2025 Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Minnesota Renaissance Festival 2025 Hipster Hack Food Review
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As 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.

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Buca di Beppo | Saint Paul, MN

Buca di Beppo Saint Paul Minnesota Hipster Hack Review
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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.

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2024 Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Minnesota Renaissance Festival 2024 Hipster Hack Food Review
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I 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!

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The Brickhouse | White Bear Lake, MN

Brickhouse White Bear Lake Hipster Hack Food Review
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A 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.”

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Apostle Supper Club 2024 | Saint Paul, MN

Apostle Supper Club Saint Paul Minnesota Hipster Hack
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I 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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W.A. Frost and Co. | St. Paul, MN

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I’ve tried and failed in past summers to get onto W.A. Frost and Company‘s patio and I was not going to make that same mistake this year. Their patio is continuously listed on the top patios of the Twin Cities and it is clear why!

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Handsome Hog | St. Paul, MN

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We are having the best summer finally experiencing restaurants we’ve been talking about going to for what feels like ever. After two years of pandemic takeout and sticking to the same places (some would say sticking to the rivers and the lakes that we’re used to #IYKYK) it just feels like we’re finally getting back to experiencing life.

I’m embarrassed to say that Handsome Hog has been on my list since it was in its first location so it’s taken me damn near a decade to get there 🤦‍♀️. I’m happy to report, that brunch was everything I’ve been dreaming it would be, but jokes on me, because now Handsome Hog is back on the list for dinner.

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Tongue in Cheek | St. Paul, MN

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Hello friends! It’s been a really long time and to catch you up to speed, I haven’t been writing full on blogs about my food adventures, but I have been featuring them on my Instagram and my Facebook page, so if you’re wondering where I’ve been or looking for more recent restaurants, you can still find great new locations! I’ve recently changed jobs and have had a few life changes, so the itch to get back to posting on my blog has been growing and after we went to brunch at Tongue in Cheek, it didn’t feel right not to sit down and give it the true homage that it deserved; 250 words 😂

A friend of mine, who is even more obsessed with good food than I am, has been raving about Tongue in Cheek for years, specifically their brunch. So when my fiance and I (that’s one of those life changes I referred to 😂) decided to pre-celebrate our birthdays with brunch it was a no brainer for me to scoop up a reservation. It beyond lived up to the hype and I can’t wait to go back for dinner!

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Pazzaluna Urban Italian | Saint Paul, Minnesota

Pazzaluna Italian Restaurant Food
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Every year my mom treats my sisters, grandma and myself to dinner and a play. This year we wanted to switch it up from our usual go-tos; the Orpheum and the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. I was excited to try out the Ordway for 2 reasons: 1. the seating actually allowed me to have leg room! This is a rare feat at 5’10. In fact last year two women behind me where talking rudely about me, because they couldn’t easily see around me…I’m sorry for existing? Pay for better seats next time? and 2. it meant we got to try a new restaurant!

I will readily admit that when my coworkers asked me what play we were going to I had absolutely no idea (still don’t exactly remember the name and while the singing was beautiful I hated the outdated message that a woman is going to fall in love with a man who doesn’t love her back and “sacrifice herself” for his happiness…), but by 11am that morning I already had two dishes picked out at Pazzaluna Urban Italian … priorities.

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