Minnesota Food and Drink

-Beer and Wine
There are breweries and, believe it or not, vineyards in Minnesota. Winters here are quite a vineyard challenge forcing grapevines into dormancy weeks earlier than their California counterparts but the search is on for a cold-hardy grape. Read the UMAA article about the University of Minnesota's Horticultural Research Center's new cold-hardy grape, Marquette, to be released this spring.

Northstar Chapter of the BCCA (Brewery Collectibles Club of America).

> Surly Brewing √
A brand new brewery, Surly beers come in kegs only right now. Check their website to find out where you can find Bender and Furious beers. Or maybe you can get a taste on one of the tours.

> Schell's Brewery √
At over 140 years old, Schell Brewery is the second oldest family-owned brewery in the U. S. The full-bodied web site has (non-alcoholic) merchandise, recipes and free wallpaper.
One of Minnesota's most famous beers is now brewed at Schell Brewery. Here is
> A History of Grain Belt Beer
Also see Books: Legend of a Brewery .

> Falconer Vineyards is a winery and nursery selling their wines and Minnesota-developed cold-hardy grapes including information on growing and care. The winery is a great place to visit for the picturesque location and of course the wine-tastings.

> Goose Lake Farm and Winery
Wines made from several different fruits are found at this winery, the first in Anoka county. Free wine tasting on Thursdays 10am to 6pm, June 1 through January 1. We enjoyed sampling several different wines and watching the peacock fixated with the reflective bumper of our car.

> Winehaven
Wines and Mead (honey wine). This vineyard/store is a pleasant place with wine-tasting of any of their wines before you buy. Lots of useful information on the web site like How To Taste Wine, Hosting a Wine Tasting and Aging Suggestions plus Recipes and Events.

Or for something different, brew your own:
> "The Fun Place to Brew Your Own Beer and
Make Your Own Wine!"

Minnesota Grass-Fed Meats
> Lighthouse Farm √
"Taste the difference in raising food the way it was meant to be raised. Tasteless, rubbery, pale-red vegetables they call tomatoes in the grocery store cannot compare to luscious, flavorful richly-colored tomatoes fresh from the garden. Likewise, feedlot, antibiotic-laden, grain fed, greasy meat cannot compare taste-wise or health-wise to flavorful meat raised outside on rich, green pasture in the sunshine and fresh air. Don't settle for counterfeit meat, try grass-fed today!"
-Lighthouse Farm
Read about the Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Products .

Jamaican Food
> Whistling Bird Cafe and Bar
Jamaican Cooking in Northern Minnesota is unusual but this place is hot: Jamaican Specialities and a MN menu. Make reservations!
Owners JoPat & Toney Curtis, along with their friendly staff, invite anyone yearning for a taste of the islands to take a virtual cruise to the Caribbean with a visit to The Whistling Bird Cafe & Bar.

Smoked Salmon and Trout
> Morey's Markets √
Morey's has long been a favorite stop on the way up north. Now Morey's also features on-line ordering of their great smoked fish plus many other offerings. They even offer caviar!
For unique gift-giving, gift packages, gift certificates are available.

-Native American Foods
> Native Harvest √
Hand-Harvested Wild Rice, Maple Syrup, Maple Candy, Buffalo Sausage, Hominy Corn, Fruit Spreads, Coffee, Teas and much more.
Several Gift Baskets are available.

-Buffalo/Bison Products
> Eichten's Market √
Online ordering of several buffalo meat products and cheeses.
Eichten's has a herd of over 200 buffalo "totally free from any growth hormones, antibiotics or other medications." Considered by many to be the better red meat, bison meat offers fewer calories, fat, cholesterol and more protein than beef.
Eichten's cheese is made from growth hormone-free milk with no coloring, artificial flavors or preservatives.
Eichten's has recently given up their large gift selection for a bistro including wine and beer tastings and special events. Filet Mignon of Bison and Bison Burgers are just two of the menu items. We visited the bistro recently and here is the review.

-Most Interesting Restaurant Name
> Angry Trout Cafe is one of our favorite restaurants in one of our favorite Minnesota towns: Grand Marais.

-Small Town Eateries
> Scandia Cafe(or Calf-"A") is a cow-themed cafe with "udderly good food". It's also a home cooking breakfast and lunch place with daily specials, soups, desserts and "cow-fee"("calf" and "de-calf"). For words of wisdom check out the poster "All I Really Need to Know I Learned From a Cow"

-Interesting Places Off the Web

As we all know there are lots of interesting places without a presence on the Web. And like most things "off the beaten path" they are usually the more interesting.
Posted here will be food and drink sources and restaurants that we couldn't find on the Web (some have email). We have visited these places and recommend them.

-Restaurants-

Northeastern Minnesota

To me, probably the most interesting area in Minnesota is the North Shore, that is, the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior north of Two Harbors. But sometimes it's nice to take a side trip or two to see places off the beaten path. The historic Northeastern Hotel and Saloon in Cloquet,MN is one of those places. You will find original antique furnishings, tin ceilings and brass spittoons, and memorabilia along with modern amenities and libations. Read the full article here. Traveling Highway 65.

After (or before) going through all those traffic lights on Highway 65 take a break at the The Creamery in Isanti. (The actual name of the restaurant is Creamery Crossing but it's always been "the Creamery" to most of its visitors.) It's just a few blocks west of Hwy 65 on Main Street and, yes, it was originally a creamery.
*Features: No Smoking, Fantastic Gooey Caramel Rolls, Half-omelets (nice size for smaller appetites), great soups, good coffee.
Beer (not just the "Lite" stuff), wine and the hard stuff are also available.

The Creamery has an interesting recent history (which is also a tutorial on how NOT to do business in a small town):
Here is an article about when the Creamery closed for a few months.
The story behind this article is that the striking workers were "old-timers" that had been let go, employees who had worked at the cafe for years. They were successful in shutting the cafe down.
The Creamery re-opened 3 months later and the "old-timers" are back.