April/May 2025
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need, from the location of his childhood home to sites featured in his movie, Purple Rain. In fact, for valuable information on all aspects of the city, the Meet Minneapolis website should be your first stop. If you enjoy a bit of retail therapy, then the
Mall of America (MoA) – the country’s largest mall - is the place to be. While the North Loop neighbourhood offers independently-owned boutiques, and Downtown has been stripped of large department stores such as Macy’s, the MoA boasts more than 500 shops, a SEA LIFE aquarium, hotels, restaurants and the indoor Nickelodeon Universe amusement park. You can get there by rental car, taxi or a $2 ticket on public transit via the Metro Blue Line. Now that you’ve worked up an appetite,
don’t forget about that incredible food scene. Minneapolis has a reputation for the passion and creativity that its chefs and cooks – all at the top of their game - put into their dishes. Perhaps that’s not a surprise, since
the city was once known as the flour milling capital of America, something you can learn more about in the Mill City Museum with its multi-media Flour Tower experience, viewed from the safety, and seats, of an original freight elevator. With this history in
mind, it’s fitting that the city’s reputation for feeding America has continued and developed over time. Mara, where we dined on
our first night, is a scene stealer of a restaurant. Located within the Four Seasons hotel, its décor is sumptuous, and the Mediterranean- inspired menu is so appealing it’s difficult to choose a favourite dish, but I recommend both the lamb and Wagyu steak main courses. We also loved Borough, which serves
the best Old Fashioned cocktails in the Twin Cities. A stylish spot, it’s in the trendy North Loop neighbourhood and features an intimate, upmarket vibe that sets the tone for an equally classy menu, featuring the likes of beef tartare and Spicy Lobster Spaghetti. Carnivores will love Butcher & the Boar, another culinary highlight. Settled into a plush booth, my friend and I chilled out to the Motown soundtrack in this chic-meets-comfortable space, sipped on delectable cocktails and dined on huge portions - the pickled vegetable starter and seafood main were particular highlights. A first for me was Owamni’s Indigenous American menu, which changes by the season. The restaurant stands on Native land and serves a decolonised menu, which means no
SPOTLIGHT ON THE USA | 35
wheat flour, cane sugar or dairy. The hearty elk chilli and bison stew were both truly
Did You Know? Mall of America is so big that it requires it’s own zipcode!
delicious, but vegans are also catered to with a full plant-based menu. My hotel, the Elliot Park Autograph Collection, couldn’t be faulted and I was glad I chose it, due to its location in ahistoric Downtown neighbourhood, its first-rate amenities and its restaurant, the welcoming Tavola, featuring fantastic Italian cuisine and farm-to-table specialties. Although Ubers are plentiful, my friend and I walked to most museums and restaurants, many of which were less than 20 minutes away by foot. And with so many steps clocked, it was a pleasure to sink into my sumptuous hotel bed each night after a busy
day. I also recommend a massage at the Spa at Four Seasons. I don’t usually book spa treatments, but this was a great
decision as I entered with knotted muscles and tired legs and left, after a Grounding Massage, a swim and a sauna, feeling like I was floating on air. Our March visit saw the weather change from a sunny 23 Celsius to, just days later, snowy and cold. That’s Minneapolis for you - there’s a saying that if you don’t like the weather just wait a day and it will change! But if you prefer
your holidays hot, then May and September offer pleasant higher temperatures,
while
June-August attract more tourists, hotter days and numerous outdoor activities, events and festivals.
Photo credits go to Alex Carroll, Nathan Klok and Mall Of America - Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis.
Plus Andrea McVeigh’s own photography.
Did You Know? The historic First Avenue, an Minneapolis music venue, was made famous by Prince in the movie ‘Purple Rain.’
views from the 31st floor of this historic Art Deco building, and the free-admission Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Then there’s Paisley Park. One of Minnesota’s most famous musical sons is Prince (the other is Bob Dylan). Downtown, you can find Instagram-worthy street
murals of both men, while Paisley Park, Prince’s home and recording studio is now a museum offering guided tours, located in suburban Minneapolis. If you want to do your own Prince walking
tour, the Meet Minneapolis website at www.
minneapolis.org provides all the info you’ll
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