my wife & i are looking for some off beat shops in the cities. I’m looking for a specialty shop that carries odd ball spices & such. we are both looking for shops that carry most any kind of decorating/dishes kind of oddities. we’ll be in the host shop St. Plastic Paddy Day. looking for other great places. and there is no such thing as too much mead. just sayin’.
Drunk post? 
Penzey’s Spices is just down the street from Northern Brewer St. Paul, as is several other boutiques etc. Including some cooking stores.
i doubt it, you have to know him 
i doubt it, you have to know him [/quote]
to true, speed. drunk ain’t there yet. :lol:
Alfalfa, Greg, thanks for the info! still looking for any and all shops y’all can give us. we plan on hitting them all.
and speed, I started that imperial stout with the Roeslare. it smells amazing! I’ll save you a few bottles.
[quote=“Edward Teach”]my wife & i are looking for some off beat shops in the cities.[/quote]Johnson and Texas?
i doubt it, you have to know him [/quote]
to true, speed. drunk ain’t there yet. :lol:
Alfalfa, Greg, thanks for the info! still looking for any and all shops y’all can give us. we plan on hitting them all.
and speed, I started that imperial stout with the Roeslare. it smells amazing! I’ll save you a few bottles.[/quote]
can’t wait :cheers:
while you are in town, take your lady to Pig and Fiddle for dinner. They have a large selection of local brews on tap. Food is tasty.
Just walk up and down Grand Ave (where NB St Paul is). Tons of cool specialty shops there.
If you’re in the part of St Paul maybe look towards the Muddy Pig or the Happy Gnome for beers/food.
Very good selection at both. Like another poster mentioned, down Grand Ave from NB there is a Penzy’s spice store.
we’ll definitely check out the shops! we’ll have both our boys with us, so having supper and a few would be difficult. they fill growlers at Muddy Pig or the Happy Gnome?
No growlers at either place, but flat earth brewing co. Is pretty close, their winter warlock barley wine or coffee stout are really good. Another “off beat” shop to check out would be Patina. They have some pretty cool things there.
And then there’s the Bibelot. It’s one block east of Northern Brewer on Grand.
Say hey to my brother-in-law if you go.
-mark-
You asked for offbeat well one that comes to mind is definetly AxMan surplus shop. They dont have spices but they are a haven for tinkerers of all ages as they have all kinds of motors, switches actual gizmo stuff etc… to stuff like plastic pen tips or other oddball stuff like doll heads!!! I have seen more women than men looking for “crafting” stuff I’m thinking lately. I actually bought my 1 & 2L flasks from them for cheaper than LHBS the last time I was in the price went up on the 2L putting it closer to NB price but it was still a few bucks cheaper and seems to last forever. I also bought a small mortar and pestle for like $2-3 bucks when last in there so there’s your spice connection :mrgreen:
They have a website and quite a few locations but the one in St Paul is right off University ave and Snelling Ave.
Get over to Midtown Global Market.
http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org/-mark-[/quote]
It is a really excellent place but honestly Chicago and Lake is not the first place I would send people from out of town looking for a safe, fun day. If you are “hip” to the area it might be cool and all, but I think you’ll agree Mark its not exactly the “safest” place in the cities in a overall spectrum compared to lets say Grand ave or other easy places to find fun. Kind of like night and day.
I know some great joints up on Plymouth and Broadway, would I send my folks there? Absolutely not.
If you’re looking for growlers Harriet brewing is open 1-6 on Saturday. A little out of st paul but an easy jump off of 94.
http://www.harrietbrewing.com/
Saturday is a good day to visit, they basically have open access to the brewery.
Get over to Midtown Global Market.
http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org/-mark-[/quote]
It is a really excellent place but honestly Chicago and Lake is not the first place I would send people from out of town looking for a safe, fun day. If you are “hip” to the area it might be cool and all, but I think you’ll agree Mark its not exactly the “safest” place in the cities in a overall spectrum compared to lets say Grand ave or other easy places to find fun. Kind of like night and day.
I know some great joints up on Plymouth and Broadway, would I send my folks there? Absolutely
not.[/quote]
NOT true. Chicago lake is NOT the same neighborhood it was even 5 years ago. All the reconstruction, the midtown global market, the Midtown greenway and the influx of The Hispanic population buying houses and starting businesses has driven out a large portion of the bad element that once frequented the area. I ride a bike to work every day from South Minneapolis to Saint Paul and ride right through there every day. Never once have I feared for my safety. And yes, I have and do live in the area and have for the last 15 years.
Must be that Green way that sits on old railroad track beds down off street level no where close to the action that brings all the hip youngsters that hang out in front of Chicago lake liquors all day. And I understand why the store has two cops all day its to make sure these youngsters dont buy and sell too many scones and loiter because they are discussing their ski trip to Vail LOL Wasn’t it on the green way that bikers were being accosted and mugged last year UM right around Chicago lake?
Go a little north and setup your housing needs a little closer to where I’m actually talking about and then we can talk demographics again. You riding past Chicago, lake or Franklin, lake etc on your fixey is not the same as a family of four with young children on foot get with the program.
well, opinions are just that. but again, living in and around that area for 15+ years (yes, I did live just north and west of lake/chicago for 9 or so years) and living in Minneapolis for all of my 35 years, I feel its much safer then it once was. People get mugged in all areas of any town.
The distance from the parking ramp and the Midtown global market is quite short, and quite safe.
