Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
The following parkways will be temporarily closed June 11 – 12 (9:00pm to 9:00am) for Northern Spark:
West River Parkway - Portland Avenue to 11th Avenue S
A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.
Via a June 6 Press Release from the Minneapolis Downtown Council:
MINNEAPOLIS (June 6, 2016) — The Minneapolis Downtown Council, along with the Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan Downtown Experience Committee, announced today a Request for Creativity (RFC) design competition for a creative lighting experience at the 2016 Holidazzle.
The Creative Lighting Experience aims to become a signature addition to the 2016 Holidazzle event in Loring Park—which will run Thursdays through Sundays from November 25 to December 23—through the creation of a one-of-a-kind spectacle that will create a sense of wonder unique to the City of Minneapolis.
The goal of the RFC is to entice creative teams with specific experience in the creation of lighting installations to apply. Creative teams could include students, designers, lighting specialists, architects, artists, urban designers or agencies with these capabilities. The RFC overview can be viewed here and proposals must be submitted to jblair@downtownminneapolis.com by Friday, June 24 at 5 pm.
“Holidazzle’s first year in Loring Park was a success, and our goal is to continue adding ways to make the experience even more special and memorable for those who attend,” said Leah Wong, Vice President of Events and Marketing, Minneapolis Downtown Council. “One way we want to do that in 2016 is to add spectacular lighting to Holidazzle, which will add to the vibrancy and enhance the Minneapolis-centric focus around local people, places, products and activities we highlight during our city’s annual holiday celebration.”
For the Request for Creativity submissions, 3-4 finalists will be selected and invited to interview and discuss their concept with the review committee. From those design submissions and interviews, one winner will be awarded a contract to build their design.
Submissions for the RFC must include a statement describing your lighting concept, team member biographies, concept illustrations and examples of previous creative work.
“The Downtown Experience Committee’s goal is to enhance the vibrancy of downtown through events and programming,” said Tom Whitlock, chair of the 2025 Plan Downtown Experience Committee. “Holidazzle is such an important Minneapolis holiday tradition, and we are excited to help enrich people’s experience through facilitating the addition of dazzling lighting this year.”
Finalists will be announced on July 5, with final presentations to take place the week of July 25 and a winner selected the week of August 1. Design refinements will take place August through September, installation will take place in October and unveiling occurs in November. A budget provided by Holidazzle and sponsors will be allocated for this project.
For more information on Holidazzle, visit Holidazzle.com or follow along on social media via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #Holidazzle.
About Holidazzle:
The 2015 and 2016 Holidazzle is managed and produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The 2015 Holidazzle was sponsored by Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 292, North Central States Region Council of Carpenters, Painters and Allied Trades International Union, Laborer’s Union Local 563, Egan, Fraser-Morris Electrical Co., Swanson & Youngdale, Hirschfield’s, North Memorial Health Care, CenterPoint Energy, Xcel Energy, Fulton Brewery, NELSON, RipBang Studios—a division of NELSON, DigitalParc, Comcast Business, Indulge & Bloom, dotcom.printing.inc., Warning Lites, Minneapolis Recycles, Premium Waters, Inc., Metro Transit, Star Tribune and Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. The Downtown Skating Rink was a collaborative effort by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative and Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, and is sponsored by VEIT, Kraus-Anderson, Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, U.S. Bank and Love Your Melon.
About the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is an independent, semi-autonomous body responsible for the Minneapolis park system. With 179 park properties totaling 6,801 acres of land and water, the Park Board provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community and the environment. Its Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, neighborhood parks, recreation centers and diversified programming have made the park system an important component of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live, play and work. More than 21 million annual visits are made to the nationally acclaimed park system, which was named the number one park system in the nation in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore® Index.
About the Minneapolis Downtown Council:
Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business associations in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The MDC’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit DowntownMpls.com.
About the 2025 Plan:
The Downtown 2025 Plan is a vehicle to help leaders and citizens build on Downtown’s assets and guide its development in ways that reflect the community’s aspirations for a Downtown Minneapolis that is thriving, livable, green, connected and welcoming in the decades ahead. This includes initiatives to double downtown’s residential population, transform Nicollet Mall into a must-see destination, implement a Gateway area and other green elements throughout downtown, create a compelling and walkable environment around the clock, lead the nation in transportation options, end street homelessness, forge connections with the University of Minnesota and more. The 2025 Plan is a Minneapolis Downtown Council initiative established in 2010.
June 4 was Urban Farming Day at the Market. Shoppers had the opportunity to learn how urban farmers grow sustainable food in city lots and gardens thru exhibits from Spark-Y Youth Action Labs, Frogtown Farm and The Good Acre.
I was in the right place at the right time - with Annabella Sardelis of INDIGO & SNOW. As the temperature rose, I shed my sweater and walked away wearing one of her beautiful hand-dyed tops. I'll feel her hug every time I wear it. :)
What's new at French Nugget? Sea Salt & Coffee Chocolate and a Lavender Mist spritz - they'll make you feel good, both inside and out.
Happy to see the Wedge Community Co-op now has a pop-up market booth next to the cooking demo area. Stop there for butter, milk and other items previously not available at the Market. Look for a separate Wedge post this week on our Farmers Market blog.
You can sign up online or at the Info Booth to receive a weekly email update on what to look for at the Market.
Our neighbor got a yummy breakfast sandwich from Black Cat Natural Foods.
Chef Jenny Breen prepared Pea & Mint Croquettes with Yogurt Sauce at the Mill City Cooks demo. Look for a separate post this week on our Farmers Market blog for the delicious pictures.
Story time!
Looks like "the goat" has some competition: Cosmic Wheel Creamery! It's on.
Northern Spark, presented by Northern Lights.mn, returns for a 6th year on June 11 from 9:00pm - 5:26am.
For the 2016 and 2017 festivals, the theme Climate Chaos | Climate Rising will explore the interconnected, evolving, long-term consequences from climate change, giving local and national artists a platform to help turn a sense of overwhelmment into concrete actions anchored in a realistic and hopeful map for the future.
Here are a few more things to consider as you plan your night!
Seed Saving Bingo. Photo: NorthernLights.mn
Join artists Rachel Breen and Koby Jeschkeit-Hagen for Seed Saving Bingo. Come play bingo and learn about what you can do in your own yard to save seeds and protect biodiversity! The practice of saving and passing down seeds allows humans to play a critical role in fighting climate change. The world’s heirloom seed heritage is irreplaceable and threatened by the rise of monoculture farming, the patenting of seeds, and the endangering of heirloom varieties by genetically modified crops.
Take a seat in the Guthrie Theater for some fast paced education at Nerd vs. Nerd, present by the U of MN's Institute for Advanced Study. It’s scholars vs. artists in a fast and furious throwdown of ideas and inspiration. Thirty scholars deliver five-minute presentations of their work, immediately followed by an on-the-spot creative response by community artists, with the audience voting on which interpretation – scholar or artist – helped them learn the most about the topic.
Future Drawing Near: Future Drawing Here enlists your creativity to imagine and draw alternate futures for our world. Artist Janet Lobberecht invites you to participate in four future designing stations: Rapid Futuring, Reflective Futuring, Systematic Futuring, and Shared Futuring and draw the future where everyone is an agent for change.
Story and photos by Julie Craven
When Ivy Ivers Taheri told me she'd been in the business for 20 years, I must have looked skeptical. “No, really. I was busing tables when I was 13 and I have been in the hospitality industry ever since,” she exclaimed.
Stem Wine Bar is a full-service restaurant, bar and lounge. A spot for wine drinkers in a sea of venerable Northeast breweries. The roots go deep with beer making in the area, but Ivy, who is also a partner at The Tangiers, saw an opening for her passion - great wines and small plates.
The wine list is relatively short, but certainly varied. I had a Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma and Doug went with an Italian wine, Cantele Primitivo from Puglia. French, Italian and domestic wines will rotate through the wine list and Ivy credits Small Lot Wine with being a great partner in the process of creating the wine list.
Our group was a bit of a revolving door (our server Ben did a great job of keeping track of everyone!), and as each person came and went it was a great chance to both catch up and to try out one of the small plates on the menu. Because Doug is a Virginia boy, he always tries the crab cakes. The Panini Sliders with Brie, Apple and Prosciutto was one of four variations on the shareable slider theme and the two young people with us said that it was delicious.
Our friends Steve and Cheryl went with the crudités plate, a colorful veggie assortment that included carrot varieties and fennel paired up with three hummus options: roasted red pepper, pesto and herb. They also ordered the Petite Lamb Chops. Finally, there were the Korean meatballs, perfectly balanced between zing and a slight sweetness at the end, all paired with a delicious Barbera d’Alba red wine from Italy.
The dessert partner at Stem Wine Bar is Eden Prairie based Three Chocolatiers. Plans are to rotate the dessert offerings every couple of weeks. Tonight there were two chocolate desserts, a lemon tart and a coconut cream pie in the line up.
I asked our twenty-something style mavens, Maggie and Heidi, how they would describe the interior - “swanky” and “very Gatsby” were the descriptors. The Champs de Provence French Rose also got a thumbs up from them.
Why this site for a location? Ivy said her search for the perfect spot took her literally all over the metro. Her leasing agent assured her she wouldn't like this location, the last one on their list, but they stopped anyway. The empty building had housed fire engines and had the dirt floor to prove it. “If ever there was a place that needed some love,” Ivy grinned. The design details were all hers and the contracting talent was GSM Contracting.
Down the road? Wine dinners and perhaps an expanded Late Night menu are the back of the napkin ideas Ivy is considering for Stem Wine Bar. “The team is building some really fun bi-weekly wine and food pairing events that I think will be a great component to the business and mostly fun for people to diversify their wine knowledge and try some new stuff!”
Hours: 4pm till close, Wednesday through Sunday
Location: 24 University Avenue NE #125, Minneapolis, MN
Website: stemwinebars.com
Julie Craven can be reached at julie@millcitymedia.org.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (June 1, 2016) -- FINNEGANS Brew Co. is launching a new summer campaign to help drive one million in total donations back to the community since the company’s opening in September 2000. The FINNEGANS Million Dollar Drive will be supported by its beer sales, the Reverse Food Truck fleet, a FINNEGANS MS150 cycling team and a Sweet 16 Birthday Registry with gifts for local food shelves. The campaign will run through the summer with the goal of hitting $1 Million by September.
FINNEGANS has a longstanding tradition of helping out the community. The first of its kind social enterprise has an extensive network of food partners: farms & food shelves through food bank partners, volunteers and a fleet of Reverse Food Trucks that make it all happen. Since 2012, FINNEGANS has funded nearly 394,000 lbs. of food in a five state area (MN, WI, SD, ND and IA). In Minnesota last year alone the fresh produce provided to those in need was funded from 34 farms and went to 78 different food shelves via The Food Group’s Harvest for the Hungry program. Since the launch of the Reverse Food Truck in 2014, an additional $68,037 worth of food has gone back to the community.
Founder and CEO, Jacquie Berglund, noted: "I set out 15 years ago to leave the world a better place than when I got here and our FINNEGANS model has been a great way to do that. I'm thrilled at the prospect of reaching the million dollar mark in donations. Giving our profits away to help those in need and working with an amazing team of staff and volunteers who all enjoy doing good in the community feeds me every day!"
FINNEGANS is calling on community members, businesses and organizations to take part in the Million Dollar Drive by first drinking FINNEGANS beer - the beer that does good. The new Freckled Rooster and Hoppy Shepherd, along with the flagship Irish Amber, will be available in a new Summer Saintly Sampler which includes an exclusive cocktail card featuring all three brews. The profit from all beer sales goes back to fighting hunger in local communities. Another way people can get involved is by participating in the Sweet 16 Birthday Registry. Everything on the registry is something a food shelf or people facing food insecurity needs but budgets often do not cover.
The goal of this campaign is to honor FINNEGANS’ mission of turning beer into food as proclaimed in their manifesto: “We believe in barstool philanthropy. In social innovation building strong communities. And that doing good and having fun play nicely together. We believe in the sweet alchemy of turning beer into food. In lining food shelves with fresh produce from local growers. And that it takes a village to raise a more purposeful pint.”
Check out finnegans.org/onemillion to see progress throughout the campaign and join us in helping turn beer into food for those in need!
FINNEGANS (www.FINNEGANS.org)
FINNEGANS – Turning beer into food. Founded in 2000 in Minneapolis, FINNEGANS is a self-sustaining and inspirational social business. Through the sale of its Amber Ale, Hoppy Shepherd Ale, Dead Irish Poet Extra Stout and now the new Freckled Rooster, FINNEGANS has created an innovative business model that allows the company to create community wealth. How? One hundred percent of the profits are donated to the FINNEGANS Community Fund (501c3) to support hunger alleviation programs in every market where FINNEGANS is sold. FINNEGANS has scaled its giving program to MN, WI, ND, SD and IA. Now, is there a better reason to raise a pint of FINNEGANS?
For the latest information, find FINNEGANS on Twitter and Facebook or visit finnegans.org.
Crew members carefully secure the deck panel to the newly placed cap beams (the cap beams were mentioned in last week's update).
Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services has made a precinct line change effective for 2016 elections and beyond affecting voters living in Ward-Precincts 3-8 and 3-12. Moving the dividing line between the two precincts from Hennepin Avenue to Washington Avenue allows both polls to lie within the boundaries of the precincts and also should lead to a more equitable divide of registered voters between the two precincts, with consideration of some new, larger, housing projects in the downtown core. Affected registered voters will receive a postcard notification of their polling place change.
Story and Photos by Susan Schaefer
Artist Aldo Moroni
Minneapolis, MN, May 31, 2016 – If he were inclined, from this perch overlooking St. Anthony Falls “could Minneapolis’ artist Aldo Moroni literally look across the river to the Mill City side and peer into the windows of some of the well-heeled private collectors who own one or more of his sculpted towers, wall sconces or commissioned works?”
Ever respectful of his collectors’ privacy, he only acknowledges that this could be the case. He counts celebrities and CEO’s among his numerous collectors.
Just under a year ago, Moroni scored a primo spot on the St. Anthony Main side of the river in Pillsbury A Mill building, becoming a prototypical tenant this newly opened artist collective development. Ensconced in the cozy, light-filled two-bedroom unit he shares with his two sons, Moroni is one of A Mill’s most prominent, and perhaps prolific, working artist inhabitants.
Iconic Moroni towers perched on sill
The long awaited A-Mill Artist Lofts, designed for artists committed to a life in the arts, features a number of shared work and studio spaces for special projects or daily work for use. In Moroni’s case, he makes yeoman’s use of the ceramic studio, equipped with state of the art kilns.
Moroni in ceramic studio with kiln
On an overcast Saturday morning, as we share a stellar view, strong coffee and engaging conversation, Moroni readily rattles off facts about art theory, religious movements, and more. His curiosity and knowledge about topics that inhabit and inform art – history, religion, sociology, urbanism, geography, music, light, color – are vast, and his authentic interest is infectious.
The Chicagoan arrived in the Twin Cities to attend MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) in the early 1970s. His emergence on the formal art scene reads like a fable. Young Moroni was whisked from the halls of college to the halls of the renowned Walker Art Center in one fell swoop. None other than then-Walker Director, the late, great Martin Friedman, who saw the subtext Moroni already was providing in his work, navigated that magic carpet ride.
World in Progress
Known for recreating civilizations in small-scale sizes, he wanted his viewers to question how we live in cities; to engage in conversations about where and how our civilizations emerge; to explore the consequences and rewards of urban existence.
Moroni invited viewers to become Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians. His work termed early earth or action art, followed on the heels of Dadaism. Timing was in his favor.
Over his 40 plus years, his handiworks have shifted from massive to miniature and back. Audiences could peer down on occasionally vast landscapes, like his infamous Babylon project, a performance art piece of creative destruction, or more recently behold his tame replica of ‘old’ Dinkytown.
Many of his miniatures evoke Hieronymus Bosh-like narratives, filled with catawampus buildings and impossible configurations just recognizable enough to engage viewers in studies of urban design gone slightly awry. Others, with more authentic scale and form, like his new study of Georgetown where his daughter has been living as a student, simply evoke a whimsical sense the urban realm.
Artist with large-scale tower wall installation ready to be delivered to client
However, it would be incorrect to mistake his ‘interpretations’ as fairy tale. Moroni may take liberty with narrative, much like novelists he admires such as James Michener, Ken Follett and Dan Brown, but the underpinning of his work is solid scholarship mixed with his heartfelt desire to evoke critical questions about urban life. Moroni bristles with that Bauhaus analytical idealism that maintains: “Art asks, design offers solutions, and architects and engineers implement.”
Moroni believes that: Art asks, design offers solutions, architects and engineers implement.
Such a cerebral stance combined with sharp sculptural prowess accounts for Moroni’s exulted status as a Minnesota arts trifecta honoree: He’s earned the McKnight, Jerome and Bush Fellowships, and going for the grand slam, the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest Award. This is no small feat.
His vision and scope is epitomized in his opus, This River, This Place, a 6,000-pound epic stoneware wall sculpture commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The work is a topographical map of the bank’s service area, the entire Ninth Federal Reserve District.
Exemplifying Moroni’s quest for historical detail and meaning, This River, This Place can be read on multiple levels – as a geographical map of the six district states and as cultural and historical microcosms. “Major geographical features such as Lake Superior, Isle Royale, the Rocky Mountains, Lake Oahe, the national forests of northwestern Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers can be easily identified by the naked eye from any vantage point in the Federal Reserve Bank's lobby.”
Yet, on closer observation viewed with binoculars, telescope or a zoom lens, Moroni’s “various cultural icons and historical images of the Great Plains states. Paul Bunyon's statue in Bemidji, MN, a herd of buffalo (including a sacred white buffalo) in North Dakota, motorcyclists gathered in Sturgis, S.D., the State Capitol at Bismarck (tallest building in North Dakota), the Wounded Knee Monument in South Dakota, an overflowing Red River in Grand Forks—and much, much more,” have been incorporated in his archetypal style.
Originally commissioned in 1996, the 33.5’ x 12.5’ piece, composed of 270 brick-shaped tiles, made of Minnesota white stoneware, fired and glazed, and covering 396 square feet of reinforced wall space took Moroni four months of research and six months to execute working with a team of seven artists.
Such collaboration is also a hallmark of Moroni’s ethic. Known as an activist, he embraces numerous life long relationships, mentors and guides others in their art and projects, and serves indefatigably in the service of social justice, environmentalism and inclusion. Moroni is a wildly beloved and respected local legend.
In fact, this coming Monday, June 6, 2016, from 6 – 9PM at the Solar Arts Building in Northeast, he will be one of the prominent panelist selected to discuss, “Creative Sustainability: What’s it Mean for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and Northeast Minneapolis,” alongside City Council members, Kevin Reich and Jacob Frey, Myron Orfield from the University of Minnesota, Kelley Lindquist of Artspace, among others. Moroni’s platform regards exploring expanding the boundaries of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and creating a citywide arts center.
Moroni creates from a place of passion so deep and true that he captivates those lucky enough to enter his sphere with his fascination for how, why and where civilizations rise and fall and what role arts plays in this thrust of history. A three-dimensional mythmaker, Moroni’s worlds bring thoughtful examination about urban progress and sustainability.
Susan Schaefer can be reached at susan@millcitymedia.org.
Helping Paws is an organization that trains and places service dogs with individuals with disabilities. They are sponsoring the June 7 showing of Finding Nemo at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, part of the Music & Movies in The Parks series.
There will be an 8:30pm demonstration by Helping Paws service dogs. Be sure to stop by their information table. Donations are welcome! Helping Paws is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so any contribution you make is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Music starts at 7:00pm (Brianna Lane plays June 7), and the movie starts after the Helping Paws demonstration. For full enjoyment of the night, bring a blanket or chair, sunblock and bugspray. Music & Movies in The Parks is produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.
TOP STORIES LAST WEEK
Streetscapes: Living in downtown Minneapolis was a badge of shame in the days of the Gateway
“If you don’t stay in school and work hard, this is where you’ll end up.”
City Hall bells will go silent for renovation
Time will fly by silently this summer in downtown Minneapolis, when City Hall's clock tower bells cease chiming during a long-anticipated restoration project.
Minneapolis adopts 'complete streets' policy
When the City Council approved the policy Friday, Minneapolis took it a step further than most, giving priority to pedestrians, followed by cyclists and transit riders and, finally, drivers.
Stanton's latest downtown condo project clears hurdle
Coon Rapids developer Jim Stanton received approval this week from the Minneapolis Planning Commission for his biggest downtown condo project yet: the Legacy, a 374-unit building near the banks of the Mississippi River. Next stop for the project is a vote by the Minneapolis City Council.
Are condos making a comeback in downtown Minneapolis?
Ten years ago, downtown Minneapolis was in a condo-building frenzy. Hardly a week passed without someone announcing a new project or conversion. Developers could barely keep up with the feverish demand for condo units, while investors were pocketing profits from flipping units as the national housing boom continued to push prices higher.
Want to tour U.S. Bank Stadium? There are options
The architectural and sports curious still have options for getting passage into U.S. Bank Stadium for either a preview or a behind-the-scenes tour.
Glam Doll Donuts is opening a second shop in Northeast
Soon, Northeast Minneapolis residents won’t have to travel to Eat Street to feast on their favorite donuts.
Lu’s Sandwiches is expanding to Northeast’s Red 20
Lu’s Sandwiches, a sandwich shop in Whittier known for its banh mi sandwiches, is expanding with a higher-end location in Northeast Minneapolis. The new restaurant will open next month in the new Red 20 apartment building in the Nicollet Island-East Bank neighborhood. Owner Quang Pham said while much of the beloved food will stay the same, the business model will be of a higher-end fast casual restaurant serving beer, wine and made-to-order food.
The Bad Waitress to open second diner in Northeast
Owners Mary and Andy Cohen are planning to open a second diner and coffee shop in the 700 Central project in Marcy-Holmes. The apartment development from Wayzata-based Nolan Properties Group is transforming two warehouse buildings into 80 market-rate apartments and retail space.
THANK YOU to all have, currently are, and will in the future serve this country. (Yes, I realize Memorial Day is not the same as Veterans Day. But while we honor those who gave their lives, it's always appropriate to say Thank You to those who are alive to hear it.)
70,000 individual rubber stamps. 300 sign and educations stamp sets. A collection spanning 120 years. Accessible to all artists in their creative practice.
The mission of the H/G Archive is to preserve historical, rare and unique tools of artistic expression while maintaining their accessibility to artists wishing to incorporate them into their creative practice. It is a living archive where use by artists and researchers is encouraged.
Significant investments have already been made to support the H/G Archive, but for it to succeed they are raising $13,000 as a start-up initiative to cover the costs of cataloging, artist work stations, technology for access, and archival storage. With your help, these rare and unique tools of artistic expression will serve and inspire the arts community for years to come.
Visit the Kickstarter project page to pledge your support and earn unique and inspiring rewards!
Story and Photos by Julie Craven
Just days after their opening, Jefe Urban Hacienda has the look and feel of a well-established restaurant. The only giveaway to the fact that they opened less than a week ago is the adrenalin-rush-delight the staff has as guests come in the door. Esti welcomed us, Luisa served us and they were both gleeful and insistent that we meet everyone.
Luisa is from a town about an hour from Mexico City, so when I asked her about the menu she had a lot of references to her hometown. We started at the top of the menu, the Mexican Street Food section, and ordered the Oxtail Quesadillas. Braised oxtail, corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, chipotle crema and rajas. Tender, cheesy and rich, there would be a photo, but Doug helped himself as soon they arrived and that was the end of that!
If you want to go Mexican bold, Luisa suggested another street food item, the Jalapeños with Tocino. Jalapeños with poblano cream cheese, bacon and salsa de tamarindo. On a hot day, she predicted the Fruta con Limon will be a frequent order. Refreshing and light, it's a combination of mixed tropical fruit, fresh lime juice, chili powder and sea salt.
Next on the menu are Tacos. There are two to an order and Luisa called out two on the list: a vegetarian choice with the Wild Mushroom and the Ropa Vieja, a flank steak taco for beef lovers.
Among the tamales and pork items on the Especiales portion of the menu there's one very non-Mexican sounding entree: Cauliflower Pastor. It's a combination of pineapple and caramelized cauliflower, fried onion, grilled jalapeño, mixed together. An order of tortillas on the side and you can make your own unique taco. Chili Relleno is already standing out as star and it's one of Luisa’s favorites as well. A poblano chili stuffed with monterey and cream cheese, ranchero sauce with sides that include refried lentil and saffron yellow rice. Not spicy and super flavorful.
The Americano section, or gringo items as Luisa referred to it, has a State Fair Pulled Pork Sandwich and a Salmon entree. And there's a burger, too - Juicy Lucia (get it?!).
Amy Spartz and her husband Jeff Arundel launched Jefe. They also have the Aster Cafe just down the street. Amy commented that in their experience over the past six years, summers on St. Anthony Main were good, but the winters were hard. About two years ago they saw that change and as the density in the neighborhood increased, year round business was notably better. That's when they decided to open a second restaurant concept (I know you're smiling, Jacob Frey!) The “where” came before the “what”. The landlord of this location is a friend and she and Jeff both loved “the kooky, the character and the soul of the building.” But she described it as “tired” and there was work to do.
“Jeff had the aesthetics and did all the interior - he could see the end result,” Amy noted. It made them both smile when within an hour of the opening, three people asked “who is your decorator?” Paul Tierney, a metalwork artist, and friend of the couple, did the doors and the statue of Zorro. His work is also featured in the interior and the exterior of the Aster Cafe.
“Then it was the ‘what’ options and that fell to me," Amy said. "I looked at the neighborhood, at Mexican options accessible to this community and had conversations with neighbors at the Phoenix and the A Mill Artist Lofts. A Mexican concept felt like the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Bar manager and the creator of the Jefe’s craft cocktail menu, Andrew Campbell stopped by our table. Formerly with Bradstreet, his first order of business was to create a Jefe Margarita. His philosophy? Do simple things correctly. His starting point was fresh squeezed Curaçao and then began playing with it. His goal is to keep the ticket time under 10 minutes, which is great service for each of the 12 craft cocktails options. Even with 12 craft cocktail options, Andrew wants the experience to be approachable and there are times when folks, including himself, want the $2 beers for happy hour. That’s on tap, too. Jefe translates to “boss” and this great new restaurant certainly is Boss!
Hours: 4pm till close, everyday
Location: 219 Main Street SE Minneapolis, MN
Website: jefeminneapolis.com
Julie Craven can be reached at julie@millcitymedia.org.
Northern Spark, presented by Northern Lights.mn, returns for a 6th year on June 11 at 9:00pm.
There's a LOT going on - here's some of what you'll find in and around the Mill City Museum:
Step inside the Mlll City Museum Train Shed, presented by Northern Lights.mn in partnership with Make It. MSP. Inside, #act, #interconnect, and #nourish with a wide variety of creative, interactive projects.
Afterglow Garden feelie boxes. Image: <jɑː↓>
At Christine Baeumler's Backyard Phenology: Tracking Nature’s Cycles in a Changing Climate see how art, science, and place-based observations can come together to catalyze awareness of and action on climate change.
Step into the light at the Afterglow Garden, created by <jɑː↓>, a botanical installation and sensory workshop that highlights a shifting global ecosystem by juxtaposing our climate-present with an imagined climate-future.
Make a wish for the future at Robin Garwood's Wishing Well. Dig for treasure: real coins, where every cent equals 350 tons of the carbon that will be burned worldwide during Northern Spark. And then make your choice. Will you extract the money? Or will you leave it in the ground, as a wish for a future free of catastrophic climate change?
Mill City Museum Train shed, Northern Spark 2015. Photo: Nathan Santos.
Visit Soil Laband, with the help of artists Monica Haller, Sebastian Muellauer, and Nic Jelinski, and U of MN scientists test the soil from your own backyard. Full instructions for how to bring your soil for testing are on our website.
Curve your path toward Gregory Fitz' A Bend in the River, a sculpture composed of cedar replicas of stream bank rehabilitation cribs. The arrangement matches their intended use as an engineered solution to rebuild eroded riverbanks, usually in cold-water trout streams.
Explore your energy at Roger Nieboer's Energeia. Part science ¬fair, part lab¬ practical, and part philosophical inquiry, Energeia will challenge you to reflect upon your own consumption of energy and your individual, ¬ increasingly important role as a human on the planet.
Activities in the Train Shed look to welcome all people to the festival; look for the Radical Welcomers from Make It. MSP. saying hello, and share a bite of food and climate conversation as guests break the Ramadan fast at sunset at the Interfaith Iftar, organized by Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.
Minneapolis Riverfront, in Pare Lorentz’ “The River”. Movie still: Pare Lorentz
When you need to take a chill out break from all the excitement of Northern Spark's interactive projects, stop by the Mill City Museum and enjoy films old and new about our changing environment.
Instead of burning oil at the drive-in, enjoy outdoor film in the outdoor space adjacent to the Mill City Museum Ruin Courtyard. Curated by Tim Peterson, Latitudes: Artists from Six Continents Reflect on Earth’s Changing Environments will feature recent single channel works by a diverse lineup of six internationally-acclaimed artists, whose selected videos explore a range of topics addressing climate change.
At What Cost: The Films of Pare Lorentz is an all-night screenings of Pare Lorentz’s pioneering documentaries, considering environmental change from the historical perspective of the 1930s. Inside the West Engine House Theater at the Mill City Museum, watch The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) and The River (1938) highlight the ecological and social catastrophes that culminated in the Dust Bowl and devastating flooding, and promote the New Deal’s solutions to these environmental problems.
Midiyanto, shadow puppeteer.
Sumunarwill present a wayang kulit at Northern Spark, inside the courtyard of the Mill City Museum. In Bimo Gugah (Bimo Prevails), a hero discovers that the volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and drought destroying his country are the result of corrupt leaders. Amidst the climate chaos, people are hungry for change—can Bimo save the day? Performed by master puppeteer Midiyanto, enjoy political commentary and social satire, along with fast action scenes, all to the accompaniment of a full gamelan orchestra. Join us under the stars for an Indonesian tradition you won’t want to miss!
See more! Go to the Art & Events page, and browse events for Mill City Ruins, Mill City Museum and Mill City Train Shed.
During the Launch Party (7pm-9pm), the Mill City Museum Ruin Courtyard will be host to many ways of nourishing your imagination. This incredible, open-skies location positions you right in the middle of the art you are supporting when you buy a ticket.
The top real estate team with Keller Williams is looking to hire a full time Executive Assistant interested in being part of the Cynthia Froid Group.
The Executive Assistant will work closely with the fast paced, high energy real estate team supporting four full time real estate agents, implementing and managing the day-to-day systems, operations and databases, processing paperwork, managing real estate transaction files, and most importantly representing our team with integrity. This person would be the face of the Cynthia Froid Group.
Applicants must be computer saavy, highly organized, resourceful, a problem solver and capable of shifting gears many times throughout the day. Prior real estate experience is not required but candidate must be responsive, self-driven and detail-oriented with an interest in the real estate industry.
Please send resume and inquiries to Sarah Lavelle at admin@cynthiafroid.com
Volunteers are needed to help plant on June 4 and care for the 6th Avenue SE Greenway! Gloves provided, you bring a trowel!
Rain Dates: If a Sunday event, will be rescheduled for Monday night. If the Saturday, June 4, event is rained out, planting will take place on Sunday, June 5.
Click here for all volunteer dates thru October 30.
If you have questions, please contact Cordelia Pierson at cordelia.pierson@gmail.com, or the Marcy-Holmes office: 612-623-7633, office@marcy-holmes.org.
Via a May 26 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:
Minneapolis – Minneapolis is the nation’s best park system, narrowly besting cross-town twin Saint Paul, according to The Trust for Public Land’s 2016 ParkScore Index, which was released today by the nonprofit organization. Saint Paul ranked second in the analysis of the 100 largest cities in the United States. Last year, the cities tied for first.
ParkScores are based on three factors: Park Access, which measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park (approximately ½-mile); Park Size, which is based on a city’s median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks; and Facilities and Investment, which combines park spending per resident with the availability of four popular park amenities: basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, and recreation & senior centers.
“Every American deserves to live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and ParkScore helps us measure which cities are meeting that mark,” said Will Rogers, President of the Trust for Public Land.
“We’re honored by the top ranking, but not resting on our laurels. We are working continuously to improve our parks, with a focus on the most racially diverse and economically challenged areas of the city. During the last five years, we have invested significantly in parks throughout the city but especially in north and upper south Minneapolis with new community centers, athletic fields and the first natural swimming pool in North America. With the support of the city and the citizens of Minneapolis, we recently approved a monumental funding plan that will provide an additional $11 million annually into our neighborhood parks,” said Jayne Miller, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
Head to the Government Center South Plaza and Target Field Station for live music, fitness activities, free reading material, yard games, outdoor movies and more.
* * Government Center South Plaza, June 1 – August 31 * *
Hennepin County Government Center South Plaza (300 S. 6th Street) is a tree-lined, circle plaza with a grassy knoll located between 6th and 7th Streets in Downtown Minneapolis. Stop by the Government Center South Plaza to enjoy an outdoor piano, added seating options, free reading materials and these special events each week:
- Tuesdays, 12 pm – 1 pm: Scheduled performances on the outdoor piano at South Plaza.
- Wednesdays, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm: Enjoy the featured food truck every Wednesday, added yard games, a meditation space and the craft/game cart.
- Thursdays, 6 am – 6 pm: Visit the Downtown Farmers Market every Thursday.
* * Target Field Station Events * *
Target Field Station (335 N. 5th Street) is a dynamic transportation hub that connects Downtown Minneapolis with 500 light rail lines and 1,900 buses each day as well as the Northstar Commuter Rail. But it is also a major entertainment destination. Opened in May 2014, Target Field Station offers a large green space for gathering, a big screen for movies and other viewing opportunities, and an amphitheater for musical performances. Located next to Target Field and nestled into the Warehouse District/North Loop, it is close to downtown residential communities, businesses, entertainment, dining, breweries and coffee shops.
Look for free events and entertainment scheduled at Target Field Station through the Go Outside with Hennepin County program. Events will range from fitness opportunities, a movie series and fun for all ages: Monday Movie Nights, Wednesday Trivia, Sunday Family Days, Aquatennial Events
See the city's history and architcture, from landmarks to hidden gems, with Preserve Minneapolis! The 2016 season runs from June 5 through September 25 and features twenty-four tours.
New topics this year include:
They're also bringing back several popular tours from the past, including visits to the Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery; the historic theaters of Minneapolis; and the Fort Snelling Upper Post.
Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, and distances vary; please see each listing for specific details. Tickets are $9 each. More Info
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 4:59AM
