Destination: Seeing Double

BY LINDA HENRY

The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.
HERE’S A GAME TO PLAY with friends: During coverage of the Republican National Convention this September, take a sip of Pig’s Eye beer every time a reporter claims to be “live from Minneapolis.” In fact, the convention will be held across the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

The Twin Cities—always referred to as “Minneapolis/St. Paul,” never “St. Paul/Minneapolis”—are an unlikely pair. While they share a passion for the arts and a love of walleye (always pan fried, never broiled), each city has its own personality. The perception: Sedate St. Paul takes a back seat to metropolitan Minneapolis. That’s only partly true, but visitors benefit from the twins’ differences by getting two distinct Midwestern cities in one trip.

LAY OF THE LAND
As quiet as the town is now, St. Paul has a raucous, boozy past. In 1839 it was called Pig’s Eye, in honor of saloon owner Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant. Almost immediately after Parrant’s saloon opened, Father Lucien Galtier built a log chapel nearby, christening it the Chapel of St. Paul. Despite that righteous name, the revelers carried on for decades. During Prohibition, resident gangsters described St. Paul as “a perpetual party.”

There’s still plenty of action today, whether it’s opera at the Ordway, “A Prairie Home Companion” at the Fitzgerald or an August Wilson play at the Penumbra Theatre. But St. Paulites do like to be home by midnight.

As for Minneapolis theater, most people probably think of the Guthrie, the esteemed 44-year-old theatrical powerhouse. But the city also hosts the eclectic 11-day Fringe Festival (July 31–August 10; fringefestival.org).

With a population of 388,000, Minneapolis is larger than St. Paul, and locals still party like it’s 1999, as hometown icon Prince would say. First Avenue, the Minneapolis nightclub that Prince made famous in Purple Rain, is still cranking. Today Prince reportedly prefers The Lounge, which has a dress code, couches and a VIP dance floor.

While locals argue over which city is best and what constitutes a party, why not check out all that the twins have to offer?

ST. PAUL
Rice Park, established as a public square in 1849, is a good spot to get a handle on St. Paul’s quirky personality. This shade-filled haven draws office workers at lunchtime and holds free concerts in summer. Historic buildings (the public library, the St. Paul Hotel) surround the square, and statues of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Schulz’s Peppermint Patty pay tribute to St. Paul’s literary legacy.

Across the freeway to the north, the State Capitol rises like Minnesota’s answer to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The building serves as a massive bookend to the city, with the Cathedral of St. Paul, a mile west of Rice Park, as its mate. The cathedral, which has a copper dome and seating space for 3,000, has come a long way since Father Galtier’s log chapel.

Historic Summit
F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was baptized at the cathedral in 1896, wrote This Side of Paradise while living in the Summit Avenue neighborhood just west of Cathedral Hill. Fitzgerald’s old smoke spot, W.A. Frost’s Pharmacy, has been reinvented as a Midwestern bistro serving superb Norwegian grilled-salmon salad and walleye.

Fitzgerald’s old apartment (at 599 Summit Avenue) is modest compared to the area’s historic mansions. Chief among these is the 117-year-old home of railroad baron James J. Hill. His fortresslike red limestone mansion has five floors, 13 bathrooms and 22 fireplaces. When built, the 36,000-square-foot “house” was a mechanical wonder, with elaborate plumbing, electrical and security systems. The Minnesota Historical Society offers tours Wednesday through Sunday; Saturday tours include a pipe-organ demonstration.

A Charming Rebellion to Malldom St. Paul’s best boutiques are on Grand Avenue. The block between Oxford Street and Lexington Parkway offers a good sampling: the Bibelot Shop (1082 Grand), for artsy gifts and clothes; next door’s Wuollet Bakery, for lattes and pastries; and Creative KidStuff, whose staff knows what kids like. For local flavor, check out Saga Living (1856 Grand), selling Marimekko’s Scandinavian designs.

MINNEAPOLIS
Unlike St. Paul, Minneapolis was originally saddled with a ho-hum nickname, Mill City. But today even flour mills are fascinating, thanks to the Mill City Museum, a modern glass-and-steel structure built inside the jagged ruins of Washburn A Mill (704 S. 2nd St.; 612-341-7555; millcitymuseum.org; $8). A half-hour tour includes an eight-floor freight elevator ride that recreates the noisy, industrial process of turning wheat into flour. The tour wraps up with a panoramic view of the riverfront from the ninth-floor observation deck.

A Theatrical Debut
A few doors down, the new Guthrie Theater, designed by Paris architect Jean Nouvel, seems to hover above the river. A black-blue mass of steel, glass and light, it echoes the shapes of the flour mills and silos. Visitors can explore the cantilevered lobby, called the Endless Bridge, and the ninth-floor Amber Box, with a view of the riverfront. This summer the Guthrie presents the world premiere of Little House on the Prairie, a musical based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books about growing up in Minnesota in the late 1800s—when Pa Ingalls’ wheat was milled almost exactly where the play will be performed.

Modern Tastes
On Hennepin Avenue, the clean lines of the Chambers hotel serve as a backdrop for owner Ralph Burnet’s collection of contemporary art. The 60-room hotel is pricey, but you can get a peek by dining at the Chambers Kitchen, where the artworks include a mammoth but otherwise lifelike sculpture of a man’s face and a painting whose subjects appear to blink and breathe.

Southwest of downtown, the renowned Walker Art Center also offers art leavened by cuisine. After rising through its stunning galleries, you’ll reach the top floor and Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21, named for the Walker’s focus on 20th- and 21st-century art. The menu, like that at the Chambers, is Asian-influenced. Forget the traditional walleye here—green Thai seafood curry is the signature dish.

The Uptown Experience
Any trip uptown, which strangely is south of downtown, should include a visit to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater for bowling, beer and sandwiches, comedy cabaret or a little of everything. To find the quintessential lake experience, head to the Tin Fish, a fish shack on Lake Calhoun. The trick is to designate a table-grabber while someone else gets in line to order food: tacos with fried walleye, grilled salmon or halibut, say, or seafood combo platters, all at great prices. The people speeding by on bikes and skates might inspire a walk around the lake—after lunch.

A Final Thought
Oh, yes, you might have heard there’s a large mall in town. That’s the Mall of America, located near the airport in Bloomington. Visitors come to see its 520 stores, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium and the Park at MOA (formerly known as Camp Snoopy). Many shoppers end up never venturing outside Bloomington. With all that the Twins have to offer, don’t let that happen to you.

stay

St. Paul Hotel
The elegant 254-room hotel has been completely refurbished since Lucius Ordway built it in 1910. 350 Market St., St. Paul; 800-292-9292; saintpaulhotel.com; doubles from $160

Nicollet Island Inn
This quiet 24-room inn doesn’t skimp on the amenities (400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, Aveda products). 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; nicolletislandinn.com; doubles from $200

Chambers
A luxurious hotel in the heart of Minneapolis that showcases a museum-quality collection of contemporary artwork. There’s also a rooftop nightclub and a restaurant headed by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Few hotels have raised a city’s profile so much. 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-767-6900; chambersminneapolis.com; doubles from $265; dinner for two, $85

eat

W.A. Frost
Housed in the 1889 Dacotah Building, this restaurant has three rooms and a patio. You can get tasting-size portions of dessert, so there’s no excuse to turn it down. 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; wafrost.com, 651-224-5715; lunch for two, $60*

Nicollet Island Inn
Watch the Segways go by, and lunch on a corn-crusted walleye sandwich with green chili-tomato tartar. 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612-331-1800; (three-course) lunch for two, $55

Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21
It’s elbow-to-elbow here, but the skyline view and impeccable food are worth it. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-253-4210; dinner for two, $90

Tin Fish
This fish shack on Lake Calhoun is open April through October; no reservations are required, but be ready to grab an open table when you see one. 3000 Calhoun Pkwy. E., Minneapolis; tacos, $3–$6; combo platters, $15.

Axel’s River Grille
Try the Coco-Fish-Bull appetizer, with coconut shrimp, walleye and tenderloin “bull bites.” Such delectable fare packs the house, in a suburb south of the Twin Cities. 1318 Sibley Memorial Hwy., Mendota; 651-686-4840; dinner for two, $80

*Prices cover a meal for two, not including drinks, tax or tip.

TO DO: ST. PAUL

Riverboat rides
The Padelford Packet Boat Co. offers day trips on the Mississippi, departing from Harriet Island. riverrides.com

The wicked stage
Summer theater performances take place aboard the old-fashioned Minnesota Centennial Showboat. showboat.umn.edu

High art
Guided tours of the Cathedral of St. Paul are held Mon., Wed. and Fri. at 1 p.m. 239 Selby Ave.; 651-228-1766; cathedralsaintpaul.org

To the manor born
Tour the mansion of railroad magnate James J. Hill. 240 Summit Ave.; 651-297-2555; mnhs.org; $8

The new two-wheelerA 2½-hour Segway tour takes you to Boom Island, across the Stone Arch Bridge and to the Mill City Museum. 952-888-9200; magicalhistorytour.com; $70

TO DO: MINNEAPOLIS

Jazz + food
The Dakota Jazz Club dishes up music and a top-tier restaurant. Visit dakotacooks.com to see who’s playing. 1010 Nicollet; 612-332-1010; dinner for two, $90

Bowled over
Go to Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater to bowl, eat and watch a show under one roof. 810 West Lake St.; bryantlakebowl.com; 612-825-3737; dinner for two, $40

Walker Art Center
In April, a Richard Prince retrospective shares top billing with Kara Walker’s racially charged cutouts. 1750 Hennepin Ave.; 612-375-7600; $10

Published: March/April 2008 Issue
Photos: Minnesota Historical Society