Minnesota

Austin, MN

In the town where Hormel was greated, lies the Spam Museum.  Love the “meat” or hate it, this place is a must see and will soon be 10 times its current size.  (SPAM Museum: I-90 exit 177, take 218 north only a block to the Oak Park Mall. Spam Museum is at entrance nearest 218.

Cloquet, MN (greater Duluth)

Champlin, MN 

Delano, MN (Greater Minneapolis)

Eats-

Peppermint Twist Drive In-115 Babcock Blvd, Delano, MN 55328 Hot pink drive inn with a kids playground.  Originally painted this way to differentiate it from a Hardees down the street.  Gourmet burgers, cash only, closed Monday and Tuesday

Duluth, MN

Live Music-The Red Herring Lounge-208 E 1st St , Duluth, Minnesota 55802 (218) 481-7318

 

Record Store
Electric Fetus Records,   12 E Superior St. , Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 722-9970(218) 722-9970

Eats-

Coney Island Deluxe-112 W 1st St, Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 722-2772-chili dogs nom nom
Northern Waters Smokehaus -394 South Lake Ave., Duluth, MN 55802 , 888-663-7800 -specializing in smoked fish,varieties of smoked salmon: dilled, sprinkled with black pepper and coriander, Cajun spiced, and traditional, but they also have meats like bison pastrami

Mantorville, MN

Eats-

 Hubbell House -502 N Main St, Mantorville, MN 55955 (507) 635-2331-NOT trashy fancy 1854 restaurant, prime rib, amazing onion rings.

Milaca, MN

Eats-

Daddio’s Drive In – 860 Central Ave N, Milaca, MN 56353: (320) 983-2023-odd combo of texas style bbq and local style broasted chicken plus burgers and baked goods.

Rochester, MN

Home of the Mayo Clinic

Eats

John Hardy’s Bar-B Q -929 W Frontage Rd, Rochester, MN 55901  (507) 288-3936 They have two long time locations, this one reviews a little better.  They serve you garlic or buttery bread.

St. Paul

The Local weekly alternative paper for the St. Paul/ Minneapolis area is the City Pages.  For an unusual take try the Punk Rock Guide to Minneapolis.  There is also the potentially promisingThrifty Hipster, but you may have to sign up for their event mailer for it to be useful.

Band Clubs-
Turf Club-1601 University Ave W at: Snelling Avenue, St Paul-tel: (651) 647-0486 in the Hamline-Midway Neighborhood.  Also check out the Clown lounge downstairs..

Every year in Minneapolis they hold a winter carnival with lots of things made out of snow. 

Last year, like the cow parade in New York City, St. Paul had numerous snoopys all over town to honor Charles Schultz, a hometown guy.  There are 40 left and you can find them here. (click on Convention and Visitors Bureau).

The mall of the americas has an indoor amusement park calledCamp Snoopy.

Record stores-
Eclipse Records-1692 Grand Street, St. Paul

Thrift stores-
Lula-1587 Selby Avenue

Hotels
Radisson Riverfront Hotel, 11 East Kellogg Boulevard, (651) 292-1900. revolving rooftop restaurant in house. A  skyway connects the hotel to the rest of the city’s hub.
St. Paul’s Best Western Kelly Inn, 161 St. Anthony Avenue, (651) 227-8711,  near the State Capitol. Doubles from $95.

EATS-

Casper’s and Runyon’s Nook –492 Hamline Ave S, Saint Paul, MN 55116  (651) 698-4347-this place gets high ratings for their burgers, good looking rings and they have a small bowling alley too. And Juicy Lucy Sliders! and some fancy cheese curd variations.
Coffee News Cafe-1662 Grand Ave.  great soups and sandwiches.
Taste of Thailand-1669 Selby Avenue.
Mancini’s Char House, 531 West Seventh Street, (651) 224-7345, neighborhood steak house and a retro lounge often offering live music. Relatively inexpensive and great garlic bread.
Cossetta’s, 211 West Seventh Street, (651) 222-3476, southern Italian cuisine served in a cafeteria- style space. Dinner for two with wine runs around $30.
Mickey’s Diner, 36 West Seventh Street, (651) 222-5633, 24 hour service. all-day breakfast, burgers and malts.

Half Time Rec-1013 Front Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55103 (651) 488-8245-home of the paddy shack burger, topped with pickled green tomato.

Saint Dinette-261 E 5th St, Saint Paul, MN 55101  (651) 800-1415-Fancy place with a good burger

THE TAVERN ON GRAND– 656 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (651) 228-9030 Famous for the regional specialty Walleye sandwich, plus apple crisp

Dari-ette Drive-In – 1440 Minnehaha Ave E, St Paul, MN 55106 (651) 776-3470-Italian take on the Old timey drive in restaurant and ice cream shop with a meatball sandwich, the regional “Gondola” sandwich and burgers too and probably the cheapest banana split anywhere.

DeGidio’s Restaurant & Bar-425 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102  (651) 291-7105-Classic italian with a specialty “hot dago” sausage sandwich, with free herb bread with garlic butter and classic prohibition era booths.

 

Minneapolis-BARS CLOSE AT 1 AM!!!

Nicollet Avenue between 14th and 28th street is known as Eat Street with more than 50 restaurants of all cuisines.

Best Attraction-
The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, has closed and its collection donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.  Only a few of the items are on display there.

Arts Center-Fallout Urban Art Center-2609 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408  (612) 462-3873

Eats-
Annies Parlor, 612-379-0744   313 14th Ave. SE, Minneapolis, old fashioned malts and burgers, If you don’t know where this place is, you’ll miss it. Find the Kitty Kat Club, and then you’ll find Annie’s Parlor above it-in an area called “dinkytown”

Band Box Diner -729 S 10th St, Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 332-0850-Cool as hell old diner that says hamburgers on the outside.  Not sure if the burgers are good or not but A plus for ambience.
Bryant Lake Bowl-A combination bowling alley restaurant/bar/theater offering food, alcohol and live theater and music performances.   810 West Lake Street – Minneapolis, MN 55408 -612-825-3737

5-8 Club – 5800 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55417-Another claimant to the Juicy Lucy orgin story-they have the Saucy Sally which is stuffed with special sauce.  Super YUM! (612) 823-5858
Matt’s Bar, 3500 Cedar Ave S, Mpls., 612.722.7072
Home of the Original Jucy Lucy, a double cheeseburger piled with fried onions
Murrays steak house-$$$$-26 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402-from the outside, it looks like a place that time forgot with an incredible sign you will want to take pictures of.  Not cheap, but you can get deals here at lunch and happy hour, and a ceasar or house salad comes with all. Specialty of the house is the charmingly named Butter knife steak.
Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge-1900 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, 612-788-9069, Huge Tiki bar  with Tiki Drinks, Fried asparagus, fried Cheese curds, Fried Mini hot dogs, candy bars, and pickle roll ups, salami and cream cheese wrapped around a pickle.
Triple Rock Social Club-629 Cedar Avenue S. , Minneapolis (612) 333-7399-One of a kind vegetarian punk rock bar/restaurant.

Parlour-730 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 354-3135-Trashy travel hates gastropub joints, but this burger looks good as well as being voted one of the best.
The Wienery- 612-333-5798 ,  414 Cedar Ave.,Minneapolis, divey hole in the wall that serves  all sorts of crazy hot dogs with fresh cut as you order toppings.  Only open til six pm!!!!!  And closes earlier on weekends. But they have a dog and french fries called the drive in with chili and cole slaw

Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit-2300 Northeast University Avenue,Minneapolis, MN 55418 (612) 781-3860-german stuff, including the meterwurst, a 3 foot sausage

Al’s Breakfast-Classic diner- 413 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 331-9991 only open til 1 pm but they are open for dinner late night on friday and saturday.

Clubs-

Betty Dangers Country Club-2501 MARSHALL STREET NE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55418 -in the original location of Pscho Suzis, once an A&W, with hipster mini golf and a ferris wheel.
7th Street Entry-First Avenue and 7th Street-701 1st Ave N,tel: (612) 332-1775  Another club with a Prince connection, this live music/dance club was featured in Purple Rain and has lots of great bands too.

Band Clubs-

Fraternal Order of Eagles #34– 2507 East 25th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406 Open to the public with pulltab machines and karaoke and lots of live music
400 Bar-400 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis (612) 332-2903-lots of locals and small national acts play here in the seven corners neighborhood.
Fine Line Music Cafe-318 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN (612) 338-8100-Local and National acts.
Lee’s Liquor Lounge,  11th & Glenwood, (612)338-9491

Reverie Cafe + Bar – 1931 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 353-5252
Terminal Bar-409 Hennepin Ave E, 612-623-4545-Best venue for local acts.
Triple Rock-629 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis. -new venue

Hexagon Bar-2600 27th Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN  55406

Memory Lanes -bowling alley with occasional bands that they have play on a platform covering lanes- 2520 26th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406   (612) 721-6211

Seward Community Cafe-Vegan and wheat free cafe with occasional live music and other events : 2129 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404: (612) 332-1011

Record Stores-
Aardvark, 89 13th Penn Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55431
Electric Fetus, 2000 4th Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 612-870-9300
Extreme Noise Records, 407 West Lake St. (Lake St. at Grand Ave.)
Minneapolis, MN 55408, 612-824-0100 specializing in punk records
Garage d’Or, 3015 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 5540
Let It Be, 1001 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 612-339-7439 (best for imports and vinyl)
Treehouse, 2557 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 612-872-7400
Roadrunner Records, 4304 Nicollet Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Local notes on Minneapolis from CMJ Magazines Localzine Section:
To get home after midnite, use Rainbow Cab 612-729-4243.
See the giant cherry in spoon at the Walker Sculpture Garden-725 Vineland Place, 612-375-7622
For a great cheap meal, visit the vietnamese restaurants along University Avenue, east of Hamline.
For the best Tiramisu, try the Figlio Restaurant, 3001 Hennepin Ave.
Since all the bars close at 1 am, you can still dance at First Avenue til 3 am or The Saloon, a gay club with djs at 830 Hennepin Ave.
You can also head to the vegetarian restaurant Hard times Cafe-1821 Riverside Ave, open til 4 am.
Little Tiquana, 17 E. 26th Street (612-872-0578) serves late night mexican and they have a great malt.
Pizza Luce-Best Pizza in town served til 3am.  119 N. Fourth Street.

Saint Cloud, MN

 

Eats-
Val’s Rapid Service, (320) 251-5775 , 628 E Saint Germain St, St Cloud, MN 56304-old fashioned burger joint serving burgers similar to the original mcdonalds style,ie, back when they were good.  You pick up a phone inside the restaurant to order.

Shakopee, MN

Amusement park-
Valleyfair-nice sized family amusement park with real coasters.  35 miles southeast of the twin cities.

Victoria, MN

Eats-Victoria House-1715 Steiger Lake Ln, Victoria, MN 55386-famous for LEGENDARY PEPPERONI SOUP, MINNESOTA CHICKEN,Chicken breast stuffed with a blend of cheeses with portabella mushrooms and blackberry sauce, and regional specialty MINNESOTA SUNRISE, a walleye fillet with American cheese, lettuce and tomato on a grilled hoagie.