hip restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis and after nearly 10 months of happy marriage, finally decided to use said card at Brasa.

Brasa's signature is Rotisserie chicken. (please note the consistent capitalization of Rotisserie!)

The joint, located on Hennepin just off 4th street in NE Mpls, is quaint. Parking is limited. We parked two blocks away and hoofed it, no biggie!

Well, as soon as I parked the car and stepped onto the cool, wet pavement, I could feel the aroma of the slowly cooked chicken make its way into my senses.

I definitely led the way to the restaurant at a fast pace. Not only was I hungry, but the smells drew me in like a Luke Skywalker to the Darth Vader's Death Star.

We got into the place, and I wasn't kidding about the "quaint" observation. It's a small establishment, but very cozy, hip and cool. There was about a 20 minute wait - not bad for a Friday evening.

It was just enough time to settle into the corner of the joint, grab a quick tap brew and have a nice conversation.

Speaking of the brews, the beer list was short - but made an impact! For those who prefer a Miller Light and some Wings, this is not your place.

But, as a dude who enjoys whatever beer is on sale, as well as whatever beer is in my brother-in-law's (Jay) fridge, I totally dug the small selection.

The closest thing to a Miller (or Coors, Bud, Mich Golden, etc) Light was a bottle of Corona!

We went with a Surly first, then I had a Bells with dinner.

Our dinner order was the house specialty, Rotisserie chicken with red beans and rice, corn bread along with a starter of chips and guacamole.

Everything was outstanding. The food was better than the aroma that struck me from two blocks away.

I couldn't have been more satisfied with the meal, I'm actually still savoring it!

The best part was that it was completely affordable. The bill for the two of us with our drinks was comparable to a typical chain restaurant (Chili's, Applebees, Friday's, etc) - and we had the house specialty!

I mentioned a few times that Brasa is "quaint" - it is definitely a small, cozy restaurant. But that is part of the charm. Tucked in "Nordeast" - the eatery makes excellent use of the limited square footage. Steph and I were seated smack-dab in the middle of the place, in the only "middle table" that was used.

As a fairly soft-spoken person in most situations, I prefer to be in the corner or up against a wall in a fairly private booth.

This table was the opposite. It was as small as a two person table comes. It was right next to another table with six people at it who were actively conversing.

But the acoustics, background music and our fellow customers all made the setting a perfect environment for a date - whether a first date or a "married couple date!" I never felt as though our conversation was being sniped by our neighbors, and never felt like our surrounding tables' topics were invading our dialog, and the music in the background was just that: in the background! - it was the perfect mix!

I'm excited to return to Brasa in the near future - almost as excited as I am for my 2010 Rotisserie Baseball Draft!

Oh yeah, this morning, I decided to pick my own lottery numbers - went with five significant numbers to Steph and I with our Powerball number being the heavy-hitter - our wedding anniversary (which I already can't remember - uh-oh!).

Wish us luck...