Next week is going to be epic for food. Bar La Grassa and Burch are doing lunch from January 26 to February 5. Lowry Hill Meats is selling its burger every day from January 29 to February 4. Spoon & Stable added brunch service to Saturday February 3 and Sunday February 4 (reserve here). And so many events!
Here are some of the greatest things going on. (I'll update this list as I learn more.)
Sunday, January 28
Surly Bowl LII: All the HopCat taps are being taken over by Surly. That's 52 taps! All 11 Surly anniversary beers, 7 varieties of Darkness, plus all the classics. Doors open at 10 a.m., and the first 100 guests get a free commemorative pint glass.
Monday, January 29
The Great Northern: Saint Paul Chef Experience: 6 p.m.–9 p.m. An outdoor extravaganza in Lowertown at the St. Paul Farmers Market. Chefs Adam Eaton (Saint Dinette), Thomas Boemer (Corner Table/Revival), and the team of Tim McKee and Shane Oporto (Market House Collaborative/Octo Fish Bar) will come together to cook a winter feast over open flames. Cocktail wizards Laurel Elm, Nick Rancone, and Erik Eastman will create warm, chilled, and spiked beverages, too (a la carte purchases). It's $45, or $125 if you want to go VIP with a warming house, raw bar, cocktails, and wine.
Super Boil Block Party: 5 p.m. Free tubing, ski rentals, and dancing at Theodore Wirth Park—with Cajun Twist serving gumbo, red beans, and a seafood boil.
Tuesday, January 30
Welcome to the North, at Askov Finlayson's courtyard: 5 p.m. Party in the courtyard! Hot chili from The Bachelor Farmer, bonfires, hot cocktails from Marvel Bar, and our new Fair State Brewing Cooperative collaboration beer, Keep the North Cold, on tap. All Minnesota-grown ingredients, including Kernza, a perennial grain that fosters healthy soil. Free to attend, purchase a la carte.
Frogfest: 3 p.m.-8 p.m.: Learn to throw a rock, sweep a stone, and go curling at Frogtown Curling Club! Pork carnitas tacos, chips and salsa and Mexican hot chocolate from Pajarito will be available for purchase.
Wednesday, January 31
Fulton's Taste of the North: 5 p.m. Join chefs Erik Sather (Lowry Hill Meats), JD Fratzke (Bar Brigade), and Fulton's Executive Chef Scott Pampuch for a night of MN-inspired bites and beers. All three chefs will be carefully crafting food built around flavors of the North while pairing with Fulton beers. $45
Surly's Ultimate Winter Feast: 5–8 p.m. Mucci's Italian, 612 Sauna Society, and the Minneapolis Kubb League come together at the destination brewery for porchetta, venison sausage, rainbow trout skewers, duck pastrami pickle roll-ups, and potica. Mucci's has donuts, the Sauna Society's Forge, and (of course) enjoy a cold beer. Very cold. $35 includes one beer.
Tacos & Tequila After Dark: 9 p.m.–Midnight Want to avoid the hubub in the central cities? Hit Minnesota Monthly's Tacos & Tequila After Dark at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka. Acapulco, Mercado by Earl Giles, Blue Birch, La Costa, Los Ocampo, Gray Duck Tavern, Montague's Kitchen, and R Taco will be sampling tacos. $65
Saturday, February 3
Taste of the NFL: Founders Breakfast: 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Join the team behind Taste of the NFL as a tribute to the inaugural Taste in 1992, at the same price of the original taste. Andrew Zimmern, Harvey Mackay, Dave Mona, Esera Tuaolo, Matt Birk, Ben Leber, and more chefs and athletes will be there. $75, the money goes to help fight hunger in all NFL cities.
Bold North Winter Night Market: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Head to the Saint Paul Farmers Market for a night market put on by Little Mekong, the Asian business and cultural district in the 651. Tons of restaurants and food vendors along with other artists and community members. Free admission.
Northern Coffeeworks Taco Takeover: 5:30–10:30 p.m. Chef Jorge Guzman takes over the kitchen to serve smoked pork, beef birria, and roasted squash tacos along with El Frito Hot Dish! Able Seedhouse & Brewery beer all night, and music, too. A la carte, $5–$15
Taste of the NFL: Party With a Purpose: 7 p.m. Thirty-two restaurant stations—one from each NFL city—provide amazing food and wine pairings for guests to sample. One awesome chef, paired with one NFL player. Get photos and autographs as well as bid in the silent auction. O.A.R. will perform at the end of the night. $700, money all goes to fight hunger.
Sunday, February 4
Northern Coffeeworks BBQ Rib Fest: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Chef Jorge Guzman and Jon Wipfli smoke 400 racks of heritage pork spare ribs.
Gameday At Travail: 4:30–11 p.m. Seafood towers, prime rib, truffle pasta, wings, unlimited champagne, and beer. You know this is going to be fun. $207 plus tax and tip
