Feasting in the Twin Cities

No recipe this week. Just a little food for thought after visiting two lovely side-by-side cities this weekend.

EVERY TIME WE VISIT MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL we seem to love the two cities more. This being a food blog, we’ll start by saying we ate well everywhere, nothing as basic as what would likely be served at George Segal’s “The Diner” at the Walker Art Center.

From exquisite, inventive Oaxacan food at Colita to Coastal Seafoods lobster rolls, neighborhood German beer garden dining at Waldmann Brewery, a leisurely get together with friends over also inventive Mexican food at Macanda, and amazing banh mi sandwiches from Lu’s Sandwiches. Interestingly, the best doughnuts we ate (yes, we had doughnuts three times over the weekend) came from a Holiday gas station. They make their own brand of fresh doughnuts.

We feasted on art too, at the aforementioned Walker Art Center and at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. As always, this museum blew us away. Its encyclopedic collection holds glorious “oh, so that’s here” recognizable works as well as wonderful surprises from every period and style.

The Twin Cities, and indeed, the state of Minnesota, embrace nature and active outdoor living. Parks and green space fill both cities. We kayaked on Lake Harriet, one of at least three lakes in city parks where you can rent kayaks. Well-used bike paths run through parks and along many streets. And the waterfall above is in a regional park in the city of Minneapolis. For scale, there are people in the lower left corner and behind the falls.

We are already thinking about our next visit to the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, we hope to have a recipe for you next week. See you then.