Favorite Foods of 2025 | Twin Cities, MN

Keeping up the tradition of the last couple years I wanted to share 12 of my favorite foods of 2025. This year, due to my husband and I buying a house we did a lot less eating out, but it was still hard to pick just 12 dishes. So without further ado, sharing in no particular order…

Minnesota State Fair Foods 2025 | Saint Paul, MN

We normally go to the Minnesota State Fair with at least a couple other people, but we decided to take a day off and go on the first Friday this year, which meant we were solo for the majority of our time minus a friend meet with some beverages. Being there over lunch and dinner did help us pace and we still fit in as many foods as our stomachs could handle!

My 2025 Stats: 5 Hours. 7 Foods. 5 Beverages. 11,500 Steps.

Get the breakdown below and let me know what foods you tried and/or plan to try this year!

5 Outdoor Dining Spots | Saint Paul, MN

This list is my favorite patios and outdoor dining spots in Saint Paul and the east side suburbs. I know that there are a lot of revered spots in Minneapolis and the west burbs also, but I spend most my time on this side of the Mississippi so I’m making a list true to me!

If you have a spot you absolutely love, please drop it in the comments!

*Also shout out to my husband for being the star of most of these photos haha

Angelina’s Kitchen | Woodbury, MN

Angelina’s Kitchen in Woodbury was actually one of mine and husband’s first date night spots back when he was trying to impress me so it was fun to go back and revisit now after over 2 years of marriage.

7 Saint Paul Breweries | Minnesota Beer

The last two Sundays husband and I had off together so we had two brewery hopping dates. This made me realize it’s been a while since I did any beer features over here so I thought that in addition to calling out the 4 we visited, I’d include 3 of my other favorites and throw together a list my 7 go-to Saint Paul breweries….one for every day of the week 😉.

*I understand that there are many more options, so please don’t take offense or get up in arms if your favorite isn’t on this list.

The French Hen | Saint Paul, MN

Husband and I had a weekday date day and decided to cross off one of his must-try’s, The French Hen, for lunch.

Favorite Foods of 2024 | Twin Cities, MN

Last year I did a recap of my 12 favorite foods for 12 months and it was so fun I had to do it again for foods of 2024.

Sharing in no particular order…

Buca di Beppo | Saint Paul, MN

Husband and I were invited to Buca di Beppo in St. Paul to try out their menu and learn more about the history of their company and the history of that location’s building…including some ghost stories 👻.*

Buca di Beppo is a national chain that actually started in a basement in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their humble beginnings were actually the inspiration behind the name, with Buca di Beppo translating roughly to “Joe’s small place,” in Italian.

*I do want to add a disclaimer that while I was gifted a dinner experience, my review and thoughts are my own.

See pictures of everything we tried below.

Hope Breakfast Bar | Woodbury, MN

I’ve previously visited Hope Breakfast Bar in St. Paul so I was excited to hear that they were opening one up so close to me in Woodbury.

We went for a Saturday brunch and lucked out that it was still warm enough outside to sit on the patio. Definitely recommend you have a reservation as the place is very small and generally book up at all locations.

Minnesota State Fair Foods 2024 | Saint Paul, MN

I am very excited that this year we had 4 other people with us which allowed me to try more of the new Minnesota State Fair foods! My 2024 Stats: 5 Hours. 10 Food. 4 Beers Tasted. 11,000 Steps.