In my last post, I mentioned a favorite restaurant of mine named The Village Square. I would like to continue this discussion and tell you why it merits this title. First off, if you are wondering why I am only writing of my favorite things (Oprah, I love you) its because it would be insane for me to write of things I do not like and therefore would deem a waste of time. So to show myself sane, I write of things I know and love. Which is food.

And that brings us back to The Village Square. If I were younger and maybe single, I would spend way more of my time there due to it’s inviting couches and probably the best coffee on the planet. It feels much like the setting of “Friends”, without the desperation. Either way, we do frequent there a lot. They have free wifi in the entire place, making it very handy to spend way too much time sipping coffee. On one side of the place is the coffee and ice cream shop with the couches mentioned before. They have a rewards program for your coffee buying habits and the ice cream makes me fat just thinking about it. Bring it on!

Now, there is seating between the coffee shop and the restaurant area perfect for you and your laptop. Or if you prefer, you and your friends. On threw the hallway, past the seating area, is the restaurant area with more seating upstairs in a somewhat loft like space, or downstairs in a cozy booth or table. The whole place just screams “COZY”, which I love. “But how is their FOOD?? Get to the FOOD!”

I love their food. I have of course, my favorites that I always order. Once in awhile I will stray and try something new, and I am always delighted. Now, my favorites are the breadsticks and the Tomato Basil Soup. Which deserves the all capitals I just used as though it were a person and place and not just a thing. That soup captivated my taste-buds the first time we met, which was some years ago now. And nothing has changed. Honestly though, their entire menu is fantastic. It’s all home made, people! Do you even remember what it’s like to have a home made meal?? Go here, it will all come back in a flash. They don’t have a large “dinner” menu per-say, but what they do have they put their own spin on and make it more wonderful than you would have thought. When we go to The Village Square, it’s like a treat. A family owned business serving up sweet sweetness, it will always be at the top of my Favorite Things. Plus you can get a glass of the aforementioned Forestedge Wine, bonus!

“Well, OK, we get it. But we really want to go somewhere fancy and not as casual because it’s our 5th Year Anniversary. Now where are we supposed to go??” Let me tell you….

Check them out online!
www.villagesquarewalker.com

People who are familiar with Leech Lake know that Reeds Sporting Goods, is synonymous with fishing on Leech Lake and hunting, whatever your needs may be! At Reeds, they have a huge selection of everything related to outdoor sports that take place in the woods or on the water. The best part is that if you are visiting with the family, there is something for the kids, the wife and of course, the husband. When people visit the store for their first time, you can tell they are completely awe-struck by the abundance of items and the selection. During my visits to Reeds Sporting Goods, I have seen many well seasoned sportsmen with a childish look of wonderment on their face state “This is my first time here. This place is amazing!” The contents and staff in this store really do put the big guys to shame. You’ll never find the type of customer service or expertise from Cabela’s or Gander that you find in Reeds Sporting Goods.

When you first walk in the store you are in the clothing/apparel section which contains probably the largest selection of women’s, men’s and children’s clothing in Walker, Minnesota. As you step deeper into the store, you start to find all sorts of fishing equipment, ranging from above average items at a great price to professional grade fishing rods, reels, lures and the funnest fishing equipment: electronics. If you fish deep sea or freshwater from a canoe, Reeds has a selection of electronics for you whether you are in search of a navigation system or a simple fish finder. During the winter, they have pretty much any type of ice flasher, depth finder or underwater camera you could ever imagine. They carry products from all of the top companies: Vexilar, Lowrance, Marcum, Showdown, Aqua-Vu and more. If you want to know about one of the items in the fishing department, you can just ask one of the staff. Although, he will have already greeted you before you need to go in search of him. If you aren’t interested in electronics and stick to the old way of fishing, you will be interested in their massive selection of Jigs, Spoons, Spinners, Flyers, Whistlers and whatever type of lure you are in search of.

If you actually make it past the fishing section before the store closes, you will find the gun/hunting department that has the largest selection of firearms you will ever see in your life! From the selection, you’ll find antique handguns, the greatest and newest handguns, rifles and shotguns. Reeds works directly with manufacturers, so they are able to be the first to get some of the newest firearms before anyone else. The employees in the gun department have an abundance of knowledge that would overwhelm the most knowledgeable firearm enthusiasts but they are able to assist those who have no knowledge of guns by informing them, not belittling them. They also have many accessories such as ground blinds, decoys, ladder stands, trap throwers, clay pigeons and other accessories for all types of hunting and an array of ammunition. They even carry odd ammunition such as .280 British!

Reeds has an always changing selection of items, while keeping staple items in stock. My favorite part of Reeds is that they price match! If you find that another store has a lower price, Reeds will match it! Most times, I find they are already the lowest. So next time you’re in Reeds tell them you heard good things about them on LeechLakeTourist.com and that’s why you came. They’ll be glad to hear! They also have a website. Check it out: www.ReedsSports.com.