Recently one of my most favorite places in the world closed. I spent 10 years of my life behind the take out counter at the Green Mill restaurant in uptown Mpls, MN. I managed half hearted drivers and organized take out orders chocked full of sub par food. Although we were not known for it, we excelled at having the same regular drunks at the same bar stools everyday single day, while also making possibly the world’s greatest chicken wings that nobody really knew about. The Green Mill was not trendy, hip, or a fun place to hang out with your cool friends.
ALL of my closest friends (minus Jeff) have worked at the Green Mill at one time or another. I held the esteemed title of “Take Out Manager”, and because of my high ranking, probably hired a lot of them. My brother and sister-in-law just welcomed their first daughter in October, guess where they met?
We closed the Green Mill down for the last time on the 31st of Dec (NYE). It wouldn’t be proper if I didn’t take something with me, and that slice of deep dish pizza from behind the counter (see below) and fancily framed Green Mill logo, were calling my name. Right before the clock struck midnight, I grabbed the framed food art, a stapler, and a map of our delivery area (that I had originally hung up in 2005). There was no way I was leaving The Mill without taking a little bit of that place with me.
Fast forward a few weeks, and my pizza and GM logo prints have been sitting around my house without any place to live. As much as I had good intentions I couldn’t figure out how to incorporate my mouth watering food prints into my decor. I did however like the frames, and thought that maybe the two of them could hang side-by-side forever in my basement. With no art on-hand, I grabbed my phone and took a few pics of my favorite crystals, sent them over the web to be printed at Parabo Press, and once they arrived via the mail carrier, I lovingly framed them (with my Mill artwork hidden right behind them).
RIP Green Mill Too, you were well loved.
That’s awesome. I love personal touches, and those frames really work! I felt the same way when Nye’s closed. My husband and I lived a couple blocks from Nye’s when we were in law school (in the same building as the barking polka lady herself, Ruth!) and we have a framed advertisement for Nye’s in our living room. It always brings back great memories, and also makes me happy to be past the perpetual hangover/final exam studying phase of my life.
Oh Nyes. So sad to see it go. That framed ad sounds like the perfect ode to a fav place, sounds like lots of good memories for you!
I would totally take the Green Mill Take Out & Delivery sign, re-frame it, and put it in the basement bathroom.
Great idea!
Thanks, Geraldine!
Ha! That would be pretty funny. Too bad there’s not enough wall space, unless I got rid of the mirror…
I didn’t think those pictures looked like pizza, haha! Love the story and the memories, but I definitely think you should showcase the real pictures too! And man, I love your basement, it looks like such a fun place to hang out!
Hey Julie! I guess I can see that, the one on the left is a big sloppy deep dish pizza and probably doesn’t look a thing like real pizza. I did try with the Green Mill images, but it just wasn’t doing it for me. They will always be right there in case someday they work with the decor (or if I open a restaurant). I was going to frame the delivery area map and hang it along with a bunch of our other sentimental art in the dining room, so there’s that. :)
You wouldn’t know it if I didn’t tell you, but the save-the-dates, map, menus, table numbers and programs that I made for my wedding, as well as my early house decor of framed posters was inspired by the west wall at the turf club. I totally know how a certain decor vibe can get imprinted on your brain and come out to manifest itself in another form later.
Inspiration is everywhere! I love that turf club wall, so many good band posters!
genius.
Thanks, Sooz!
I love everything about this post! Didn’t realize Green Mill had closed though (and I just drove down Hennepin yesterday). I think one of the best things about a job is getting to know one’s co-workers – many of whom become lifelong friends.
And your basement looks awesome! (I thought that first photo was a pizza slice too)