Since I was already in the Hamline neighborhood, Casper’s and Runyon’s Shamrock Irish Nook, also known simply as The Nook, is up next on the #mnbucketlist. Around since 1938, previously a horse barn turned gas station turned to a host of different variations of the name ‘Nook’ and finally into what it is now – its evidently clear that this place has roots here. Sitting next to the Ran-Ham Bowling Alley and Cold Front Ice Cream, The Nook boasts a long list of accolades from Minnesota Monthly, Diners Drive-ins and Dives, and even was the 2008 winner of the Battle of the Burgers, its crowned victor being its signature Juicy Nookie Burger. Not that I’m looking to start beef (I know) but some say it ranks above Matt’s and 5-8. There’s even a challenge, if you’re up for it, if you can eat two Nookie Supremes and fries, you can win a free T-shirt – no, I didn’t do that. Something you might not know; in 2010, The Nook was actually consumed by fire and was reopened a mere five months later with an incredibly warm neighborhood welcome.