Go On a Fender Bender.

In a marriage made in heaven, or maybe Detroit, Thursday's Front Fenders show in the HoDo Lounge coincides with the Downtown Community Partnership's "Cruisin' Broadway," an event that brings out all kinds of car enthusiasts in their snazzy rides. Not only do the Front Fenders fit the automobile mold, but they also provide the rock chutzpah that you expect to hear pumping out of a sweet Mustang convertible on a summer afternoon. Thursday night, 7:30 p.m. No cover, 21+.

Volunteers, Let's Clean Up Downtown!

Show your downtown pride! The High Plains Reader, AM 1100 The Flag, The Downtown Neighborhood Association and the Downtown Community Partnership are sponsoring "The Great Downtown Clean-Up" tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. Volunteers are needed to (among other things) scrape pesky gum from the sidewalks, remove spray paint and pick up all those cigarette butts.

Feel like lending a hand? Meet up in the US Bank plaza on Broadway at 5:30 p.m. No need to bring any supplies (although a pair of gloves might not hurt). Read up on the clean-up in the most recent HPR.

Lunch Specials June 29th - July 3rd

(Lunch specials are available in addition to our all-day menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. NOTE: The HoDo Lounge will be closed Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th)

Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Salad - Romaine, red onion and poblano peppers topped with corn tortilla chips, shredded cheddar & havarti cheeses and spicy tomato dressing - $9

Chicken Margherita Pizza with roasted garlic, tomato, basil and provolone cheese - $8

Roast Beef & Arugula Sammy - Truffle horseradish aioli, sherried red onions and havarti on toasted sour dough, served with sweet potato chips* - $9

Smoked Turkey Pasta with zucchini and leeks in a roasted fennel tomato sauce - $9

(*sub fries, cup of soup, side salad or fruit +$1)

A Roots Party with the Johnson Family Band

All it takes is a condenser mic and some floor space to get something cooking with the Johnsons. Luckily, the HoDo Lounge floor is perfect for capturing their hard-stomping bluegrass thumps as they romp through a celebration of a prominent strain of American musical DNA. Lots of strings, lots of howlin', lots of chunky rhythms and plenty of fun.

Tonight, y'all, at 9 bells. No cover, 21+

*The Johnsons on MySpace.

The Johnsons on YouTube:

Lunch Specials, June 22 - 27

(specials served in addition to our all-day menu, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Arugula Salad - Arugula tossed with Marcona almonds, caramelized onions, Montagnola blue cheese and apple & vanilla vinaigrette - $9

Greek Bacon Cheeseburger - Beef pattied with kalamata olives and roasted red peppers with spinach, mascarpone and tzatziki, topped with crisp prosciutto and feta cheese, served with sweet potato chips* - $10

Weuben - Walleye, sauerkraut, gruyere and 1000 island dressing grilled on marbled rye, served with sweet potato chips* - $9

Bucatini Florentine - Spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and pancetta in a creamy fontinella and gruyere sauce - $9

(*sub fires, cup of soup, side salad or fruit, +$1)

Fleischkeuchle Week!

If you've been following our Facebook chatter for the last week, you know that there's been a lot of talk about fleischkeuchle, a delicacy of the German-Russian population in central North Dakota. Your humble narrator, a native of Garrison, N.D. (deep in the heart of fleischkeuchle country) felt such pangs of nostalgia for its deep-fried meaty goodness that I needled our kitchen until we finally tried it out as a lunch special. Our chef made as authentic of a version as he could - it's a very simple recipe - and the result became a minor phenomenon.

The Milestones Photography crew was gracious enough to come down for a taste and provided the above fan photo to our Facebook page. You can read an account of their trip here on the Milestones blog. Thanks, guys!

*Today (Friday) is the last day of the fleischkeuchle special, but it was successful enough to try again someday. If you're interested in finding out the next time we have it, send me an email.

*Also, did you try the fleischkeuchle? Send me your thoughts or suggestions.

Fargo's Queen of the Blues - The Deb Jenkins Band

When the HoDo first opened, the Deb Jenkins Band was one of first, if not THE first, acts to play in our lounge. Over five years later, Deb and Co. are still going strong.

Deb's efforts haven't stopped at being one of the most in-demand acts in the F-M area; she writes a food column for the High Plains Reader and is currently organizing the Celebration of Women and Their Music, an event that has been gaining popularity since 1998 (you can read about last year's event here).

Stop in and hear blues and soul by a stalwart of our community tomorrow night at 8 p.m. No cover, 21+.