When it comes to local, sustainable food in the Twin Cities, it's hard to overstate the importance of award winning chef and restaurateur Brenda Langton. Since she opened her first restaurant, Cafe Kardamena, in St. Paul in 1978, Langton has been committed to serving fine vegetarian food, fresh seafood, and the best local food she can find.
Cafe Brenda, still downtown Minneapolis' premier spot for vegetarian food (and other delicious things), opened in 1985, when Brenda needed to expand to a new, larger location. The fact that Cafe Brenda is still going strong 24 years later is a tribute to its owner's cooking, business acumen, talent, and vision. I've had many great meals at Cafe Brenda over the years, most of them lunch. More than one of them has included the grilled organic tempeh reuben or the Brenda Burger, a strong contender for the best veggie burger in town. I'm not a vegetarian, but I consider becoming one each time I eat at Cafe Brenda. "The Cafe Brenda Cookbook" was published in 1992.
Spoonriver, Langton's newest restaurant, opened on the Mississippi River (near the Mill City Museum, across from the Guthrie Theater) in 2006. Spoonriver offers terrific vegetarian options, but has a more rounded menu, including (according to their website) "grass-fed beef, lamb and naturally raised pork from Minnesota sources." Spoonriver is an upscale restaurant, but still offers loads of great grab-and-go lunch options, including fantastic salads. The dinner menu includes salmon with Japanese noodles, house made ravioli, and grilled flat iron steak.
As much as I love Langton's restaurants, my favorite of her contributions to the local food scene is the co-creation of the
Mill City Farmers Market, in June of 2006. The Mill City Farmers Market-- one of my favorite farmers markets in the cities--is just the right size for a one-hour excursion with the kids. Smaller and more manageable than the Minneapolis and St. Paul farmers markets, the Mill City Farmers Market features a terrific variety of artisans, farmers, demonstrations, and amazing local, sustainable foods. It’s located right by the Mill City Museum, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River. The mission of the market, according to their website, is:
[...] to promote local, sustainable and organic agriculture, increasing economic opportunities for farmers, urban youth, small businesses and food artisans. To offer experiential learning about and access to healthy local foods, and build a vibrant gathering place for Minneapolis residents and visitors.The Mill City Farmers Market is a wonderful place to meet food producers and friends, to taste new foods, and to watch food artisans at work. It's open from 8 am - 1 pm each Saturday until October 17.
Locations:
Cafe Brenda
300 1st Avenue North
Minneapolis MN 55401
612.342.9230
Spoonriver
750 S. 2nd St. at Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612.436.2236
Mill City Farmers Market
704 2nd Street S.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612.341.7580
Lee Zukor is the editor of SimpleGoodandTasty.com.