Oh, Minnesota. I am having a total lovefest with you as of late. Not only are you about to become the 12th state to pass a gay marriage amendment (today, maybe???) but you also have these cute little towns with very weird customs.

Dorset, Minnesota has a population of 22 people, and their current mayor is 4-year-old Bobby Tufts. In Dorset, mayors are picked by drawing names from a hat and serve a one-year term. It reminds me of Ben Wyatt’s character on Parks and Rec who bankrupted his hometown when he became mayor of Partridge, Minnesota at the age of 18. That being said, I dare you not to smile when you watch that video.

Original story here.

FAT KID MOMENT: Glam Doll Donuts

By Elyse Ash 

The simultaneously BEST thing and the WORST thing in the world happened to Brad and me two weeks ago. 

A donut shop moved in two blocks from our house.

I’m a sucker for donuts. Always have been, always will be. They are easily my favorite breakfast pastry (sorry, croissants—nice try), but I rarely ever eat them. 

Since Glam Doll Donuts moved in two weeks ago, I’ve already eaten 5 donuts (so much for looking trim this summer).

Glam Doll Donuts is absolutely darling. Located in Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood, it’s quaint, kitschy and imperfectly charming. The ceiling is a bright Pepto pink and big windows overlook Nicollet Avenue. The furniture is vintage and an old-timey photobooth sits in the rear of the shop. Interesting tiles speckle the floor and miniature floral arrangements pepper the tables.

The ladies who work there are helpful, patient and quick to offer ordering tips. Oh. And they also ALL look like pin-up girls—tattoos, curled hair, bright lipstick, aprons. They’re all channeling their inner Maggie Gyllenhaal in Stranger Than Fiction.

So Brad, Jackie and I walked over this past Saturday afternoon to do a bit of taste testing. It was a cold, rainy, very dreary afternoon—definitely not walk-around-weather. The place. Was. Packed. It was teeming with people—groups of friends enjoying coffee, families with small kids, freelancers clicking away on their laptops. There was so much energy. And so few donuts!

It was our fault. We cockily rolled in around 1pm, thinking we’d have our pick. But there were slim pickings—no biggie! We still got to sample 4 different donuts (and the girls were busy baking fresh ones anyway). And here’s what we thought:

1. Bombshell – Pecan & Mexican Chocolate

This filled donut was absolutely beautiful when we cut it open. Warm, rich Mexican chocolate oozed out and we all oohed and ahhed. It definitely had a spicy kick to it (the cayenne pecans probably added to that) and was delicious for those of us who like Mexican Hot Chocolate.

2. Scream Queen – Chocolate & Caramelized Bacon

This one was a cake donut with thick, chocolate frosting and caramelized bacon on-top—fairly simple, considering this place also boasts Sriracha-flavored donuts. It was interesting to see frosting on top of a cake donut, which seemed unusual to the three of us. The flavor was great but it was a touch on the stale side. To their credit, we were eating at 1pm and really…what kind of people expect fresh, flaky, warm donuts out of the oven at 1pm? Entitled people. That’s who.

3. Showgirl – Maple Icing & Bacon

This raised donut was really sweet. I think Jackie and I enjoyed it a bit more than Brad who deemed it too sweet.  But us ladies thought the flaky, glazy texture paired nicely with the saltiness of the bacon. Bravo! 

4. Girl Next Door – Provolone & Munster Cheese with a Curry Glaze

So there were a lot of this kind left and in an otherwise empty pastry case, I think it was fair for us to be a bit skeptical. The woman behind the counter told us it was yummy—just a savory donut, rather than sweet. Inside was a chunk of mild, soft cheese and a curry glaze wrapped around the outside. It was very flavorful, for sure. I think I’m just more of a traditionalist when it comes to donuts (although I was totally on-board with the bacon addition!) It was definitely not the favorite.

This place has huge potential. It’s already wildly popular and it’s only been open for three weeks. They still have some kinks to figure out—but the spirit of the location, the flavors and it’s word-of-mouth popularity is all very promising.

I’m curious to see how the menu twists and changes with time, and if it becomes a workplace neighborhood staple like Spyhouse Coffee, Dunn Brothers and Bob’s Java Hut. It’ll be interesting to see if it can keep all this momentum going. How often are people going to be craving donuts? And how big of a profit margin can donuts yield? I hope they’re seeing some great numbers though. They really deserve it. And I’d love for them to stick around long enough for me to go up a couple more jean sizes (half kidding?)

Glam Doll Donuts is located at 2605 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 - click here to learn more

Photographs by the lovely Jackie Meisel

Best Affordable Restaurants in Minneapolis »

Loved this piece for Food & Wine magazine about Minneapolis’ awesome food scene. Although I’m not sure I’d call Travail super affordable…but maybe in comparison to like NYC, San Fran and other fancy chef-y places???

My girl, Fiona Apple, KILLED it last night at her show here in Minneapolis at the Orpheum. KILLED IT. It had been a lifelong dream (albeit, maybe a lame one?) for me to see her in concert but never got the opportunity until last night. I’ve loved her since high school and know every word, every inflection of every song. To say I am a fan, is a bit of an understatement. Fans like me are why certain celebrities need security detail. Let’s just leave it at that.

Oh man, she was amazing. Vibrant, emotive, passionate, quirky; and those pipes. Jeez! It was definitely worth my 12-year wait.

The set list was diverse (spanning pretty evenly across all four of her albums), had a lovely build and was all-around unexpected and refreshing:

1. Fast As You Can
2. When the Pawn
3. Shadow boxer
4. Paper Bag
5. Anything We Want
6. Get Gone
7. Sleep to Dream
8. Extraordinary Machine
9. Werewolf
10. Tymps (The Sick in the Head song)
11. Daredevil
12. I’ll Know
13. Every Single Night
14. Not About Love
15. Carrion
16. Criminal
17. It’s Only Make Believe (Loretta Lynn cover)

Oh and the audience; it was so diverse! There were a lot of girls who looked like they could have starred in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo…but the best part about the crowd was that they were all REAL Fiona fans. They cheered and wahooed right with Jackie and me as soon as they recognized the next song (in like the first four notes). They screamed their hearts out and really felt the emotion of each performance.

My favorite part was at the end when Fiona declared that she thinks it’s awkward leaving the stage and then coming back on for an encore, so she just announced that they would do the encore next. She was absolutely adorable; writhing around on the floor and on the piano. Oh. And can we talk about homegirl’s biceps for a hot second? Don’t mess.

Thanks to Jackie for being my date. I had an amazing time!

(The photos are by Patrick Dunn of Twin Cities Metro Mag; and you can see more here!)

I had been meaning to eat at this new restaurant in town called Tilia since before it even opened. My friend from book club, Cuellar, had gotten a job there while it was still being built and could not stop gushing about the food, the space and her coworkers. I’d never heard anyone so genuinely excited about the place they worked. And her enthusiasm didn’t stop once the restaurant opened. It actually multiplied.

After a few failed attempts (lonnnnnnnnng wait times), we finally got to go eat there last night for Brad and my 4 year dateiversary. And let me just say it was TOTALLY worth the wait. We sat up on the counter/bar right in front of the kitchen, so of course Brad was in heaven. The chefs were all super nice and helped us decide what to order. Cuellar helped out in her own special way—I texted her and asked what we should order and she said, “Everything!!!!!” Ha. So here’s what we ended up ordering, a kind of Greatest Hits compilation of their most popular small plates. And let me just say, we were not disappointed once:

• Grilled Bread with Prosciutto + Fresh Mozzerella

• Shrimp with Spring Peas, Spicy Scampi Sauce and Grilled Scallion

• Roasted Chicken Thighs in a Sort of Jerk Chicken Style

• Scallops with Curry, Carrots and Marinated Mushrooms

• Caramelized Brussell Sprouts, Walnuts and Ham

Good Lord, I am SOOOOOOOO happy I started eating meat again.

This was, hands down the most enjoyable meal I’ve had in Minneapolis. And in a long time. The food was all amazing. Fresh. Flavorful. Unique. I found myself wishing I could somehow apply to be a judge on Top Chef…if THIS is the kind of stuff they eat. Also, I was wondering why anyone would pay $6 for a friggin McDonald’s value meal when they could pay $8 for the most AMAZING jerk chicken in the world. Totally beyond me. Aside from the amazing food, the service was fantastic, the atmosphere rich and inspiring. It was just the perfect little dark, romantic restaurant. I felt like we were in New York or something. I walked out of the restaurant, holding Brad’s hand, feeling as though I was in a different world. Just feeling so full and blessed and grateful. I was in heaven.

Happy Monday, peeps. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Mine was deeply, deeply necessary.

I’ve been in an inexplicable funk for the last couple of weeks. It’s a phantom funk, really…because there’s been no single reason for it. Just a bunch of little stresses and anxieties that seem to build up slowly. I was also disappointed on Friday because it was supposed to (and pretty much did) thunderstorm all weekend long, which meant that the adorable surprise date I was planning for Brad and my -1 Year Wedding Anniversary was rained out. Boo! I was none too pleased with Mother Nature…

However, this weekend proved to (after all) bring me the perfect cure in the perfect dosages for my funk. Oh yes, this weekend hugged me tightly. The highlights included:

-Copious amounts of red wine with new friends

- Big, hearty belly laughs

- Peach iced tea

- Cat naps with my cat

- The smell of lilacs ALL over Minneapolis

- Finishing my book (Prayers and Lies, by Sherri Wood Emmons)

- A beautiful walk after the storm on Sunday around Lake of the Isles (I took all those pictures above during that walk)

MPLS LOVE »

Thanks to my dear friend Ainara for sharing :)

What is it that keeps people here in the Twin Cities? It’s easy to forget around January…luckily sevenandsixtyproductions.com made this beautiful short video about what makes the Twin Cities so special. And why people stay.