MN Favorites
By TIM GIHRING, MARIA HIDALGO, SANDRA HOYT, RACHEL HUTTON, JUDY KOGAN, CAROL RATELLE LEACH, COURTNEY LEWIS, and ERIN PETERSON
It
takes a very steady hand, but every year MNMOs oh-so-picky staff digs
deep to extract the best items from the pile of fine shopping, eating,
recreation, and cultural choices in Minnesota. Here are 75 things, from
Cues polenta fries to Garrison Keillors new bookshop, that gave us a
joltin a good way. Ouch! Ahh!
Green Dream
Countertops sparkling with post-consumer soda bottles. Bamboo flooring
harvested responsibly and stained to a mahogany glow. A chic low-flow
toilet thatertakes care of business. Natural Built Home
offers all these clean-conscience choices and much more, so you can
build your castle in heaven while outfitting your split-level on earth.
» Natural Built Home, 4020 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls., 612-605-7999, www.naturalbuilthome.com.
Foo-Foo Fighter
Todd Turfler. A guy with a name like that doesnt dress his kids in no
frou-frou baby blue or putrid pink. Rather, Turflers tots sport cool
black T-shirts with matching doo-rags, screenprinted with vintage
Dick-and-Jane type illustrations. But look closely and youll see these
adorable children making secret devil signs. One shirt has a reminder
that It aint gonna change itself. On another, varsity lettering
reads, My grandma rocks. My dad rocks. Heck, My dads rock. And
your little ones can too, cause while hip breeders on the coasts shop Rebel Ink Baby
online, all this attitude emanates from Turflers St. Paul
screenprinting shop. » Rebel Ink Baby, 1593 Selby Ave., St. Paul,
651-647-0655, www.rebelinkbaby.com.
40-Year-Old... Um...
Becoming a local retailing legend is no small feat; most shops count
themselves lucky to hit the five-year mark. In glaring contrast, the
Grand (and Como and Northeast and Linden Hills) Dame of the gift
bodegas, Roxy Freese, recently celebrated her Bibelot Shops
40th anniversary. Shes seen and survived it allyes, even the Beanie
Baby years with rabid collectors stalking the UPS truck from store to
store. Alumni from her loyal staff rave about her generosity, work
ethic, and unerring eye (rumor-mongers whisper that Freese is tailed by
other retailers at trade shows to see what she sparks to). See for
yourself at a store near you; no stalking necessary. » Bibelot Shops,
Grand Avenue, Linden Hills, northeast Minneapolis, and Como locations.
Visit www.shop.bibelotshops.com.
Deep-Fried Delight
Forget the State Fairs batter-coated, oil-dunked candy bars and
alligator hunksthe areas best fried food made its debut at the
Guthrie Theaters new restaurant. Cues polenta fries,
crusty cornmeal sticks flavored with Parmigiano-Reggiano and served
with a side of aioli, beat ketchup-dipped potato wedges any day. » Cue,
806 S. Second St., Mpls., 612-225-6499, www.cueatguthrie.com.
Street Performer
Dan Dan the Accordion Man, a.k.a. Dan Turpening,
is one of the few people who can make the accordion seem sexy. Pumping
out lyrical European café music in a skyway near Orchestra Hall, he has
inspired more than a few concert-goers imagining themselves sipping
Chardonnay beside the Seine, and to wonder when Turpening, a teacher at
the West Bank School of Music and an occasional musician with the
Theatre de la Jeune Lune, will get his own night with the symphony.
Way to Drink Responsibly
Until recently, theres been an assumption among enophiles that organic wines meant inferior flavor. But France 44s Eco-Wine tags,
which designate certified organic, biodynamic, or sustainable wines,
have been drawing buyers to products that bust that myth. Dont want
sulfites? Need something vegan (many vineyards use animal products to
draw out sediment when they filter wines)? Just ask a clerk to help you
find something that will please your palateand appease your
conscience. » France 44, 4351 France Ave. S., Mpls., 612-925-3252.
Art Gallery With Attitude
Its not subtle, but the name First Amendment
tells you everything you need to know about the art gallery opened in
northeast Minneapolis last fall by a clutch of young poster- and
CD-cover designers: the art on display is brazen, occasionally
political, and bound to bump up against the status quo. » First
Amendment, 1101 Stinson Blvd. NE, Mpls., 612-379-4151.
Potential Neighbor
Few people know that Frank Gehrys reputation,
at least within the architectural community, really took off in 1982
when he designed a quirky, sculptural guesthouse to complement a boxy
1950s home by Philip Johnson (the architect who designed the IDS
Center) on a hill in Orono overlooking Lake Minnetonka. Even fewer know
that the lot is now being subdivided, so that youyes, you, assuming
you qualify for a $1,495,000 mortgagecan have the three acres next
door at 1800 Shoreline Drive. Or just ask to crash in the guesthouse.
Food Fetish
Minnesota is known for wild rice, hotdish, and mojakka.
Okay, so maybe the Finnish-American soup (pronounced MOY-a-kah) hasnt
quite caught on yet outside of ethnic enclaves. That soon may change:
the annual St. Urhos Day Mojakka Cook-Off held in Cloquet has helped
popularize the fish- or beef-based stew since the events debut in
2003. According to the Ode to St. Urho, the Finnish hero ate culla
mojakka effery hour to maintain his Samson-like physique. A remarkable
feat, considering we werent able to finish the bowl we sampled at the
Family Tradition Restaurant in Cloquet, due to its odd tinge of
allspice and rutabagas. At least it tastes better than lutefisk. For
more information, go to www.mojakka.com. » Family Tradition Restaurant, 816 Sunnyside Dr., Cloquet, 218-879-1210.
Jäm Session
Roll over, Beethoven. Get down, Mozart. Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä
is a closet jazz clarinetist. And a talented one at that: his surprise
shows (with MnOrch trumpeter Chuck Lazarus) at the Dakota Jazz Club
& Restaurant in Minneapolis havent inspired him to trade his baton
for a zoot suit and a goofy nickname, but heres hoping for many
encores to come.
Secret No More
The professionals who style and prop local and national advertising
shoots have the same problem as the rest of us: too much stuff. So,
once or twice a year, Gwen Leeds and other top stylists join forces and
throw Greed Gone Wild,
a sale thats a hip notch above any other. Expect one-of-a-kind
couture, antique finds, and, if youre there on opening day, the need
to put Minnesota Nice on hold. The sale is customarily held at Patina
Prop Rental twice a year, depending on stylist whim and excess. Watch
the newspaper classifieds for announcements.
Photo by Eric Moore
Shell lie quietly on her cushy dog bed while you poke through the racks of designer clothes at Bluebird Boutique,
her owners chic 50th and France shop. But come around the counter and
greet her with an excited voice, and Aiya the vizsla is likely to get
right to work. Wagging entirelyfrom shoulders to tailshell climb up
on a bench so you can communicate nose to (wet) nose. » Bluebird
Boutique, 3909 W. 50th St., Edina, 952-746-8675.
Bridezilla Enabler
Everything must be perfect. Amy Jane Bridal
makes it so with couture gowns that turn any girl into a movie star
dodging helicopter paparazzi on her way down the aisle (try on the
Angel Sanchez gown worn by Sandra Bullock). A very select collection
from a very select group of designers. » Amy Jane Bridal, 493 Selby
Ave., St. Paul, 651-602-9492. www.amyjanebridal.com.
Recycling Project
Its been a long time (36 years) since the Foshay Tower was our tallest
building, but it still looms large in many hearts. Inspired by the
Washington Monument, the 1929 art-deco edifice was the first built in
the United States by an all-union contracting team and the first
awarded patents for design and construction. And now developer Ralph
Burnet is spearheading its transformation into a trendy W Hotel.
The overhaul, which is expected to cost at least $50 million, is slated
to be finished in spring 2008 and include retail space and possibly
condominiums in addition to 229 guest rooms. » W Hotel, 821 Marquette
Ave., Mpls., www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels.
Crafty Agenda
Where do up-and-coming local artists sell their crafty creations,
including fabulously unique T-shirts, one-of-a-kind fashion
accessories, and ingenious, well-made housewares? Get your cool on at
the second annual Craftstravaganza
coming up this spring. Last summers fair featured designers and
artists with a stunning array of finds; this years will repeat the DIY
workshops, kid activities, and live music that turned a fair event into
a great one. » Craftstravaganza Rogue Art & Craft Fair, April 28,
Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Building, www.craftstravaganza.com.
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