Eating Minnesota

Lift Bridge Brewing: Behind the Line with Co-owner and Stillwater Legend, Brad Glynn

What started out as an underground poker group turned into one of the biggest breweries in Minnesota. When Brad Glynn, co-owner of Lift Bridge Brewing in Stillwater, sits down for our interview, I am immediately put at ease with the amount of chill this successful entrepreneur carries. Like if the entire brewery caught on fire…

For the Love of a St. Paul Neighborhood: Behind the Line With Brunson’s Pub

Walk into Brunson’s Pub on Payne Avenue and instantly get a sense of the history behind East Side St. Paul. You can almost hear glasses clinking along the wood bar, the shuffle of boots over the original wood floors, and men regaling stories over a pint while their voices echo off the tin ceiling. The…

Dine Like You Mean It at Manger Restaurant and Wine Bar

The town of Bayport is almost Wisconsin-esque in its approach to small-town life. Not as attention-receiving or grand as the neighboring town of Stillwater, Bayport opts for more of a relaxing vibe. Nestled along the St. Croix River, between Highway 36 and 94, downtown Bayport is about a half-mile long and home to a charming…

Always Serving Hope at Hope Breakfast Bar: The St. Paul Restaurant With ALL the Feels

Hope Breakfast Bar lives by its name in more ways than one. Located right off Grand Avenue, this St. Paul restaurant wasn’t even deemed to exist. But, there is always Hope. The all-day breakfast joint resides in St. Paul’s oldest public building, the firehouse of Hope Engine Company No. 3. Built in 1872 and operating…

El Burrito Mercado Is THE Authentic Mexican Food Experience in Minnesota

When temperatures drop below zero, most Minnesotans prefer a hearty bowl of chili, a classic wild rice soup, or the cheesy potatoes of a plentiful hotdish. Not this Arizona-raised Minnesotan. I want colorful flavors, aromatic spices, a dish that wakes up the senses — and I want tequila. When my face hurts from the bitter…

Old Dutch Potato Chips and the Introduction of Flavored Chips to the Midwest

My family migrated from Minnesota to Arizona when I just a tot. However, in our home, Minnesota foods, sports, and nomenclature reigned supreme. In our Scandinavian family, Christmas time meant lutefisk and lefse. My Swedish-American Grandmother was the queen of the church suppers. We used the term “Uff Da” interchangeably when we were full, happy,…

The Bundt Cake: From Bethlehem to Marie Antoinette to Minnesota

A donut-shaped cake with a lot of history When you think of a Bundt cake, a dense circular cake with a hollowed-out middle comes to mind. The flavors may consist of chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, spiced, or lemon. It might be topped with frosting, a dusting of sugar, glaze, or plain. There isn’t one recipe…

Bread Art in Bayport

Get ready for some life-changing baked goods. The first time I tasted a baked creation from Bread Art occurred when a friend kindly dropped off a cake for me. When I inquired about the type of cake I was receiving, my friend responded, “does it matter? It’s cake.” Wow, I thought. There is a lot…

The Ultimate Uff-Da Burger – The Jucy/Juicy Lucy

Hailed as Minnesota’s burger, the Jucy Lucy (also known as Juicy Lucy – we will get to that later) is a burger with cheese cooked inside the hamburger meat instead of on top of the patty. Resulting in melted cheese oozing out of the burger when you take a bite. The creation of the Jucy…

LoLo American Kitchen Is the Reason I Can’t Wait for Restaurants to Fully Open

Ask me which Stillwater restaurants are a must-go-to, and LoLo American Kitchen makes the top of the list every time. Their famous house-made cocktails, alluring ambiance, and exciting twists on gourmet street food (let’s take a moment of silence for their bacon jam) are why many venture from all around the Twin Cities to visit…