17 Twin Cities area bars and restaurants with retail spaces perfect for holiday shopping
We’re counting down the days of the season and hoping to cram in as much joy, laughter and togetherness as possible. That means multitasking — it’s the only way to accomplish everything we need to accomplish before the holidays.
That’s why the growing trend of restaurants with added retail space is so incredibly helpful this time of year, when many who are gathering at restaurants are also looking for gifts to share. Along with rustic reclaimed-wood tables, there are shelves lined with possibilities from makers near and far, all curated to reflect the restaurant’s aesthetic.
At Vivir, the breakfast cafe from Jami Olson that’s adjacent to her Minneapolis taco spot Centro, the pivot came in part due to the pandemic. “We wanted to create a market feel,” she said, remembering the early pandemic days when she and chef Jose Alarcon shifted the Mexican fine dining restaurant Popol Vuh over to Vivir. “We wanted to add things that added energy to space.”
The goods stocked at the store are intentionally selected from Mexican makers or local artists from its neighbors in the historic Northeast arts district.
At Wrecktangle’s relatively new stand-alone pizza restaurant on W. Lake Street, the addition of shop space was a way to honor familial roots. Brothers Jeff and Alex Rogers opened Silver’s Market & Deli, named after the grocery store their grandparents operated in Hibbing, Minn.
Co-owner Breanna Evans said most of the items stocked inside Silver’s are small businesses just getting off the ground, many from their artistic friends and workers.
“Plus, with the pandemic, we thought why not give people a place to sell the things they made with their idle hands?”
Here are some of our favorite places to go for a bite and to linger for a little retail therapy.
Alma Provisions
This little beauty is a new concept for Alma that pulls together some of the greatest hits from its cafe, like divine breakfast sandwiches, and shelves stocked with gorgeous goods. While waiting for a coffee order, use the seasonal scents in the forms of candles, incense, sprays and oils. Pick up some handcrafted cooking tools, or a couple of Alma’s pantry staples that just happened to be the size of stocking stuffers.
812 W. 46th St., Mpls., 612-895-1251, almaprovisions. com
Bellecour Bakery
Cooks of Crocus Hill has long been a destination for those in search of the finest cookware and kitchen implements, but the addition of Bellecour Bakery has made it a must-visit for food fans. The North Loop location has indoor tables to order up a cup of Dorothy’s dark roast coffee and laminated treats (or a sandwich/salad combo). Nab a giant sprinkle-crusted macaron for later and then peruse all the Le Creuset, All-Clad, cookbooks and gadgets on the wish lists of your favorite foodie. (The St. Paul Cooks of Crocus Hill also has Bellecour goodies, but no space to stay and enjoy.)
210 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-223-8167, bellecourbakery.com
Churchill Street
This destination eatery in Shoreview is top-to-bottom beautiful — and so are the market goods they stock. Walking inside the restaurant, it’s easy to get swept away by the tall, airy ceilings, but don’t miss the shelves at the center front of the room and next to the door that demand attention. There are beautiful, sturdy burlap bags, small jars of delicious food stuffs, and candles with alluring scents.
4606 Churchill St., Shoreview, 612-466-2596, churchillst.com
Clancey’s Meats & Fish
The newly expanded butcher shop includes plenty of shelf space for artisan grocery goods. Stop by in the morning for an oven-fresh cinnamon roll, order up holiday roasts and then spend time lingering among all the pretty small jars and other goods to help complete a meal. There are plenty of host gifts that would add a killer cheese board.
3804 Grand Av. S., Mpls., 612-926-0222, clanceysmeats.com
Earl Giles
This massive warehouse space and distillery from Jesse Held, Jeff Erkkila and Nick Kosevich is also a greenery-filled winter wonderland during markets held on the second Saturday of the month through April. Stop by for local goods from artisan makers and stay for fantastic pizza and a cadre of cocktails.
1325 NE. Quincy St., Mpls., 612-345-5305, earlgiles.com
EaTo
Have your pasta and eat it, too, at this downtown Minneapolis Italian restaurant with market stations set up throughout the sprawling space. You’ll find a small grocery store with imported ingredients that would make a lovely gift basket for an Italophile, plus local artisanal goods and grab-and-go prepared foods. In the dining room, find kitchen and home goods, cookbooks, beauty supplies, plants and pots, and Baggu totes. The Bottle Shop, curated by beverage director Scarlett Carrasco Polanco, features a large selection of Italian hard-to-find wines.
305 Washington Av. S., Mpls., 612-208-1638, eatompls.com
El Burrito Mercado
Through the generations, this Mexican grocer, deli,
The craveable Good Good chicken wings with garlic rice stuffing and adobe glaze.(Marc Fiority, Gamma Nine Photography)
Imperfectly perfect pizzas with a side of funk at Shuggie’s Trash Pies + Natural Wine.(Erin Ng)
Burned cauliflower with gochujang at Pomet.(Aomboon Deasy)