What to do after days and days of bitter cold followed by foggy wintry days? Head to the Mall of America. I’ll admit, as a local the “awe” factor has somewhat faded over the years, but really it is a great place to meander about. There’s always great people watching, there’s some unique restaurants, like Twin City Grill and Tucci Bennuch, along with a multi-screen movie theater and an indoor amusement park…all under one roof!
In recent years, the mall has undergone significant renovations, including the addition of two new hotels. The Radisson Blu opened a few years ago and offers a modern setting connected via skyway to the mall. In late 2015, the latest expansion opened. While there’s a lack of new tenants in the crisp, modern and very white new addition, the J.W. Marriott has opened…and there’s a sign up promoting the first Shake Shack is coming to Minnesota!
I checked out the new expansion this weekend. I found the architecture quite nice and the new hotel has a lovely bar and restaurant. I was sad to see the newness didn’t have a lot of new retailers to discover…but yet, it’s exciting to see there’s plenty of room for new additions and I look forward to future announcements.
Plus, while I was there I couldn’t help but enjoy the signature Punch at Tucci Bennuch, complete with an orchid. It was a little tropical getaway for my tastebuds!
The state’s been hit by an arctic blast this week…which has put me in cooking mode! My go-to destination when I’m ready to do some serious cooking is Lunds & Byerly’s, a local chain of upscale grocery stores throughout the Twin Cities metro area. When I can’t be out exploring, I love experiencing new flavors and trying out new recipes—and the aisles of Lunds & Byerly’s are an ideal way to treat my tastebuds to an adventure. This weekend, I made a Kalbi Pork Tenderloin (a featured item from the meat department), an Asian chopped salad (Buy One, Get One offer), Chicken Marinara Pasta (with Lunds & Byerly’s own sauce) and my special Mexican Chicken Soup recipe. Plus, I tried Pennywise Wines as they were on the Buy One, Get One Free deal as well! Thanks to one trip to Lunds & Byerly’s, I was able to get all the ingredients in one place and stay in from the below zero temps.
One of my favorite places in the entire state is the Minnesota Zoo (it’s actually one of my faves in the world, honestly). Whether it’s the middle of winter, spring, summer or fall I LOVE going there. I think they do a wonderful job of creating respectful habitats for the animals, while offering daily enrichments AND doing their part to help with conservation efforts. There’s a lot of animals throughout the property, but I have to say I’m rather partial to the sea otters, prairie dogs and beavers. Their enclosures allow you to get up close and personal with the species, while gaining insight on the roles and importance of the animals in our daily lives.
