Food and Drink
Restaurants
Looking for a great food experience? The Twin Cities may not get the attention that gastronomic centers like New York, Tokyo, London, and Paris enjoy, but just last year some of the world’s best chefs selected Minneapolis as one of 17 top food destinations in the world (Top Chefs Pick Favorite Cities Around the World for Great Restaurants [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-30/top-chefs-pick-favorite-cities- around-the-world-for-great-restaurants]). Notably, only two U.S. cities (Minneapolis and San Francisco) were recognized alongside better known dining destinations around the globe. Particular attention was paid to:
• Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable , Demi and Bellecour
• Jamie Malone ofGrand Cafe
• John Karus of Patisserie 46
• and recent James Beard Award recipient Ann Kim of Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola and Hello Pizza.
Along with marquee chef-driven restaurants, the Twin Cities also offer a robust mix of ethnic and community restaurants to satisfy any foodie’s needs. For a full list of local favorites, view Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s 2019 Best of the Twin Cities Food Choices. We’ve shared a few of our personal favorites below:
Hai Hai
Colita
Kado no Mise
Popol Vuh and Centro
The Red Sea
Chelles’ Kitchen and Healthy Roots Institute
Bar La Grassa
North Loop
Soul Bowl
Hola Arepa
food trucks
Prime Deli
Quang Vietnamese Restaurant
Breweries
Minnesota is home to dozens of breweries, from Surly Brewing, which sits on eight acres of land where it hosts its own concert series, to tiny Bang Brewing with its brewery and tap room all in a little round grain bin. Here are some of our personal favorites:
Bauhaus
Headflyer
Indeed
ONE Fermentary & Taproom
Pryes
Surly
Sisyphus
Cocktails
The cocktail scene in Minnesota is top shelf. We have classy speakeasies like Volstead’s Emporium, [https:// www.volsteads.com/] both with unassuming exteriors (both are hidden near restaurant dumpsters!) opening into glamorous interiors and a selection of imaginative cocktails. Here are some more of our favorites:
Al’s Place
DuNord
Fhima’s Minneapolis
Hewing Rooftop
Lawless Distilling
Tattersall
Performing Arts
Theater and Dance
Minnesota regularly hosts full productions of Broadway shows from Hamilton to Hadestown through Hennepin Theatre Trust. In fact the Broadway production of The Lion King premiered in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre! Traveling national and international productions as well as original locally written and produced theatre can be found in performance spaces small and large all across the Twin Cities. If you want to get a sense of just how many performance venues make their home in the Twin Cities, check out the Minnesota Fringe Festival, an unjuried festival of short works generally held at the beginning of August, featuring performing arts of all shapes and sizes. This vibrant theatre scene is also home to diverse and culturally specific theatre troupes like Penumbra, Theater Mu, New Native Theatre, Pangea World Theater, and Teatro del Pueblo who have joined together to form the Twin Cities Theatres of Color Coalition. Here are a few of our favorite venues!
The Guthrie Theatre
Penumbra Theatre
VocalEssence
Blackout Improv
Cowles Center
Music
If you like music, many options are downtown or within walking distance of downtown: check out the calendars at Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, [https://www.dakotacooks.com/] First Avenue [http://first- avenue.com/] (yes, of Prince Purple Rain fame), the Armory [https://armorymn.com/], and the Fine Line. [https://finelinemusic.com/] There are a lot of other music venues in Minneapolis, but big names are most likely to be at one of the stages at First Ave. and the really big concerts will be across the river in Saint Paul at the Xcel Energy Center. [https://www.xcelenergycenter.com/]
Also be sure to check out:
Our many music festivals and concert series
Music in the Zoo concerts at the Minnesota Zoo
Rock the Garden Concert
Surly Summer Concerts
Festivals and Cultural Events
Between surviving the winter and celebrating the summer, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota host hundreds of festivals throughout the year. The greatest of all the outdoor festivals of course is Minnesota State Fair! [https://www.mnstatefair.org/] The Fair is “The Great Minnesota Get-Together,” held every year in the last two weeks of summer before school’s back in session, ending with Memorial Day. This is your chance to take in all aspects of Minnesota culture, from wild food combinations to intricate seed art, quilting, and performances from communities all across Minnesota. And of course plenty of food, beer, and rides! But the fair is just the grand finale of a summer full of festivals! We can’t share them all with you here, but here are some of our Members’
Aquatennial
Basilica Block Party Music Festival
Carifest
Grand Old Days
Juneteenth (Celebration of African American Freedom)
Little Mekong Night Market:
Minneapolis Aquatennial
Looking Your Best
Hair Salons and Barber Shops
Nails
Groceries and Shopping
In addition to your usual big chain grocers, the Twin Cities has many vibrant locally owned shops where you can find hard to find local, gourmet, and culturally significant food and sundries. Some of these local shops offer much more than shopping, featuring arts and entertainment, community resources, and more. Here are some of our favorite places to fill our carts:
Aquatennial
Basilica Block Party Music Festival
Carifest
Ebenezer Ethiopian Market
Farmers Markets
Galaxy Foods
Hmongtown Marketplace
Holy Land Halaal Restaurant Catering and Grocery
El Hornito Super Mercado
Karmel Mall
Keefer Court, Chinese Bakery and Restaurant
La Bamba Bakery
Lunds & Byerlys
Mantra Bazaar
Midtown Global Market
Pooja Grocery
United Noodle Asian Grocery
Little Mekong Night Market:
Minneapolis Aquatennial
The Great Outdoors
Minnesota has some of the best local, state, and national parks in the country. You’ve heard of our 10,000 lakes, and the great Mississippi River, but there is so much more. In the Twin Cities, you’ll find hundreds of parks, both large and small, with people of all ages and backgrounds playing volleyball, sleeping in hammocks strung up between trees, cooking out, and basking in the sunshine with a good book. Across the state, you’ll find hundreds of miles of walking, hiking, biking, skiing, and RV trails, and many park locations offer equipment rentals for all your recreation needs. If you venture beyond the Twin Cities you will have access to some of the most extraordinary outdoor recreation in the world, from the cliffs and waterfalls of the North Shore, to kayaking the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, [https://bwca.com/] from enormous cave systems to petroglyphs. [https://www.mnhs.org/jefferspetroglyphs] Here’s just a sampling of Minnesota’s adventures:
Minneapolis
• Minneapolis alone boasts 180 park properties, including lakes, creeks, and the Mississippi River! [https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks__destinations/parks__lakes/]
• Walk, bike or paddle the Chain of Lakes in south Minneapolis – this is an easy bus ride or Uber from downtown. Just head to Lake of the Isles or Bde Maka Ska (formerly known, and often still referred to, as Lake Calhoun) to get started: there are miles of walking and biking paths, plus bikes, canoes, and kayaks for rent.
• Chain of Lakes Regional Park: Miles of recreation walking and biking paths, all with a view of the Minneapolis skyline. Plus all around the lakes, you’ll find beaches, playgrounds, restaurants (with beer and wine), or even a free concert at Lake Harriet Bandshell Park.
• Minnehaha Regional Park features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs, and river overlooks, which attracts more than 850,000 visitors annually! Be sure to make time to stand in line for fresh seafood at Seasalt Eatery. [https://seasalteatery.wordpress.com/]
Saint Paul
• Saint Paul also has nearly two hundred parks. [https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/parks-recreation/ parks].
• Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, which are open all year round. Locals especially enjoy perusing the indoor tropical gardens in the conservatory when the temperatures drop.
• Mears Park features a covered bandshell, lighted paths, flower gardens, and a running stream right in the middle of downtown. You’ll find concerts events and festivals at Mears Park, including the Winter Carnival. [https://www.wintercarnival.com/].
Greater Minnesota
• The Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness: Paddling the BWCA is a bucket list
experience for some, and an annual tradition for others.
• The North Shore: Looking for something a little less strenuous? Drive along the North Shore, beginning at Duluth and following the coast all the way up to the Canadian Border. Stop along the for hikes of all sorts, beaches, pies, smoked fish, lighthouses, historical sites, a mysterious waterfall to nowhere, [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/devils-kettle] and even a mountain (yes there is technically a mountain range [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtooth_Mountains_(Minnesota)] in Minnesota!). Keep an eye on the roadside mile markers and don’t miss these secret stops!
• Preston and Forestville Minnesota: There are so many weekend adventures just a short drive out of the cities. One favorite is weekend trip to Preston and Forestville Minnesota: Stay at the Jailhouse Inn [http:// jailhouseinn.com/] in Preston, bike the River State Trail System, [https://www.rootrivertrail.org/root-river- trail-system/] tour the Amish community, check out the abandoned city of Historic Forestville, [https:// www.mnhs.org/Forestville] and tour of the 13-mile cave system [https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ mystery_cave/index.html] in Forestville (from short brightly lit tours for families and the faint of heart, to 4-hour lantern-lit wild-caving tours for the more adventurous).
• Or try whitewater rafting!
Winter Wonderland
Minnesota does not hibernate for the winter! Locals have myriad ways of making the most of the cold, snow, and ice. So don’t forget to play outside! Make snow angels and snowmen, strap on snowshoes or skis, check out one of our winter festivals, or just take a walk in the park. The best way to live in the cold is to enjoy the magic winter brings. Here are some more tips and tricks from our members:
• People in Minnesota love to talk about weather and dealing with it: asking them for suggestions about how to cope with the cold is a guaranteed conversation starter.
• As crazy as it sounds, you will acclimatize to the cold. You will be amazed to experience how cold 50°F feels at first in October and how warm that same 50°F will feel in March.
• Yes, it gets cold. But remember the three most important words in winter outdoor comfort: Layers. Layers. Layers. I have six jackets for different kinds of activity: a nylon wind shell, a fleece jacket, a waterproof, breathable shell, a midweight puffy jacket, a heavy-weight puffy jacket (think “Michelin Man” commercials), and a wool casual/dress coat. For all but the very coldest days, I do not use my warmest jacket, because I find it too warm for me unless it is below zero.
• Be sure to have an ice scraper on hand for your car! Pro tip: Sign up to receive “snow emergency” text or email notifications in the city where you live so that your car does not get towed to the impound lot during snow plowing. It is an expensive and frustrating experience.
• Walking on icy sidewalks and streets: Walk like a penguin (lean your weight forward and take short steps). Slow down: you’ll get better at it. Some people use ice grips (such as Yaktrax) that add traction to the soles of their boots. Most do not, but they are an option.
Sports
Head to a WBNA or NBA game at Target Center, right downtown in the heart of Minneapolis. The Minnesota Lynx (WBNA) have won four WBNA championships while the Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) have won . . . less. For the discerning basketball aficionados, shell out for seats in the Lexus Courtside Club, which comes with a private entrance, valet parking, tasty food and drink and special court access – with your final seats just a row above the court itself.
Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins and also located in downtown Minneapolis, opened in 2010 to much fanfare – and that fanfare hasn’t died down much yet thanks to the commitment of locals to enjoy outdoor activities April through September. Tickets are easy to come by and range all price points, and Target Field features the Thomson Reuters Champion Club seats, where for a premium you can see the Twins warm up in the indoor batting cages, enjoy tasty all-you-can-eat food and drink, plus cozy blankets on cold early season nights in your right-behind-home-plate-seats.
What’s Minnesota without the Vikings? U.S. Bank Stadium, located in downtown Minneapolis, was the site of the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 Final Four NCAA tournament. With seating for up to 65,000 guests in a standard configuration, this feat of modern architecture glows purple at night and has a life-sized Viking ship parked outside (with eye-blinding LED rotating displays of upcoming events).
Minnesota is known as the state of hockey. Our NHL team, the Minnesota Wild, play at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. One of the most passionate fan bases in the Twin Cities makes going to a game a memorable experience even if hockey is not your sport.
The newest major league sport in town is the Minnesota United, who enjoy a brand new home at Allianz Field. The stadium is located between Minneapolis and St. Paul and is easily accessible via the light rail. Great atmosphere and a large brew hall overlooking the stadium makes this a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon outdoors.
If collegiate athletics are more your vibe, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are a short drive, walk, or light rail trip from downtown Minneapolis. Part of the Big 10, the Golden Gophers have some of the best venues in town to watch sports. The football team plays in a beautiful outdoor stadium (TCF Bank Stadium) that has a great view of downtown Minneapolis and the team was ranked 10th nationally in the final AP Poll for the 2019 season. The men’s and women’s basketball teams play at Williams Area (aka “the Barn”) which was built in 1928 and has an elevated floor that makes the arena one of the most unique basketball venues in the nation. There are also Mariuchi Arena and Ridder Arena for the men’s and women’s hockey teams and the Maturi Pavillion that hosts the Gopher volleyball teams and the perennially ranked wrestling team.