nightlife : Buzz

Isn't it "fun" when outsiders decide which of our heralded eating establishments are "most iconic?" Still, we can't argue with Thrillist's selection of Matt's Bar for Minnesota, especially because of the Jucy Lucy. In the midst of a polar votex, the hot burger stuff with melted cheese is just the antidote for the cold.

Still, the writeup is curious. "Matt's qualifies as a restaurant because a real bar is stocked with hard liquor and is not frequented by families with kids. Most importantly, it's an iconic restaurant because Matt's invented the 'Jucy Lucy'. It's spell differently, here, because someone 'forgot to add the i', but it doesn't matter how you spell it, really, because the burgers have hot, beautiful cheese pouring out of the middle of the patty. Thank you, Minnesota."

Well, okay. You're welcome.

The Bachelor Farmer has been named the third best brunch in the U.S. by The Daily Meal, a national food and drink blog. The list was titled "The 30 Best Brunches in America."

"President Obama has been known to dine at The Bachelor Farmer," the listing states, "and this accliamed Minneapolis restaurant raises the bar on brunch as well."

The restaurant, the listing continues,"draws inspiration from Minnesota's Nordic heritage, and the brunch menu carries on this tradition with Smørrebrød,or Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches with such toppings as confit or oyster mushrooms. Other dishes draw inspiration from fresh, local ingredients, and the cocktails are equally exceptional."

Included in Food & Wine's 2014 list of "Best Gastropubs in the U.S." are Pat's Tap and Pig & Fiddle. "Whether they take a heavy cue from British tradition or hew more to modern American style, these top-notch pubs all have two things in common: exceptional meals and beers to match," a description accompanying the slideshow states.

Source: Food & Wine

Time magazine has named the Jucy Lucy, a mainstay of Matt's Bar, as one of "the most influential burgers of all time."

The burger was put on Matt's menu in 1954. "This twist on the cheeseburger—in which the cheese is melted inside the patty— ... gained national attention in 2008, thanks to a feud between two Minneapolis bars that both claim to have 'invented' it. Since then, there have been numerous imitators, proving that a little innovation and a dash of hype is all it takes to reinvigorate enthusiasm for a classic," the article states.

The Jucy Lucy is number 10 on the list.

Source: Time

Draft Magazine recently published its annual list of  "America's 100 Best Beer Bars 2014." Republic, at 7 Corners on the West Bank in Minneapolis, and The Happy Gnome, on Selby in Saint Paul, made the list.

Draft divides its list into four sections by geography: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. "After six years of making this annual list," the article states, "we had to rethink the definition of a top-notch beer bar. New ones are opening every second, and 'good beer bar' no longer equals a zillion taps; there’s just more to it now. We needed to walk out of these places saying, 'Now there’s a bar that really, really cares about your experience with beer.'"

Elsewhere on the Draft website, an article titled "Beertown, U.S.A.: Minneapolis/St. Paul" calls out a wide selection of micro-breweries,  bars and eateries worth visiting.

Source: Draft Magazine

Among Travel+Leisure's recent selection of top 500 hotels, only the Saint Paul Hotel make the cut in Minnesota. Writing about the hotel in its prestigious list, "The World's Best Hotels 2014," T+L said that "Despite the greeting by a doorman in a top hat, there's a delightful lack of pretense at this historic luxury hotel."

The article lauded the 1910 hotel's architecture by Reed and Stem (the same architects designed Grand Central Station in New York City), English garden, restaurants and bars, and views of downtown Saint Paul and the Missisippi River. And who knew? For guests of the hotel, an on-site seamstress is at-the-ready to fix a hem or sew a button.


Source: Travel+Leisure

The Minneapolis groups Rhythmic Circus (percussive dance) and Root City (funk and blues musicians) joined forces several years ago to create "Feet Don't Fail Me Now!", an evening of high-energy tap dancing and music. The groups have since toured the country with their show to popular acclaim.

Recently, the performers realized a long-held goal of gigging in New York City, off-Broadway at the Victory Theater.  The New York Times called the hour-long show (which has been performed several times in the Twin Cities) a "entertaining display of music and tap-dancing skills." The publication also called out beatboxer Aaron Heaton as "practically another band on his own."

Writing in her blog Infinite Body, Eva Yaa Asantewaa called the show "wildly entertaining in the very best blue-eyes-soul kind of way," She asks "How did Ricci Milan (dancer/artist director) and Nick Bowman (dancer/executive director) manage to pack so much content and value into a single hour? Don't know, but the set list gives these performers a chance to show off their amazing vitality."

Source: The New York Times, Infinite Body

Food magazine Bon Appétit recently released its "Top 50 New Restaurants" list, and two Minneapolis eateries made the cut: World Street Kitchen and Borough.
 
Singled out for its cheese-grater light fixtures and mismatched flatware, Borough in the North Loop neighborhood got a nod for bringing together chefs from Travail for an eclectic menu. The magazine advised readers to opt for the cauliflower with pickled chilies and tempura-style oysters.
 
World Street Kitchen, near Uptown, was highlighted for its industrial look and casual style, matched with "straight-up fantastic international street food." Diners should go for the knockout rice bowls, burritos, and affordable prices.
 
Although neither restaurant made the magazine's subsequent Top 10 list, there were still plenty of raves for each eatery's signature dishes.
 

Food and restaurant site Eater.com recently ran a story about The 18 Essential Minneapolis Restaurants, calling the eateries a "highly elite group" that covers the entire city, spans myriad cuisines, and satisfies all of a diner's restaurant needs.
 
The list is continually evolving, the site notes. For example, Sen Yai Sen Lek, Pizzeria Lola, and Fika were rotated off the list "simply because their time has come," according to Eater.com. New to the list this go-round are St. Paul's Meritage, the North Loop's Borough, and Sea Salt in Minnehaha Park.
 
The top three on the list are all south of downtown: Broders' Pasta Bar, Piccolo, and Tilia. There are plenty of Northeast favorites as well, like Brasa Premium Rotisserie and Masu Sushi & Robata.
 
Not surprisingly, the comments section already contains some lively opinions about what other restaurants should be included — and which ones deserved to be kicked off the list.

Online reservation website Urbanspoon released its ranking of the country's 100 most popular family-friendly eateries, and three Twin Cities restaurants made the list.
 
All three are located in Minneapolis: Fogo de Chao, Pizzeria Lola, and The Anchor Fish & Chips.
 
Restaurants were ranked according to positive reviews from food bloggers, critics, and Urbanspoon users. The site noted that the list boasts a variety of restaurant types, from fast-casual burger joints to fine dining.
 
Although the restaurants on the list are kid-friendly, Urbanspoon also evaluated the needs of other family members, such as grandparents, parents, and a diner's "foodie sister and her boyfriend." Restaurants that were too noisy, ultra-fancy, and with a limited kids' menu were ruled out in favor of those with nice atmosphere, a diverse menu, and friendly service.

Given Minnesota's love of outdoor dining during the summer, choosing the best patio in the state seems like a daunting task, but WCCO viewers took up the challenge. In a recent poll, they named Psycho Suzi's in Northeast Minneapolis as the top spot for outdoor lounging.
 
The restaurant boasted a popular patio area in its former location just a few miles from where it now resides, but the move a few years ago created an opportunity for building an expansive patio area that's now packed in the summertime.
 
In an article about the results, Psycho Suzi's Shannon Weed noted that being on the Mississippi is hugely beneficial, especially since some customers cruise up to the restaurant on their boats. Also, the patio is dog-friendly.
 
Recently, the restaurant added a second patio level, giving it an even bigger boost of popularity.

Food and drink website The Daily Meal recently ran a feature called "The 10 Best Locavore Cities in America Right Now," and Minneapolis landed at number eight.
 
Each city's listing showcases a restaurant that represents a commitment to locavores (those who seek out only locally sourced food). For Minneapolis, Corner Table got the nod.
 
"Minneapolis has come into its own as a food city, and Corner Table epitomizes the town's focus on fresh and friendly Midwestern cuisine," the article notes, before praising the restaurant's globally inspired dishes and seasonal tasting menus.
 
To come up with the list, editors at the site looked at which cities had the most restaurants known for serving locally sourced ingredients. Coming in at the top of the list is Asheville, North Carolina.
 

Rolling Stone magazine recently identified the country's top 10 music venues, which it called "The Best Big Rooms in America."
 
First Avenue in Minneapolis came in at number three on the list, with a major nod toward hometown musician Prince. "Throughout the Eighties, he and the Revolution were sort of the house band here--you can see it all in the famous concert scenes in Purple Rain," the article noted.
 
The club was also a key staging ground for the city's punk-and-hardcore scene, the article continued, noting that bands like the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and Soul Asylum got their start on First Avenue's no-frills stages.
 
The top two "best big rooms," according to Rolling Stone, are 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and The Fillmore in San Francisco.

Online restaurant reservation website Urbanspoon singled out the country's most popular restaurant bars and four Minneapolis eateries landed on the list.
 
Bar La Grassa, 112 Eatery, George and Dragon, and Tilia were included on the list of 200 popular U.S. restaurant bars.
 
Urbanspoon included selections from 101 cities across 33 states, and selected the most popular based on reviews from food critics, bloggers, and Urbanspoon users. Florida claimed the most spots on the list with 31 entries, while Ohio and Missouri rounded out the top three.
 
In addition to selecting specific restaurant bars, Urbanspoon also noted a few trends in its results. Beer proved to be a defining feature for a number of the bars chosen, and on the liquor side, restaurants that offer specialty cocktails and house-infused spirits tended to get a place on the list.

The craft beer trend has boosted the number of beer-focused bars across the country, creating a boom in the number of small-batch distilleries and avid fans.
 
Beer-centric magazine DRAFT put together a list of the top 100 beer bars in the country, and two Twin Cities bars were featured in the Midwest region: Happy Gnome in St. Paul and Republic with locations in 7 Corners and Calhoun Square.
 
The publication noted that Happy Gnome was chosen for its congenial vibe, large stone hearth, and wooden booths, not to mention a beer list with over 75 taps.
 
Republic's West Bank pub got a nod for its 50 taps, and wide range of local beers, including Harriet Brewing and Steel Toe Brewing.