I love Union Hmong Kitchen so I had high hopes (and high expectations) for Chef Yia Vang’s new spot, Vinai. Not only has it been getting a lot of press confirming how good it is, on a personal level, it took over the former tap house space for my beloved Dangerous Man Brewing, so I just knew in my soul it was going to be good. Happy to report I’m always right…and so were the reviews by real food critics 😉.
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2025 Minnesota Renaissance Festival
StandardAs I said last year I LOVE a costume party and while the Minnesota Renaissance Festival may frustrate some that it has become more of a cosplay convention for anything fantasy or even just nerdy instead of a sole celebration of the Renaissance era, I personally love it. You never know what you’re going to see. One second you’re looking at someone in period costume, the next second you’re looking at someone dressed up like Where’s Waldo, Batman or Bermuda Merlin from “Sword in the Stone” (true story haha).
You can check out my review from last year for some other foods I really like that are still available, but I did a really good job this year of trying new foods!
Pro: I liked everything enough.
Con: I missed out on the soup in a bread bowl, but there was also no way I was eating hot soup in today’s heat.
Liliana | Woodbury, MN
StandardWhen we found out Liliana was opening in our current city (Woodbury), we were very excited, because we’re big fans of their other restaurant Estelle but have only made it there a couple times. The food at Liliana did not disappoint.
Continue readingTanzenwald Brewing Company | Northfield, MN
StandardWe had girls lunch at Tanzenwald Brewing Company in early July, which means, yes, this review is coming a month late but it’s been a busy summer so you’ll have to forgive me!
Continue reading5 Outdoor Dining Spots | Saint Paul, MN
StandardThis 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
Continue reading2025 Food and Drink Review | Duluth, MN
StandardHusband and I were planning a trip to Duluth, Minnesota, but we only had about 36 hours to spend, so I went on a mission to find some of the best rated breweries, distilleries and city spots to check out.
We didn’t make it everywhere, but truthfully you can only eat and drink so much in such a short amount of time haha so below I’m sharing the spots we went (spoiler alert, I would recommend every single one of them).
Continue reading7 Saint Paul Breweries | Minnesota Beer
StandardThe 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.
Continue reading2024 Minnesota Renaissance Festival
StandardI love a theme party and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is the biggest costume party of the year! The theme is “renaissance” but within 5 minutes of being inside the gates you’ll see that the dress code isn’t universal; medieval, vikings, cottage core, witches, Zelda, Lord of the Rings characters, Dr. Who, Mario Kart, you name it – the gangs all here!
Continue readingThe Brickhouse | White Bear Lake, MN
StandardA friend and I stumbled upon the Brickhouse when we were searching for a place to grab some rooftop cocktails in White Bear Lake and it was definitely what I like to think Bob Ross would consider “a happy accident.”
Continue readingApostle Supper Club 2024 | Saint Paul, MN
StandardI previously visited the Apostle Supper Club last year with a friend and remember telling Husband that he had to go back with me because he’d love it and I added it to our list… finally over a year later we made it back 😬.
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