Visit Lake Street Blog
Longfellow Nokomis Messenger visits Glaciers Cafe
October 14, 2009
The Messenger has a great look at Glaciers Cafe in its October issue. Glaciers is a fairly recent addition to the 27th & Lake area, having started in the suburbs and moved into the Resource Center building in November. In the article you can read about how Glaciers has adapted its menu to fit their new home (one way: more vegetarian offerings), and about how they make their delicious custard. I also have it on good authority that the slider mini-burgers are fantastic! You can find the story on page 8 of the October 2009 issue.
Craftsman gets national attention
October 12, 2009
It’s not every day that the Washington Post writes about Minneapolis, so it’s worth sitting up and taking notice when the food critic pays a visit. Tom Sietsema recently paid a visit to The Craftsman, one of Lake Street’s fine dining restaurants. He admits to being a bit skeptical at first, but The Craftsman quickly won him over with its charcuterie dish, which is a mix of different sausages. “While charcuterie has become the molten chocolate cake of dinner introductions from coast to coast — ubiquitous, in other words — the arrangement at Craftsman reveals surprising personality and a sense of place. Rabbit terrine finds chopped rabbit bundled in house-cured pancetta. Duck liver mousse, whipped up from fowl from northern Minnesota, is sweetened with local apples and pears rather than booze. There’s dry-cured ham, too, aged by the restaurant, and salami, one of the trickiest specialty preserved meats to do well.” Sounds like a must-have on the next visit!
Heavy Table visits Safari Express
September 28, 2009
A must read from Heavy Table critic Lori Writer, as she visits Safari Express’s chef and co-owner Jamal Hashi. Jamal talks about the history of Somali food, takes the reader shopping as he picks out his favorite ingredients, and gives a delicious-looking recipe for mango curry chicken. The best part? He finds what he needs all within the Global Market!
Figlio becomes Il Gatto
September 24, 2009
Rick Nelson has the scoop. Figlio closed down last weekend for a big remodel, and when it opens back up in November, it will have a new name: Il Gatto. (“The Cat” in Italian.) We miss Figlio already but hope that with the reimagining of the space, Il Gatto can give Calhoun Square and Uptown a new jolt of energy!
Lake Street’s Newest Pupuseria
September 21, 2009
A new place for authentic, made-from-scratch Mexican food just opened at Bloomington & Lake. El Centro Pupuseria can now be found at 1532 East Lake Street. Heavy Table’s Lori Writer recently visited, and she liked what she saw (and tasted):
“El Centro’s pupusas are very good, better than most, and their tostones, Panes de Pollo, fresco, and horchata are outstanding. I can’t wait to try everything else on their menu.”
And to drink?
“The horchata rice drink is rich and creamy, with flecks of vanilla. The fresco fruit drink is light and refreshing, with traces of strawberry and pineapple pulp.”
Always good to see another Lake Street entrepreneur serving up fresh, authentic meals! Be sure to check them out.
Sears reunion at the Global Market
September 18, 2009
Yesterday was a very fun day at the Midtown Global Market. Over 60 former Sears employees, who used to work in the building back when it was a large Sears store and warehouse, had a reunion. They got to reminisce on old times, got a delicious lunch from the Global Market restauranteurs, and got a tour of what the building has now become — not just the Global Market, but also Allina headquarters, dozens of apartments and condos, and a Hennepin County Service Center in the basement. It was a moment when we could all reflect on what a hole the closing of Sears left in this area, and how far we’ve come since then. Be sure to check out the video above!
