Wander Minnesota: Festive Feasting
One aspect of this time of year that can't be overstated in importance is food. Whether you're looking for something for an office potluck, family appetizer night, hostess gift, or full-fledged holiday dinner, food is a key component of holiday celebrations. Fortunately, in the Twin Cities we have several purveyors of fine foods, many with a local touch. Here are some places to seek out unusual and sometimes extravagant gifts.
St. Paul's Golden Fig Fine Foods has a stellar collection of local foods and food-based items, and many things you won't easily find elsewhere, including the house-branded spices and Artisan Tonic Syrup.
Several blocks away from Golden Fig, but still on Grand Avenue, is Sunrise Market, a St. Paul outpost of the long-time Iron Range food company. Here you can find foods with roots in the Range's ethnic background like porketta, potica, and pasties. If you're there around lunch time, be sure to try the café's porketta pizza too.
For the Italophile in your life, St. Paul's Cossetta's Market has everything needed for an Italian feast.
Over on St. Paul's west side is El Burrito Mercado, one of the best spots for Hispanic foods. The deli and bakery are enormous and full of fresh-made items that will really spice up your holiday traditions.
Over in Minneapolis, the France 44 liquor store has expanded its deli and now stocks gourmet grocery products and a robust selection of cheese. The company also partners with St. Paul's St. Paul Cheese Shop and St. Paul Meat Shop, both also on Grand Avenue and both also offering a wide range of delicious, and often local, foods.
Another liquor store providing delectable edibles is Surdyk's. The deli and cheese shop may not be large, but it's packed with all kinds of things you never knew you needed until you saw them. Duck fat caramels, anyone?
Just down the street from Surdyk's is Kramarczuk's. This long-time Northeast Minneapolis staple is ground central for everything Eastern European, whether it's pastries and desserts, a huge array of Eastern European meats and sausages, or a stop at the adjacent restaurant for a quick meal.
Not far from Kramarczuk's is another Eastern European specialty shop: Sikora's Polish Market. You want babkas, pierogis, and gypsy bacon? No problem.
Linden Hills' Clancey's Meats and Fish is tiny, but it's packed full of everything you need in terms of high-quality animal protein, and there's also a deli area with unusual salads and spreads.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.
