Minnesota Mornings

Did I mention I went to Minnesota? Yeah, right between ARod and Katie's wedding (now known as KRod and ARod) and my Swine Flu "vacation," I stopped over in one of my favorite Midwestern towns. Or should I say two of my favorite Midwestern towns?

I had been looking forward to my trip to Minnesota since I got the go ahead to make the trek from the wedding festivities in Beantown to the Association of College and University Religious Affairs conference at Macalester College the day after the wedding. You see, Minnesota is one of those places (sort of like Pittsburgh), that people LOVE. Anyone I have ever met that is from Minnesota has such pride in their hometown. Perhaps I am drawn to it because I am from Washington, DC (okay, the DC 'burbs) and very few people still live here that grew up here, let alone have intense pride for their DC hometown.

(And if you have ever facilitated a workshop with me, you know that I force every participant in any audience I stand before to play an icebreaker. And nine times out of 10, the icebreaker involves sharing a favorite thing about one's hometown. Extra points are given for restaurant recommendations. And the people from Minnesota are always overflowing with things to share. People from Minnesota...just love Minnesota.)

As it turns out, I love Minnesota, too. And people from Minnesota. In fact, when I meet someone new and they mention they are from Minnesota, I make a mental note of this and quickly bump them up on the "potential new friend list" (this also happens people mention going to sleep early or a dislike of coffee). I have slowly collected a whole group of people from Minnesota in my DC life and have cultivated relationships with their parents and siblings...just so I have people to hang out with when I'm in the Twin Cities and can sort of pretend I too am part of the cool Minnesota club.

On past trips to Minnesota, I have either hosted events or attended conferences. Luckily, these trips have afforded me the freedom of a few free hours to discover the cities, too! A big thanks to Tovah P., Vivian F., Amber W., the entire S-H fam, Jill L., Betsy G., and Ari L. for attending the events I've hosted in MN, texting restaurant recommendations, inviting me to your vacation slideshow potluck, meeting me for lunch with very little notice, and living up to my expectations of "Minnesota nice."

Here is a little recap of my past three trips to "the cities" (as they're known by their adoring residents). I hope this is just the beginning of many, many future trips to my Midwestern home away from home.

5 Days, 4 Conferences, 3 (or 4) Cities
I usually end up in the Twin Cities as part of a marathon multi-city tour. My first taste of Minnesota and The Cities was in the middle of a trip from Northampton, MA and on my way to New York. I was in town for the Medical Students for Choice conference and as luck would have it, the Upper Midwest Bakery Association conference was in town too. It was actually happening in the same hotel where I was staying! I bought myself a ticket and took some of the most delicious photos...ever.


This was the also the trip when I discovered the French Meadow Bakery. It was Meredith S.H. who texted me this restaurant recommendation gem while I was in the airport. French Meadow does not disappoint. The menu is composed of mostly local, organic ingredients and there is something about the decor (even at the airport location) that makes one feel at home. I remember selecting the French Meadow Spa Salad to take with me on the plane on my ride from Minneapolis to New York--I have never been happier at 30,000 feet. The white balsamic dressing and shredded beets were just fantastic. And the chocolate coconut bar wasn't bad either.

I have now visited the French Meadow location on Lyndale Avenue more than five times and it just keeps getting better. If you go to the Twin Cities and don't try French Meadow, lie to me and tell me you did. (I hear rumors that there is also a French Meadow in JFK Airport but I just can't imagine eating their homey, delicious cuisine outside of Minnesota. Perhaps this is the topic of a future blog post...)


We're All Republicans Now
Sometimes when I tell people I was at the 2008 RNC, they eagerly tell me they were there too and ask if I got arrested. It is then I sheepishly have to share that not only was I not there to protest, I was INSIDE the convention. Lest we forget that 2008 was the year I attended both the DNC and the RNC in a span of 10 days (and lived to tell about it). I was the lucky person from my office selected to attend both conventions and host an event at the RNC for the Republicans for Choice. And last year, the RNC was in the Twin Cities.

So I focused on the fact that I got to return to The Cities and French Meadow. I also made plans with my friend Meredith's sister, Ilana, whom I had never met. When I facebooked her to begin the conversation about plans, she wrote, "I've heard about you. You like desserts!" So we made plans to meet at Sebastian Joe's, about a block from one of Minnesota's famous lakes. Our ice cream outing was a welcome break from my RNC adventures. The flavor selection at Sebastian Joe's was extensive and the real fireplace in the cozy dining area even looked inviting in mid-August.


Snow in October? Yum!
My most recent trip to Minnesota was only a few weeks ago and on my second morning in St. Paul, I woke up to three inches of snow on the ground. This was early October and it was SNOWING in the Twin Cities. No wonder why my rental car came with an ice scraper in the back seat.

In addition to this freakish early snow (which, I am told by Minnesota locals, is odd even for The Cities) I enjoyed a leisurely lunch with stepmom of Tovah P., Vivian F., at French Meadow. It was just as delicious as I remembered it and Vivian's funky red polka dot glasses from Costco were fun too.

I also discovered a most delicious Jewishish deli in St. Louis Park called Yum! (the exclamation point is part of the name and must be used whenever the name is written) on this trip. I had sent Betsy G. (leader of the GW Minnesota fan club) a message asking for a lunch recommendation and she suggested Yum! and then mentioned that her mom is a friend of the owner (Patti). So I plugged Yum! into my GPS and found my way to this breezy cafeteria West of The Cities.

As soon as I walked in, I felt like I wanted my apartment to look just like Yum! The ceilings are high, walls are covered in shiny white subway tiles, and windows are huge. The tables are mostly long and communal with bar stools perched around the edges. The menus were printed on large sheets of butcher paper then stuck to giant stainless steel frames with big magnets.

I had so much trouble deciding what to order. As I approached the counter, I noticed the name "Patti" embroidered on the chef's jacket of the person behind the cash register. I chanced it and dropped Betsy's name only to find out that Patti and mom of Betsy had recently worked together on an NCJW house tour. Very, very small world...even in St. Louis Park. I consulted with Patti and we decided I would order the Matzah Ball soup and a chicken salad sandwich. The chicken salad was outstanding (and I don't say this often) and jam packed with tarragon. Thanks to Patti for the suggestions.


Betsy and Patti had both told me I needed to try the Patty Cake before I left. There was basically no way I could eat anymore so I ordered the cake, snapped a few photos, took one bite (okay, two--it was FANTASTIC), chatted with Patti, and hit the road to the airport. Before I boarded my plane,* I bought three (count them, three) Spa Salads from French Meadow and crossed my fingers I could get the Patti Cake and salads through security. And thus began my personal import business of Minnesota delicacies into the District.

*And how could I forget? I was RECOGNIZED on my flight home. Yes, that's right. As I took my seat, I heard someone say, "Are you Emily Goodstein?" Yes, yes I am. It was a friend of the famous Tovah P. (who had both participated in clinic escort trainings I led when I was a student). Just another reason why I love Minnesota.