On Minneapolis
cold, but worth it.
The grad school applications have started, and boy am I nervous. Slowly but surely I have been making my way through GRE prep, resumes, and essays. To say I am nervous is an understatement! Most of the schools I am applying to are in the Northeast, an area of the U.S that I love and am familiar with for the most part. The exception is the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.
The Midwest.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of the mid-west, I think of Rose Nylund from St. Olaf (The Golden Girls), cows, Red states (although Minneapolis is blue baby!!!), more cows, and lots of land.
Oh, and of course “Jesus Walks” by Kanye: “You know what the Mid-West is? Young and Restless.” But let me be the first to tell you that I was thoroughly surprised. Minneapolis far exceeded my expectations, and within the 2 full days that I was there, I was cold but never dull.
Here is a list of all the things I enjoyed:
1. The Eats
Day one was an early walk to Milkweed Cafe from our Airbnb. My friend and I split a delicious hot mocha, that was equal parts decadent and bold, and had what was definitely the best chocolate donut I have ever had in my life- added bonus: it was gluten-free and vegan. They were closed for COVID reasons but had outdoor sitting.
I wasn’t able to document it because I was too busy scarfing it down, but for lunch, we went to Wally’s Falafel, Hummus, and Bakery. For $13 I got the Veggie Lovers Platter, which was essentially the size of my face. It comes with tabbouleh salad, pita, french fries, falafel, fried cauliflower, and hummus I could eat with a spoon. It seems pricey, but trust me, you’re getting your money’s worth!! My friend got the Gyro plate and really enjoyed it! This restaurant is located in Dinkytown, which is walking distance from the campus and is home to so many restaurants in the area. Literally, whatever you are craving you will find. They had limited seating inside and we were able to snag a corner away from other guests.
After many miles of walking, day one’s coffee stop was at Steamship on West Lake Street. A coffee shop game room hybrid that reminded me of Well Played in Asheville. I had my first pumpkin spice latte from here! We were able to sit inside after assessing that we were the only guests in the cafe! In the area is also Milkjam Creamery which we didn’t get to go to, but was recommended we try!
Dinner for day one was at the highly regarded Hola Arepa. With dining by reservation only, we were able to get seating inside where we sat at least 15 feet from someone else, and only utilized servers through a sign system. My friend got the Chimichurri Chicken arepa, and I got the black bean and queso fresco arepa. Here, I also tried my first of many cocktails!!! I got something called the Cadiz which is mango brandy, amontillado sherry, papaya, and singani.
Day 2 breakfast was originally going to a coffee and a pastry at Dogwood Cafe (they have amazing chocolate croissants), but we stumbled upon Hi-Lo Diner and found out they made homemade donuts. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with a great diner and after a museum, they are my favorite places to visit in any new city. At Hi-Lo we were able to sit outside, and we ordered a plate of huevos rancheros (Sunny Point does them better), a glazed homemade donut, and my second cocktail of the trip- South of France (gin, peach syrup, lemon, almond syrup, and bubbles), it’s considered the chocolate milk of cocktails and according to the menu is a French 75 cocktail with a dose of southern hospitality. We sat outside where it was full but spacious.
Lunch was at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) museum cafe (caprese sandwich, root beer, and caffeine pick me up).
Still hungry? We stopped by another recommended spot: Black Sheep Pizza. My friend ordered a cilantro shrimp skewer, and I had the grilled mixed veggie skewer and it was incredible. Oh, and how could I forget, my third cocktail of the trip, a draft cocktail, the Tequila Cooler. It was a pretty pink! We sat inside this location because we were way over 15 feet away from any other person. This was on Nicollet Avenue, a close walk from the Mia, where there are tons of other restaurants and stores.
By this time we were craving something sweet and in the same area as Black Sheep, we came across The Copper Hen, a farm to table restaurant and cakery. We enjoyed a mocha, champagne cupcake, and my final cocktail of the trip: a Purple Rain (gin, fratelli maraschino, creme de violette, lemon, bubbles, maple cotton candy cloud).
The last meal of the trip was a light dinner of Vietnamese pho, that we ordered for delivery. It was a gentle and warming way to end a packed few days!!
2. The Campus
The University of Minnesota campus is breathtaking. I thought I would find a big school intimidating, given how small and intimate UNCA is, but the campus felt accessible and the light rail drove right through it. I am honestly excited to go to a campus that feels like it spreads across the city a little bit more. Better for walking and always being able to see new people!
3. Murals
I am sure every city has it’s fair share of art murals, and Minneapolis was no different. I wasn’t able to capture all of them, but they were stunning, both in messaging and design.
4. The Shopping
We did so much walking in Minneapolis- there are sidewalks pretty much wherever you are and there are parks and flora and fauna everywhere. We also made sure to hit up some thrift stores including B Squad Vintage across the street from Hola Arepa. We also stopped by Buffalo Exchange and b Resale in the Nicollet area where I found this vintage 2009 sticker of the ‘fallen from grace’ political leader and activist Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar.
5. The Art
I don’t know what it is about museums but they are my favorite places on earth. I think you can tell a lot about a place through art and storytelling and the voices places of influence choose to uplift. We visited the Weisman art museum on the University’s campus, where I came across a piece from one my favorite artists Helen Frankenthaler, and a Georgia O'Keeffe. This museum also has a giant fish sculpture which is super cool.
This museum is pretty small, so if you want a place you could easily spend 3+ hours in, I totally recommend the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
