Seconds after stepping off the plane I was hit with the thick stench of Midwestern summer humidity. While Minneapolis wasn't my first choice for an August destination, I was on a work trip with my San Francisco team and our company headquarters were in Minnesota.
The few times we were able to be outside of the air conditioned cubicle rows, board rooms, and meeting halls we were usually trying to get a cold drink as a group. Inhaling the head on the top of a freshly-poured local brew is enough to loosen up your tie after a long day, but I longed to see more of the city. After a quick jaunt to the grocery store to check out the local goodies, I landed on a giant bag of dill pickle flavored potato chips and went back to my beer.
All week my friend D and I had been teasing our tastebuds whenever one of us stole a glance at the online menu of the boutique, downtown eatery we chose to splurge on. Pockets weighed down with our day's stipend, we ordered everything we wanted: Cauliflower fritters with lemon and Parmesan, warm duck salad with radicchio and egg, raw east coast oysters slurped down with mignonette, frog legs, a lovely, warm chocolate hazelnut torte with toffee ice cream, perfect lattes.
After dinner, we walked through town with full bellies and large smiles, until cabbing back to our cozy hotel village where we joined some colleagues for a final drink. The rest of the week was hot and sticky and our final meal together was a checkered-tablecloth barbecue joint that served a giant tray of their favorites to each table; a place I found charming then but whose "famous" barbecue sauce I would later find back home at Target.
Due to my obligations and lack of free time, I sadly didn't get to see much of Minneapolis or the areas outside my hotel strip mall. As the Land of 10.000 lakes, I hope to visit again soon and dip my toe in at least a couple of them.
Restaurants Visited:
- 112 Eatery
- Famous Dave's
