Things to eat

These are some recommended places to eat that are some of our favorites

OWAMNI BY THE SIOUX CHEF. 420 South First street Minneapolis MN 55401

The Place of Falling, Swirling water. Experience the true flavors of North America, featuring foods of Mni Sota Makoce, Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds. Located at OwamniYomni, the sacred site of peace and well-being for the Dakota and Anishinaabe people. At Owamni they prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. They have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. proudly presenting a decolonized dining experience.

TORI 44 - Ramen - 2203 44th Ave N MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota 55412

Noodle specialist offering pork-free ramen, vegetarian and vegan options, and are able to accommodate most, if not all dietary needs. Tori’s philosophy to ramen is simple, zero waste. Everything is made from scratch, meaning nothing is pre-made. The roasted chicken chashu they prepare, cooks & drips to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process, and creates what is known as ‘tare’.

PIMENTO JAMAICAN KITCHEN - 2524 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 

Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken. A Local favorite that holds a very special place in our hearts as it served as a critical food bank for our less fortunate in our communities during the 2020 uprising.

Colita - 5400 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Upscale Oaxcan food with a fantastic menu, delicious drinks both boozy and NA, and the whole menu is gluten free! Cryptid recommends the churros. They are phenomenal.

THE NICOLLET DINER/ROXY’S CABARET - 1333 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Classic American diner food open 24 hrs and a local late night favorite. Another gay owned establishment where you can feel at home with a plethora of other queer folk around you whether it’s your fellow patrons or the staff themselves.

THE HARRIET BRASSERIE - 2724 W 43rd street Minneapolis MN 55410

Delicious French and Brazilian inspired new American cuisine located in the bougie Linden hills neighborhood located only a couple blocks from beautiful Lake Harriet and the Como Harriett streetcar line museum.

AFRO DELI - 1810 Riverside ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Freshly made African, Mediterranean, and American themed food, you will be wowed by how good the food is here. It's not just the food here that's great. Afro Deli is one of the businesses that steps up to provide nutritious and culturally appropriate food for some of the most vulnerable community members in the twin cities metro area.

KHALUNA - 4000 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409

This is the spot for some fine dining Lao food. While it is much more on the more expensive side, they will not disappoint. Find out why so many locals rave about the Basil wings.

BOLUDO - Kingfield Neighborhhod, Downtown, Uptown, and Como neighborhood.

Argentinian pizza and empanadas that brings a taste of Buenos Aires to Minneapolis. With food that is to die for, it's a great place to share and enjoy the cozy atmosphere with good friends. (One of Anastasia’s favorite neighborhood restaurants that she can easily walk to any time of year.)

PARLOUR - 730 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis MN 55401

Probably the best burgers in town. Tucked away in the North loop, cocktails here are to die for as well. This neighborhood is popular so a good parking can be hard to find.

MATT’S BAR - 3500 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407

While the debate between who invented the juicy lucy will never be settled, it's clear that Matt’s has the better burger. No where does cheese like the midwest. So come to the ONLY place you should be getting a burger filled with molten cheese. It's greasy and a cash only establishment but don't let that scare you away, it's a Minneapolis landmark for a reason.

HAMDI RESTAURANT - 818 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Unadorned halal restaurant featuring traditional Somalian & East African cooking. This is a shining example of why East Lake street is the best part of the city. Located right next to the old midtown exchange building (containing the local favorite midtown global market)

THE RED SEA - 320 Cedar Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Another local favorite among many, This is the place for authentic Ethiopian food and a cozy spot to eat.With great vegetarian options and sometimes live music this is a must try place if you find yourself in Cedar Riverside. (or need an excuse to be in Cedar Riverside)

Exploring Minneapolis 

Minnesota is known for its numerous state, regional, and local parks, lakes, and walking/bike trails where you can enjoy the natural beauty of this wonderful place. Here are a couple of our favorite sights to see in Minneapolis that are quick and easy to reach and leave you enough time to visit other places as well.

MINNEAPOLIS SCULPTURE GARDEN 725 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis MN 55403

Sandwiched between the Minneapolis institute of art, the Basilica of Saint Mary, Loring park (the original MPLS gayborhood), and Dunwoody College. This is the home of the biggest spoon you are likely to ever see as well as many other great sculptures like a big blue …….Rooster. You can even walk all over one sculpture because it's the bridge at the mouth of the lowry hill tunnel giving you direct access to Loring park.

MINNEAPOLIS CHAIN OF LAKES - Bde Maka Ska (Lake white earth), Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Brownie lake.

Part of The Grand rounds scenic Byway in Minneapolis, these lakes are a local favorite in any season and an all around beautiful place to swim at what passes for a beach in Minnesota, walk, bike, canoe, kayak, or sailboat around and spend some time in a green space. Boat rentals are available near the Bde Maka Ska boat launch just off Lake street. If you plan to swim, you will end up with that lake smell but it goes away after a shower.

COMO HARRIET STREETCAR LINE - 2330 W 42nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55410

Favorite of quite a few Autists in our local leather community, come see and learn about the amazing transit system that was. Shut down in 1955 due to General Motors lobbyists forcing all of us to have cars instead, take a peek into our history. This remnant is a lot easier and safer to see than the old rails the streetcars ran on previously because it's not buried under pavement and only visible when the potholes get big enough in the spring.

MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART (MIA) - 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404

If you enjoy art and not the great outdoors, MIA is the place for you. With free admission and plenty to see, you can easily spend an entire day or more here. There is also usually art from local artist sprinkled throughout.

MILL CITY MUSEUM - 704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Minneapolis made its name long ago as the Mill city for the flower that was milled here. As you will notice the mill city museum is no longer a full mill due to poor ventilation causing an explosion back in 1878 when it was the washburn A mill. This is another great place to learn about the history of Minneapolis. Its also surrounded by other great sights to see like the stone arch bridge that you can walk across to reach Saint Anthony Main, The Guthrie and its endless bridge, and gold medal park. All of which are a great place to be at sunset.

MINNEHAHA FALLS PARK - off the metro blue line and Minnehaha Parkway

Another must see green space you can walk along the Minnehaha Creek after the falls all the way down to where it joins the Mississippi River. This is a great place for a shorter hike and a great way to get the “getting away from it all” feeling without having to leave the city. Along the bank of the Mississippi is a great spot for Agate hunting while you're in the area.

FIRST AVE - 701 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403

You are not likely to get in if you are not going to a show. But this is THE FIRST AVE, fans of Prince will probably recognise this as the venue from the movie Purple Rain (1984). If you get the opportunity to see a show here you should definitely take it there isn’t much more quintessentially Minnesota than a show at First Ave, besides tater tot hotdish, lutefisk, or maybe Prince himself.

MALL OF AMERICA - 60 E Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425

Four floors of all the shopping you could ever want and an amusement park all wrapped into one. Fun Fact! MOA does not have a heating system and is kept warm with the body heat of everyone inside during frigid Minnesota winters. Don't worry the mall is air conditioned in the summer.

CAN CAN WONDERLAND - 755 Prior Ave N Suite #004, St Paul, MN 55104

A whimsical destination of amusements and entertainment featuring indoor mini golf, vintage pinball and arcade games. A few blocks off the Metro Green Line, this is an easy and fun venue you can reach just over the border in Saint Paul.

COMO PARK AND CONSERVATORY - 1225 Eastbrook Drive Saint Paul MN 550103

Como Conservatory located in the beautiful Como park and right next to the Como zoo, is a picturesque greenhouse for a wide variety of plants from around the world with plenty of places to sit and take in the stunning greenery.

Ways to travel around

METRO TRANSIT BLUE LINE

The metro transit blue line is accessible from both MSP Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and travels through a majority of downtown Minneapolis and is within 5 blocks of most hotels downtown. Metro Blue Line shares tracks with Metro Green Line after the US Bank Stadium stop downtown. Please be aware the green line does not go to MSP airport or mall of america. Green LIne travels through the University of Minnesota campus, Saint Paul Midway and ends in downtown Saint Paul

METRO TRANSIT BUS LINES

The Metro Transit bus lines are a great way to get around Minneapolis and Saint Paul inexpensively and travel fairly quickly anywhere locally. This service does run through first ring suburbs but is significantly less often the farther out of Minneapolis and Saint Paul that you travel. We recommend you select different transportation for this type of travel around the metro area.

METRO TRANSIT GO-TO CARD

To simplify your tips on public transit we recommend using the GO-TO transit card which can be purchased most easily online, at a rail platform, or through the Metro Transit app. This card is refillable and reusable.

TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE

If you are traveling from out of town and require additional assistance due to disability or financial hardship please contact our production team so we can help make transportation arrangements.

Header photo by Lorie Shaull