A Weekend of Drinks in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot

From craft beer to carefully made cocktails, Minnesota’s Sweet Spot offers plenty to sip. Set aside a full weekend to explore its food and drink scene.

Included in this Itinerary

• Food
• Drinks

Friday

Morning

Begin in Golden Valley with brunch at the quintessential Good Day Café. Pair your meal with a mimosa—the restaurant pours seven distinctive versions, including the GDC Grand Mimosa with Grand Marnier and the Man-Mosa with Fireball whiskey. The menu includes omelets, pancakes, waffles, crepes, French toast, and baked goods. The oversized apple souffle pancake, prepared with Granny Smith apples beneath a cinnamon sugar glaze, was featured on the Food Network show Best. Breakfast. Ever.

Afternoon

Continue to Chi’Chi’s for traditional Mexican fare and an impressive tequila and mezcal collection. More than 100 types of tequila are available, including blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo. Settle onto the patio with chips and salsa while sampling the selection, or order the Chi-Chi’s Original Margarita made with Jose Cuervo Especial. Flavor additions include smoked jalapeño and prickly pear.

Spend the remainder of the afternoon at Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant and compare its margaritas for yourself. Options include the spicy but refreshing cucumber jalapeño, strawberry mint, and piña caliente, which combines Patrón Silver, passion fruit, pineapple, and a chili lime rim. The menu also features authentic dishes ranging from street tacos and fajitas to molcajete.

Evening

Return to the West End for dinner at CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar. This contemporary restaurant serves vibrant American cuisine and fresh sushi, along with cool sidewalk seating. Its cocktail menu includes the signature Smoked Manhattan and fruit-forward choices such as the Pineapple Mojito and Blackberry Mule. CRAVE is especially notable for its wine list, with over 80 reds and whites from around the world. Sake fans can choose from nine varieties to pair with nigiri, sashimi and specialty rolls.

After dinner, stroll to the AC Hotel Minneapolis West End and head to the 6th floor, home of REVEAL Rooftop Bar. It is an ideal place to watch the sunset while master mixologists prepare hand-crafted cocktails alongside views of downtown Minneapolis. Scotch, bourbon and rye drinkers can choose from nearly 50 different types. The stylish, energetic space includes cozy couches, inviting nooks, and a selection of tapas. A retractable roof keeps the patio usable when rain arrives.

Saturday

Morning

Ease into Saturday with brunch on The Block Food + Drink’s four-season “paw”tio. Start with a signature bloody mary in one of three strengths: Mary Mary Quite Contrary for bloody mary newcomers, the Block Bloody made with the restaurant’s special homemade mix, or the Dragon Mary, made with habanero infused vodka and Sriracha for guests who enjoy spice. Six mimosas are also available. Try the “pacos,” mini pancakes filled with cheesy scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon and served with spicy pepper jam and maple syrup. Vegan entrées are offered as well.

Afternoon

Breweries

Spend the afternoon tasting award-winning beer. Steel Toe Brewing in St. Louis Park pours seven year-round brews, along with several barrel-aged beers that return regularly and a range of seasonal offerings. Its Dissent Dark Ale took home the gold medal at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival.

Golden Valley’s Under Pressure Brewing is a family-friendly brewery and blendery where modern brews are served in a relaxed medieval-style setting. The tap list includes over 20 beers and an equal number of blended beers. Guests can select a sample flight or share an 8-pint flight with friends. Harry Potter fans may want to sample the brewery’s version of butter beer. Food trucks make regular appearances at both breweries for anyone looking for something to eat.

Evening

Begin the evening with dinner at Lat14 Asian Eatery. The restaurant is known for critically acclaimed fine dining built around small, shareable plates inspired by the cuisines of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and neighboring countries. Its full bar offers over 40 types of scotch, bourbon and rye, as well as an Irish whisky and five Japanese whiskies. Enjoy them neat or in a cocktail.

Distilleries

Finish the night with a nightcap at one of two distilleries. Dampfwerk Distillery focuses on European-style fruit brandies and liqueurs made with locally sourced fruits. Its cocktail lounge pairs modern, sexy design with dim lighting, dark walls and gold accents. A tour of the family-owned distillery makes a fitting post-dinner activity.

Just across the parking lot, Copperwing Distillery operates as a grain-to-glass micro distillery. Its offerings include gin, vodka, FRESAS (strawberry gin), bourbon, and its signature Vodskey®, a bourbon mash distilled like vodka. The distillery also sells ready-to-drink bottled cocktails, including an Old Fashioned, along with weekly cocktail kits for home use.

Sunday

Morning

Begin the final day in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot at St. Louis Park favorite Bunny’s Bar & Grill. This popular breakfast destination has been in business for over 80 years and often draws lines out the door. Order a signature skillet scramble, made with scrambled eggs and American fries topped with melted Monterey jack-cheddar cheese, bacon and more. Another option is the cinnamon fritter French. The Bunny Mary offers the restaurant’s take on a bloody mary and comes with a Kramarczuk’s spicy beef stick and a snit of Coors Light.

Afternoon

Beer Halls

For a relaxed afternoon watching the latest game on TV, visit Yard House, a high-end sports bar at the West End. Beer lovers can choose from more than 100 of the best American and imported craft beers, including ciders. The menu also contains more than 100 made-from-scratch dishes for a wide range of appetites.

Another option is Golden Valley’s New Bohemia Wurst + Bier House, a New American craft bier hall. Its rotating tap list features 36 beers, including 23 local Minnesota beers. The kitchen prepares 24 kinds of sausages, all locally made from all-natural, whole cuts of meat with no artificial flavoring and zero nitrates. Choices go beyond traditional sausages, including a Juicy Lucy brat filled with provolone and pepperoncini and a mac and cheese stuffed brat. The adventurous wursts section includes the lamb gyro brat with cucumber sauce, smoked elk brat, wild boar brat and Louisiana alligator bayou brat.

Evening

Close the weekend at Mill Valley Kitchen with fresh cuisine influenced by the California coast. The restaurant offers locally sourced, farm-to-table food in a cozy fine dining setting. Menus change with the seasons and may include entrées such as miso glazed seabass with ginger-shiitake quinoa and herb roasted chicken breast with farro-mushroom risotto. Its wine list contains over 70 selections, emphasizing vineyards from California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Raise a glass to a memorable weekend getaway.