Michelin to Come to Minneapolis!?! Plus Fancy Mini-Golf in Edina, Lynx + Pohlads Thoughts
Lots of New Openings This Week! Thread of the Week - Best New Spots
BREAKING: MSP Business Journal reporting that the Minneapolis Downtown Council will lead an effort to bring the Michelin Guide to Minneapolis. Other areas have had to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the judges visits. No details on that, it’s not happening tomorrow, but Adam Duininck announced the goal is to have Michelin here by 2035 “as part of its larger plan to revitalize downtown.” https://fluence-media.co/487AgJU
Maybe I should have taken a break — after 10 days in Portugal, we dove right back into work. We got furniture delivered, I got a haircut, shot a social media video and did 3 days of radio shows. Maybe I’ll just nap through the weekend - but first, I need to find an outfit for the finale of Minneapolis Fall Fashion Week Saturday night! Side note: does anyone in Europe eat vegetables! Meat or fish with a side of potatoes or rice and maybe some more meat. It’s crazy!
Reach out anytime at Jason@JasonDeRusha.com
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WINTER VILLAGE = PLAN AHEAD FOR GREAT SPECIALS AT MARA
Monday, the Four Seasons Minneapolis team lifted the Nordic Village cabins onto the Hotel rooftop! They’re gearing up for the Winter Market that starts on November 2nd (shockingly soon!). Go visit the market, then check out the prix-fixe menu downstairs Saturdays or brunch on Sundays until 2pm at Mara. Walk-in or RESERVE: https://fluence-media.co/3XYMWPw
Proud to have Mara as a DeRusha Download partner.
TOO BUSY TO DOWNLOAD:
SUNDAY: Get to the chili cook-off in honor of chef Jack Riebel
Minari taking reservations; La Madre opens in Mill District
Eloise opens in Wayzata
High-tech mini-golf in Edina
Custom Whiskey Barrels from Local Distillery
DOWNLOAD DIALOGUE: Everyone Watches Women’s Sports
What a moment Thursday night as the Minnesota Lynx came back from an 18-point deficit to win game one of the WNBA finals. I was talking with Lea B. Olsen about this year’s team, and there are a lot of lessons in their success for the rest of us. Be unselfish, superstars bring out the best in their teammates, chemistry matters, a great coach does make a difference. No one expected the Lynx to be where they are this season - but the coach assembled a team that plays the way she coaches. It’s like an orchestra - everyone plays their role, individually some are great, some are merely really good, but together the sound is better as a whole. LISTEN TO LEA: https://fluence-media.co/4dHjdiS
And a note about the Pohlads who are looking to sell the Minnesota Twins: Family businesses are complicated. Lots of voices with varying degrees of interest in the “family business.” I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Joe Pohlad - he’s a good dude who really immersed himself in running the Twins. Joe could have lied to our show at the start of the season when he said he was “right-sizing the payroll.” [LISTEN: He didn’t.] Fans destroyed him and his family for cutting payroll. Would spending more have prevented the end of season collapse? Who knows. The daily games and long season tends to bring out the worst in a fanbase and the obsession with payroll puzzles me (Two teams are in the playoffs with lower payrolls than the Twins.) The Pohlads brought 2 World Series here, Target Field, they’ll sell for $1.5 billion and be fine, and yet, I feel bad for Joe.
CHEF JACK’S CHILI BOWL IS SUNDAY October 13! Join me and a bunch of awesome local chefs (Thomas Boemer/Revival; Tommy Begnaud/Mr. Pauls; Kate Romero/Oro by Nixta; Jametta Raspberry/House of Gristle; Steven Brown/Tilia; Torrance Beavers/Brunsons Pub) who are making their version of chili to raise money for culinary students at St. Paul College. 3pm on campus. BUY TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/3TK4FYy
NOW OPEN:
Eloise in Wayzata, from The Grocers Table’s Lindsay Pohlad. RESERVE: https://fluence-media.co/3TUZSnh
Langinappe from the Du Nord Craft Spirits team. Friday night is night one: INSTAGRAM: https://fluence-media.co/3U3AR9F
La Madre in the Mill District - from the team behind La Tapatia. Opened Tuesday. INSTAGRAM: https://fluence-media.co/4eAyG5B
COMING SOON:
Grackle opens in Maple Grove next Friday
Tipsy Chicken is opening new on Main Street in Elk River
Salt and Flour opens in the North Loop Tuesday, October 15
SNACK BAR’S DINNER SERIES IS BACK: Four dates, 5-courses, cheap ticket too. You preview new dishes, they stir up some buzz for an underrated restaurant next to Bar La Grassa. MNMO: https://fluence-media.co/4eFhtb7
HIGH-TECH MINI-GOLF IN EDINA: We really want to be entertained, don’t we? Eating out used to be entertainment, now we want dinner and a show. Puttshack sounds cool - a chip in the ball tracks your score, so no cheating. 21+ after 8pm: BOOK: https://fluence-media.co/3NnwKRY
KOREAN BANCHAN + DIM-SUM EVERY NIGHT: MINARI is an “East Asian restaurant influenced by Korean cuisine,” chef Jeff Watson is opening in mid-November, but reservations are already going quickly. Had to go to November 25 to find a 6:30pm. RESERVE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y8PgCK Read more about Jeff’s vision from Steph March - MSP MAG: https://fluence-media.co/4eFbGCm
NEW VIDEO SERIES: My friend Matt at WCCO Radio is helping me produce an ongoing video series called “3 Things You Should Eat at:” ________. Our first stop is Lynette in Minneapolis: https://fluence-media.co/3XEYF4B Coming next week: Diane’s Place.
GIFT THE ULTIMATE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE: CUSTOM BARREL FROM LOCAL DISTILLERY
This is such a cool gift idea: Fill a custom 2.5 gallon charred white oak barrel with your choice of 3 Little Round Still whiskeys. It’s a family-owned micro-distillery in Central Minnesota: you fill it with 6 or 12 bottles. And you can engrave it with a custom name, crest, or business logo! The barrel comes with a white oak cradle, stainless steel spigot, and silicone bung. Founded in Wadena, Little Round Still is relocating to Alexandria early 2025 with a sweet cocktail room. ORDER: https://fluence-media.co/4eJsYyw
Proud to have Little Round Still as a DeRusha Download partner.
BEST SANDWICHES IN MINNESOTA: I worked hard on this feature - truly we are in a great period for sammies. Check out my favorites in a number of different categories - who’d I miss? Me in MNMO: https://fluence-media.co/3zJYDAB
DRIVETIME WITH DERUSHA ON DEMAND
PAUL FLETCHER - RANK YOU VERY MUCH: Countries/travel edition. https://fluence-media.co/482a03w
ANDY BREHM - Why did the legislature ban fully-sober sober houses? https://fluence-media.co/3U5tsGW
JILL SKOGHEIM FROM 5-8 CLUB: Talking Juicy Lucy + more: https://fluence-media.co/3Yjnh4n
REPORTERS STANDING LIVE IN A HURRICANE - IS IT DUMB? https://fluence-media.co/4dHxwUK
DAN HAYES - The Athletic: Why are the Pohlads really selling the Twins? https://fluence-media.co/4dDNuPH
SUBSCRIBE TO THE DRIVETIME WITH DERUSHA PODCAST!
Apple Podcast https://fluence-media.co/3xTkkNu
Spotify: https://fluence-media.co/3VUtph4
WHAT’S THE BEST NEW RESTAURANT OF 2024? It’s a discussion on my Threads page - weigh in! Diane’s Place? Vinai? Bucheron? Others? THREAD: https://fluence-media.co/4eYRkE6
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! The partners make it possible for me to do this (THANKS MARA + LITTLE ROUND STILL) — so do you! Thank you for reading!! I love seeing your feedback - so please share thoughts and news tips to Jason@JasonDeRusha.com.