Twin Cities dining/attractions?

[Houngan]

In the area until Thursday, can I get some recommendations from you MN-types?

H.

[SlyFrog]

What kind? Fancy, non-fancy, etc.?

[copeknight]

Go to Duluth and get Sammy's pizza :)

[Flowers]

Sexworld dog, Sexworld.

[Sidd_Budd]

My favorite US cities. I lived there until the late 90s, but I visit every 2-3 years, so most of the food places should still be there.

Restaurants
* 112 Eatery - 112 N 3rd St, Mpls - Fairly new place that caters to people in the restaurant/food industry. Contemporary American menu, moderately priced, outstanding food.

* Bryant-Lake Bowl - 810 W Lake St, Mpls - Retro hip-diner food. Eat in the front, then bowl or see live music/theater in the back. Contemporary American, low-moderate priced.

* Cafe Latte - 850 Grand Ave, St. Paul - Cafeteria-style deli known for its desserts & coffee drinks; also has good pasta/sandwiches. Contemporary American, low-moderate priced.

* D'Amico & Sons - many locations - The best Italian fine dining in Mpls is D'Amico Cucina; I've never been able to afford eating there. About 10 yrs ago, the folks who run it opened a series of deli-style casual places where the quality is good, but the prices are much more affordable. Italian, low-priced.

* Egg & I - 2828 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 2550 University Ave W, St. Paul - My favorite place for breakfast; huge buttermilk pancakes that you can get w/nuts & berries. Breakfast, low-priced.

* Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe - 2034 Marshall Ave, St. Paul - Excellent homemade ice cream, low-priced.

* Loring Pasta Bar - 327 14th Ave SE, Mpls - Very funky place close to the U of Minn campus; wish this place was here when I was taking grad classes. Contemporary American, moderate prices.

* Origami - 30 1st St N, Mpls. - Best sushi in the Twin Cities, and you'll pay for it. Asian, moderate prices.

* Sawatdee - many locations - Local chain of good-quality, affordable Thai places. Asian, low-moderate prices.

* Toast Wine Bar & Cafe - 415 N 1st St, Mpls - Haven't been there yet, but my friends tell me it's a cool new wine bar. Contemporary American, low-moderate prices.

Stuff to Do
* Outdoor Mpls Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center - 1750 Hennepin, Mpls - There's sculptures & gardens that are free to walk around; the pond with a big spoon & cherry is probably the archetypal structure. If you like *very* modern art, I also recommend the inside of the Walker (not free).

* Walk around Lake of the Isles/Lake Calhoun - near the Uptown area of Minneapolis, these show off the integration of nature & urban areas that the Twin Cities pulls off really well. Very nice homes around Lake of Isles as well.

* Drive down Grand Ave in St. Paul (heading east from Mpls to St Paul center) -- gorgeous homes that I'll never be able to afford.

* See live music -- the Twin Cities have lots of great live music. Grab a copy of the City Pages (the weekly free alternative paper) and see what grabs your interest. The Seventh Street Entry (701 1st Ave North, Mpls) was a reliable place for rock when I was there. As a bonus, the Entry is right next to First Avenue, the club featured in Prince's epic 80s movie, Purple Rain.

Hope this helps. If you have any specific interests, I can see what I remember. Honestly, Sex World is pretty cool, too.

[MrLipid]

Quang - 27th and Nicollet - Fabulous Vietnamese. Not open on Tuesdays. I am personally addicted to the yam and shrimp dish they serve. Best state fair food ever.

[J. Matthew Zoss]

Sidd Budd has a great list, you really can't go wrong with his suggestions.

I'd also throw out the Holy Land Deli - not fancy by any means, but some of the best Middle Eastern food you'll EVER eat.

The Triple Rock Social Club - Fantastic punk rock bar with live music and good food.

Grumpy's - Another downtown bar with good food and a nice mix of patrons, from crusty punks to baseball fans. If it's open, check out the Ox-Op gallery in the back.

Uptown - Walk around this area and just check it out. Our hippest shopping/residential area.

Edit: And although there are several votes for Sex World, apparently the new hotness is The Smitten Kitten. Haven't been their myself, but I guess it's a much classier joint. Also, I hear that The Seville is the best strip club in town, but again, I haven't been myself.

[Elton]

I've visited a couple of times and was going to suggest (if you like goofy attractions) the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/MNMINmed.html), although I see that since I've been there it has been folded into the Science Museum of Minnesota (http://www.smm.org/visit/collections/) and is perhaps less quirky and smutty than before. I remember some electrical ray-gun-ish contraptions which were allegedly vibrators used by doctors in the 1910s or so to treat women who'd been brought in for "hysteria". True or not, it was pretty funny.

[SlyFrog]

I've visited a couple of times and was going to suggest (if you like goofy attractions) the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/MNMINmed.html), although I see that since I've been there it has been folded into the Science Museum of Minnesota (http://www.smm.org/visit/collections/) and is perhaps less quirky and smutty than before. I remember some electrical ray-gun-ish contraptions which were allegedly vibrators used by doctors in the 1910s or so to treat women who'd been brought in for "hysteria". True or not, it was pretty funny.

Though I have not done the background research myself, I have read and heard in many places that manual stimulation to orgasm was deemed a treatment for "hysteria" back when women were diagnosed with that illness. It was thought that sexual frustration led to the disease, so finding a husband (or increasing the amount of sex, if married) was higher up on the list of "treatments."

EDIT: Looking back on this, it is surreal even to me that I somehow posted this in this thread.

[Houngan]

Good call on 112 Eatery, very good food at surprisingly affordable prices. I drove past most of what you mentioned, but as is typical with business trips, didn't get to just hang out.

H.

[Raife]

Check out The Electric Fetus (http://www.electricfetus.com/) (2000 4th Ave. S, Minneapolis) if you want to kill some time.

[J. Matthew Zoss]

Also, if you have any interest in music at all, tune your radio to 89.3.

[J. Matthew Zoss]

So did you end up doing anything cool?

[Houngan]

Naw, nothing too cool, but as mentioned the 112 was nice. Great town, I love the fact that they've buried most power lines and don't hang stoplights over the intersections, it makes an incredible difference. If global warming keeps on truckin', it would be a great place to live.

H.

[mystery]

If global warming keeps on truckin', it would be a great place to live.
If global warming makes the place warmer, you mean. Right now, our best estimation is that global warming makes weather more extreme.

So, you get what we have here today, which is that the Twin Cities can be the coldest metropolitan area to live in the US during some winter months.

[Houngan]

If global warming makes the place warmer, you mean. Right now, our best estimation is that global warming makes weather more extreme.

So, you get what we have here today, which is that the Twin Cities can be the coldest metropolitan area to live in the US during some winter months.

Thank you, Captain Pedant. P&R is thataway, you might find someone who doesn't know that there. Let's allow folks simple jests, 'kay?

H.

[mystery]

Thank you, Captain Pedant. P&R is thataway, you might find someone who doesn't know that there. Let's allow folks simple jests, 'kay?

H.

I'm not sure I understand your jest, then. In fact, I was referencing a comment by Garrison Keillor made during "The States", a series featured on the History Channel. During the same special, it was noted that a number of Swedes and Norwegians settled in the area because it closely resembled their arctic climate.

Keillor also said that the people of Minnesota were particularly modest about the place in which they lived. In fact, he said, he bet that they were the most modest people you could find in the U.S.