On the Twin Cities Bucket List: Sunday Brunch at the Bachelor Farmer
There are less than three weeks left before I leave for Hawaii (with a short stop in Portland), and aside from the harried thoughts of all the packing/cleaning that I have to do, I’m preoccupied with the places I want to visit and things I want to eat before I leave the Twin Cities.
The Bachelor Farmer has been hailed as one of the best, newest editions to the TC dining scene, and I am thoroughly embarrassed that I haven’t checked it out yet. Mostly because the chef behind the restaurant’s Nordic-inspired fare, Paul Berglund, is the husband of one of my colleagues in the Psychology Department! Last month, I learned from their mailing list that TBF added Sunday brunch and Sunday supper. The Sundays I have left here are are dwindling, so I hope that I’ll be able to make it. Here’s the info on Sunday brunch and Sunday Supper from the special announcement email sent last month:
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Friends,
We’re excited to introduce Sundays at The Bachelor Farmer! We’re now serving Sunday brunch and a new format for dinner that we’re calling Sunday Supper.
Our Sunday brunch features Nordic interpretations of brunch favorites along with smørrebrød (a classic Nordic style of open-face sandwich), drinks by Marvel Bar’s Pip Hanson, and the pictured cart, which will pass through the dining room offering housemade pastries as well as Champagnes and sparkling wines by the glass.
Our new Sunday Supper is a set three-course menu consisting of a starter, family-style entrée, and dessert. The menu will change each week and provides our chefs with the opportunity to focus the kitchen’s full energy and talent on a single ambitious dish, such as a whole roasted bird or slow-cooked meat.
Because this Sunday is Father’s Day, we’re going to stock the brunch cart with cans of Hamm’s beer and offer them with our compliments through supper. What better way to toast Dad than with a cold Hamm’s?!
We’re excited about Sundays at The Bachelor Farmer and can’t wait to share this new tradition with all of you. For hours and menus, please visit our website. Lastly, please note that we are no longer taking reservations for Sundays; both brunch and supper will be first-come, first-served.
We hope to see you soon.
Our best,
Team TBF
Dago “The Works” style from Dusty’s in Northeast Minneapolis
Although I do not condone the fact that this sandwich is named after an ethnic slur, I have to admit that it is one damn tasty sandwich. Think of it as your standard American bar hamburger gone Italian-American. The homemade Italian sausage patty takes the place of beef and has a good chew that only ground pork + fat can accomplish. On top of that is a small mass of melted mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and onions that meld together, oozing out of the sandwich with each bite with a lava-like flow of greasy bliss. If the bun were toasted and the Italian sausage a little spicier (insert inappropriate joke here), that would make me not even think about the whole bigoted-sandwich/bar name thing. Okay, probably not, but at least it would reduce my cognitive dissonance just a little bit more.
Bonus: Caught some awesome live country music at the bar, too!
healthy-habits asked: Also, I currently live in WI and am moving to Minneapolis soon. What are your favorite places to eat? I'm up for anything, especially "hole in the wall," vegetarian and/or ethnic places! Thank you!
Hi there, welcome to the Twin Cities! There is no shortage of good food in lots of different niches. Here are some of my faves (in no particular order):
- Dong Yang in Columbia Heights/NE Minneapolis. In my humble opinion, this is the best Korean food in the Twin Cities, cooked in generous home style by three ajummas (older, auntie-type ladies). It is no frills, reasonably priced, and feels kind of random being in the back of a grocery store. This is probably the place I eat out at most in the TC because I am obsessed with Korean food. (Confession: I was kind of sad when City Pages named it the Best Korean of 2010 cause I liked how it felt like my secret gem).
- Babani’s Kurdish Restaurant in downtown St. Paul. It’s super cute, family-owned, reasonably priced, and Kurdish.
- Evergreen Chinese on Eat Street/Nicollet Ave in Minneapolis is another favorite. My brother liked it so much, we went twice during his visit (little post here). Their offering of vegetarian dishes/fake meat is pretty good. Warning: food coma highly likely.
- Want Chinese food that’s not quite so divey but very spicy and delicious? Check out Little Szechuan in St. Paul. I also recently tried and liked Grand Szechuan in Bloomington, where the chef was formerly at Little Szechuan (at least that’s what the ad in City Pages said).
- Fasika Ethiopian in St. Paul. The Twin Cities being home to many East African immigrants, there are lots of options. But Fasika is my favorite and where I took my vegetarian brother when he came to town. I’m always amazed at how un-busy it is here whenever I’ve gone.
- Town Talk Diner is another place that I often take visitors. Inventive craft cocktails (though if that’s more your thing, there’s the Bradstreet Craftshouse in the Graves Hotel) and “adult malts.” American diner food for the foodie set (e.g., frickles and cheese curds w/ bacon ketchup).
- Tanpopo Noodle Shop in Lowertown, St. Paul is also probably one of my top five most frequented restaurants in the TC. Agedashi tofu makes me go to mush. Nabeyaki udon soothes the soul. Be sure to check out the times cause it has somewhat odd hours, and they also recently stopped serving lunch.
- Peninsula Malaysian on Eat Street/Nicollett. Another favorite and a frequent place my friends have birthday dinners. Roti canai appetizer and anything with their house-made tofu (silken style in the Queens Tofu dish, ughhhhh) make me drool just thinking about it.
- Sea Salt Eatery. Summertime in the Cities is never complete without a bike ride down to Minnehaha Falls and a well-earned stop at Sea Salt. Fish tacos in Minnesota! Insanely huge po’ boy sandwiches. An impressive selection of refreshments and local brews and beverages (e.g., Crispin Cider, Summit on Tap) and an even more impressive stock of hot sauces (seriously, it’s ridiculous). The lines get long during the weekend and even during the regular meal time hours during the week. Really great for family-watching.
- Hmongtown Market’s Food Court. Just like any food court, the setting is no-frills and the food is CHEAP (I got a whole fried fish for $6!). But unlike the Mall of America, you can feast on authentic Hmong and Southeast Asian food. Check out the fresh papaya salad prepared in front of you and customizable to your preferred tastes ($5 for a huge serving!). Other highlights: various sausages and balls of meat, white fish steamed in banana leaves. Here’s a video to give you a brief tour (originally from Minnesota Monthly, found on the Marketplace’s About page):
I’m always discovering more new places and new favorites (send me your suggestions!), so consider this list a living document and in no way exhaustive. You asked this question a while back, so hopefully you can still find it helpful! Hope to read more about your favorite places as you get settled in your new home!
