Happy Holidays!
Happy Easter and chag Pesach sameach, from the Minnesota Bucket List family to yours.
Category: Food & Drink
Short or Tall Eatery & Drink Hall
When my friend Cindy from high school asked me to come check out her exciting passion project, Short or Tall Eatery & Drink Hall, I jumped at the chance. Brandon (Another friend from high school) and I headed to Rogers to check SOT out. Opened in the Spring of 2018, the destination eatery features exposed steel beams […]
The Dancing Goat
As the story goes, shepherds discovered coffee in Ethiopia circa 800 AD. Legend has it that herders noticed the effect caffeine had on their goats. They appeared to “dance” after eating coffee berries. A local monk then made a drink with berries and found that it kept him awake at night, thus the original cup […]
Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant
To say that Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant is an old school would be a significant understatement. Offering signature Italian classics including melt-in-your-mouth fettucini alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs (they are the size of baseballs, not kidding) and a Hot Dago sandwiches, Yarusso’s is a favorite East St. Paul haunt that will have you reminiscing through flashbacks […]
Olde Brick Inn
If your ideal weekend includes racking up a game of pool, trying your hand a darts, grabbing a drink at the bar, and settling in to watch a game, you will be in heaven at the Olde Brick Inn in North Branch. No matter the season, the Inn is a boozy haven for billiards, pull […]
Terza Ristorante
If you love Italian food, you are going to be head over heels for Terza Ristorante in Downtown Rochester. The upscale eatery plays host to warm wood tones, soft lighting, and industrial decor adding to the gorgeous atmosphere. On any given night, you will find every corner of the restaurant filled with celebration and conversation. […]
Rock Creek Cafe and Motor Stop
Even if you travel back and forth between the Twin Cities and Duluth, you may have still overlooked the Rock Creek Cafe and Motor Stop. Located right off Highway 35 at the Rock Creek exit between Pine City & Hinckley, it is attached to the Rock Creek gas station. The moment you walk in, you’ll […]
Pine County Historical Society and History Museum
I like to go off the beaten path and in this case, it means venturing off I-35 to meander through the smaller, less trafficked towns. Askov, off Highway 23 in Pine County is one of such towns. Home to the annual Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival, the town was originally the Village of Partridge, initially […]
Vikre Distillery
This winter had created a need for something stronger than beer but lighter than Glögg. Enter my favorite Boreal Cedar Gin from Vikre Distillery in Duluth. The award-winning micro-distillery also makes Boreal Juniper Gin, Boreal Spruce Gin, and Øvrevann Aquavit. Located in Canal Park, adjacent to the aerial lift bridge, it is housed in a […]
Del’s Cafe
Del’s Cafe is a quintessential Minnesota small town diner. With a remarkably familiar diner marquee, Del’s is a staple in St Charles and the perfect place to escape the cold and sink into a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Once you find your way in, you’ll find the specials written on the board and […]
The Kitchen Table
If you are in the Ramsey area and looking for something a little off the beaten path, but not so much, check out the Kitchen Table. Just off Sunwood Drive, the breakfast, lunch and dinner eatery is hidden away in an up-and-coming business park. This place is adorable, as is the owner. It is perfect […]
The Castle Community
Imagine a place where you can sip a white chocolate latte, page through hard to find books, flip through vintage vinyl, play a game of foosball, browse local art, and visit a resident puppy, all before heading down to brunch in an upscale, industrial-designed open kitchen restaurant. I KNOW, RIGHT?! Well, such a place exists. […]
SocialICE
If you are willing the brave the cold, I have something to add to your 2020 #mnbucketlist! Have you heard of SocialICE? It’s in Downtown Rochester’s Peace Plaza and is THE Minnesota Ice Bar experience!Free to the public, SocialICE is held annually and takes place in February, in the thick of the Minnesota winter.You get […]
Fiddlehead Coffee Co.
On blustering Minnesota mornings, a good latte is my go-to. Since I’m in Rochester, I had to head over to Fiddlehead Coffee Co. Founded in 2017, Fiddlehead was located in Forager Brewing and has since moved to 3rd Ave, across Fourth Street from Rochester’s Government Center. The new, more spacious location is modern-meets-retro, complete with […]
The Mermaid
If you are starting to get stir crazy hiding from the dropping temperature, I may have a way for you to fight the cabin fever. The Mermaid Entertainment and Event Center in Mounds View is the place to go. Start with a state-of-the-art 32-lane bowling center, sprinkle in a Sports Bar and Grille and add […]
Art’s Café
Art’s Café in Moose Lake can be best described as a hometown, local-filled, casual eatery in North Country. The wrap around counter with anchored stools lend to its cozy, small-town diner authenticity. Like a scene from Grumpy Old Men, Art’s in the place to go for breakfast. Their flavors range from the simplistic, like the 45 […]
Uncle Loui’s Cafe
If you are like me, you scout out anywhere you can find short, worn diner counters, softened vinyl stools, and bottomless coffee. Look no further than Uncle Loui’s Cafe. Opened in 1993, Uncle Louis Cafe is in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. The dive-like, hole in the wall is a favorite among travelers and locals alike. […]
Mick’s Office
Mick’s Office in Moorhead is the definition of a “dive bar”. Cheap beer, cheap (and amazing!) burgers, and an atmosphere that will have you reminiscing about late nights, drinking games, and your hometown bar. Filled with pool tables, dart boards, and wooden booths, hand scribed graffiti all over the walls and ceiling – it is […]
Poor Gary’s Pizza
I am all for small town pizza joints and Poor Gary’s Pizza fits the bill. Located in the downtown area of Moose Lake, Poor Gary’s is family owned, and couldn’t be more Mom-and-Pop if they tried. Think, old school lighted letterboard menus, bucket booth seats, and customizable everything. I mean, they didn’t even flinch at […]
Caydence Records & Coffee
If you love worn vinyl, live music, and an infusion of caffeine, look no further than the Payne Phalen neighborhood gem, Caydence Records & Coffee. The coffeehouse-meets-record shop is in the Eastside of St Paul, on the corner of Payne and York. Serving up St Paul’s own Bootstrap Coffee Roasters and other fun, creative, specialty […]