BraySpace

Let’s play a game.

How many lists can Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs be on top of regarding “The Best Place to  ______.”  You can fill in the blank and there is a good chance you’ll be right.

Forbes.com places Minneapolis at #1 for “Best City in America for Working Moms”

Are you a mom?  Do you work?  Do you live in Minneapolis?  Well if so, stay right where you are.  Minneapolis tops yet another list of “America’s Bests.”  This time, it’s described as the best place to live for working mothers.

To calculate their list, Forbes started with the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas in America.  Safety, great schools and health care also all play a part.  However, there is a lot of other information to consider when making these lists.

Job opportunities, high earning potential and cost of living come into play when creating a list like this.  Unemployment rates are also a huge factor in this.  It would be hard to put a city at the top of a list for “working moms” when there are no places for moms to work.  Minneapolis happens to be the 2nd lowest in unemployment at the moment.

Education plays a significant role as well.  Anyone who is from Minnesota can tell you (in an intelligent way) that we have great schools here.

What was one of the biggest kickers for Minneapolis being on top?  Crime rates.  With only 216 crimes per 100,000 residents per year, Minneapolis has the lowest violent-crime rate in the country.  This makes moms feel good.

Keep it up Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs!  With Eden Prairie receiving the honor of “Best Place to Live in America” just a few weeks ago, this is now icing on the cake.  Until another list comes out, enjoy the sweet taste of victory citizens of the Twin Cities!

*Where is the worst place to go if you’re a working mom, you ask?  Don’t gamble your career in Las Vegas, mommies.  With over 600 violent crimes per 100,000 residents per year and the highest unemployment rate in the country, there is nothing lucky about the Sunset Strip.

To read the full article and watch videos on this, visit forbes.com.

*click on photo to visit restaurant website*

On a recent beautiful Minnesota Friday night, my wife and I met up with some friends at a new place we had never been before.  Not typical to your usual Twin Cities hang-out, we walked in to this particular establishment to find the men-folk wearing Wranglers and cowboy hats, while the ladies sported jean skirts and cowboy boots.  ”Did we just walk into Sturgis, SD?” I asked my wife.  Nope, we were in St. Louis Park, MN.

Not only were we in one of the fastest growing and thriving suburbs of the west metro, but were smack dab in the middle of the only country/western bar within a 10 mile radius of Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and surprisingly Hopkins.  The lake-goers would not approve of our rowdy “yee-hawing” attitude.

“The Shops at West End” continue to impress as this self-proclaimed “first choice for shopping, dining, and entertainment in Minneapolis” is growing to be just that.  Toby Keith’s is just one of the places to eat.  I have also frequented Sauce, Crave and Cooper Irish Pub, a delightful Irish pub ran by the same company that owns The Local, The Liffey and Kieran’s.  Needless to say, they know how to pour cold Guinness and Jameson “Big Gingers.”

But that night, it was all about beer in mason jars (dead serious…that’s how they serve ‘em), line-dancing to live music and bellying-up to one of the largest bar-tops I’ve ever seen, which just so happens to be in the shape of a gigantic guitar.  I should make one correction, if there was any line-dancing going on, I was not a part of it.  I regretfully confess that my roots back to South Dakota do nothing for me in that department.  Sorry grandpa.

It’s first and foremost a bar.  So plan on being able to get your libation of choice.  They do, however, boast two different menus.  A “Main” menu with lots of choices, and a “Late Night” menu that has only appetizers between $2.99 and $4.99.  You can bank on the fact that this place is much busier after the 9:00pm hour.  I’ve heard it draws quite a younger crowd and is becoming quite popular with the future of America.  You will find that the food on this menu coincides with most restaurants themed after country and western hoop-lah.  Burgers, sandwiches and a few signature items are the “meat” of the menu.  If you’re looking for a starter, I suggest the “TK Smokehouse Nachos.”  But, unless you are planning on feeding 10 people with that single appetizer, take my word and get the 1/2 order.  You can thank me later that I didn’t have to bring a wagon in to wheel you out.  That would be embarrassing.

After you eat, mosey on over to the dance floor and get down to the twang of a tight country band.  (make sure you wait 30 minutes to let your food digest…we don’t want any tummy aches) The night we were there, “Chasin Mason” was providing the entertainment.  They were pretty good, although I expect a bar of this hype to have good bands all the time.  They had about 7 band-members and kept the dance floor hopping, or stepping, all night.  They played everything from “Dirks Bentley” to “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.”  Surprisingly, I don’t think I heard one Toby Keith song.

I’ll have to get my people call his people about that.

For more information, click here.

Out of the top 100 places to live in America, Eden Prairie finds itself on top!

Is anybody noticing a yearly trend here?  How about that Minnesota rocks, annually.

• click here for more details from kare11.com

Eden Prairie celebrates new title: Best place to live in U.S. | Minneapolis and St. Paul | kare11.com.

Impressive.  Classic.  Unlike Anything This State Has Ever Seen.

Target Field Brings New Energy to the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

It goes without saying…..

• That this a place that Minnesotans have been looking forward to frequenting for a long time.
• That people my age have known nothing but the H.H.H. Metrodome.  Although it served its purpose, and it was a big part of our childhood, it’s not hard to say “good-bye” to the place we affectionately call “The Toilet Bowl.”  In all reality, that’s a compliment when comparing it to the new digs.
• That generations of kids from here on out will only know what outdoor baseball is.  Can they appreciate it as much as we do knowing what we just went through for the past 30 years?
• 1987 and 1991 were amazing…..AMAZING!  (Thanks Kirby) But, how good will homer hankies look being waved over these shiny new green seats in the chilly air of October?
• That after visiting this place, going back is a necessity.

The experience at Target Field is nothing short of magical for a person who loves the Twins, the game and the smell of hot dogs and pop-corn.  I would even venture to say that it’s a place that will impress those who don’t even care for baseball….if that’s possible.  What could be better on a warm summer night than sitting at the park drinking beer, eating hot dogs and taking in the downtown skyline views from a bleacher seat?  Or, how about actually needing sunscreen and sunglasses for an afternoon game?  I had to learn that the hard way as I rubbed aloe on my forehead after a 12:10pm game against Cleveland last week.  After a lifetime of Twins in the Metrodome, sunscreen was the last thing on my mind in my excitement for my “first game.”

When you are there, be sure to check out a few of the highlights this stadium has to offer.  Various restaurants feature their own menu items.  The “Townball Tavern” boasts an amazing Juicy Lucy while “Tony O’s,” named after the former Twins slugger serves outstanding cuban sandwiches.  If the baseball is boring you, there are plenty of places to shop.  There are even a few areas where you can find a video game to play.  Cell phone low on batteries?  No problem!  There are charging stations on the second level.  They left no stone unturned.

If you have any summer traditions in the state of Minnesota, I’m telling you to add one more: multiple visits to Target Field.  This is truly one of the coolest and most recent things us Minnesotans can be proud of…..a ballpark even the Yankees can be jealous of.

For tickets, click here.

If you live in the Minneapolis area or surrounding suburbs, you have undoubtedly heard of historic Lake Minnetonka.  With the ice out, temps in the 70′s and early blooming of plants and trees, it’s hard to not start thinking about days at the Lake.

Whether you’re familiar with Lake Minnetonka, or have only ventured “west” a couple times in the past, check out Lake Minnetonka’s offical website, http://www.lakeminnetonka.com/ for a list of fun things to do this upcoming summer.

I had been here once before, but thanks to a friend of mine, a gift card to Crave found its way into a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner for my wife and I.  It was so good that I decided to make it this month’s BraySpace “Best of the Twin Cities” pick.

Crave is a delightful restaurant with three locations in the Twin Cities; The Galleria of Edina, The Mall of America and The Shops at West End of St. Louis Park.  Their menu includes everything from sushi and sake, to hamburgers and fries.  All of which, I must say, are delectable.  Although the food and menu selections might be the best part of this restaurant, the ambiance and service I encountered on Saturday night was outstanding.  Our waiter was knowledgeable about everything on the menu and even had some suggestions that we took him up on.  The low lighting, fireplace and jazz music would be perfect for anything from a second date (too nice for a first date fellas), a special occasion with that special someone, or just a night on the town with a group of friends.

We started off with an appetizer called “The Californian” which was Crave’s version of a California roll (sushi), AND calamari.  Best calamari my wife and I had ever had.  The waiter suggested that my wife try a “Ginger Pear” which is a martini that has a hint of a pear taste yet close to that of a “Cosmo.”  I enjoyed an ice cold Summit…..can never go wrong with a beer made in Minnesota.  We followed that up with an entree of salmon and another of steak.  Needless to say, amazing!  Their chef does an excellent job of taking new ideas and old classics while putting his own spin on it.  Here is what Crave’s website says about their chef, Eli Wollenzien:

“Executive Chef, Eli Wollenzien, and his expert culinary team have crafted a menu evoking the tastes of the new American palate featuring fresh and innovative cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences. At CRAVE, we pride ourselves on serving the freshest, highest quality food using only the very best of ingredients. We proudly support locally owned, independently operated farms and businesses, and whenever possible we use local, organic or all natural products. Our diverse menu offers a wide range of options to choose from, and is constantly evolving as our chefs are inspired by new ingredients, techniques, and flavors.”

They love Minnesota!  Even better.

Looking for a deal on Crave?  Or simply want to try it out?  Try one of their their Sunday Night Specials.  I promise, Crave will not let you down.  Just another one of the “tastier” things The Twin Cities has to offer.

Alright, alright.  I know that this restaurant is not specific to just the Twin Cities area, but I couldn’t think of a better place to start than my personal favorite restaurant.

From the first time I went there, to the last, I have enjoyed every delicious minute of it.  Just like there are countless realtors in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, there are over 5,300 restaurants.  If you were to ask me who the best realtor is, you could probably guess my answer:)  But ask me my favorite restaurant and you will hear “PF Chang’s of course!”  The ambiance, the menu selection and the service are all high on the grading scale.  Try this place out next time you are around Southdale Shopping Center or The Shops at Arbor Lakes.

• Service: B+
• Food: A
• Menu Recommendation: Lettuce Wrap Appetizer