Meet Minneapolis Do The Town      
Tab Navigation Strip
Site Map

Book Your Hotel Online

Or call 800.620.1958 - Search for flights and car rentals, too. Best hotel rates guaranteed.

Insider Guide: Alexis McKinnis

Known as girlfriday, one of Minneapolis's most prolific bloggers, along with owner of personal touch errands and assistance and columnist for vitamn, Alexis McKinnis knows her way around Minneapolis.

Alexis's Top Five Places to Get a Drink in Minneapolis

1 . moto-i: The sake is brewed on site and the staff is more than happy to tell you all about them. Or just order a flight and try them all!

2 . The Lounge at La Belle Vie: Ask for the extended drink list and prepare to be blown away. Combine that with the gorgeous Lounge surroundings and you'd have to try really hard to not have a good time.

3. Azia Restuarant & Anemoni Sushi Bar: It's actually three restaurants in one: Azia's lively main room, Anemoni's sleek sushi bar and the hip Caterpillar Lounge, with the full menu available in all three. Happy hour is twice a night every night, and that goes for food and drinks.

4. Grumpy's Bar (Downtown location): Karaoke here is a blast, and they're considerate enough to keep it in a separate room for those that don't like it. Pool tables, darts, a great beer list and chummy bartenders make this a great, casual bar.

5. Bradstreet Crafthouse : A wicked drink menu created by the most talented mixologists in the country. Garnishes, glassware and even ice shapes are taken into careful consideration for the ultimate cocktail experience.

You're committed to sustainable living. What's your idea of the ultimate sustainable day in Minneapolis?
I'd start with breakfast at the Mill City Farmers Market. It's so much more than just produce. There are amazing food stands there to nourish you while you browse all the wares, from veggies to coffee to cheeses from local farms and gorgeous handmade, repurposed clothing. Then I'd head to Johnson Street in NE Minneapolis and visit the cute little shops up there.

Craft Planet is a crafter's dream; you can find something to inspire you even if you don't think you're particularly creative. Much of the material there is recovered or repurposed. Rewind Vintage is next door; very smart retro fashions, plus odds and ends for sprucing up the house.

Lunch has to be Brasa in Northeast, where the focus is Creole, Caribbean and South American cooking and ingredients are locally-sourced whenever possible. Next, a walk or bike ride along the Mississippi River Parkways in the gorgeous Minnesota summer, or tours through the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Arts in brisk winter. Dinner and wine back in Northeast at the Northeast Social. It's a newly-opened neighborhood bistro where the contemporary menu showcases dishes from around the world, but utilizes local bounty.

What's the most romantic place in Minneapolis?
Cafe Lurcat is one of my favorite places for something romantic. In summer, the patio overlooks beautiful Loring Park and the bar and dining room are always warm and cozy in winter. The menu is French contemporary with lots of items that allow for sharing bites.

And the best place for young(ish) singletons?
Soundbar is a great club that brings in DJs who spin all kinds of dance music; no matter what you're into, they have a night for you. The crowd is friendly, well-dressed and party-oriented. Minneapolis is an amazing place if you like live music; there's a great band playing on any given night in one of dozens of clubs around town. Music lovers live for talking about the bands they're into. Buy someone a drink and start up a conversation.

Now, time for some favorites:

Deal in town:
The Northeast Social might have the best half-price wine deal in town right now. Monday through Saturday from 4-5:30pm the entire bottled wine list is half-off. I recommend the house pinot noir, just $8 a bottle during happy hour! For late-night munchies, The Herkimer has got the best cheap appetizer menu. Delish small plates for under 4 bucks until midnight, every night.

One-stop shop for it all:
How could I not say the Mall of America? I'm there at least once a week; if not shopping for something specific, just to get my exercise walking around the massive structure and to see what's new in the stores. The movie theater just got a serious makeover, too, complete with D-BOX seats that move and vibrate along with the action on the screen. There's also wine and beer service in the VIP Theatre. The MOA has plenty of great restaurants and, of course, the giant theme park in the middle.

Outdoor adventure:
The Greenway is something every Minneapolis resident should know about and something every visitor should check out. Bring your bike (or rent one in Uptown) and take it along the trails, where there are plenty of places to pull over for a snack or a cold beer. Speaking of cold beer, I'm also big on patio-hopping through Uptown. It's fierce competition between restaurants to see who can build the best outdoor seating area, and the rest of us get to sit back and reap the benefits.

Place to relax:
Boom Island Park. Most people visit the Chain of Lakes or Gold Medal Park when it's nice outside, but this park is usually pretty unpopulated. Bring a chair and a book and watch the occasional cyclist zip by on the river trail below. You won't find me outdoors much when it's cold, so in the winter I like to relax anywhere with a fireplace-particularly Brit's Pub on Nicollet. s