Made in Minneapolis: 11 Homegrown Spots Handpicked by Of A Kind

It's springtime in Minneapolis. The veggies are growing, the drinks are flowing, and the city's hottest tables are filling up fast. Of a Kind co-founders Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur share their favorite spots to sample the city's homegrown bounty.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – We've taken a few recent trips to Minneapolis for business and found plenty of reasons to get excited about our stints in this hyper-creative locale. Only one of them has to do with snack food.

The Bachelor Farmer
50 N. 2nd St., +1-612-206-3920
Claire: The decor and food here are both Nordic-influenced and far better than what you'll find at a lot of its NYC or LA equivalents. The veggies you eat come from a farm on the roof, and I'm dying to shake the hand of whoever did all of the design work and art buying for the place — it's just perfect.

Grab a coffee. Stay a while. Photo courtesy of Spyhouse Coffee.

Spyhouse Coffee
2404 Hennepin Ave. S.; +1-612-377-2278
945 Broadway St. N.E.; +1-612-345-4348
2451 Nicollet Ave. S.; +1-612-871-3177
Erica: Ok, so we probably haven't spent enough time here to really call it, but it feels like this is the hub for creative Minneapolitans who don't have to go to an office daily. And those who do have a 9-to-5 can have bulk orders of coffee delivered from here, too.

Spoon and Stable
211 N. 1st St.; +1-612-224-9850
Claire: This is the hottest ticket in Minneapolis right now — supah, supah buzzy, so it's impossible to get a reservation. Chef Gavin Kaysen was one of Daniel Boulud's top guys in NYC before opening up this very cool-looking space in what used to be a horse stable (!).

Spot the lucky cat at Marvel Bar. Photo courtesy of Marvel Bar.

Marvel Bar
50 N. 2nd Ave.; +1-612-206-3929
Erica: We are steadfast fans of any place that serves Cheetos as a bar snack. And, if you can't make it for a (thoroughly fancy) cocktail, you should still scoop up the spot's signature lucky cat coasters for your at-home mixin'.

Marin Restaurant and Bar
901 Hennepin Ave.; +1-612-252-7000
Erica: One of the things that's important while traveling — to us at least: a good breakfast. We did a lot of taste-testing before discovering Marin at Le Meridien Chambers hotel. If you want to feel like a real insider, order the “Claire and Erica” (no, please don't call it that — they'll look at you like you're nuts): Two poached eggs plus hash browns with a side of avocado and hot sauce, duuuh. And make a trip to the bathroom to see the hotel's collection of paintings and sculptures.

Buzzin' over bowls. Photo courtesy of World Street Kitchen.

World Street Kitchen
2743 Lyndale Ave. S.; +1-612-424-8855
Claire: What's one thing that's weirdly impossible to find in so many cities? A good, well-priced, quick lunch place. This is Minneapolis's answer. Its counter service features global street food with an emphasis on one of our favorite food groups: bowls of things.

Askov Finlayson
200 N. 1st St.; +1-612-206-3925
Claire: Brought to you by the same geniuses who created Marvel Bar and The Bachelor Farmer, this is one of those men's stores that, despite being kind of tiny and having very little for me, always sucks me in for lots of browsing. It's #menswear with a sense of humor and very little preciousness.

Catfish, lobster, celery root, and hotsauce. Photo courtesy of Borough and Parlor.

Borough and Parlor
730 N. Washington Ave.; +1-612-354-3135
Claire: When it's time to get fancy, head to Borough for modernist cuisine that's as delicious as it is impressively assembled. Leave just enough room so that after dinner you can head downstairs to Parlor for a fancy cocktail and popcorn that's sprinkled with pineapple, bacon, and an addictive blend of spices.

Bar La Grassa
800 N. Washington Ave.; +1-612-333-3837
Erica: The James Beard Foundation is basically in love with chef Isaac Becker and his saucy Italian restaurant, and here is just one of the reasons why: You can get a half order of any pasta...meaning you can try more.

Irresistably minimalist. Photo courtesy of The Foundry Home Goods.

The Foundry Home Goods
125 N. 1st St.; +1-612-333-8484
Erica: Where do you get a dish brush that sparks joy or find a bath towel that you just can't stop thinking about? Here's the joint. It's hard to leave without buying something minimalist and perfect.

Lotus Restaurant
113 W. Grand St.; +1-612-870-1218
Erica: A local Vietnamese spot! Which feels like a huge win. You order at the counter, you listen to the regulars chat it up with the staff, and you eat as much deliciously cozy food as you can squeeze into your belly.

This story originally appeared on Of a Kind and is republished here with permission.