The SRCCON Guide to the Twin Cities

Thanks to MPLS locals Jeff Guntzel, MaryJo Webster, Matt DeLong, Justin Heideman, Andrew Stevenson, CJ Sinner, Will Lager, Tom Nehil, Richard Abdill, Meg Martin, and Eric Nelson.

Quick note - this guide has not yet been updated for 2019, so there might be some out of date notes, but it's still a great jumping off point!

How to Get Around

There are two train lines in the Twin Cities. One runs through Minneapolis and the other runs from Minneapolis to St. Paul. Mercifully, they are connected. The MetroTransit trip planner is a reliable way to determine if your destination is near a train stop. Many of the places listed here are. Metro Transit, the agency that runs buses and trains in Minneapolis, has an app (iOS and Android) so you can buy fares right on your phone (buses and train stations also take cash, but have exact change).

There is also a bike sharing system called Nice Ride that has over 100 stations throughout the core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Stations are usually pretty close to many of the attractions listed below, including right behind the McNamara Center. Passes are $6 for 24 hours or $15 for a month, you get bikes for 60 minutes at a time before additional fees accrue.

Delicious places in the neighborhood

Punch Neapolitan Pizza

http://www.punchpizza.com
0.1 mile (visible from McNamara)
802 Washington Ave SE
or
2.1 miles
210 East Hennepin Avenue
Fabulous pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven at 800 degrees for about 90 seconds.

Bar Luchador

http://www.barluchador.com/
0.1 miles
825 Washington Ave SE
A small restaurant and bar with great tacos. And wrestling on TV.

Haiku Japanese Bistro

http://www.haikujapanese.com
0.2 miles
620 Washington Avenue Southeast

Afro Deli

http://www.afrodeli.com/
0.2 miles
720 SE Washington Ave
African and Middle Eastern Cuisine

Day Block Brewing Company

https://www.dayblockbrewing.com
0.3 miles
1105 Washington Ave SE
Reasonable beer and food—also, on occasion, live music.

Caspian Bistro

http://www.viewmenu.com/caspian-bistro-and-marketplace/menu
0.3 miles
2418 University Ave SE
Persian market and Middle Eastern cafe. Has great service, is delicious.

Surdyk’s Northrop Cafe

http://www.northrop.umn.edu/visit/surdyks-caf-northrop
0.5 miles
84 Church Street Southeast
If you can’t get to the full-stack Surdyk’s (vast liquor and cheese selections with fantastic sandwiches), their Northrup cafe will do just fine. Good coffee, too!

Himalayan Dinkytown

https://www.facebook.com/pg/himalayandinkytown/
Review: http://heavytable.com/himalayan-dinkytown/
0.6 miles
1415 4th St SE
Nepalese, Tibetan and Indian food on campus in a fast-casual setting.

Annie’s Parlour (malts & burgers)

https://www.facebook.com/dinkytownannies
0.6 miles
313 14th Ave SE
Malts! Malts! Malts! Also… Burgers! Burgers! Burgers!

Al’s Breakfast

https://www.alsbreakfastmpls.com/
0.7 miles
413 14th Ave SE A teeny tiny institution! And actually great food.

Purple Onion (coffee shop/cafe)

http://www.thepurpleonioncafe.com
0.7 miles
1301 University Ave SE
A great place to set up shop with a laptop, coffee, and something eggy.

Shuang Cheng (Cantonese)

http://www.shuangchengrestaurant.com
0.7 miles
1320 4th Street South East Minneapolis
You love Cantonese food and you just need somebody to point you to the good stuff. Right over here, stranger.

Surly Tap Room

http://surlybrewing.com
1.0 miles
520 Malcolm Avenue Southeast
Surly makes really good beer right here in Minnesota. Really good. Unlike many breweries in town, they also have a full restaurant menu.

Beyond the campus

Alma

https://www.almampls.com/
1.2 miles
528 University Ave SE
Half of the building is dedicated to a fine-dining-ish restaurant, but in the last year a more casual cafe opened in the other half of the building. Great coffee and sandwiches during the day, and cocktails and a dinner menu at night.

Kramarczuk’s

http://kramarczuks.com/
1.7 miles
215 E Hennepin Ave
Old school Eastern European deli. We never sausage a fine place to dine!

Foxy Falafel

http://foxyfalafel.com/
1.8 miles
791 Raymond Ave, St. Paul
Just off the Raymond Avenue stop on the Green Line (3 stops east of Stadium Village). Excellent falafel and shwarma. Lots of vegan, vegetarian and organic options. Great gluten-free cookies. Serves alcohol.

Norseman Distillery

http://www.norsemandistillery.com/
1.9 miles
451 Taft St NE #19
Distillery with a seasonal cocktail list whose cocktail room doubles as an art gallery. They recently introduced a short new-Nordic inspired food menu.

Brasa Premium Rotisserie

http://www.brasa.us
1.9 miles
600 East Hennepin Avenue
Lip smacking, finger dripping Southern cooking.

Black Sheep Pizza

http://blacksheeppizza.com/
Multiple locations
Coal-fired pizza. (It’s super good.)

Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop

http://surdyks.com
1.9 miles
303 East hennepin Avenue
Select a picnic place (Gold Medal Park? The Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden?) and head to Surdyk’s to pick up cheese, crackers, sandwiches, fancy fizzy drinks, and desserts. You’ll never forget Minneapolis.

Izzy’s Ice Cream

http://izzysicecream.com/locations/minneapolis/
2.1 miles
1100 South 2nd Street
Izzy’s ice cream is so, so, so good. And it’s right next to Gold Medal Park and the Guthrie Theater.

Urban Growler Brewing Co.

http://www.urbangrowlerbrewing.com
2.4 miles
2325 Endicott Street, St. Paul
This is a 10-15 minute walk from the Raymond Avenue stop (3 stops east of Stadium Village). It’s a little off the beaten path and surrounded by warehouses but worth a visit.
A woman-owned and operated craft brewery that makes damn good beer and features a small but strong food menu. Two taprooms and a nice patio.

Acadia Cafe

http://acadiapub.com
2.2 miles
329 Cedar Avenue
A bazillion beers (er, 28) on tap + great food.

Bauhaus Brew Labs

http://bauhausbrewlabs.com/
2.7 miles
1315 Tyler Street Northeast
There are in Minneapolis, but this one is perhaps the most picturesuqe. Great german-inspired beer, outdoor games, music, and usually have food trucks.

Peace Coffee

http://www.peacecoffee.com/locations/wonderland-park
2.8 miles
3262 Minnehaha Avenue
If going out of your way for good coffee is a thing you do, it’s worth doing it for this place. The specialty drinks are bananas.

Sociable Cider Werks

http://sociablecider.com/
2.8 miles
1500 Fillmore St NE
It’s hard to throw a growler in NE Minneapolis without hitting a brewery, but if you’re looking for cider (or just gluten free options) Sociable is your place.

Young Joni

https://www.youngjoni.com/
2.8 miles
165 13th Ave NE
One of the more buzzed about restaurants to open recently, featuring pizzas and Asian-influenced sides and salads. You probably need a reservation to get in the dining room, but there’s also a back bar with a more limited menu (expect a line).

112 Eatery

http://www.112eatery.com
2.9 miles
112 North 3rd Street
Oh crap. This place is a supernatural kind of good.

Tattersall Distilling

http://tattersalldistilling.com/
2.9 miles
1620 Central Ave NE
Arguably the best cocktails in the Twin Cities, in a beautiful space. Can get busy on weekend nights. No food, but there’s usually a food truck parked outside.

Fasika (Ethiopian)

http://www.fasika.com/welcome.html
3.4 miles
510 N Snelling Ave
There is no shortage of Ethiopian options in the Twin Cities, but there is an emerging concensus around the greatness of Fasika.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

https://fairstate.coop/
3.4 miles
2506 Central Ave NE
Cooperative brewery with a penchant for sour beers. Great food options abound in the neighborhood; feel free to bring in your take out.

Pimento Jamaican Kitchen

http://pimentokitchen.com/
3.5 miles
2524 Nicollet Ave
Casual Jamaican. This concept was a one-time winner of “Food Court Wars,” but don’t let that deter you — it’s good.

Chimborazo

http://chimborazorestaurant.com/
3.8 miles
2851 Central Avenue NE
Excellent Ecuadorean food on Central Ave, which is a great eating street in general.

Matt’s Bar

http://mattsbar.com
3.9 miles
3500 Cedar Avenue
This is the place you go for the local novelty food: The Jucy Lucy (yes, that is how they spell it). It’s also where, not too long ago, POTUS went for the local novelty food. Here’s the thing: This novelty is also a legitimately great burger. And Matt’s a legitimately great dive. (The other claimant to the “Jucy Lucy” title is the 5-8 Club, a restaurant and bar on the same road but farther south, near the airport.)

Hola Arepa

http://holaarepa.com/
4.6 miles
3501 Nicollet Ave
Food-truck turned brick and mortar focusing on Venezuelan-style arepa sandwiches and a creative cocktail list.

Khyber Pass Cafe (Afghan)

http://khyberpasscafe.com
4.9 miles
1571 Grand Avenue
The chutney sampler–oh my. And anything with lamb in it.

Angry Catfish Bicycle and Coffee Bar

http://angrycatfishbicycle.com
5.4 miles
4208 South 28th Avenue
If you like your coffee snobs humble, this is your place. This is fussy coffee at its fussiest, and it is a beautiful thing.

Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater

http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/
5.25 miles
810 West Lake St.
At the heart of the walkable LynLake area—food, drink, bowling, and shows.

Sea Salt (Seafood)

https://seasalteatery.wordpress.com
6.4 miles
4825 Minnehaha Avenue
Let’s be honest—this is Minnesota, so we are also talking lake food. But you know what? Lake food is delicious and you’ll be eating it at an outdoor table within earshot (and from some tables within eyeshot) of Minnehaha Falls. And the whole thing is just a short walk from a lightrail stop.

Ha Tien Market

7.4 miles
353 University Avenue West, St. Paul
Just off the Western Ave station on the Green line. This has the best banh mi, the other one is good but this is better, and it’s a full Vietnamese grocery as well.

Beautiful places

Guthrie Theater

http://www.guthrietheater.org
2.2 miles
818 South 2nd Street
The Guthrie was built for plays, but anybody can walk in anytime. Their “Endless Bridge” overlooks the Mississippi River and the ruins of the city’s flour milling industry, but it may still be closed for repairs during SRCCON.

Gold Medal Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Medal_Park
2.2 miles
Gold Medal Park is a lovely picnic spot. Its right next to the Guthrie, which means you can also get in on the magic of the Endless Bridge. It’s also right by Izzy’s Ice Cream (see above). Seriously–it is your destiny.

Paddle the Mississippi River

http://paddleshare.org/
Kayak sharing (and all the other gear, like lifejackets paddles & more)! You don’t need any of your own equipment, just make an online reservation and off you go. Along the Mississippi River, kayakers will pass natural sights like the heron rookery and other islands amid industrial yards and city infrastructure on a transitioning Minneapolis waterfront. They can also stop for dockside dining at places like Sample Room and Psycho Suzi’s.

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/
(Minneapolis) 5.8 miles
200 SE Oak
A beautiful spot in Como Park with some amazing plant displays—while there, stop around to the lakeside—specifically Spring Café or Sweet Science ice cream at the Como Park Pavilion.

Minnehaha Falls

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnehaha_Park
(Minneapolis) 5.2 miles
4825 Minnehaha Avenue
A waterfall, hiking trails, and a great seafood restauraunt. Oh, and you can rent those crazy four-person bikes and pretend you are in the things-are’splendid montage of a romantic comedy!

Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden

https://www.walkerart.org/garden/#map-overview/
4.5 miles
1750 Hennepin Avenue
You know that giant spoon with a giant cherry in it that appears on postcards and special broadcasts from Minneapolis? This is where it lives. And that is fine—it’s kind of cool. But there is so much more at the Walker Art Center’s sculpture garden.

University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Landscape_Arboretum
26.4 miles
3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN
If you need a quiet place for a stroll, or just want to sit and think while surrounded by pretty growy things, you might think about the arboretum. It’s a rental-car thing for sure, but there’s also a Prince perk: To get there you drive by Paisley Park.

Mississippi River via Padelford Riverboats

http://www.riverrides.com/
Dr Justus Ohage Blvd, St Paul
9.7 miles
A river boat ride on the Mississippi between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Chain of Lakes

http://www.wheelfunrentals.com/Locations/Minneapolis
3000 E. Calhoun Pkwy
5.7 miles
Fittingly enough, the biggest city in the Land of 10,000 Lakes features quite a few lakes of its own. Four of them — Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake — are connected by continuous parkland and feature pedestrian and bike trails. You can also rent bikes, pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards for lake-splashing enjoyment.

Books!

These bookstores are vetted. There are plenty more that could (and maybe should) be on the list, but you can’t go wrong with any of these (unless, of course, if you hate science fiction and decide to truck it out to Uncle Hugo’s). Worth noting: Wild Rumpus is a bookstore for kids that has LIVE ANIMALS running around. And we’re not just talking about bookstore cats. There are chickens!

The Book House

http://www.bookhouseindinkytown.com
0.7 miles
1316 4th Street Southeast #201

Midway Books

http://www.midwaybook.com
3.6 miles
1579 University Avenue West

Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore

http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml
3.9 miles
2864 Chicago Avenue South

Once Upon a Crime Mystery Bookstore

http://www.onceuponacrimebooks.com
4.8 miles
604 West 26th Street

Common Good Books

http://www.commongoodbooks.com
4.9 miles
38 Snelling Avenue South

Dreamhaven Books & Comics

http://dreamhavenbooks.com
5.2 miles
2301 East 38th Street

Magers & Quinn

http://www.magersandquinn.com
5.4 miles
3038 Hennepin Avenue

Wild Rumpus

http://www.wildrumpusbooks.com
7.6 miles
2720 West 43rd Street
Children’s books only, and featuring a rotating cast of live animals roaming the store.

Records!

Like the bookstores, these record stores are vetted! Three things worth noting: Fifth Element is the record store of the Minneapolis Hip Hop collective Rhymesayers (Atmosphere, Brother Ali, P.O.S.), Electric Fetus is a super gross name and a really great store, and Treehouse used to be called Oar Folkjokeopus and was sort of the uniffial HQ of Twin/Tone records, early home to Minneapolis bands like The Replacements, Babes in Toyland, Soul Asylum, and The Jayhawks. It’s also where the guys from Husker Du met.

Barely Brothers

http://www.barelybrothersrecords.com
1.8 miles
783 Raymond Avenue

Agharta Records

https://www.facebook.com/aghartarecords
2.3 miles
2512 University Avenue

Hymie’s Vintage Records

http://hymiesrecords.com
2.7 miles
3820 East Lake Street

Electric Fetus

http://www.electricfetus.com
3.4 miles
2000 4th Avenue South

Treehouse Records

http://treehouserecords.blogspot.com
4.8 miles
2557 Lyndale Avenue South

Fifth Element

http://fifthelementonline.com
4.6 miles
2411 Hennepin Avenue South

Movies!

You can find the multiplexes easy enough. These are the special theaters. Oh, and the Riverview puts real butter on your popcorn!

St. Anthony Main Theatre

http://www.stanthonymaintheatre.com
1.9 miles
115 Southeast Main Street

Trylon Microcinema

http://take-up.org
2.7 miles
3258 Minnehaha Avenue

Riverview Theater

http://www.riverviewtheater.com
4.1 miles
3800 42nd Avenue South

Museums and Art!

Weisman Art Museum

http://www.weisman.umn.edu
0.7 miles
333 East River Parkway

Walker Art Center

http://www.walkerart.org
4.5 miles
1750 Hennepin Avenue

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

http://new.artsmia.org
3.5 miles
2400 3rd Avenue South

Mill City Museum

http://www.millcitymuseum.org/
1.9 miles
704 S 2nd St.
Does a really great job of telling some of the key history of Minnesota—the flour industry. Plus you can get a great view of the city, St. Anthony Falls ,and the Mississippi River from the top of the museum. Also great for children!

Northern Clay Center

https://www.northernclaycenter.org/
1.6 miles
2424 Franklin Ave. E.

Intermedia Arts

http://intermediaarts.org/
5 miles
2822 Lyndale Avenue S

Soo Visual Art Center

http://www.soovac.org/
5.2 miles
2909 Bryant Avenue S Suite 101

Highpoint Center for Printmaking

http://highpointprintmaking.org/
5.4 miles
912 W Lake St

Live Music!

Cedar Cultural Center

http://www.thecedar.org
2.1 miles
416 Cedar Avenue

Patrick’s Cabaret

http://www.patrickscabaret.org
2.8 miles
3010 Minnehaha Avenue

Turf Club

http://turfclub.net
2.4 miles
1601 University Avenue West

First Avenue & 7th St Entry

http://first-avenue.com/calendar
4.2 miles
701 North 1st Avenue

Khyber Pass

http://khyberpasscafe.com
4.9 miles
1571 Grand Avenue

Icehouse

http://www.icehousempls.com
4.3 miles
2528 Nicollet Avenue South

The Warming House

http://www.thewarminghouse.net/
5.9 miles
4001 Bryant Ave S
The Twin Cities’ only “listening room,” the Warming House is a forty-seat venue below a bike shop. There’s no booze on sale, which has the advantage of people coming to actually listen to the mostly acoustic and Americana focused acts.

Fun for Kids!

Minnesota Children’s Museum

http://www.mcm.org/
7.5 miles
10 7th St. W., St. Paul
Essential, especially because they just re-opened June 2017 after a massive renovation and expansion. Ideal for toddlers to age 8, but we’re hearing that some of the new exhibits will cater to kids even a little older than that.

Como Zoo

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/
5.9 miles
1225 Estabrook Drive, St Paul
Small, but really nice, zoo; a conservatory; a really cool historical carousel (to ride!); and an amusement park called Como Town that has rides and a splash pad. The rides are geared toward younger kids (toddler through middle school). Como Town and the carousel cost money, but the zoo is free (they ask for donations, however).

The Works Museum

https://www.theworks.org/
14 miles
9740 Grand Ave S., Bloomington

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
16.8 miles

The Raptor Center on the St. Paul University of Minnesota campus

http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/
4.5 miles
1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul

Tamarack Nature Center

https://parks.co.ramsey.mn.us/tamarack/Pages/tamarack.aspx
20 miles
5287 Otter Lake Rd, White Bear Township

Just Because…

Ax-Man Surplus Store

http://www.ax-man.com
3.2 miles
1639 University Avenue West
The most freakishly delightful surplus store this side of the Mississippi. Not military surplus, but everything surplus. People walk through the aisles making joyful sounds. For real.

House of Balls

http://houseofballs.com
2.2 miles
1504 South 7th Street
Just trust…

Prince sites

http://www.exploreminnesota.com/travel-ideas/prince-tour-of-minneapolis/
Since the death of Prince in April 2016, a sort of “tour” of key sites has developed. The biggest destination is Paisley Park, which offers daily tours. Paisely Park is located in a suburb south of Minneapolis called Chanhassen. (Sorry the trains don’t run that far). The link above has details and a list of other sites that Prince fans have been visiting.

Can Can Wonderland

http://www.cancanwonderland.com/
Located in St. Paul, right on the border with Minneapolis, this is a new venue for adults to be more like kids. Mini golf, amusements, bar and restaurant, arts-based flora and fauna. Unfortunately it’s not close to the train line, but would be a short cab or Uber ride from the conference hotel.

Day Trips

Franconia Sculpture Park

http://www.franconia.org
47.5 miles
29836 Saint Croix Trail, Shafer, MN
There is a house suspended from wires, a sculpture made of boom boxes that reaches towards the heavens… Many of the sculptures are welded, formed, and banged together on site. It’s sprawling and it’s amazing.

Duluth (Lake Superior)

150 miles
It’s a 2.5-hour drive, but it’s a great little city on a really big lake. If you are a Dylan person, he was born in Duluth and lived there at 519 N. 3rd Ave. E. until he was six. Or maybe you are a Prince person…

More Lists

City Pages, “Best of…” lists for 2018

http://www.citypages.com/best-of/2018
This covers a lot of other ground, especially in food and entertainment.