MINNEAPOLIS... A VISITOR'S GUIDE

Just recently a friend of my boyfriend decided to take a job offer and move to Minneapolis - that got me thinking! There are so many great restaurants and things to do in Minneapolis, so here's a list of recommendations to anyone moving here or just visiting... 

(I'll continue to update as I get more ideas)

RESTAURANTS:

• Butcher & The Boar (Downtown Minneapolis)
• Burch Steak & Pizza (Downtown/Uptown)
• Borough (Downtown Minneapolis)
• Pig Ate My Pizza (Minneapolis area)
• Travail Kitchen & Amusements (Minneapolis area)
• The Lowry (Uptown)
• Smack Shack (Downtown Minneapolis)
• Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater (Uptown)
• Chino Latino (Uptown)
• Eat Street Social (Uptown)
• Bar La Grassa (Downtown Minneapolis)
• Cafe Lurcat (Downtown/Uptown)
• The Bulldog NE (NorthEast Minneapolis)
• Barrio Tequila Bar (Downtown Minneapolis)
• Rincon 38 - (Minneapolis area)

THINGS TO DO:

• Walker Art Center
• Lake Harriet Rose Garden
• Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
• First Avenue, Dakota Jazz Club or Icehouse for music
• Rent a kayak and go kayak the lakes
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• Minnesota Zoo
• Horseback riding
• Explore Uptown
• Explore St. Paul
• Explore NorthEast Minneapolis - Arts District
• Lake Minnetonka area
• Explore the North Shore

GRILLED SEA SCALLOPS

This is one of my all time favorite summer meals to make! If you love scallops this recipe is for you. You don't have to be a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu to make this either... that's the best part; it's easy!

This recipe hails from Bobby Flay's Bold American Food cookbook. I encourage you to make it, enjoy every bite of it and impress anyone you cook it for!

GRILLED SEA SCALLOPS W/ AVOCADO-CORN RELISH

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Peanut Oil
• 4 Flour Tortillas, cut into quarters
• 16 large Sea Scallops, grilled 
• 6 tablespoons Avocado-Corn relish*

*You can substitute these items & save yourself some time instead of making the Avocado-Corn Relish: buy guacamole from Chipotle (they make theirs fresh and it's actually really good), buy small grape tomatoes and cut into small slices and buy a package of steamable shoepeg corn.

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 375° , or until a piece of tortilla sizzles when immersed. Fry the tortillas until crisp and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Set aside.
2. Grill the scallops - wash the scallops first, then pat dry with a paper towel. Brush olive oil over scallops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the scallops about 3 to 4 minutes a side, they will be slightly opaque and golden when done. DON'T OVERCOOK the scallops.
3. To serve, arrange 4 tortilla quarters on each plate. Top each with a layer of the Avocado-Corn relish and 1 scallop. * If you choose the easier way: put a layer of the Chipotle guacamole, corn, grape tomatoes and the 1 scallop on top.

AVOCADO-CORN RELISH

Ingredients:

• 2 Haas Avocados, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup roasted Corn Kernels
• 3 tablespoons finely diced Red Onion
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh Lime juice
• 2 tablespoons regular or lite Sour Cream
• Salt & Ground Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. May be prepared up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

ARUBA: 12° N, 69° W

My first post I decided must be about TRAVEL! My recent trip to the beautiful island of ARUBA is definitely blog worthy. My boyfriend and I went there the first week in March (2013). We both had never been before and were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the whole trip was. Here are a few favorites/tips for anyone considering going. #1 It is windy in Aruba... so be prepared (ladies) to have your hair blown in all sorts of ways. I would suggest bringing lots of hair binders, hairspray and hats!

HOTEL/RESORT:
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort (http://www.bucuti.com/)

The staff and overall service is top notch - you get what you pay for! We booked the hotel via Costco Travel - If you have a Costco membership I encourage you to check out their travel deals! I also checked out the reviews on Tripadvisor.

This is Palm/Eagle Beach - Bucuti's area for guests

Aruba's Turquoise waters

RESTAURANTS:

• Bob's Pizza - Pizza done well. Right across the street from Bucuti. Casual outdoor pizza spot, great service and delicious homemade pizza.
• White Modern Cuisine - This place is amazing, one of the best meals i've had in awhile. Contemporary and the presentation of the food was artistically done. Save room for dessert.
• Ike's Bistro - Seafood and Steak. Outdoor seating was nice, food was very good and the service as well. The chef even gave us a bonus appetizer for free!
• Ginger - Asian inspired food. Located in shopping mall, nice outdoor seating and the food was good.
• Romantic Dinner for two at Bucuti: Worth the $150. The food was very good and you can't beat sitting in your own private hut on the beach watching the sun set!

Ginger

 Ike's Bistro

Romantic Dinner @ Bucuti

White Modern Cuisine 

ACTIVITIES:

• THE BEACH! You seriously will pinch yourself, the beaches in Aruba are breathtaking! The water is a perfect temp (around 70°) Go in the water and enjoy the beach. We spent a couple days just reading on the beach, relaxing and swimming. If you walk down Palm/Eagle beach you can find the Divi Divi tree (pictured below) - ask the hotel where to find it, it's usually only a little walk down the beach.

• Wildlife - there are a lot of birds and lizards all around... being a photographer it was fun capturing all the different animals we came across.

• Horseback riding - we went to Gold Mine Ranch. I was not a fan. The horses seemed a little underfed and their overall care seemed to be neglected... this was probably the one thing I will not do again if I go back to Aruba. There are other ranches on the island and if horseback riding is a must then don't go to Gold Mine Ranch.

• Oranjestad - This is the capital of Aruba. Take a cab (the fare is usually just $5) and go walk around. There are a lot of shops and restaurants to explore. The cruise ships don't dock on Sundays so if you want to avoid traffic/crowds go on a Sunday. We went during the week and it wasn't bad. Definitely check out the "I Love Aruba" sign. Shopping is duty free which is always a plus!

 Pelican on the beach

Green Iguana

 Divi Divi Tree

 Horseback riding

Oranjestad

Oranjestad - "I love Aruba" sign

Overall I would definitely go back to Aruba - it was a wonderful and relaxing vacation! If you have questions let me know, I am always up for giving advice!

Here's a link to more of my pictures on FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferfallsphotos/