Secrets of the City

You’ve heard about it on TV, on the radio, and in the newspaper! Now Secrets of the City’s new guide book that was rejected by the Virginia republican delegation for 6 pages of GBLT content is yours to own for a mere $12.95 (plus shipping and handling of course).

Check out our new Secrets of the City Guide to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It’s 220 pages of the best information on attractions, night life, restaurants and shopping that the editors of Secrets of the City (formerly The Rake) have to offer. And of course, the listings and features are all written with typical Rake attention to detail and nuance. For all the best the Twin Cities have to offer, get yours today.

Recommendations include: restaurants,nightlife and music, attractions, shopping, clubs, galleries and museums, hotels, day trips. Maps of both downtowns and major roads are included.

Orders placed by 5 p.m will be shipped the following business day by first class mail.

Price: $12.95, plus tax (for Minnesota residents) plus shipping and handling.

I’m going to occasionally revive the Night Shift, my evening offering of the more ribald side of the Twin Cities. Help me out with a few suggestions. What is naughty locally?

Men’s Fitness magazine has named Minneapolis the 3rd fittest city in America, behind Salt Lake and Colorado Springs. What do you do to keep fit?

Erica points out this astounding tattoo of Minneapolis burning, which got me to wondering if there are any other tattoos of the Twin Cities, or related subjects, out there. Here’s one. And some MPLS knuckles. This guy seems to have a Minnesota viking tattooed on his inner arm, although it is not the first thing you look at in the photo. Here’s a tattoo of Prince. Here’s a tattoo in memory of Paul Wellstone. I don’t know what this (NSFW) has to do with the Twin Cities, aside from being shot here, but I thought I should share it.

What’s the best tattoo you’ve seen locally, and where do you go for your tattooing needs?

Mine would have to be Augie Garcia’s lost classic “Be My Guest” about the River Road Club in Mendota, although I have also always been partial to The Replacement’s “Skyway.” What are your favorites?

Of course, we know that Minnesota is the home of the Jucy Lucy. Also the bundt cake, or, at least, the bundt pan. Pronto Pup claims to have invented the corn dog. We’re reportedly the birthplace of the cosmopolitan. Cheerios comes Golden Valley, along with dozens of other General Mills products. Pearsons in St. Paul invented the Salted Nut Roll. And now Secret’s of the City’s own Jeremy Iggers reveals the extraordinary fact that Minnesota’s own Leeann Chin invented the cream cheese won ton. Any other local creations that I am forgetting?

Not a ton of exclusively local gift guides out there this year, but here are the ones we found. First, the shameless plug for our Secrets of the Season guide by Kate Iverson (who also wrote a great guide for l’etoile magazine). MN Monthly’s got a short Minnesota Made guide and another for local arts.  MetroMix runs down the list of holiday stage performances. Liberal thinktank MN2020 has a long categorized list of MN-made gift ideas.  Finally, Metro lists (mostly) local guormet foods and some tips for holiday parties.  Let me know if I missed any and I’ll update the post.

Midwest Product at Minnescraper puts together a list (scroll down) of authentic local food (via), including, of course, the Jucy Lucy, as well as the Henry VIII Burger and Walleye from the Tavern on Grand. What would you put on a list of food you associate with the Twin Cities, and with TC restaurants. You may name specific types of hot dish and provide recipes, if you like.

With word that a Lunds may be coming to downtown St. Paul, it’s time to revisit one of the most important local questions: Where do you shop for groceries, and why?

Let’s talk dance for a moment. Where do you go to watch dance? What local troupes do you enjoy? And when you want to tap your toes and cut a rug and, um, shake your booty, where do you go?