Panda Fest Twin Cities | Bloomington, MN

I found out about Panda Fest about a month ago and immediately scooped up tickets for me and husband to go the weekend before our birthdays – food outings are sort of our tradition since we both love trying new things/places.

Panda Fest is happening until tomorrow, July 13th and it is currently sold out, but it looked like they were selling limited tickets at the gate and online some people are reselling if they can’t go so if you’re interested there is still time!

Read through to check out all the food items we tried and get my honest review about the experience.

Barbette | Minneapolis, MN

I was excited to grab lunch with friends at Barbette to celebrate our friend’s birthday as it was my first official time. Previously I had only been there for patio drinks.

The food definitely lived up to the hype!

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.

Manger Restaurant | Bayport, MN

Husband loves French cuisine so Manger Restaurant & Wine Bar in Bayport, pronounced “mon-g” and meaning “eat” in French, has been on our list for a while. We decided to celebrate an early Valentine’s Day with a dinner reservation last week and I’m excited to share!

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.

Billy Sushi | Minneapolis, MN

I’ve been wanting to go to Billy Sushi for a while so I was so excited when my friend suggested we head there for dinner and it felt meant to be when we lucked out with parking outside AND seats at the bar!

Colita | South Minneapolis, MN

I was lucky enough to get to Colita with my bests for a Friendsgiving feast.

I had never been, but have definitely heard about it and can happily say it lived up to the hype. They recommend sharing plates, which was a great idea for us, the only downside is that we were a group of four and many of the plates come with 2 items. My only critique of the experience is that I do wish that there was more on the plates at the price point, because we all left still hungry so it was more of a tasting menu than a meal.

Olio | Bayport, MN

I’ve been hearing about Olio in Bayport, Minnesota for a while, but it got put to the top of the list when my friend told me recently that it was his favorite and he didn’t want me to write a review about it so his “spot would blow up.” hahahaha. I’m such a good friend ☺️

Really though, I was happy to get the reminder, because that little strip of restaurants in Bayport doesn’t get enough credit or exposure.

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.

Southern Social | Woodbury, MN

It’s been open for a few months so it was time to check out Southern Social in Woodbury.

I’m not normally someone who loves ribs and other barbecue sauce type items so I have been putting off the visit, but I’m glad I went!

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Hipster Hack

Food & Drink spots throughout the Twin Cities (Minneapolis + St. Paul) and Minnesota.

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