My 1st yr college daughter and I will drive up to the Cities from Northfield late this month for a Sunday. We'd like to catch the new Coen Bros. effort and eat somewhere fun, local, and not too pricey. Our first visit.

Any suggestions for lunch or dinner on Sunday, preferably near an interesting part of town?

I love Mexican food so I always head for Eden Prairie to Chevys.

There is a nice shopping center and several restaurants in the area in Eden Prairie.

thanks, bratsn'.

Go to 50th and France and eat at D'Amico Cucina or Tejas. The shop at all the cute shops.

"somewhere fun, local, and not too pricey"

Not sure what 'local' refers to - do you mean non-chain or possibly local type of cuisine? Also not sure on what would be too pricey?

Uptown and Nicollet Avenue (Minneapolis) have many good restaurants and are in interesting areas. Mickey's Diner in St. Paul might fit too.

I actually have the answer to this one!

We were just in MSP this past week and ate TWICE at a great breakfast/lunch spot on Nicollet Mall called Hell's Kitchen. We were amazed at the
fresh choices , interesting inventions ( a wild rice porridge with dried fruit - sounds boring but it was great) ; Bison burgers; a hamcheese/pear grilled sandwich that was one of the best sandwiches we have ever eaten. AND lemon ricotta crepes that were truly out of this world. They also have a special coffee blend that White Rock Roasters prepare for them that was so good we bought a pound to take home.

Oh yeah - 3 words - sweet potato fries!


They are open I believe from 9 AM to 2 pm and have breakfast and lunch all day.

http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/HellsKitchenWelcome.html



Nicollet Mall is right downtown and a stroll shows some really great architecture and some interesting shops .

Thanks, all.

Unfortunately, Coen Bros' latest is getting bad reviews. Fortunately, that leaves us more time to eat and explore. Lunch in one city and supper in another.

(I guess when I say "local" I mean non-chain and with some sort of flavor of the town. Not the place where local booster types would take you to impress.)

And thanks, mztery, for the sweet potato fries! This is the kind of insider tip I was hoping for.

The Chevys in Eden Prairie closed a while back.

If it's a nice day, it might be nice to head out to Wayzata and eat at Patrick's Bakery. Wayzata is right on the shores of Lake Minnetonka with a cute little downtown area with shops, restaurants, book store, etc. I love Patrick's at lunch- yummy sandwiches, soups, and salads. And their pastries are to die for:

http://www.patricksbakerycafe.com/W_location.htm

Thanks, jreichert. That looks wonderful. We project 4 yrs in MN at least, so will spread these finds out.

I would also suggest Grand Avenue in St. Paul for lunch or dinner and a shopping stroll before or after. Lots of fun boutiques with unusual goods (a great vintage clothing shop), many good restaurants and coffeeshops in a 6-or-so block swath.

And don't forget about the Walker Art center (modern) and the Institute of Arts (everything), both in Mpls, for future visits.

We lived in Northfield for three years, loved it, and also loved daytripping to the Twin Cities!

The Local is an Irish place where the food is good and the waitstaff are courteous. It's a good downtown choice.

My daughter is a brand new Ole, NewbE, and Northfield seems like a perfect college town. (though a 9.5 hr drive north for us) Sipping a $3.50 drink on the deck of the Cow, I thought I'd like to become a regular.

We'll look for Local, Knowing. Thanks!

Stoke-

9.5 hrs north? I hope your daughter is prepared for the winters here I've been here for 11 years (translant from TX) and I'm still adjusting!

Fall, however, is gorgeous here. You've gotten some great suggestions for things to do. Downtown (both Mpls and SP) on the weekends is pretty dead during the day. May be a better option for dinner.

And just so you know where some of these spots are:

Uptown (Minneapolis): intersection of Lake and Hennepin- lots of local shops, restaurants, arthouse movie theater, and funky vibe. I think your daughter would like it. Nearby is Lake Calhoun-- great for a walk around the lake, beautiful homes, and good people watching

Grand Ave (St Paul)- intersection of Victoria and Grand Ave. Similar to Uptown but no lake nearby. Summit Ave a few blocks over has beautiful old mansions though

50th and France (Edina)- More upscale mix of national chains, small arthouse theater, and local stores/restaurants

Have fun! Despite the winters, I have grown to love it here...hope you will too!

stokebailey, congrats on your brand new Ole!

We loved Northfield so much, miss it to this day. You MUST spend some time at Goodbye, Blue Monday, which is a hip-but-homey coffeehouse on Division Street; and believe it or not, one of the best Indian restaurants we have ever been to is Chapati, in the old hotel building across the street from Blue Monday. Basil's was our choice in the ongoing Northfield pizza competition!

I also really liked shopping at the Rare Pair, also on Division: nice selection of shoes and boots, and always loads of great scarves, hats and gloves.

Ah, Cows, Colleges... Contentment!

jreichert, last mid-March when we drove up to MN for a visit, I rushed off without coat, gloves, or hat. By mid-Iowa, where people were fishing from huts on the ice (not done in MO), I realized my error. Layering is the key, I hear. That and socks. Thanks so much for the Twin Cities neighborhood overview. I'm saving it.

NewbE, We ate carryout from Chapati a couple of weeks ago, sitting on town square benches and trying to decide where the other intoxicating aroma came from. We came to two conclusions:
1. Next time sit down in the restaurant and do it justice.
2. Malt O Meal!
Thanks for tips. We will begin patient investigation of pizzas, starting with Basil's, when we visit in a couple of weeks, and I also want to sneak a meal in the Hogwarts for Lutherans cafeteria.

Oh, yes, Malt-o-Meal! A town can smell of a lot worse things than oats and cinnamon...