Discover Food, Art and Culture in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s ‘Mini Apple’

When a reporter asked Minneapolis native Prince Rogers Nelson why he continued to live in Minnesota even after becoming a global superstar, the Purple One responded: “It’s so cold, it keeps the bad people out.” That might be true, but Minneapolis, the largest city in the state, has long been filled with warmth and goodness.

This city has moved beyond its Scandinavian roots to emerge as a cultural melting pot, filled to the brim with good restaurants, good museums, good cafés, good people and good times.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Friday: Head Uptown

Start your visit to MPLS by tucking into a hearty breakfast at the quirky diner Hot Plate. The place is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach — with decor that includes paint-by-numbers portraits, 1980s handheld video games and creepy porcelain clown figurines. Home inspo, perhaps?

After breakfast, head Uptown, a long-standing hip neighborhood that was called out by local hero Prince as “cool” (his song “Uptown” is an ode to the locale). And it is cool, filled with indy shops, bars and restaurants, anchored by Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street.

Grab a lavender-honey “Spygirl” latte at Spyhouse Coffee or a bubble tea at Sencha Tea Bar, then stroll the streets around Calhoun Square. Magers & Quinn, an independent bookstore, is a local treasure, as is the chic Black Walnut Bakery.

You’ll also want to pop into Bryant Lake Bowl to gawk at the kitschy-in-the-best-way retro bowling alley and the Prince mural on 26th Street and Hennepin Avenue.

For lunch, try Stella’s Fish Café if the weather’s nice — the rooftop setting offers a great view to go along with the menu of crab cakes, oysters, sushi and fish tacos. In colder weather, cozy up on the banquette at Barbette for French-accented fare.

After lunch, head to nearby Lake of the Isles. The 2.5-mile long path around the lakes makes for a tranquil stroll, passing by stately homes, leafy trees and occasional views of downtown Minneapolis in the distance. If you tack on the loop around Bde Maka Ska (translation: “white earth lake”), you can watch sailboats or even rent a kayak or paddleboard.

Eat dinner at Young Joni, a hip pizza joint with inventive toppings such as Korean short rib, Gruyère cheese, brown butter and Spanish chorizo. If you’re up for it, drive 10 minutes to Dakota Jazz Club to listen to live music and grab a cocktail.

Saturday: Enjoy a Purple Saturday

Start your day at Al’s in Dinkytown, an old-school Minneapolis eatery that serves excellent diner breakfast classics such as omelets and tall stacks of pancakes. Your coffee never gets cold here, and you won’t see the bottom of your cup until you leave.

A bonus for Bob Dylan fans: The artist formerly known as Robert Zimmerman lived a block away when he was a University of Minnesota student.

Next it’s time for a jaunt to Chanhassen, just south of Minneapolis, to visit Prince’s kingdom: Paisley Park. Built in 1987, the complex includes several recording studios and a massive sound stage where the musician would rehearse. After his death in 2016, Paisley Park became a museum.

Book a guided tour of the complex to see Prince’s gold and platinum records, his seven Grammy Awards, Academy Award and the motorcycle from the film “Purple Rain.” After the tour, browse the gift shop and eat at the on-site restaurant, where pancakes, one of the Prince’s favorite meals, are served all day.

Back in Minneapolis, check out the Mill City Museum, right on the shore of the Mississippi. The museum takes visitors through the fascinating (seriously!) history of Minneapolis’ early heyday as the center of the flour industry in the 19th century.

Don’t sleep on the observation deck for views of the iconic Gold Medal Flour sign, the Stone Arch Bridge and the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi. While you’re here, sneak a peek at the neighboring Guthrie Theater, a much-lauded institution with a gleaming building that juts out over the river.

Wind down at nearby Spoon & Stable, where James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen creates French-inspired fare, such as bison tartare and pheasant breast with foie gras. After dinner, continue the Prince theme and catch a show at First Avenue, the legendary music venue that played a starring role in the film “Purple Rain.”

Sunday: Browse the Galleries and Boutiques

Start Sunday at Eggy’s Diner, known for stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, plus excellent breakfast tacos and chicken and waffles. From there, it’s a scenic stroll through Loring Park to the Walker Art Center, one of the best contemporary art museums in the United States.

The collection includes work by Chuck Close, Yves Klein and Andy Warhol, among others. Be sure to amble around the massive adjacent sculpture garden, where the can’t-miss star is Claes Oldenburg’s “Spoonbridge & Cherry,” a massive spoon with a cherry balancing on it.

America’s largest mall, Mall of America, is worth a trip if you have shopping to do (there are more than 500 retailers) or if you have kids in tow, especially when the weather is inclement. It also houses Nickelodeon, Crayola and M&M’S entertainment venues, as well as the SEA LIFE aquarium.

For shopping of a different sort entirely, head instead to the Midtown Global Market, an indoor maze of several dozen food stalls, along with locally produced art and handicrafts, many presided over by Hmong, Somali and Cambodian sellers.

After lunch, take your pick: a taste of the Twin Cities’ Scandi roots at the American Swedish Institute or a visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

The former includes a look inside the stunning circa-1908 Turnblad Mansion; exhibits about Nordic arts and culture; and the possibility of Swedish meatballs and cardamom buns at the (excellent) museum café. The latter has an eye-poppingly large collection of art spanning 5,000 years, including works by Rembrandt, Matisse and Van Gogh.

For dinner, head to Travail Kitchen & Amusements, an avant-garde eatery north of the city. The restaurant does a nightly fixed-price menu that often combines unlikely ingredients with sublime results: foie gras and Pop Rocks, anyone?

End your trip at good old Bryant Lake Bowl, where you can grab a drink and bowl a round, or catch a glimpse of Minneapolis’ celebrated comedy scene at one of their regular Sunday night improv shows.