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Making the Twin Cities Tasty
July 26, 2010
The August 2010 Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine has a big list of 52 People, Places, and Plates that make the Twin Cities Tasty. Congratulations to Salty Tart’s Michelle Gayer for being number ONE on the list, and getting a nice big photo to go along with it. Congrats too, to Midtown Farmers’ Market and Town Talk Diner for clocking in at #20 and #28, respectively. Look for the issue at your local newsstand!
More oral history with Joyce Krook
May 19, 2010
The second part of our oral history interview with Joyce Krook is now live! Joyce, the longtime Community Relations Specialist at Abbott Northwestern, shares what it was like to live, shop, go to school, and go to the movies at Lake & Hennepin in the 1950s.
And be sure not to miss part 1, which focuses more on the Minneapolis Ice Arena, which was where the Uptown Rainbow Foods is now.
As we create more of this videos, we’ll create a section of our website devoted to them, to make finding and browsing them easier. Keep an eye out!
Oral History
April 27, 2010
We’re on a history kick this year. We know many people with long and deep roots in this area, and many more who enjoy hearing about days gone by, what’s changed, and what’s stayed the same. Some businesses have been around for decades, like Ingebretsen’s, Roberts Shoes, and Schatzlein Saddle (which is now over a century old). Others have sprung up on the same ground as some old favorites. With all that in mind, we’re recording the memories and stories of long-time residents, so we’ll always have them.
Our very first interview is with Joyce Krook, who was the community relations specialist with Abbott Northwestern and Allina for many years. She grew up at Lake & Hennepin in the 1940s and 1950s. Here’s part 1 of the interview with her, which mostly has to do with what it was like to grow up next to the Minneapolis Ice Arena.
You can read more online about the Minneapolis Arena, and the Rainbow Building. Stay tuned for part two and for more interviews!
Tragedy at McMahon’s
April 06, 2010
By now, everyone has likely heard about the horrible fire in the McMahon’s Pub building at 30th & Lake, that caused so much damage and was Minneapolis’s deadliest fire in over 20 years. We won’t go back through all the details here. Instead, we’ll direct you to McMahon’s homepage, to see their response to what has happened. Unfortunately, it appears the whole building will need to be demolished. But the McMahon’s team vows to rebuild, and has details about two upcoming fundraisers for the families who lost people. Our best wishes to everyone who is rebuilding after this fire.
The Triumphant Return of Kaplan Brothers
March 26, 2010
We just learned of some great news: Kaplan Brothers at 1414 East Lake will be reopening on Monday the 29th! They’ve been regrouping since December, when a nearby water pipe burst and flooded the store, damaging the building and a lot of the merchandise. It was an especially bad time for that to happen to them, since the weather was just really cold and bringing in people looking for hardy winter clothes. Thankfully, their commitment to remain on Lake Street was strong, and they’ve now gotten everything cleaned up and ready to go. Please drop in when they reopen and welcome them back!
Kalico Elephant to Midtown Global
March 10, 2010
Minnesota Monthly’s Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl has a great scoop today about a new Thai restaurant coming to the Midtown Global Market:
The restaurant will be called the Kalico Elephant by Naviya, and they plan to relocate in the former Jade restaurant space on the east side of the Midtown Global Market…They’ll be serving lunch, dinner, and hope to add both sushi and whole grain fusion pastas.
Great news for the Global Market and all of us who go there! A second sit-down restaurant will give people more dining options, and it can’t hurt that it’s a restaurant that many people have been missing and and are eager to see come back.
Fork the Fire
March 03, 2010
On March 14th, many restaurants across the Twin Cities are joining forces to support Heidi’s and Blackbird, the two restaurants that burned down in the big 50th & Bryant fire. Diners who eat out at these restaurants will be helping the cause themselves. Participating Lake Street places include Chino Latino, Il Gatto, Herkimer, Moto-i, The Craftsman, and Burger Jones. For the list of all restaurants and further details, check out Fork the Fire’s website, and the write-up about the event by Rick Nelson in the Star Tribune.
Hymie’s Vintage Records Moving to 39th & Lake
February 26, 2010
Hymie’s will soon be moving, but you won’t have to look too far to find them. Their current 33rd & Lake location will close after Record Store Day, which is April 17th. They’ll be moving everything into place for a couple weeks and reopen on May 1st at 39th & Lake, in the Blue Moon building. Check their website for further details.
Minnesota Monthly Love
February 25, 2010
Be sure to read Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl’s recent review of Il Gatto’s porchetta (Italian pork roast). “The day Il Gatto opened, Minnesota entered a new and glorious era: We now have a porchetta to rival New York’s finest—and one that any pork-lover in the state must taste immediately!” She loves both the crisp exterior and the tender interior. She also found plenty to live in the restaurant’s steak pizzaiola, bucatini carbonara, and burgers.
But that’s not all! MN Monthly’s March issue also has a great cheap eats list of 99 best buys for under $10. This article is print-only so you’ll have to find it on a newsrack or take my word for it, but here are the Lake Street mentions: Taqueria Los Ocampo’s chicken pozole soup, Floating World Cafe’s kitsune soba soup, La Loma’s oaxaqueno tamales, Taqueria La Hacienda’s al pastor alambre, and Holy Land’s whole chicken combo dinner. I’ve personally had almost all of those and will vouch for their greatness!
New and upcoming business openings on Lake
January 28, 2010
There are several new and upcoming business openings to take note of in the Lake Street corridor. A new Subway restaurant and coffee shop called I Am Coffee are now open at 2752 Lyndale Ave. Just south of there, at 2800 Lyndale Ave., a new motorcycle dealership called Ducati Minneapolis plans to open in the spring. My Sister’s Closet plans to open its second store in February at 2741 Hennepin Ave. Double Danger Comics & Collectibles plans to open at 818 W. Lake St. And the Pioneer Press reports that a new Parasole restaurant called Cafeteria will open in Calhoun Square later this year.
