Summer staycation, anyone? Check out these spots for some West 7th possibilities.
Brake Bread
The bakery started as a bike-based subscription program with bikers delivering loaves to customers. Now as a brick and mortar business, its specialty is naturally leavened bread. Each loaf starts with wild yeast and includes locally milled flour. The community-supporting bakery’s menu includes a soft sandwich bread called “fwuffy” (pictured above), cardamom spinners, scones, baguettes, cookies, croissants, and more.
Shamrock’s Grill and Pub
Did you know kids eat free at Shamrock’s on Sundays (from 4 - 9 p.m.), one child per paying adult? Now you do! The burger options (that come with homemade fresh cut fries) are vast – from Shamrock burgers like the Deluxe West 7th (with bacon, smoked cheddar and BBQ sauce topped with a green pepper wheel, pulled pork, and onion strings) to their famous stuffed burgers. I have it on good authority that one of these, the Pepper Jack Hannahan, is the way to go - a pepper Jack cheese-stuffed burger, with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Also super-popular are their Pot O’ Gold wings. Or, perhaps you would rather enjoy Leprechaun Legs? These deep fried green beans could be yours to try, too.
Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery
First opened in 1857 by Bavarian immigrants Anton and Wilhelmina Waldmann, this is the oldest surviving saloon built in the Twin Cities. It reopened in 2017 with a menu featuring natural, local ingredients and a focus on traditionally crafted, housemade beers (modern interpretations of classic styles) and wursts (including bratwurst, currywurst, landjäger). Sides include chilled red cabbage, mashed potatoes, and spätzle. Enjoy the attention to detail and commitment to history in their European-style outdoor biergarten.
Soul Lao
Before there was a Soul Lao, there was a lot of soul searching. Sabrina Boualaphanh and Eric Phothisanh journeyed many places, including cooking schools in Thailand and a life-changing trip to Luang Prabang, Laos, where the couple ate meals prepared by local villagers and heard family stories. The resulting authentic Laotian cuisine menu includes crispy chicken over garlic chicken fat rice, Lao-style short ribs, and duck noodles made with rotisserie-aged duck. Mouth watering yet? I haven’t even gotten to the O.G. wings or the crispy rice salad. As their website says, “After the satisfaction of this meal, may you continue to act with good will and be blessed with everlasting compassion.”
