I'M GOING TO MAKE IT, AFTER ALL: As part of our recurring travel guide, if anyone has advice as to places to eat and things to see in downtown Minneapolis, some of us will greatly appreciate it this week.
Downtown, Dakota has great food and jazz, Vincent has great food and an awesome burger if you go there for lunch. I think you can get Izzy's ice cream in the basement at Macy's. Be sure to visit at least the outside of First Ave, but there's more to see close to downtown than in it. Try to visit the sculpture garden if it's nice, the Walker art museum next to the sculpture garden, and get thee to a lake if you can--Calhoun is the biggest, Lake of the Isles is not round so a better walk, IMO. La Belle Vie is near the Walker and may be the best restaurant in town; their tasting menu is phenomenal.
The weather is supposed to be decent this weekend and I think the quintessential Twin Cities weekend activity is to go to one of the festivals. This weekend is the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts. It's on the river near downtown and has live music, art cars, intense people watching, artists of all sorts, and the food is a mix of typical fair food (roast corn, mini donuts) and local specialties (deep fried walleye, brats). There's a fabulous website with all the details.
I had a different experience with the Stone Arch fest--love walking the bridge, but the fest was far too crowded and getting food was long and complicated because of a token system they did last year. Yes to 112 Eatery, esp. the lamb sugo and the butterscotch budino. Oh, and the fries, the glorious fries. As for the pastrami at Be-wiched, I recommend asking for the not-on-the-menu "P & E" or pastrami and egg instead of the standard pastrami.
I was just in the cities and really impressed with the Open House exhibit at the Minnesota History Center (which is in St. Paul, but still deserved the plug). It's a walk through of a lower-income house over the last hundred years. Interactive and really well designed. http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/exhibits/open-house
One of my good friends runs a Minnesota (and esp. Twin Cities) focused food website called The Heavy Table (www.heavytable.com) and you'll be able to find many great recommendations there.
Walker Sculpture Garden. Guthrie. Head to Nordeast if you want a break from Downtown.
I have tons of St Paul recs but I suspect you are not crossing the river. If you do, I concur on the Open House exhibit at the History Center, and will modestly add that we have a pretty cool science museum here as well.
In re, that: I should be on C-SPAN tomorrow night at some point in prime time. It may be funnier than the last time; we shall see.
ReplyDeleteDowntown, Dakota has great food and jazz, Vincent has great food and an awesome burger if you go there for lunch. I think you can get Izzy's ice cream in the basement at Macy's. Be sure to visit at least the outside of First Ave, but there's more to see close to downtown than in it. Try to visit the sculpture garden if it's nice, the Walker art museum next to the sculpture garden, and get thee to a lake if you can--Calhoun is the biggest, Lake of the Isles is not round so a better walk, IMO. La Belle Vie is near the Walker and may be the best restaurant in town; their tasting menu is phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is supposed to be decent this weekend and I think the quintessential Twin Cities weekend activity is to go to one of the festivals. This weekend is the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts. It's on the river near downtown and has live music, art cars, intense people watching, artists of all sorts, and the food is a mix of typical fair food (roast corn, mini donuts) and local specialties (deep fried walleye, brats). There's a fabulous website with all the details.
ReplyDeleteI've only been to Minneapolis once, but I can recommend 112 Eatery and the Guthrie Theater, and heartily second First Avenue and street festivals.
ReplyDeleteBe'Wiched Deli on Washingston Avenue! Get the pastrami. Trust me.
ReplyDeleteI had a different experience with the Stone Arch fest--love walking the bridge, but the fest was far too crowded and getting food was long and complicated because of a token system they did last year. Yes to 112 Eatery, esp. the lamb sugo and the butterscotch budino. Oh, and the fries, the glorious fries. As for the pastrami at Be-wiched, I recommend asking for the not-on-the-menu "P & E" or pastrami and egg instead of the standard pastrami.
ReplyDeleteI was just in the cities and really impressed with the Open House exhibit at the Minnesota History Center (which is in St. Paul, but still deserved the plug). It's a walk through of a lower-income house over the last hundred years. Interactive and really well designed. http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/exhibits/open-house
ReplyDeleteAt some point, don't you have to purify youself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka?
ReplyDeleteOne of my good friends runs a Minnesota (and esp. Twin Cities) focused food website called The Heavy Table (www.heavytable.com) and you'll be able to find many great recommendations there.
ReplyDeleteat the very least, take a lake cruise with the minnesota vikings. so, the exact opposite of that.
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S NOT LAKE MINNETONKA!
ReplyDeleteAlso, try to avoid getting dusted in the dark up in Penetration Park.
ReplyDeleteFirst Avenue and 7th Street Entry to see the House that Prince Built. The Walker and the Minneapolis Institue of Art.
ReplyDeleteWalker Sculpture Garden. Guthrie. Head to Nordeast if you want a break from Downtown.
ReplyDeleteI have tons of St Paul recs but I suspect you are not crossing the river. If you do, I concur on the Open House exhibit at the History Center, and will modestly add that we have a pretty cool science museum here as well.