Best Fall Salads In Minnesota
In Minnesota, warm weather months overflow with fresh fruits and vegetables. It can, however, be hard to find fresh, local vegetables during the winter. Autumn's harvest is the last chance we have before root vegetables take over for the cold months, and boy do these local restaurants and eateries deliver. If you want the best of fall vegetables at a local spot doing it right, check out these local restaurants.
Black Sheep
600 Washington Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 342-2625
www.blacksheeppizza.com
Black Sheep is a pizza place but that certainly doesn't detract from the Market Salad, which uses ingredients picked specifically from the nearby Farmers' Market. When autumn hits, tomatoes, cauliflower, kale and so much more gets turned into some of the finest salads in the state. You never know what you'll find in this pizzeria's salad repertoire. Come for the pizza, but start with a salad. The season demands it.
Birchwood Cafe
3311 E. 25th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 722-4474
www.birchwoodcafe.com
Birchwood's dedication to locally sourced produce is a wonder in itself, and your autumn salad will reflect just that. The Midwest excels during warmer months in producing some of the finest vegetables of the land, and the selection of salads changes daily based on what is available. Of course, there are still the classics, like Scorch Salad that comes with sheep's milk cheese, cherry tomatoes, onion and a cucumber mint vinaigrette, that you can enjoy no matter what the season.
The Bachelor Farmer
50 N. 2nd Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 206-3920
www.thebachelorfarmer.com
Another restaurant that loves Midwest farms, The Bachelor Farmer sources from these smaller growers everything it can't grow on its own rooftop garden. The result is some of the freshest, most delicious seasonal salads around. The Scandinavian concept is certainly not foreign to us in Minnesota (Minnesota has the largest Scandinavian population in the country), so we're on the same page when it comes to eating with the weather.
Related: WCCO Viewers' Choice For Best Salad: Crossroads Deli
Signature Cafe
130 S.E. Warwick St.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 378-0237
www.signaturecafe.net
It's easy to overlook this little restaurant in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, but you're missing out if you haven't taken the time to find it. A common theme on this list is locally sourced ingredients and Signature has been serving just that with the best of them for years. Classic mixed green or spinach salads will always hit the spot, but for the best of autumn ingredients, like heirloom tomatoes, ask your server about the daily-changing salad made up of the finest greens and vegetables the land has to offer.
The Buttered Tin
237 7th St. E.
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 224-2300
www.thebutteredtin.com
Somewhat new to St. Paul's Lowertown neighborhood, TBT has already made a major splash in the brunch and baked goods world. But we're not here to talk about those amazing cucpcakes. We're here to talk salads, and if you come for lunch or stumble in for a late brunch, you're going to be just as satisfied with the freshest ingredients in TBT's salads. Just a couple blocks from the St. Paul Farmers' Market, TBT uses the freshest seasonal ingredients for the daily salads that often upstage the desserts. Even the signature salads are season-conscious, changing as needed.
Related: Best Spring Salads In Minnesota
Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.
