Curated City Guides by Your Favorite Designers and Tastemakers.
Minneapolis:
Emma Trithart
Bars & Restaurants
The Neighborhood Cafe
This is my go-to place for weekend breakfasts. A friendly place with little to no wait time, you can count on extra awesome waiters, delicious and cheap food (I usually get their Cajun Breakfast), and a cabinet FULL of every kind of hot sauce you could ever dream of! 1570 Selby Avenue, St. Paul
The Nook
The best burger place in the Twin Cities, the Nook burned down last year and it's finally open up again! Their list of delicious burger options will make your head spin - as will the wait time, if you get there during a busy hour. My recommendation is to get there for an early dinner and order the Triple-B Bourbon Bacon Burger. I think I hear the burger angels singing! 1817 Selby, St. Paul
Sweeney's Saloon
Sweeney has what must be the best happy hour in St. Paul - after 9:00 their GIANT chicken wings (so so spicy!) are only .60 each. I can maybe eat 3 before my stomach goes on strike. Their patio is fab, as well. 96 Dale Street N, St. Paul
Cheeky Monkey Deli
Gourmet sandwiches at less than gourmet prices - make sure you get some of their house made potato chips on the side! 525 Selby Ave, St. Paul
Bread & Chocolate
Passing by this place on my way to work every day is torture. A bounty of croissants awaits you inside, plus a full coffee bar. I like a classic chocolate croissant with some of their iced tea. 867 Grand Ave, St. Paul
The Tea Garden
The bubble tea masters of the midwest, these guys serve up classic bubble tea flavors with the classic tapioca "bubbles".... along with some crazygonuts flavors (avocado! wintermelon! taro!) and crazygonuts jellies (lychee is my fave). If you're looking for something warmer, I adore their Chai or a Honey Tea Latte. 2601 Hennepin Ave S
Shops
Wet Paint
My go to place for art supplies - their paper selection is top notch, and they usually have some pretty nice sales to help your starving artist dollar go further. 1684 W Grand Ave, St. Paul
BlackBlue
Primarily a men's clothing store with a few things for the ladies as well. This top notch collection is so well curated that, if you can afford it, you could revamp your entire closet in just one trip! True, I can't afford what they're selling, but even stepping in to look around is worth the trip. 614 Selby Avenue, St. Paul
Antiques Mall of St Paul
It seems like all antiques malls are created equal, with their close quarters and rooms full of overpriced, stuffy antiques. Not the Mall of St. Paul! They mostly house vendors with items from the 50s and 60s, with PLENTY of affordable options for everyone! 1817 Selby, St. Paul
Common Good Books
It doesn't matter whether you love or hate Garrison Keillor, his book store is top notch! They have a great selection of any kind of book you could ever want (I mostly gravitate to the cookbooks and children's books) in a really neat looking underground space. 165 Western Ave N, St. Paul
The Source
The Source might be a little out of the way, but if you're looking for comic books and board games (Settlers of Catan, anyone?), you should probably go out of your way to get to the source. They've got a little bit of everything for all the different types of nerds out there. 1601 Larpenteur Ave W, St. Paul
ETC.
Mississippi Market
My fave St. Paul based co-op has one location where I live, and one location where I work, which is awesome. Their pizza special during lunch is so amazing, and their produce is always fresh and delicious. 622 Selby Ave, St. Paul
Como Conservatory
While most people opt for the Como Zoo - being that it's free - I actually prefer skipping the zoo and heading for the Como Conservatory. Also free (donations accepted), the conservatory boasts more ferns, trees, and flowers than you can shake a stick at! This is a great place to go in the depressingly bleak Minnesota winters to get a much needed reminder of what plants look like. 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul
Summit Avenue
I'm lucky enough to live on one of the more picturesque streets in St. Paul. Simply taking a walk and admiring the architecture of the HUGE houses along this street is a great way to spend your time. If you'd like to take a look inside of one of these mansions, the James J. Hill House (240 Summit Avenue) offers a guided tour of their historical mansion for a small fee.