Year of the Pig
The legend of the Chinese zodiac explains that the Jade Emperor put out a call for 12 animals as palace guards. While the ox, rabbit, dragon, and others all fought and jockeyed for premier placement, the pig slept in. Reporting for duty as the final spot in the cycle, 2019 is Year of the Pig. A symbol of wealth in China, the pig is thought to signal good fortune, though it wouldn’t hurt to wear red underwear while eating noodles. Or make your own luck through awesome Super Bowl bashing, finding Tokyo style crepes, and sucking down donut burgers in the ’burbs.
OPENS
>> Muddy Paws Cheesecake has moved their 222 flavors to a new bakery. Still in St. Louis Park, they are now closer to Park Tavern, which has bowling with cheesecake implications. Since the shop is only open until 2 p.m. daily, they're offering extended hours for pre-order pick-up at the SLP Nest Coffee Cafe (which happens to be an inclusive teen-focused hang you should support).
>> Out in Glen Lake, The Copper Cow Kitchen & Bar has opened. Here's a thing: when the whole frozen world shuts schools down, and then you open your cute little warmly lit suburban burger shop for its first day, some 500 people are going to show up. Apparently! They got the swing, and they'll be open for brunch this weekend, but will close on Sunday before sportsball madness.
>> Welcome to the Trailhead, Cajun Twist! The southern-inspired seafood boil and Cajun cooking spot that had planned an opening last summer is finally a reality. And just when we need it, really. A 'Nawlins Dog or some Hush Puppies seem like a bit of a good gut warmer for all those XC skiiers.
>> This year is coming up tacos! Lolito Cantina is the new Latin-American street food eatery that the owners of LoLo American Kitchens have cooked up in Stillwater. They rehabbed the Pearl & the Thief space to be more taco friendly, and mezcal-tequila friendly, which is nice. The upstairs space is being transformed into a rum bar, which is also a fantastic balance to all the whiskey that's suddenly flowing in that town.
>> Packed with global ingredients, Sun World Supermarket is hosting their official grand opening in St. Paul on Saturday. Can you win a bag of rice or a TV if you're one of the first 50 people in? Luck will tell.
CLOSES
>> Sad news for ventriloquists and little girls everywhere, the MOA's American Girl Store and Bistro will be closing as of March 20. Still time to get your mini-me in for a tea party.
NEWS
>> Hey, wanna win your sportsball party? Pre-order from the pros. Pick up smoky meats by the pound from Animales BBQ Co., score some saucy seafood boil from Grand Catch, grab ALL the salsas for your taco bar from El Burrito Mercado, and snap up a platter of sliders from Lowry Hill Meats. You da winner.
AGENDA
>> Jump on this now, because they always sell out. Especially after this week, and such a lovely temp swing this weekend, you should get out for tonight's Candlelight Snowshoe & Dinner at Stillwater's Outing Lodge. Just $36 gets you a 7 p.m. luminary lit snowshoe through Pine Point Park, followed by bonfires, chicken pot pie, and s'mores. The actual best of winter.
>> And hey, if you're out enjoying all the new fun in Stillwater, why not pop over to Hudson for the 30th Annual Hot Air Affair? The hot air balloon rally is something to see, plus there's tons of family friendly fun, food trucks, a pancake breakfast, and a chili cook off on Sunday.
>> You need more crepes in your routine, especially light beauties wrapped around ice cream treats. So, good that Ichigo Tokyo Crepes is popping up at Corner Coffee + Cone in Camden this Saturday and every other Saturday in February and March!
>> If you have real chili pride, get your crock to the annual Town Hall Chili Cook Off on Sunday. Competition is low-key serious, meaning that some cooks have been coming to this for years, but no one's that cut-throat. If you feel like you have to experiment with chocolate or ground elk in your chili, just be ready to stand in the place where you live. Top prize is $125 TH gift card and a bunch of free beer, but even for just entering you get beer and chili, so winners all.
>> You may have had enough couch time this week, so consider glamming it up a bit for sportsball fun on Sunday. Able Brewing is teaming up with the Hewing for a Rooftop Super Bowl Party that might require your poshest sweats. No tickets, no rezzies, just show up for some beers, Tullibee snacks, ice shuffle board, and SB Bingo.
>> A bit more chill would be the party I swear I'm going to hit every year: Suzi Bowl at Psycho Suzi's. Just $20 for tix gets you unlimited pizza and build your own tater tot buffet action.
>> Seems like we are in a meat raffle moment, yes? Besides all the good ones listed on Ben's super helpful Meat Raffle Map, might I shout out the Monday night contest at Bull's Horn? Even Fulton Taproom is getting in on the freezer-bustin' fun. If you don't know what a meat raffle is, it's a raffle, for meat.
>> This Tuesday marks the first in a very special residency of Ono Hawaiian Plates at Cook St. Paul. Each Tuesday, from 11a.m. - 8 p.m., Ono will take over the Eddie Wu's Payne Ave shop and put up some treats from the islands. Also worth noting on Wednesdays in February, Wu is trying something new for lunch by offering a custom Juseyo menu. It's build your own dish with kimchi, double kimchi, koritos (Korean spiced chips), fried rice, bulgogi, and more.
>> For a truly unique and homegrown eating event, grab tickets to Thursday's first Twin Cities EATSS. Benefitting the American Indian College Fund, this top chef showcase will challenge four of our local best chefs as they are tasked with making a signature dish with a traditional indigenous ingredient. The Sioux Chef's Sean Sherman will host the event and choose the ingredient: will it be chokecherries, rose hips, cattails? Your $45 ticket gets you samples, drinks, good deeds, and a taste of here.
>> To celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Pig: Go high-brow on the 5th at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and enjoy cocktails, the Jade Gallery, baiju drinks, and language lessons. Or you can take the kids to the Midtown Global Market and hang out with lots of fun activities and snacks on the 9th. Keefer Court Bakery, with those awesome buns, will hold a lion dance on Feb. 6. Or check out David Fong's, one of the metro's longest running Chinese restaurants, for their weekend full of festivities starting Feb. 7th.
