The festivities downtown in the runup to the Super Bowl are well-known and well advertised to fans of the NFL who come to the Twin Cities. The Super Bowl Live experience is well-managed, if somewhat sanitized, version of Super Bowl festivities that one can find variations of every year.
New visitors to the cities should experience some of the stuff unique to Minneapolis, something we’ve compiled for visitors to enjoy.
Diners!
It may not seem all that interesting or unique to the city, but old-school diners have been a big part of the city’s culture and development. You could visit Mickey’s Diner, which has appeared in a number of movies — Minnesotans will be the first to tell you it’s the Diner in The Mighty Ducks — but also boasts nationwide recognition as one of the top-10 diners in America. It’s open 24 hours per day and has been in continuous operation since 1939.
Also, it looks like a railcar.
Mickey’s Diner is a top destination, but I’ve also enjoyed eating at the Uptown Diner and — my favorite — the Bad Waitress, which has two locations… and a bar in both of them.
Al’s Breakfast
There are only 14 seats in this famously narrow breakfast nook, and diners are expected to move up or down the counter several times over the course of their breakfast to accommodate new customers. The omelettes are incredible and the pancakes are supposed to be the best in the cities. Located in Dinkytown, Al’s Breakfast lies at the heart of student living on the University of Minnesota campus. They have a Significant Sporting Event* Event where they’ll be open for 56 straight hours from Feb. 2-4
The location typically closes at 2 p.m.
Local coffee shops
One big boon to traveling for me is the ability to see local versions of otherwise nationally enjoyed experiences, like coffee chains. I haven’t had a better cup of black coffee than I have at Nina’s Coffee Cafe in St. Paul — pronounced “Nye-Nah” instead of “Nee-Nah.” For coffee drinks, the local chain, founded in Edina, would be Caribou Coffee. Caribou provided free coffee for fans who had to watch the outdoor Seahawks-Vikings playoff game at TCF Bank Stadium, where windchill at kickoff was minus-25 degrees Fahrenheit. My favorite drink there is the Campfire Mocha, with an added extra shot of espresso. It’s pretty sweet, so be forewarned.
Museums
The Science Museum of Minnesota is fantastic. They have well-designed exhibits, a great omnitheater, and a great schedule of traveling exhibitions. Their theater is currently showing a rotation of some of the most well-received nature movies that have aired nationwide, including Jane’s Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees and Wolves. Their exhibition on race is eye-opening. Also, fans of Stranger Things can pick up the Science Museum of Minnesota sweatshirt worn by Dustin.
Visitors also tend to stop by the Walker Art Center in order to take a picture with the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture in the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, though the museum itself should be enticing for any fans of contemporary or modern art. For those that prefer more traditional or historic artistic fare, the Minneapolis Institute of Art has you covered.
Music
There are concerts all week for Super Bowl goers, and that should be easy — First Avenue is historic — but there are some historic record shops worth visiting as well. The Electric Fetus has been in operation for 48 years and Cheapo Discs — called Cheapo Records on the storefront — bills itself as the “last authentic music store.” Both are sure to carry vinyls from classic Minnesota acts like the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare, Prince and more.
For Minneapolis hip hop, check out Fifth Element, owned by Rhymesayers Entertainment — the label for Atmosphere, Brother Ali and (formerly) MF Doom. They have merchandise as well as music for artists on the label, but also have merchandise for other labels and groups as well, including the famous Doomtree collective.
Local Flavor
Minneapolis is host to a rich tapestry of cultures, with immigrants from all over the world. Their status as an asylum city gives them particularly unique access to a lot of foods, like the Ethiopian food you can find at the Red Sea or the Somali food at Safari. Some of the best pho I’ve ever had was in the cities, and Quang was where I found it.
The Northeast neighborhood is home to fantastic and locally famous cuisine, like the ever-expanding Holy Land for Middle Eastern food and El Taco Riendo, who serve sopes, empanadas and tortas along with the traditional tacos. They have standard taco meats, but I recommend trying out the tripe and beef tongue as well.
There’s Scandinavian flair as well, including the Bachelor Farmer and Fika, a cafe located inside the American Swedish Institute. For something not-quite-Scandinavian, but pretty Minnesotan, you can also check out the Finnish Bistro.
I’ve spotted European-born former Vikings Moritz Boehringer and Babatunde Aiyegbusi at Kramarczuk’s, an Eastern European deli that serves Polish, Ukrainian, Hungarian and other Eastern European foods.
Some might be aching to try the local Minnesota delicacy, the Jucy Lucy. Purportedly invented at either Matt’s Bar or the 5-8 Club, I think the best Jucy Lucy’s are at the Blue Door Pub.
For pricier dining options — of which Bachelor Farmer is one — I’d strongly recommend Heyday, which may be the best restaurant I’ve eaten at in the Twin Cities. Get the tasting menu and ask to get a custom cocktail made for you. One of the best dishes I’ve had in the cities, a simple scallop crudo, was served by Spoon and Stable.
The Vikings take their impending free agents to Manny’s Steakhouse to woo them, though I’m personally partial to Murray’s. Both are incredible and carry a price tag to match.
Breweries
Minneapolis is proud of its beer and its breweries, the most famous of which might be Surly. Minnesota has more than its Surly, however, and one would be remiss not to consider Grain Belt brewery, which dominates part of the Minneapolis skyline. Indeed Brewing is a great experience, and Dangerous Man Brewery is fun for small groups. Bauhaus Brewlabs always puts together a great atmosphere and should be full up with Super Bowl events. And for those who want to visit a brewery but drink apple cider instead of beer, Sociable Cider Werks has your back.
Theaters
The theaters in Minneapolis are iconic, so if any visiting fans want to take in a show during the week, they could do a lot worse than stay in the city. The Guthrie Theater overlooks the Mississippi River with the Endless Bridge, and is a popular destination for those looking to absorb the view of the east bank of the river or the fireworks shows that celebrate national holidays.
Two other historic theaters in Minneapolis include the Pantages and Orpheum, with St. Paul’s Ordway Center for the Performing Arts rounding out the bunch. All of them sell out packed shows for great theater. The Orpheum was previously owned by Bob Dylan, who sold it to the City of Minneapolis in 1988.
For less traditional theater, it’s worth looking into the Brave New Workshop, which hosts (actually good) improv comedy, which has been the jumping off point for a number of writers and producers of shows like Saturday Night Live, Home Improvement and That 70’s Show. Mixed Blood theater prioritizes community engagement and their work tends to emphasize social justice.
