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mankato TOP GUNS Tattoo artist Kelly Bunde is among the best of the best, as voted by you!

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JULY 2022

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FEATURE S JULY 2022 Volume 17, Issue 7

Top Guns We’re back this month with our annual Best of Mankato issue. After several months of open online nominations and voting, the readers have spoken and here are the winners.

ABOUT THE COVER Mankato Magazine readers say Kelly Bunde is their favorite tattoo artist in town. And who could argue with that smile? She was photographed by Pat Christman, who has no tattoos that we know of. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 3

DEPARTMENTS

From the Editor

This Day in History

Faces & Places

12 Avant Guardians Tyler Herwig

14 Beyond the Margin American soul

16 Familiar Faces Ronda Redmond

18 Day Trip Destinations Iron River, Michigan

68 Let’s Eat!

Poppy’s in Winthrop

70 On Tap

Fruit beers

74 Lit Du Nord: Minnesota Books and Authors Leif Enger’s latest book

76 Ann’s Fashion Fortunes Sneakers/shirts demystified

78 Garden Chat

A splash of safety

80 From This Valley

The annual Steinie Awards

Coming Next Month

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FROM THE EDITOR By Robb Murray JULY 2022 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7 MAGAZINE Robb Murray EDITOR DESIGNER Christina Sankey PHOTOGRAPHER Pat Christman

COPY EDITOR Kathy Vos CONTRIBUTORS James Figy Jean Lundquist Leticia Gonzalez Ann Rosenquist Fee Pete Steiner Nick Healy Dana Melius Renee Berg ADVERTISING Danny Creel SALES Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Tim Keech ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Christina Sankey DESIGNER CIRCULATION Justin Niles DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear

Mankato Magazine is published by The Free Press Media monthly at 418 South Second Street, Mankato MN 56001. To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $59.88 for 12 issues. For all editorial inquiries, call Robb Murray 507-344-6386, or email rmurray@mankatofreepress.com. For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.

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And the winners are … S

inging the praises of our community never gets old. Each year at Mankato Magazine, we dedicate the July edition to the people, restaurants and businesses that make this community what it is. Is there a better use for a regional lifestyles magazine? We think not. And the readers tell us every year that it’s their favorite issue. For my part, I get to chat with a few of the winners. And I was delighted this year to be able to speak with Kelly Bunde, the winner of Best Tattoo Artist. This is the first year we’ve offered this category. We’ve tried to add categories as readers ask for them. But this one seems long overdue. I’ve known Kelly for several years. We’ve had kids in marching band together, so I’ve gotten to know her and her family. Great people. Which is why it was so heartening to be able to interview her. Kelly is very humble — and very good at what she does. And when asked about how it felt to win, she gave credit to Mecca Tattoo owner Megan Hoogland and the other artists at the shop. (Trust me, I’ve done many of these interviews, and they don’t always go that way. Pro tip: A bit of humility goes a long way.) This year’s winners include some fresh faces, which is nice to see. Don’t get me wrong: It’s always good to see consistency. But mixing in some fresh names when handing out awards isn’t bad either. My sense is that most of our businesses and people are just out here doing the best they can. A little recognition — especially when we’re still in tough times — can give a little boost. So I hope you enjoy our 2022 Best of Mankato issue. We love bringing it to you every year. Also in this issue, we introduce you to Ronda Redmond. You may

The Free Press know her from her work at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota or the Arts Center of Saint Peter. But you certainly remember her competing in the mullet competition for Hockey Day Minnesota, right? Of course! Who could forget. And our restaurant feature this month takes us all the way to Winthrop where there’s a little pizza place called Poppy’s Pizza. Sounds like a Poppy’s slice is definitely worth the trip. Our Day Trip Destinations feature this month is a good example of how that piece of Mankato Magazine is evolving. We used to run that feature to give you ideas of where you could go for, as the name implies, on a day trip. But this month we’re introducing you to Iron River, Michigan, which is certainly not doable as a “day trip.” Says Iron River resident Benjamin Garcia, “They call the Upper Peninsula God’s country, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s beautiful here.” And in Nick Healy’s Lit du Nord piece, he writes of developing an emotional connection to Leif Enger’s book, “So Brave, Young and Handsome.” It’ll make you want to read it not because you should, but because you simply have to.

Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@mankatofreepress.com.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY Compiled by Jean Lundquist

St. Peter holding historic picnic

Many gathered at the Traverse des Sioux on 80th anniversary of treaty July 20, 1931 On July 23, 1851, the documents known as the Traverse des Sioux Treaty were signed. In that treaty, Dakota leaders ceded millions of acres to governments for 7.5 cents per acre. In 1926, a huge celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the signing was held at the site, on the north side of St. Peter. Pageants were staged, and extensive efforts were made to re-create the event, which gave “white men … possession of much of southern Minnesota.” In exchange, the tribes were guaranteed annuity payments, and a stretch along the Minnesota River of 130 miles and 10 miles on either side. However, in 1931, no pageantry was planned, just a simple community picnic.

Old orange popcorn wagon still turning heads

July 9, 1982 After buying the orange popcorn wagon from Charles Vogel, Opal Larson ran the gas-fired corn popper for 27 years. It was downtown every night on the National Citizens Bank corner. It was one of four such wagons in the city. Her customers told her she had the best popcorn in the city. “That’s what they say, but I don’t know. I don’t eat the stuff myself. Never did,” she said. In 1975, it was pulled out of storage and bought by Don and Cel Wolfe for $600. It was Unit No. 36 in that year’s Bend of the River Parade in Mankato. When not in parades, the Wolfes set up shop in a service station driveway on the main drag in St. Peter. The wagon was built on a new ’34 Plymouth, constructed by two brothers in North Mankato. It was always orange.

Local Company honored for its city prairie

Creative Company wins conservation award July 3, 2012 When Creative Company moved to its current location on Howard Drive in North Mankato, their architect advised them to create a natural-looking prairie to complement the modern, sharp lines of the building. Owner Tom Peterson tried, but the prairie failed, and noxious weeds took over. City officials had something to say about that, so a professional company was hired to establish a true prairie and maintain it. Utility company trucks have caused damage to the five-acre prairie, by driving on it, believing it to be just weeds. “You’re pioneering. You’re going to get beat up a little,” said a club member of the Many Rivers Chapter of the Prairie Enthusiasts during the presentation of the Conservationist of the Year award.

More Technology. More Education. More Support. More Solutions— More of what you want.

Meet the Shriners behind the tiny wheel

July 5, 2000 Two Shriners groups participated in the Fourth of July parade in St. Peter, driving tiny cars in various formations while wearing hats that looked like upside down flower pots. The hat is known as a fez. While people recognize the Shriners for the tiny automobiles and curious headgear, they are actually a philanthropic group. The Mankato Area Shriners Patrol, known as the Mankato T-Birds, planned to appear in more than 25 parades the summer of 2000. The money they were paid for these appearances was donated to free hospital care for children. The T-Birds expected to donate $10,000 to the network of 19 hospitals and three burn units.

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports by David Faulkner

Bookin’ on Belgrade 1. The young kids lead the start of the race at Bookin’ on Belgrade. 2. The Stride program poses for a photo before they run the 5K. 3. Kids playing instruments while they wait for the start of the race. 4. Lydia Jagodzinski hands out awards as people cross the finish line. 5. Jim Rygg and Lily Backes cheer on Lily’s mom as she finishes. 6. Runners of all ages participate in the 2022 Bookin’ on Belgrade run. 7. Grayson Stenberg runs the Bookin’ on Belgrade race. 8. Christina Ulrich (mom) and Penelope walk the Bookin’ on Belgrade route. 2 9. Bookin’ on Belgrade

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports by David Faulkner

Running For Heroes 5K

1. Tammy Rausch (left) and Nancy Mikelson pose for a photo before the start of the race. 2. Kim Denn (left) and Zak join Bre Sieberg and her dog Marvin at the race. 3 3. Dr. Seth Nelson with Rising Sun Chiropractic talks to the crowd about what they are offering after the race. 4. Running For Heroes 5K 5. Running For Heroes 5K volunteers and organizers. 6. Sadie Rezac and Ryan Frank with the MACV. 7. The start of the Running For Heroes 5K

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 9

FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports by David Faulkner

United Way Top Executive Leadership and Business Awards Luncheon

1. Jessica Blais with APX Construction Group and Greater Mankato United Way Board member, welcomes everyone to the luncheon. 2. Barb Kaus talks to the crowd during the United Way Top Executive Leadership and Business Awards. 3. Alissa Brekke, board member of the Greater Mankato United Way, networking at the luncheon. 4. Anna Thill talks with the people at her table during the United Way Top Executive Leadership and Business Awards. 5. Mayo Clinic Health System poses with their Business Milestone award. 6. City of Mankato poses for a photo after accepting the All-Around Supporter of the Year award. 2 7. United Way Top Executive Leadership and Business Awards

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AVANT GUARDIANS By Leticia Gonzales

Channeling demons West grad Tyler Herwig uses personal pain to write memorable music Photos courtesy Tyler Herwig

hile Mankato native Tyler Herwig grew up singing in many church choirs, his journey to becoming a musician didn’t really begin until his teen years. “It was until I was 13 years old and my brother’s best friend passed away that I started to see music as a way to let my emotions out in a very healthy and constructive way,” said Herwig, who is now 28. Shortly after the loss, he wrote his first song, “Miss You,” dedicated to his brother’s friend. “That song has carried me very far in my career,” he said, having just performed at a recent funeral. Herwig, who graduated from Mankato West High School, began picking up other instruments when he was 16. He learned how to play the guitar by watching YouTube videos and got his first gig when he was 16 after a woman heard him practicing out of the trunk of his car. She asked him to perform at her wedding, which jump-started his performing opportunities. Although he didn’t seek out new gigs, his musical skills were noticed when he was singing at his sister’s wedding at Chankaska Creek Winery in Kasota in 2012. The events coordinator asked him to come back and sing live music not long after. It was then that he started to see he could make money and pursue a career in music. “I always had this idea in my head that someone was going to find me,” said Herwig, who acknowledged it takes more than that to make it in the music industry. After high school, he made an attempt to study vocal opera performance at Bethel University in St. Paul. “It wasn’t until my third year of trying to get that degree that a professor told me that maybe I wasn’t a very talented opera singer and maybe music should be a fallback career for me or more of just a hobby.” He went on to study nursing at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul for three years before switching yet again to biochemistry for a possible career in medicine. He graduated in 2017 with a health sciences pre-degree. “I struggled to find a way to balance my passion for music and my nerdiness for science and some of my dorky quirks.” After college, he found himself bouncing from job to job, trying to figure out where he belonged. Herwig was also struggling with alcohol and chemical addiction, which he said almost caused him to lose everything many times throughout his life. But that all changed more than two years ago when he had a wake-up call. “I had kind of my moment where I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I let those emotions finally 12 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“I struggled to find a way to balance my passion for music and my nerdiness for science and some of my dory quirks.” — Tyler Herwig flow through my music,” Herwig said. “And since doing that, not only have I maintained sobriety, but I have had my music career develop and take off in this whole new, very unique way.” While Herwig has continued to perform at Chankaska since his first gig there, his music has expanded to other wineries and venues over the years, such as the Mankato Brewery and the Circle Inn Bar. He describes his style as a mix between Ed Sheeran and Adam Levine, using acoustic guitar and vocals. “I do a lot of looping and vocals that kind of creates my own sound that fits in a lot of different categories.” Now living in Eden Prairie, Herwig also performs at other venues around the state. The Minnesota Music

Coalition invited him to play at the Mall of America, which helped him gain national attention. He recently signed a record deal with SSM records from Nashville where he will co-write a song with them. He is also working on putting together a full band so he can expand to larger festivals and events. He continues to use his struggles with addiction to inspire his music, which he said provides a unique way for him to tap into his past experiences and those feelings where he was at his lowest and his highest. “Once I kind of got the hang of how to influence and sway a crowd, and then people started responding to music I was writing, countless doors have opened,” he said. “Most of the live music venues that I want to play at in the state, I get to play at, which is an honor and privilege.” Herwig will perform this month at Rockin’ on the Hill at Loyola on July 16 and Circle Inn Bar on July 20. Visit tylerherwigmusic.com for additional performances.

Herwig recently signed a deal with a recording company in Nashville to write songs.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 13

BEYOND THE MARGIN By Joe Spear

American soul, baseball and the Fourth of July

aseball parks across the U.S. of A. are the setting for Fourth of July celebrations. And rightly so. Baseball is our game. Volunteer firefighter and bank clerk Alexander Joy Cartwright codified the rules of the American game. History.com says Abner Doubleday’s credit for inventing the game was, you might say, out in left field. But we’ve grown the game, cherished it, and, like many an American tradition, we’ve made it into a multi-billion dollar industry that has a faithful audience. All manner of sports equipment came out of baseball’s popularity. But we don’t buy the product of baseball like Dove soap. We go to baseball games for a respite from all our troubles. The rhythm of the game is calming. Baseball is a game of spirit. It is a game of skill. It is a game of endurance. There is no other game that requires the hand-eye coordination of baseball. It is a game of incredible innovation and invention. The sliding curve. The knuckle-ball. The four-seamed fastball. The screwball, the slider and the splinker (a hybrid of the splitter and sinker). So we go to baseball games on the Fourth of July. The Declaration of Independence might as well be the box score or the lineup book, where strikes, balls, hits, outs and “Ks” are duly recorded. There is not a game more democratic than baseball. Everyone has a chance to win the game, no matter creed, color or nationality. The playing field is level, with

14 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

the exception of the years before 1947, when Black players were not allowed. Major League’s first Black player Jackie Robinson was our down payment to “all men are created equal” as dictated by our Declaration signed by a lot of white men who owned slaves. Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey brought Robinson to his all white team in an all white league in 1947 because he was a good baseball player. And because he would help Rickey make money. Rickey told his critics within his own organization that the color of money was not black or white, but “green.” “All money is green,” Rickey said in the movie “42” about Robinson’s life. But it wasn’t the only reason Rickey took a chance on Robinson, who most don’t realize was a UCLA multi-sport graduate. Rickey knew what he and Robinson were up against in the racism of 1947 that still existed even after thousands of African Americans risked their lives in World War II. Robinson, said Rickey, would face horrendous and blatant racism and had to have the “guts” to “not fight back.” Like the Lord. Turn the other cheek. We know how that story ends. Robinson broke the so-called “color barrier” in baseball, opening the way to many other talented players behind him. Robinson won Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, was chosen for All Star games, helped his team win championships and entered the Hall of Fame in 1962. But Rickey and Robinson also made a statement to the America people of 1947. If we could defeat racism in baseball, maybe we

could defeat it elsewhere. Robinson suffered horrific abuse from players, coaches and fans alike. But he endured and won a battle in the war America still faces today. Some 75 years after Robinson’s debut, former Twins and current Yankee Josh Donaldson recently taunted Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, calling the advocate for Blacks in sports “Jackie,” in reference to Robinson. Donaldson said he didn’t mean it in a racist way. He was suspended for a day.

Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese seemed to understand racism better than Donaldson 75 years earlier. Reese supported Robinson when other Dodger players signed a petition saying they wouldn’t play with him. Reese reportedly told Robinson: “Maybe one day we will all wear 42. That way they won’t be able to tell us apart.” In the movie “42” there’s a scene with a young Black boy coming to a Dodgers game and predictably worshiping Robinson. Robinson throws the kid a souvenir ball as

the train leaves the station. The kid puts his ear to the train track rail as the train goes into the distance and says, “You can still hear him.” Will the soul of America and the soul of baseball bring us a field of dreams or a field of nightmares. It’s up to us to listen for the sound of Jackie Robinson on this Fourth of July. And hear him. Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 15

FAMILIAR FACES

A poetic life C

hances are, if you get out a bit and know a few people, you’ve run into Ronda Redmond. She was there when Hockey Day Minnesota had a mullet-growing contest (the proof is in the hockey card made for the occasion, the one that shows an illustrated version of her in pink locks and blowing a big bubblegum bubble. She was there — tap dancing, no less — when a group of bon vivants created some joyous musical theater by mashing up Meatloaf’s “Bat out of Hell” with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” And she was there — sad and proud — reading from her book of poetry, a feat powered mostly by the kind of fuel you only get when you’ve lost the person you love most. Redmond, who agreed to answer our questions just days before her mother’s funeral, is an example of grace, kindness and strength, and her insights about writing can serve as universal truths about the healing power of artistic expression.

Photo by Pat Christman

NAME:

Ronda Redmond HOMETOWN: Mankato

OCCUPATION: Business analyst

EDUCATION:

MA in literature and women’s studies and MFA in creative writing, both from MSU

FAVORITE LINE FROM A POEM:

Life is an animal still as death near a roadside ditch that you must walk to with a stick and poke so that it can jump and run on any given sunrise. --Dog Days, by Jim Redmond

CURRENT NETFLIX BINGE: I just finished “Ozark,” but I’m itching for the last season of “Better Call Saul” and I’m loving HBO Max’s “Barry.”

16 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

MANKATO MAGAZINE: It’s mid-summer, July, dog days of summer, so … the first obvious question is: What prompted you to get involved with Hockey Day Minnesota and grow a mullet? RONDA REDMOND: When Maureen Gustafson calls you up and says, “I’m looking for someone to volunteer for a hair adventure,” you don’t say no. Or at least I don’t. The Mankato Area Foundation has done a lot for the area, and I love the awareness that the JZ Cancer Fund brings to men’s cancers. Too many men don’t pay attention to their health. I was happy to draw attention to both organizations. Also, I got my own hockey card. Though, in my defense, I didn’t realize that was part of the deal until after I agreed to Maureen’s adventure. MM: You’re well known in southern Minnesota as a writer. When did you first discover that writing was something you were good at, and who encouraged you to pursue it? RR: I remember writing this essay about my dog when I was in grade school. I don’t remember the specifics, but it was a moment when my parents seemed genuinely impressed by what I’d done, and I wasn’t much of a student. It stuck with me. I don’t know that they were thrilled when I eventually decided to get an MFA in creative writing, but I got encouragement from creative people I knew. I worked at The Hag for a long time and was sort of in and out of calling myself a writer. Patti Ruskey wouldn’t hear it. She was always asking me if I was writing and give me a hard time if I wasn’t. Sometimes fledgling artists need people around them who call them artists. It helps give them the courage they need to claim the title and do the work. But the one thing that I’ve heard over and over, starting when I was a kid, is people saying “Ya, that is exactly what I mean,” or “That’s exactly what it’s like.” My biggest charge as a writer is when I can find a way to say something that hits. A lot of time it comes from a really simple use of

language that is somehow out of the ordinary. Unexpected. Most of my professional life has included some level of technical writing, and the thing that keeps me interested and excited to do that work is the way that I can use language to capture intent or direction. It’s the kind of thing that makes a big difference. And the best part is that I always find a way to play with words. MM: You’ve taught writing at the Arts Center of Saint Peter. What has teaching others taught you about your own writing? RR:I love teaching creative writing. And I love the creative community around the Arts Center. The thing I’ve learned most from my students is how to give myself a break as a writer. I’ve worked with so many writers who don’t yet see what is wonderful about their work and they can be so hard on themselves. I love showing people what is amazing in their art. Talking about how good it FEELS to write something that surprises or thrills you. Encouraging them to keep going, keep reading, keep writing. At some point along the way, I started to realize how much kinder I could be to myself. Being in an intense creative period sucks me in. I get pulled into the work like it’s an entire person who is taking up space in my world. When a poem hits, I get a little crushy on it. I look at it over and over. It’s like driving past the house of someone you have a crush on when you’re 16. I get to fall a little bit in love with it for a time. Then I get to launch a new adventure and, hopefully, find my way to the next crush. There is so much joy that is available in the process, but you have to give yourself permission to be in that joy. When you find that, there’s nothing like it. MM: You published a book of poems that helped you process the grief of losing your husband. What can you tell us about that experience, and are you in a better place now because you used writing to help you through it? RR:I can’t imagine getting through that period without writing. My husband died very suddenly. It took me a long time to wrap my brain around it. I looked at it from all different angles. Nothing was off the table. I’d wonder what the exact midpoint of his life was, and I’d spend two days writing about it. Or I’d imagine that I could reconstitute his

Ronda Redmond has published poetry and taught writing classes around the area. ashes (think, Tang) and imagine the ingredients and the ritual that would bring that magic. Writing it out gave me a way to not only process what was happening, but to actually use my craft as a way to explain it. To myself. Because it made NO sense to me. I absolutely wrote for myself. I’d get stuck on a thought, and by making it into a poem, I could kind of get out of my own way and be something other than a stunned widow. I could make art. I could take something gut-wrenching like taking his clothes out of our closet, and throw a complex poetic form at it (a sestina) and my artistic brain would focus on making the words work and my heart had space to say everything it needed to. At the end of all of it, I had a body of work that I was incredibly proud of. I got to say exactly what it was like for me, and maybe someone else has read it and felt less alone in their loss. Working with a hybrid publisher to put the chapbook out there was perfect for me. I’m still seeking publication of the full manuscript. (rondaredmondwriting.com) MM: You’ve recently taken a position with Capstone. Tell us about your next adventure in writing. RR: When I got my MFA, the last place I expected to land was in Information Technology (IT). The looming reality of student loans caused me to take a few tech writing courses on my way out the door, and I ultimately found a way to use my sensibilities as a writer in the business analyst role. It’s all about finding “that’s exactly what I mean!” between the people on the business side and the technical people

who can make it happen. It’s a kind of stewardship to take the language that guides the development process and make sure it evolves as it needs to. And Capstone seems like a great company. It satisfies my need to feel like my work is bringing something good into the world. MM: Tell us something about you that would surprise people. RR: I’m scared of butterflies. They are just so fluttery and in your face and their little wings are so fragile. BUT, I’m working on a project to turn my front yard into space for pollinators, so I’m going to have to breathe into that one eventually. MM: What one piece of writing advice do you wish you had when you first started writing? RR: Don’t expect to be good right away. But find a community of writers who will help you discover what IS good about your work and encourage you to keep going. It takes time and practice to become the writer you hope to be. Be patient and kind to yourself. Enjoy the moments that feel good. Surround yourself with writing and writers that fill you. MM: Desert island question: You’re going to be stranded on an island with one movie, one album, and one book. Choose. RR: “Almost Famous,” “Abbey Road,” and “The Cider House Rules” by John Irving.

Compiled by Robb Murray MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 17

rom f s g n i t e e Gr DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS

Iron River is known to locals as “God’s Country.”

Iron River, Michigan,

AKA “God’s country” By Renee Berg Once a mining town, Iron River, Michigan, is reinventing itself as a tourist attraction and a destination to visit during all seasons, but especially during the summer. The Iron River (which is a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream and flows through the city), the Apple Blossom Hiking Trail, the Upper Peninsula Championship Rodeo, the Iron County Historical Museum and a general sense of history are just a few of the wonderful attributes of the city of Iron River. The town enjoys a growing 18 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

influx of year-round tourists who come to the area to ski, snowmobile, hunt, fish, hike, bike and chiefly to appreciate the area’s natural beauty. “They call the Upper Peninsula God’s country, and I’m inclined to agree,” said Benjamin Garcia, a 13-year Iron River resident and member of the City Council. “It’s beautiful here.” If it’s the outdoors you enjoy, you’ll definitely want to visit Dark Waters Fly Shop and Guide Service, which is owned and operated by Seth Waters. Major

companies such as Orvis pull content from Waters’ YouTube channel to feature the compelling outdoors adventure. Waters describes the region as “basically wilderness” with 10.5 million acres of land — all but 2 million acres of which is national forest. There’s also only 10 people per square mile in this area of Michigan, with nature as the predominant feature of the UP where Iron River sits. Waters runs 150 trips a year out of his shop and sells outdoors equipment such as tents and backpacking gear. “We have some of the best cold water and warm water fisheries in the region,” he said. “The wilderness scene is incredible. I get clients from all over the world. They come up here and say, ‘If we’d known about this, we never would have gone anywhere else.’” For golfing, you have two options: the Iron River Country Club and then Young’s Golf, which is six miles outside town with a swank clubhouse, restaurant, 18-hole golf course and hiking trails. There’s also a well-regarded disc golf course in Iron River. There are 20 lakes in and within a couple of miles of Iron River, so you can enjoy a day in the sun on your boat, kayak, canoe or jet ski. Lake Ottawa is one local lake to be noted, Garcia said, because it has a fishing dock, swimming beach, boat access and neighbors a 10-mile trail system that is a draw for both bicyclists and hikers. Pentoga Park has a dock with a diving board that is a favorite swimming destination for families. “That one is super popular and always hopping in the summertime,” Garcia said. When it’s time to seek out lodging, you can’t go wrong with the AmericInn, the Lakeshore Motel Ice Lake right on Ice Lake or the Chicaugon Lake Inn. Campgrounds galore are another option, with the Klint Stafford Memorial RV Park right next to the Iron River downtown. Time to dine? Iron River has a variety of eateries, ranging from a selection of local bars such as the River North Pub & Grill, the Outer Limits Bar & Grill, which is an alien-themed bar with a restaurant attached, Scott’s Subs, Riverside Pizza and Kermit’s Pizza Pub & Grill to the more upscale Italian restaurant Alice’s Supper Club. The Stand offers a unique in-car dining experience, much like an old-fashioned A&W. For dessert, the go-to here is Delightful Desserts and More, which offers an array of cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, pie, ice cream and other baked goods made from scratch on site. When it’s time to hydrate, Seven Embers Coffee is a great local coffee shop just outside of Iron River. Garcia recommends the boba tea and fresh smoothies if coffee isn’t your elixir. If you’re in the mood for live music, check out River North or see what’s shaking at the Windsor Center auditorium, which has open mic nights throughout the summer. There are also a number of festivals hosted in the area throughout the summer where you can catch live music. Renee is a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Kasson. She also contributes freelance work for area newspapers and magazines. A graduate of Minnesota State University, Renee is mom to two teenagers and has two cats, Frankie and Hazel, whom she can’t tell apart so she calls them both Frazel.

The area is known for its natural beauty.

Historical buildings are also part of the area’s charm. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 19

The

results are in! A

round January every year, we start getting calls and emails. “When do you publish the ‘Best Of’ issue?” “When do you announce the contest winners?” “How do we get nominated for your survey thing?” Love it or hate it, our annual Best of Mankato issue is our most popular. Why? Several reasons, we think. First, everyone loves a winner, everyone loves a contest. We love to “see who will win.” Second, this issue is emblematic of community pride. With literally thousands of readers voting for the businesses and people they like — and with so many different nominees receiving votes — it’s proof there’s a lot to be proud of in south-central Minnesota. Finally, we think people love this issue because, well, it belongs to the people. A few times each year, we fill the pages of this magazine with content the readers choose. Whether it’s cute pet photos or a contest of who serves the best breakfast, readers love having a say and a sense of ownership. We do it for you. So, please, enjoy the 2022 edition of the Best of Mankato! MM

The Free Press

Shopping Professional Services Personal Care Entertainment Experience Food & Drink People

Shopping Auto Dealership (New Vehicle) 1st - Mankato Motors 2nd - Snell Indoor Auto Center 3rd - Heintz Toyota of Mankato

Auto Dealership (Used Vehicle) 1st - Mankato Motors 2nd - Snell Indoor Auto Center 3rd - Adams Auto Sales

Tire Dealers

Nursery/Garden Center

1st - Drummers Garden Center & Floral 2nd - Edenvale Nursery 3rd - Traverse Des Sioux Garden Center

Jewelry Shop

1st - Exclusively Diamonds 2nd - Julee’s Jewelry 3rd - Williams Diamond Center

Bridal Shop

1st - Discount Tire 2nd - Mankato Motors 3rd - D & K Tire Service

1st - The Silhouette 2nd - Inspire Bridal Boutique 3rd - Bel Soie by Valerie’s Bridal

Power Sports/ATV/Motorcycle Dealer

Women’s Clothing Store

RV / Camper Dealer

Men’s Clothing Store

Home Improvement Store

Independent Clothing Boutique/Shop

1st - Mankato Motorsports 2nd - Starr Cycle 3rd - Dranttel Sales and Service

1st - Keepers RV Center 2nd - Kroubetz Lakeside Campers & Motors 3rd - Joe’s Camper Sales 1st - Menards 2nd - C & S Supply 3rd - The Home Depot

Home Decorating Boutique/Shop 1st - Mankato Vintage Market 2nd - Cheap Chics Designs 3rd - Sota Sisters Boutique

Flooring/Carpet Store

1st - Cheap Chics Designs 2nd - Sota Sisters Boutique 3rd - The Blackbird Boutique 1st - J Longs 2nd - SCHEELS 3rd - Graif Clothing

1st - Sota Sisters Boutique 2nd - Cheap Chics Designs 3rd - The Blackbird Boutique

Liquor Store

1st - MGM Wine & Spirits 2nd - Cork & Key 3rd - P J’s Liquor Emporium Inc.

Meat Market

1st - Rickway Carpet 2nd - Independent Paint & Flooring 3rd - The Home Depot

1st - Schmidt’s Meat Market 2nd - Johnson’s Meat Market 3rd - Wiste’s Meat Market

Mattress Store

Thrift/Consignment Shop

Appliance Store

Grocery Store

1st - Mankato Mattress Man 2nd - Rooms and Rest Furniture and Mattress 3rd - Slumberland Furniture 1st - Degrood’s Appliance 2nd - Quality Appliance & Television 3rd - Don’s Appliance & TV of Minnesota

Furniture Store

1st - Rooms and Rest Furniture and Mattress 2nd - Johnson Furniture 3rd - VINE Home Thrift Store 22 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

1st - Again Thrift Store 2nd - VINE Home Thrift Store 3rd - New 2 You Family Thrift 1st - Hy-Vee Hilltop 2nd - ALDI 3rd - Cub - Mankato West

Florist

1st - Hilltop Florist & Greenhouse 2nd - Drummers Garden Center & Floral 3rd - Becky’s Floral & Gift Shoppe

Pet Supply Store

1st - Pet Expo Distributors 2nd - Tractor Supply Co. 3rd - PetSmart

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BEST NEW CAR SALES, USED CAR SALES: MANKATO MOTORS

At Mankato Motors, credit goes to 115 employees

ankato Motors includes the Chevrolet dealership on Madison Avenue and the Nissan and Volkswagen dealerships on Fern Lake Road in Mankato. Between them, they have amassed several Best Of awards this year, including first place in both New and Used Auto Dealers and second places in Tire Dealer, Auto Service Center and Auto Body Shop. It was 2009 when Clements Auto Company became Mankato Motors,

a member of the Rydell Group of auto dealerships that includes 80 dealerships in 18 states across the country. Each dealership is individually owned. Mankato Motors general manager and owner Brian Taylor credits the 115 employees with the honors. Taylor said when employees are hired, they are given a card with the vision and values of the company. The vision is to be so effective that they are able to be helpful to

others. The seven values include honesty and integrity, individual responsibility and accountability, unconditional dedication to excellence, cooperation and communication, ongoing improvement and being a good community citizen. Basically, Taylor said, treat people as they’d like to be treated. “Our employees are why we win these things.”

THANK YOU

for voting ADARA #1, second year in a row, In-Home Healthcare!

ADARA IS NURSE RUN

in photo from left to right: Kristen Mellen, RN Clinical Supervisor, Angle Owena, RN General Manager, Sarah McCourtney, RN Clinical Supervisor 24 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Call ADARA at 507-519-4016

BEST INDEPENDENT CLOTHING BOUTIQUE/SHOP: SOTA SISTERS

Sota Sisters aims to suit everyone

mber Bannerman got her online marketplace up and running just before COVID19 struck, but her brick-and-mortar store Sota Sisters in North Mankato is still a hub for savvy shoppers. “We have a variety of boutique brands,” owner Bannerman said. “I go to market at least a couple of times a year to the bigger markets like those in Vegas and Dallas. Part of what I do is discover new brands when I’m at market so that’s always changing.” Sota Sisters strives to stock a variety of clothing that appeals to all ages, she said. “From young to old, teenagers to grandmothers, we have styles to suit everyone,” Bannerman said. Located at 1754 Suite 104 Commerce Drive in North

THANK YOU

Mankato, Sota Sisters opened 2½ years ago. The store has 3,000 Facebook followers who closely follow the store’s posts. “We’re open seven days a week at our physical store location,” Bannerman said. “Hours vary upon the day. The best way to find out our hours is to Google us or check our Facebook or Instagram. We also have a website, which is www. sotasistersboutique.com.” Sota Sisters ships anywhere in the U.S. for $7 and does a live Facebook video every Friday at 10 a.m. showing off the store’s new arrivals. “A lot of people say they really like that. They can see what’s new, and then they come into the shop for those items or they order them online.” MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 25

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BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING: CHEAP CHICS DESIGNS

Ext. 34

heap Chics Designs won in three categories: first in Women’s Clothing, second in Independent Clothing Boutique/ shop and second in Home Decorating. Co-owners Kari Mulvihill and Amy Stearns opened the business seven years ago. The two met while working as graphic designers at Taylor Corp. and became friends when they realized they shared an interest in vintage style and upcycled furniture. “We did a lot of shopping in the area and liked the style but didn’t like the price point,” Mulvihill said. “The price point for a lot of upcycled furniture isn’t what we would spend.” The two decided to create a way to make the process more reasonably priced. “We started bringing pieces to the Whiskey River Flea Market in St. Peter,” she said. Mulvihill said they would frequent thrift stores, garage sales and auctions to search for pieces that required a little work, starting with vintage furniture. They relied on Facebook as their main form of marketing to attract buyers. “We would get wiped out,” Mulvihill said. They soon expanded their business from a trailer to a 3,000-square-feet storefront with their own clothing line, featuring their combined graphic design skills to offer print clothing with Minnesota designs. They added in boutique clothing, including denim jackets and cardigans to complement their other items. Offering a wide range of sizes is important to them, so all of their clothing for adults comes in sizes small to 3x. Their home decor offerings include their very own handpainted wall art, which features unique calligraphy that is done in-house.

Amy Stearns and Kati Mulvihill.

Voted #1 Mankato’s Best Fitness Center! P: 507-594-9550 | E: info@jpfitnessmn.com | W: www.jpfitnessmn.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 27

Professional Services Painting Services

Car Wash

1st - Bellissimo Paint & Coatings 2nd - Shamp Painting 3rd - Wiechmann Painting

1st - Snell Auto Wash 2nd - Champlin Auto Wash 3rd - Gerring’s Mankato Car Wash

Accounting Firm

Real Estate Agency

1st - Eide Bailly 2nd - Swanson Hinsch & Co., Chtd CPA’s 3rd - CliftonLarsonAllen

1st - Century 21 Atwood 2nd - True Real Estate 3rd - American Way Realty

Bank or Credit Union

Architectural/Engineering Firm

Mortgage Provider

Residential Construction/ Home Builders

1st - Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union 2nd - First National Bank Minnesota 3rd - Frandsen Bank & Trust 1st - PrimeSource Funding 2nd - Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union 3rd - The Habib Sadaka Team - CrossCountry Mortgage

Law Firm

1st - Blethen Berens 2nd - Knutson + Casey 3rd - Gislason & Hunter LLP

Auction Services

1st - Mike Miller Auctions 2nd - Dailey Realty and Auction Service 3rd - Mages Land Company & Auction Service

Insurance Agency

1st - ISG 2nd - Bolton & Menk, Inc. 3rd - Brunton Architects and Engineers

1st - Deichman Construction 2nd - Holmgren Construction 3rd - DeMars Construction

Electrical/Electrician Company 1st - Ploog Electric 2nd - BLK Electric Inc 3rd - Luke’s Electric

Home Remodelers/Design Services 1st - Deichman Construction 2nd - Kitchen, Baths & More 3rd - Cherry Creek

Lawn/Landscaping Services

1st - Hatanpa Insurance Agency - State Farm Insurance 2nd - Lau Insurance Services 3rd - Jay Zender - State Farm Insurance

1st - Wibstad Lawn Care and Snow Removal 2nd - Peters Lawn Care 3rd - Total Lawn Care and Landscape

Auto Body Shop

1st - Northern Comfort Inc 2nd - Kelley Heating & Air Conditioning 3rd - Kaduce Plumbing & Heating, Inc.

Auto Service Center

1st - Plumb-Rite Plumbing, LLC 2nd - Northern Comfort Inc. 3rd - L&L Mechanical, LLC

1st - Jerry’s Abra Auto Body & Glass 2nd - Mankato Motors 3rd - Fromm’s Auto 1st - Mankato Motors 2nd - Nick’s Car Care LLC 3rd - Austin’s Auto Repair Center

Heating/Air Service

Plumbing Service

Water Service/Conditioning

1st - McGowan Water Conditioning Inc. 2nd - Culligan Water Conditioning of Mankato 3rd - Norms Soft Water 28 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Roofing

1st - Heyn Brothers Roofing 2nd - Bauer Roofing & Construction LLC 3rd - Schmidt Brothers Roofing

Siding

In-Home Healthcare

1st - Adara Home Health 2nd - Ecumen Home Care-Pathstone 3rd - Freedom Home Care, LLC

Funeral Home

1st - Schmidt Siding & Window 2nd - GSW Exterior Specialists, Richards’ Seamless Gutter 3rd - Boelter Window Siding and Roofing

1st - Mankato Mortuary 2nd - Northview Mortuary 3rd - Woodland Hills Funeral Home

Windows

1st - Sweet Living Pools & Spas 2nd - Sawatzky Pools, Inc. 3rd - Menards

1st - Schmidt Siding & Window 2nd - Lloyd Lumber 3rd - GSW Exterior Specialists, Richards’ Seamless Gutter

Carpet Cleaning

1st - Vanderberg Clean 2nd - ZerneClean Services Inc. 3rd - All American Chem-Dry

Senior Living/Retirement Facility 1st - The Pillars of Mankato Senior Living 2nd - Old Main Village 3rd - Ecumen Pathstone Living

Pool and Spa Service

Storage Center

1st - Kato Moving & Storage Company 2nd - Store It 3rd - Mankato Movers

Computer/IT Service

1st - Best Buy 2nd - Mankato Computer Technology 3rd - Pantheon Computers

Assisted Living Facility

1st - The Pillars of Mankato Senior Living 2nd - Old Main Village 3rd - Ecumen Pathstone Living

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 29

Brandon, Jen and their children Jade and Dominic.

Thank You For Voting Us

Mankato’s #1 Hotel

Newly Renovated Guest Rooms 2051 Adams St. Mankato, MN 30 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

507-388-1880 www.hiexpress.com/mankatomn

BEST PLUMBING SERVICE: PLUMB-RITE PLUMBING, LLC

Team approach to customer service

warded first place, PlumbRite Plumbing has served the Mankato area since April 2019. Co-owners Jen Schmidt and Brandon Schmidt tag team to provide exceptional service to their clients as local small-business owners. “We try to stay pretty well-versed in all services because that’s what we are trying to aim at,” Brandon said. May to September tend to be their busiest months, with bathroom remodels being one of the most popular services. “Helping them make that dream come true is really fun for us,” Jen said. The duo navigates their business with the goal of making sure their clients are comfortable working with them. “We didn’t realize how many repeat clients we were going to get,” Jen said. “We thought we were going to get new people all of the time.” Plumb-Rite Plumbing also offers preventive services, such as water heater flushing and drain cleaning, which Brandon states are one of the most important tasks for homeowners. Despite their success, Brandon and Jen said they aren’t looking to expand. “We realize we like the smaller boutique-style plumbing company because we can be so much closer to our clients,” Jen said. It’s important to them that clients know the people who are coming in and out of their homes, with that face-to-face contact. “Who you see and who you talk to are who you will be dealing with,” Brandon said.

Thank you for your votes!

We’re proud to be your hometown leaders in eye care for life www.mankatoeyedoctors.com

The Pillars of Mankato.

BEST SENIOR LIVING/RETIREMENT FACILITY BEST ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY THE PILLARS

Pillars a ‘beautiful community’

he Pillars first welcomed residents in March 2019 and since then has become a community that offers “aging in place” for older residents. It’s a senior housing community that includes independent living, assisted living and memory care, said Stacy Wihlm, the facility’s executive director. “We have a beautiful community, with a continuum of independence, allowing residents to add personal and health care services as needed. We offer extensive programming and encourage socialization. Our activities include fitness classes, 32 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

arts, crafts, weekly musical entertainment, happy hours and so much more,” she said. “We encourage our residents to remain active within the Mankato community. We have a bus and we take residents to plays, concerts and exploring.” The facility receives support from The Pillars Fund and the Ebenezer Foundation, which both provide grant money to the community to use for lifelong learning activities and memory care engagement activities such as music therapy. Located at 3125 Prairie Rose Drive, The Pillars serves residents

who are 55 years old and older with 118 apartments. A unique offering there is Parker, the community golden retriever, who “brings smiles every day to our residents, staff and visitors,” Wihlm said. The Pillars also has a dimensions manager who facilitates the activities and care in their Memory Care neighborhood. They offer ability-appropriate activities and innovative activity stations in their Memory Care neighborhood, she said.

BEST ELECTRICAL/ ELECTRICIAN PLOOG ELECTRIC

A buzzing business: Ploog built on quality workers

loog Electric of Madison Lake was started by Bernie Ploog 49 years ago. It’s still going strong. Strong enough, in fact, to be voted No. 1 in the Electrical/ Electrician category this year. Bernie’s son Troy owns the business now, but Bernie is still, at age 74, out there working 60 hours a week, said Troy, who credits the employees for their success. “Dad and I can’t be everywhere, so we need, and have, incredible workers to take care of our clients as they should.” Ploog Electric serves an area in a circle around Madison Lake, including St. Peter, Janesville, Lake Crystal, Mankato and Madison Lake. “We’re lucky we don’t have to go too far out to find work,” Ploog said. While a full-service electrical company, the majority of their work is in new home construction. Ploog said there was never any doubt he would follow his father into the family business. “When I was pretty young, I started working here cleaning out the shed and shop.” Then, he started accompanying his father to job

Troy Ploog of Ploog Electric. sites. Ploog has two children, now ages 11 and 13. He doesn’t know if either will follow his footsteps into

K&K

PAYROLL AND TAX LLC

GIVING YOU MORE FOR YOUR MONEY

507-779-7188 • Mankato

the family business. “Time will tell,” he said.

Thank You Mankato! Voted #1 130 St. Andrews Dr. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 33

Personal Care Barber Shop

1st - Dan’s Barber Shop 2nd - Unique Hair And Ink 3rd - Northside Hair Co.

Hair Salon

1st - Tell Me A Hairy Tale LLC 2nd - Moxie Suites 3rd - Liv Aveda Salon & Spa

Massage

1st - Liv Aveda Salon & Spa 2nd - Indulge Salon & Tanning 3rd - Shannon Rausch Apex Results Therapeutic Massage

Nail Salon

1st - Indulge Salon & Tanning 2nd - Liv Aveda Salon & Spa 3rd - Nails By Jordan

Eye Exam Office

1st - Carlson-Tillisch Eye Clinic 2nd - Ophthalmology Associates & LASIK Center of Mankato 3rd - Mankato Clinic Eye Care Center

Child Care Center

1st - Mankato Family YMCA 2nd - Cultivate Mankato Lil Bee’s Learning Center

Hotel/Motel

1st - Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mankato East, an IHG Hotel 2nd - Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Mankato Hotel and Conference Center, MN 3rd - Courtyard by Marriott Mankato

Pet Grooming

Fitness Center

1st - Fur’s A Flyin’ 2nd - Calling All Paws Pet Grooming 3rd - Vanity Fur

Nutrition/Weight Management

1st - Minnesota Valley Pet Hospital 2nd - Nicollet Veterinary Clinic 3rd - All Pets MSRC

Hearing Care Service

1st - Amber Pietan Travel Agency, Inc 2nd - Travel & Cruise Center LLC 3rd - Emerald Travel & Cruises

1st - JP Fitness 2nd - Mankato Family YMCA 3rd - Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping 1st - Inspire Health & Wellness 2nd - Mad Ave Nutrition All Star Nutrition Mankato

1st - River Valley Hearing 2nd - Mankato Clinic Audiology 3rd - Mayo Clinic Mankato Audiology

Chiropractic Service

1st - Discover Chiropractic 2nd - Advanced Chiropractic of Mankato PC 3rd - Kuch Chiropractic

Dental Office

1st - Main Street Dental Clinics 2nd - Oz Family Dentistry 3rd - Commerce Drive Dental

34 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Veterinary Services

Travel Agency

Brooklyn Wiltscheck of Tell Me a Hairy Tale.

BEST HAIR SALON: TELL ME A HAIRY TALE LLC

Inspiring looks, rapid growth

ell Me a Hairy Tale is the firstplace winner in the Hair Salon category. Owner Brooklyn Wiltscheck opened the salon June 1, 2021, just under a year after she graduated from Nova Academy of Cosmetology in Mankato. “I kind of dove into it without even thinking,” Wiltscheck said. “Once I got everything in motion, it was pretty easy.” Wiltscheck not only cuts hair, but she creates a lot of blonding and

fashion colors for clients. “I pair everybody’s hair with an inspiration picture that looks like the colors in their hair.” She used social media to get her business out to the public. It didn’t take long for people to take notice once satisfied clients shared images of their completed creations. Wiltscheck sees about 20 clients a week and is booked two months out with a cancellation list. “It has grown very very rapidly. I have entirely run out of space.”

In addition to her colorful styles, her salon touts a very minimalist and modern vibe akin to the designs of Lisa Frank. From neon lights to a spotted cow leopard wall, Wiltscheck said it’s unlike any salon you have seen. “It’s like a popping rainbow, very colorful atmosphere.” If you are looking for a new hairstyle, Wiltscheck recommends you come in with an open mind and an inspiration picture. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 35

BEST BARBER SHOP: DAN’S BARBER SHOP

Just keep callin’ it Dan’s

an’s Barber Shop was officially opened Nov. 4, 1964, by Dan Quaderer of Proctor. He ran the shop for 45 years. Mark Weingartz took over as owner Nov. 1, 2009. Weingartz decided to keep the name of the business as Dan’s because it had strong name recognition, and “Everyone knows it as Dan’s … Why tamper with it?” Keeping the name has another advantage, too. “Telemarketers often call here and ask for ‘Dan.’ We tell them Dan’s not here, so we tell them to call back Monday. We’re closed Mondays.” Weingartz enjoys the barbering business because he likes working with people. “We serve a wide swath of people in here,” he said, “from

Mark Weingartz cuts Don Pawlitschek’s hair at Dan’s Barber Shop. professionals to common, ordinary men.” “Everyone has a story to tell,” Weingartz said and he likes hearing them. When he opened on the Tuesday after the fishing opener, he began to hear fish stories from local lakes and northern lakes. He worked that Saturday morning but did manage to get out on the water

later in the day, so he, too, had stories to share. Weingartz works with another barber, Jerry Krueger. They have a cadre of part-time barbers they can call in when needed. “The worst thing for a business is to have the lights off. I’ve never had the lights off.”

We couldn’t do what we do without you! Thank you for your continued support!

Since ‘63

GET OUT AND PLA Y!

• Flagstaff • E-Pro • Little Guy

• Cedar Creek • Catalina • NuCamp

(507) 625-4647 • Hwy. 22 South (east on 200th St.), Mankato • www.Keepersrv.com 36 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

D ESI G N E D AN D BU I LT FO R YO U. Deichman Construction stands committed to providing our clients with their perfect home, the first time, every time. Our team takes the time to understand your needs and concerns, and collaborates with you to prepare custom designs that will bring your vision to life. We’ll help you invest your money wisely and make decisions based on your lifestyle for years to come. We stand committed to excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. We build Locally owned and operated since 1990.

more than houses, W E B U I L D A N E X P E R I E N C E .

ks n a h T | Home Builders | Design Services

R E S I D E N T I A L C O N S T R U CT I O N HOME REMODELERS

W E A R E P R O U D TO B E PA R T O F T H I S A M A Z I N G C O M M U N IT Y. IT IS AN HONOR TO RECEIVE BOTH OF THESE PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES & SUPPORTING US FOR B E S T O F M A N K ATO.

D E I C H MAN CO N STRU CTI O N .CO M 507.625 .7861

Custom Built Homes & Renovations Call to schedule an appointment.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 37

Four Time National Award Winners 20765 Foley Rd., Mankato, MN | 507.387.2434 | 507.726.2411

38 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

The Free Press

CHILD CARE CENTER

FITNESS CENTER

FAMILY FUN

We are proud to continue to serve the Mankato community! MANKATO FAMILY YMCA •1401 S. RIVERFRONT DR • 507-387-8255 • MANKATOYMCA.ORG

We chose Benedictine because...

- No maintenance - No more chores - There’s always someone to talk to

We know community. For information on your Benedictine Living Community, go to blcstpeter.org or call (507) 931-8545.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 39

REFLECTIONS By Pat Christman

40 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

ew things can capture your imagination like a good book. It can take you places you’ve never been before, introduce you to new people, teach you about the past, or simply put a smile on your face. Reading can be so much more than a required activity. Laying down in the grass on a warm summer day and enjoying a book can be hours of enjoyment. A parent teaching a child a love of reading gives them a lifetime of not just education, but fun, wonder and enlightenment. MM

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 41

Left to right: Tina, Caleb, Noah, Brianna & Sophia

BEST NUTRITION/WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: INSPIRE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Inspire Health and Wellness proud of exceptional service

ina Gaffer goes the extra mile. Owner of Inspire Health and Wellness, Gaffer gets on the phone with clients who are out for dinner, Googles their restaurant menu and advises them on what to order. This, along with other attributes, is why she’s done so well in business. She has about 50 clients a week, with more than 400 people helped since 2016. She advises on diet and wellness, is a life coach, and sells grab-and-bake healthy meals. She also offers cooking classes. New this year is her 30-foot food trailer, with vendor events all summer. There she features a

42 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“healthier version of fast food,” she said. “I think people need to learn balance and still be able to enjoy your life and have fun,” Gaffer said. “Enjoy life without all of the calories and carbs that American society consumes.” She has one trio of clients, two sisters and their best friend, who are together down 150 pounds since October. “They’re doing amazing,” Gaffer said. “They’ve still gone on vacations, worked, gone out with friends. And they’ve learned how to get a good balance and a healthier lifestyle for them.” She responds to clients in the

evening or on weekends when they’re struggling to eat right. If they’re at a restaurant and wondering what to order to stay on their healthy meal plan, she’ll help them order. She said she doesn’t give anybody a hard time. “Everyone’s journey is different with healthy living,” she said. “The big part of it is the accountability piece. Coming in every week and weighing in and measuring in and having a support system.” Gaffer lost 110 pounds 11 years ago and has kept it off. “What I always tell people is I’m a real person, and I know losing weight and getting healthy is hard.”

THANK YOU for your continued support, Mankato!

#1 | Vegetarian Options | Signature Cocktail Joint

#2 | Locally-Owned Restaurant | Fine Dining | Place to Get Breakfast

#3 | Atmosphere | Business Lunch | Social Lunch | Wait/Bar Staﬀ

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULYMN 2022 • 43 nolabellekitchen.com | 507.720.0481 | 520 South Front Street #500 Mankato,

Entertainment Experience Business Lunch

Food Truck

1st - Tav on the Ave 2nd - Pub 500 3rd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar

1st - Lola - An American Bistro 2nd - The 507 3rd - TNT Eats

Social Lunch

Atmosphere

1st - Ummies Bar & Grill 2nd - Pub 500 3rd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar

1st - Indian Island Winery 2nd - Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, & Distillery 3rd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar

Family Restaurant

1st - The Boulder Tap House - Mankato 2nd - Backyard Bar & Grill 3rd - Weggy's On Campus

Patio Dining

1st - Tav on the Ave 2nd - Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, & Distillery 3rd - NaKato Bar & Grill

Locally-owned Restaurant 1st - Pappageorge Restaurant & Bar 2nd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar 3rd - Backyard Bar & Grill

Chain Restaurant

1st - The Boulder Tap House - Mankato 2nd - Buffalo Wild Wings 3rd - Chipotle Mexican Grill

Fine Dining

Live Music Venue

1st - Vetter Stone Amphitheater 2nd - Indian Island Winery 3rd - Circle Inn

Golf Course

1st - North Links Golf Course 2nd - Mankato Golf Club 3rd - Terrace View Golf Course

Family Fun

1st - Pappageorge Restaurant & Bar 2nd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar 3rd - Swiss and Madison

1st - Mankato Family YMCA 2nd - Wow! Zone 3rd - Autumn Acres Farm - Pumpkin Patch

Sports Bar

Best Takeout/Curbside

1st - Big Dog Sports Cafe 2nd - Tav on the Ave 3rd - Buffalo Wild Wings

www.mnvac.org 706 N Victory Drive 44 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

1st - Sadaka's Deli 2nd - Chipotle Mexican Grill 3rd - China Star

Big Dog Sports Cafe’s Mel Bishop delivers lunch to a pair of customers.

BEST SPORTS BAR: BIG DOG SPORTS CAFE

When it comes to sports, Big Dog is the big dog

t Big Dog Sports Cafe, the recipe has always been a simple one: Excellent employees equals an excellent customer experience. Isaac Becker, the manager at Big Dog who has been there for 12 years, says almost all of the

restaurant’s staff has been there a long time. Loyal employees, he said, create an atmosphere of positivity that spreads to the customers. “It seems like every year that this award is available, we're right up in there with the top of the

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competition. And I'd have to say that's because of our atmosphere here,” he said. “Big Dog is known for its great service, great food and cold beer. And also it just is a place that's kind of like Cheers as well, where you come in and you get to meet everyone, especially around the bar. And then with our 18 Different TVs on, it's pretty hard to come in and not have the game or channel that you want to have on.” Being a sports bar, obviously having televised sports on various screens is key. And when the Vikings are playing — especially a prime time game — the place is packed. “Vikings games are always huge,” Becker said, noting they usually tie food and drink specials to game times. But just because they consistently win Best of Mankato awards doesn’t mean they’re resting on their laurels. Big Dog is in the middle of a paving a new parking lot, something Becker said needed attention. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 45

BEST ATMOSPHERE: INDIAN ISLAND WINERY

‘Friendly and welcoming’ is the key at Indian Island

MANKATOHVAC.COM

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES WHERE YOUR POLICY COMES WITH AN AGENT

Natalie Sadaka Sohre Agent Mankato | Vernon Center cimankato.com 46 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

ndian Island Winery is on a country road on the county line between Blue Earth and Waseca counties, nestled among acres of grape vines called Winterhaven Vineyard. Owned by Ray and Lisa Winter and their children Tom and his wife, Angela, and daughter Angie, Indian Island Winery was voted tops in atmosphere this year. Ray says, “We are very friendly and welcoming … We want everyone to feel welcomed, and we care if you do.” Adding to the atmosphere is the live music every Friday and Saturday evening, and Sunday afternoons in the summer months. When the weather is nice, the musicians are on the patio by the fire bowls. If the weather is disagreeable, the musicians are moved into the event center at the winery, where there is lots of room for all. After a couple of years of COVID-caused cancellations, Indian Island is getting back into hosting events throughout the year. The events range from Paint and Sip events, an annual grape stomp in the fall, to murder mysteries, Meat and Greet where different types of meats are paired with various wines, and this year, dueling pianos. Most events carry no cover charge. The Indian Island kitchen features foods sourced mostly from Minnesota, including specialty cheeses such as blueberry cheddar from near Rushford. A new addition to the winery this year is a paved parking lot. Ray Winter encourages people to come to Indian Island Winery for an experience where, “They’ll be treated just like I’d want to be treated.”

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The Vetter Stone Amphitheater.

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE: VETTER STONE AMPHITHEATER

Amphitheater still a hit

etter Stone Amphitheater opened as a venue for live music and festivals in 2010. Because there was no 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Co-Director of the Mayo Clinic Civic Center Eric Jones, under whose umbrella the Amphitheater falls, said the venue will be starting its 10th season, or 11th or 12th, depending on how you look at it. “It’s become a great place to see a live band,” Jones said. “It’s really made a name for itself.” The Vetter Stone Amphitheater has attracted many local, regional and even national acts. In addition, it hosts festivals such as RibFest in August, which also features concerts. Although Jones said Vetter Stone donated all the original, beautiful stones that created seating, that was not workable to put chairs in for seating. Concrete

48 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

risers have replaced those stones. It provides lighting and handrails, which is better for disability access and easier to create designated seating, Jones said. The next push for improvements at the park will include a roof for the stage. Right now, a roof is rented for every separate event, which Jones said gets costly. Another hope for the park is to create more storage, so equipment doesn’t need to be hauled in and out for each event. Improvements for the concessions area are also on the list. Jones said a goal for the Amphitheater is to have it used every week for local, regional and national acts. He said there is also the hope more festivals will use the park.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 49

BEST O F M A N K AT O

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50 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 51

Food & Drink Place to get Breakfast 1st - Weggy's On Campus 2nd - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar 3rd - NaKato Bar & Grill

Bakery/Donut Shop

Vegetarian Options

1st - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar 2nd - Sadaka's Deli 3rd - India Palace

Wings

1st -Krusty's Donuts 2nd - 2 Pins Bakery, by Tony Friesen 3rd - Sugar Belly

1st - Buffalo Wild Wings 2nd - Tav on the Ave 3rd - Big Dog Sports Cafe

Coffee Shop

Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

Asian Cuisine

Happy Hour

1st - Coffee Hag 2nd - Neutral Groundz 3rd - Tandem Bagels

1st - Mom & Pop's 2nd - Frozen Yogurt Creations 3rd - Cold Stone Creamery

1st - Shogun Sushi & Hibachi 2nd - China Star 3rd - Hunan Garden

1st - Flask 2nd - Thunder Bar & Restaurant 3rd - Pub 500

Burger Joint

Signature Cocktail Joint

1st - The Boulder Tap House - Mankato 2nd - Thunder Bar & Restaurant 3rd - Flask

Mexican Food

1st - La Terraza Mexican Grill and Bar 2nd - La Plaza F!esta 3rd - El Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant

Sub/Sandwich Shop

1st - Nolabelle Kitchen + Bar 2nd - Flask 3rd - Pub 500

Winery

1st -Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, & Distillery 2nd - Indian Island Winery 3rd - Javens Family Vineyard & Winery

Brewery

1st - Jersey Mike's Subs 2nd - Sadaka's deli 3rd - Erbert and Gerberts

1st -Mankato Brewery 2nd - August Schell Brewing Co 3rd - Lost Sanity Brewing

Pizza Place

Mediterranean Cuisine

1st - Pagliai's Pizza 2nd - Jake's Stadium Pizza 3rd - Dino's Pizzeria

Place to get a Steak

1st - Pappageorge Restaurant & Bar 2nd - Thunder Bar & Restaurant 3rd - Swiss and Madison

52 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

1st - Sadaka's Deli 2nd - Olives Mediterranean Restaurant 3rd - Shawarmania Mediterranean Grill

BEST MEXICAN FOOD: LA TERRAZA – MEXICAN GRILL AND BAR

'The patio': the hot spot for great Mexican food

a Terraza Mexican Grill and Bar has been at 1404 Madison Ave. since 2013. Three years before that, it was known as the Plaza Garibaldi in upper North Mankato. Manager Juan Ocampo says the name change came with the new location to indicate a change in spices in the dishes and in presentation and atmosphere. “We knew it would be hard to be

accepted with a new name,” he said, but they also wanted to have a new beginning. Ocampo said the cuisine is indicative of southern Mexico, using more corn tortillas and different spices than are used in northern parts of Mexico. And while the cuisine is authentic Mexican, it is also modified a bit to adjust to community demands. He

says the ingredients are authentic. The name La Terraza means balcony, or patio in Spanish, and that is the feeling they tried to achieve when creating the restaurant, with the patio out front. In all, the restaurant was created to offer a more comfortable atmosphere, with the same great Mexican food.

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www.mankatocpa.com WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 53

BEST MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE: SADAKA'S DELI

Mediterranean-lover's delight: 'Little of everything

iblings Su Su Sadaka and Milad Sadaka are co-owners of Sadaka’s Deli, voted first place in Mediterranean cuisine. The two opened the self-described international deli in December 2021, with almost 30 years of experience in the food business. Despite having four or five Mediterranean items on the menu to highlight their Lebanese culture, Su Su said their deli offers an array of options to convey the message that everyone is welcome. “Our menu has a little bit of everything, from a Vietnamese sandwich to Mediterranean, from grilled cheese to hamburgers,” Su Su said. Among their most popular selections is the chicken tawook, a wrap featuring chicken, cabbage and pickled turnips, with their homemade garlic sauce. Su Su said

their “loaded” club sandwich is the most popular sandwich and is a “big hit with summer.” The restaurant also features a different special each day. “And that is what really stepped up our business,” Su Su said. “We have customers who come in every day.” In addition to cutting their vegetables daily, 90 percent of which come from the local farmers market during the summer months, and marinating their meat, Su Su said the customer experience goes beyond the food. “We take a moment to talk to every single person,” she said. ‘That’s the package deal we have together. It’s what made it happen to make it a big success.” Sadaka’s also offers catering services for weddings, funerals and small occasions.

“We don’t even have a sign that says who we are; it’s all word of mouth,” Su Su said. “We do it from the heart and we are proud of it.”

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Thank You for Voting Us #1 Mexican Food Sadaka’s Deli

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES! Nick Zuehlke

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Back row: Tim, Jesse, Tayler, Mike, Travis, Korey, Lori Middle row: Denise, Jay, Wendell, Paul, Mike, Ethan, Austin Front row: Brooke, Chris, Izabelle, Greg, Julie

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A mimosa sampler at Nolabelle Kitchen.

BEST VEGETARIAN: NOLABELLE KITCHEN + BAR

At Nolabelle, variety is key

olabelle Kitchen + Bar was honored in three categories: first in Vegetarian options, first in Signature Cocktail Joint and second in Place to Get Breakfast. Owner Alexa Swindell said Nolabelle aims to offer something for everyone. “We serve vegetarian and carnivores alike,” she said. “We think it’s important to have a variety.” One of their most popular vegetarian entrees is their handmade black bean burger, paired with walnuts and basmati rice. Their Skillet Cavatappi is another signature vegan dish, made with vegan cheese. “We soak cashews overnight so they are plump, juicy and soft,” Swindell said. When it comes to their cocktails, Swindell said Nolabelle offers an allinclusive list of 10 to 15 specialty drinks, with unique ingredients such as tzatziki sauce and elderflower spritz. “We just like to keep our drinks fresh and new and maybe highlight 56 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Thank you for voting us the Best of Mankato 2022!

Dan’s Barber Shop

Custom Hair Care At A Reasonable Price

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507-345-5427 · www.dansbarber.com Belle Mar Center Suite #335 201 North Victory Drive, Mankato,MN 56001

seasonal ingredients.” For breakfast offerings, the chicken and waffle dish takes the prize, with a fresh Belgian waffle stuffed with cheddar cheese and paired with “super juicy” handbattered buttermilk chicken, topped with housemade honey. Not only does it hit all of the taste buds, but it also unleashes both spicy and savory flavors. The restaurant gets 75 percent of its ingredients from local sources within the five-state area, ranging from honey, maple syrup and pork from Minnesota, cheese from Wisconsin and specialty bacon from North Dakota. “I think that we bring some different flavor profiles to an already amazing culinary experience in Mankato,” Swindell said. “Its unique flavors combine to produce fresh and amazing dishes.”

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 57

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58 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 59

People Family Physician/ Primary Care Provider

1st - Bonnie Steel, CNP - Eastridge 2nd - Dr. John Benson 3rd - Dr. Graham King

Pediatrician

1st - Dr. Katie Smentek 2nd - Dr. Emily Weimer 3rd - Dr. Lon Knudson

Real Estate Agent 1st - Candee Deichman 2nd - Karry Meyer 3rd - Angie VanEman

Photographer

1st - Christy Bode 2nd - Smell The Roses 3rd - Onyx and Sage Studios

Local Musician/Band

1st - IV Play 2nd - The Murphy Brothers Band 3rd - Fat City All Stars

Wait/Bar Staff

1st - Thunder Bar Staff 2nd - Susu Sadaka 3rd - Nolabelle Staff

Accountant

1st - Kristin Pinette 2nd - Brad Boettcher 3rd - Brooke Forstner

Financial Planner 1st - Kaylee Phelps 2nd - Chris Ward 3rd - Brian Corbett

Lawyer

1st - Randy Knutson 2nd - Julia Corbett 3rd - Silas Danielson

Insurance Agent 1st - Aaron Hatanpa 2nd - Chris Lau 3rd - Natalie Sohre

Auto Mechanic

1st - Nick Zuehlke 2nd - Tim Gunderson 3rd - Andy Beltz

Tattoo Artist

1st - Kelly Bunde 2nd - Megan Hoogland 3rd - Makeba Ische

thank you, mankato! we are grateful & proud

60 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

BEST AUTO MECHANIC: NICK ZUEHLKE

A man of integrity

or Nick Zuehlke, the reason for his success in the Best of Mankato contest couldn’t be simpler: “It’s because of my customers. I couldn't be number one without the customers,” he said. So exactly how does one foster such customer loyalty? Also simple. “Just treat them right. Don't lie to them. Tell them everything they need and everything they don't need right away,” he said. “Customers want to be treated like people, and not just a car owner.” Zuehlke says he’s worked for other places that didn’t necessarily care if customers were treated fairly. He said he’s always tried to make sure people leave every interaction with him knowing they dealt with a person of integrity. “I made sure when I started my own business that I wasn't going to treat people that way,” he said. Zuehlke’s shop, called Nick’s Car Care, is a full-service repair business, working on everything from muffler installation to oil changes. “We do pretty much everything,” he said. Zuehlke says he’s even done some youth mentoring. Several years ago he participated in a program with Harbor Freight that aimed to help high school students learn a trade. He says they were among the first in the state to participate in the program and have a student graduate. Afterward, that student secured a college scholarship to further his education. “That was a good mentorship program that we had,” Zuehlke said.

MankatoMag-ColorControl.pdf 1 6/10/2022 9:38:50 AM

Nick Zuehlke of Nick’s Car Care.

CMY

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 61

Bonnie Steel of Mayo Clinic Health System.

ONE OF MANKATO'S BEST JEWELRY STORES

Thank You FOR VOTING

DOWNTOWN MANKATO & ST. PETER | JULEESJEWELRY.COM 62 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

BEST FAMILY PHYSICIAN/ PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER: BONNIE STEEL

Heading up a team effort

onnie Steel has been working in health care in Mankato for 35 years. And there’s no place else she’d rather be. Steel says she loves the fact that, as a nurse practitioner, she sees patients from all walks of life and all in the town where she grew up. “Mankato is just such a great community,” she said. “It is the right size and it has a lot to do, but you still know people when you go to the store. There's farming people and there's city people — it’s a good blend that way.” Working at Mayo Clinic Health System’s Eastridge location, she said, put her in contact with a lot of folks from surrounding communities, such as Janesville, St. Clair or Mapleton. “I like the people here.” Serving Mankato for 35 years in

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several capacities has allowed her to see families grow. Years ago, she said, she worked in the hospital’s birth center. Today, some of those babies she helped into the world come to her in her role as nurse practitioner. Despite winning the Best of Mankato award in the Family Physician/Primary Care Provider category, Steel is quick to give credit to Mayo Clinic Health System and the nurses who help her care for patients. “I have a couple of amazing nurses that really make it a better experience for the patients,” she said. “That's part of it. It's not just me seeing them. It's the schedulers when you come in and register and then the nurses that room them — all of that creates the whole experience.”

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Thank You FANS for your votes to complete our TRIPLE PLAY in the Best of Mankato Categories:

1st – Best Wings

2nd – Best Chain Restaurant

3rd – Best Sports Bar

301 ST. ANDREWS DR. • MANKATO • 507-385-9464 MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 63

BEST TATTOO ARTIST: KELLY BUNDE

CELEBRATING 49+ YEARS in the Greater Mankato Community!

From mandalas to line work, Bunde gets it right

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64 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

elly Bunde had the humblest of reactions when she found out she’d been voted best tattoo artist in the 2022 Best of Mankato contest. “I said ‘No way,’” she recalled. “I thought Meghan (Hoogland) would get it because like, you know, everybody knows Meghan. She's the best.” Indeed, Hoogland is very good. And was Bunde’s mentor when Bunde entered the tattoo profession. But this year, it was Bunde that pulled in the most votes in the annual contest. Bunde has been at it for about 12 years, all of which have been at Hoogland’s Mecca Tattoo. She says at first she relied on the shop to direct clients to her. Eventually, though, Bunde’s name became synonymous with high quality. She specializes in mandalas, geometric configurations of symbols that usually take on a circular shape. She also does a lot of “line” work, where details, depth and emotion are conveyed with lines instead of shading or color. Bunde says she’s thrilled with the recognition, but her real aim is to make sure her customers are happy. “It's pretty cool that so many people voted. And I'm glad we finally have a category in this Best of Mankato thing because we didn't have one forever,” Bunde said. “But I'm not going to let it go to my head or anything. But it's nice to hear.” Bunde says it’s a team effort at Mecca. “Everybody's putting in a lot of work to make it a really good shop,” she said. “And Megan makes sure there's top-quality artists there. She's a smart lady.”

Kelly Bundy of Mecca Tattoo.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 65

Thank You, Mankato! #1 Eye Exam Office

See Your Best, Be Your Best!

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66 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

VOTED MANKATO’S BEST BANK OR CREDIT UNION

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 67

Food & Beer

LET'S EAT! By Dana Melius

SOUTHERN MN STYLE

Poppy’s Pizza:

At 25, Dane Burton ventures into pizza business Dane Burton of Poppy’s Pizza in Winthrop says “I absolutely love working with pizza.”

or Dane Burton, it’s been “an act of redemption” opening up his own pizza business in his hometown of Winthrop. Burton dropped out of high school following his freshman year, then struggled again during a stint at a New Ulm-based alternative education district. But he never lost sight of his passion to cook. And he also remembered those who never gave up on him. “He’s always wanted to have his own pizza place,” said his older sister, Christina Hopp, who now serves as manager at Poppy’s Pizza on Main & 19 in Winthrop, which opened in February 2021. Hopp’s management allows Burton to focus on his pizza ideas and the food side of the business. “I absolutely love working with pizza,” Burton said. “It’s fun. And having customers repeat makes it even funner.” Making a good go of it all during the height of the COVID pandemic pleased Burton as well. “Some people wondered if it was smart to open at that time. But I’m young enough to risk it.” Still just 25, Burton has years of restaurant experience behind him, including 3½ years as assistant manager at Turner Hall in New Ulm. Burton also previously worked for Domino’s and the Green Mill in New Ulm. Burton considered a slight career move, getting an offer in food management at the local nursing care facility. But when the opportunity arose to open up a restaurant in the heart of his hometown, Burton 68 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

jumped at it. Plus, a brief stint in construction work convinced him that cooking remained his passion. Dave and Laurie Trebelhorn, former owners of the popular Dave’s Place in Lafayette, invested into a former convenience store location on Highway 19, the east-west drive through Winthrop. They then provided some mentoring to Burton and are now leasing the facility to him. One pizza dish, “The Great Dave,” is Dave’s creation, served with red sauce, Canadian bacon, pineapple and sauerkraut. Burton also named several other pizza items after special people in his life, including former GFW instructor Scott Robinson, now teaching at St. Peter Public Schools. It’s “Rob’s Chicken Bacon Ranch,” with a ranch-based sauce, topped with grilled chicken, bacon, spinach, fresh tomato and cheddar cheese. Another menu item, “Kristi’s Chicken Philly,” is named after one of his favorite instructors at River Bend Education District in New Ulm. “I was sometimes my worst enemy, but Scott and Kristi never gave up on me, even though I did at times,” Burton said. He also named a couple of dishes after local Winthrop friends, Nic Blumhoefer and Lois Schmidt. But Burton says his most popular menu item is “The Thunderbird,” named after the GFW High School mascot. It’s the supreme pizza at Poppy’s Place, with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, green peppers, black and green olives, onions,

Poppy’s is named after a rescue dog, and the restaurant donates to Save-A-Bull, which helps homeless pit bull dogs find homes. mushrooms and lots of extra cheese. But one idea the Trebelhorns tried to talk Burton out of was the name: Poppy’s Place. Burton named his first business venture after his rescue pitbull, Poppy. According to Burton, the Trebelhorns thought the name might confuse people; Burton held firm. “My PR stunt worked,” Burton said, as community members appreciate the hometown feel of Poppy’s Place, its honoring local citizens and people who mean something special to Burton. And, of course, the rescue dog. Burton has teamed up with Save-A-Bull Rescue of Minnesota and donates regularly to the Minneapolis-based pet adoption service from where he brought home Poppy. Despite Burton’s COVID period opening, he credits word-of-mouth and a dedicated staff for his early success. “That COVID opening made me realize that I was a lot more valuable than I gave myself credit for,” Burton said, yet still calls the stunning community response “baffling.” One secret ingredient, however, was his young, spirited and dedicated staff. “I’ve struck gold with my high school kids,” Burton said. Burton’s early business success in Winthrop provided him with the confidence to move on another venture, this time purchasing the

former Railway Bar & Grill in Sleepy Eye from longtime owners Dan and Sue Helget. The historic building, which dates back to 1908, attracted Burton, as did the changing restaurant dynamics in the Brown County community. “Sleepy Eye kind of fell in my lap. But It’s such a historic building. Keeping the Railway name is really important to me … It’ll be my job to put together a team.” Burton admits he might have bitten off a bit more than he and Poppy can chew, as the April 14 purchase announcement has been hit with delays, licensing considerations and additional financing needs. Burton is now hoping for a July opening in Sleepy Eye, focusing this one on comfort food. “It’s what I enjoy cooking the most.” Burton said he’s not trying to prove anyone wrong and fully accepts responsibility for his

educational struggles. Still, he’s proud of what he’s accomplished so far. “This isn’t about money. This is about freedom and passion.”

What: Poppy’s Pizza on Main & 19 Where: Main Street and Highway 19, Winthrop What they’re known for: Pizza & Poppy When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 69

ON TAP By James Figy

These fruit-based beers at Locale in Mankato are part of a trend to bring such flavors to the masses.

Don’t sour on fruit beers

f anything can make a cold beer even more refreshing on a hot day, it’s fruit. This would have been a divisive statement at one time, and it might still be in some circles. Often, naysayers are thinking of light, macro-brew staples, which are crushable but may lack a punch or depth of flavor. But is there anything wrong with that? A few years ago, I toured the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company facility in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The tour guide noted that, during the few months it's available each year, Summer Shandy accounted for 50% of all 70 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Leinenkugel’s sales. Clearly, the people want their fruit beer and a lot of it. On the micro level, brewers continue to grow more adept at incorporating a wide variety of fruits in numerous styles. Depending on the fruit, it can add sweetness, tartness, acidity, earthy notes or maybe a combination. Mixing multiple fruits into a brew provides greater opportunities to introduce complexity (or chaos). And that doubles when working with wild yeast strains and spontaneous fermentation in certain sours. It all depends on what the brewer

wants to accomplish. Consider the very different goals of a blood orange IPA vs. a strawberry blonde ale vs. a pear berliner weisse. It’s comparing apples to oranges — or whatever might be in your kettle sour. To get a better understanding of what to expect locally, I spoke with leaders at three local breweries. They covered their approaches, the trends and what to look for from them this month in terms of fruited brews and other beverages.

Mankato Brewery

For Tim Tupy, founder of Mankato Brewery, it’s great to play with fruit

flavors, but the fundamentals are most important. “As a brewery, we want to showcase our ability to make great beer and allow the fruit to complement the beer — not the other way around where the fruit takes over and you end up with a fruit smoothie beer,” he said. “Not that there isn’t a market for fruit smoothie-style beers, but we at Mankato Brewery focus on making great beer.” In July, you can taste this for yourself with three brews in cans and on draft: n Sector Berry – raspberry blonde ale n Tangerine Tart – tangerine-infused ale n Hopbiscus – hibiscus-infused sour IPA That last one, Tupy noted, might not be a fruit, but the flowering plant, often used in teas, provides a similar flavor profile. “It does give a nice sour fruity flavor,” he said.

LocAle Brewing Co.

Creating the maximum number of fruited beers and seltzers is an every summer goal for Jim Parejko, head brewer and vice president at

LocAle. “Fruited sour beers have been popular for some time. However, lately it's shifted from an emphasis on tartness or funkiness to an emphasis on sweetness and more fruit-forward notes,” he said. This could be seen as part of an overall shift toward quaffable beers and seltzers. “Hard seltzers can come in many different forms, but our approach of using real fruit juice is embraced by a growing number of breweries nationwide,” Parejko said. “…With lagers on the rise, the addition of citrus notes to an already crisp lager is the perfect summer session beer.” Beverages you can find in the taproom this month include: n Windsail – witbier with locally grown melon n Cherry Lime Fizz – hard seltzer with Montmorency cherry juice and lime n Blackberry Lemon Fizz – hard seltzer with blackberry juice and lemon n A new mixed culture sour beer with peaches n A lemon meringue pie-inspired sour beer

Lost Sanity Brewing Co.

Caleb Fenske, co-owner and brewer at Lost Sanity, summed it up well: “Fruit beer trends tend to be all over the map.” However, he has noticed some tendencies in customers’ palates. “It seems from customer requests that Minnesotans may have an affinity for berries in their beer,” Fenske said. During July, you can find several fruit beers on tap during a trip to the Madelia brewery: n Tart Mortality – raspberry sour n A lemon radler n A milkshake IPA (if space allows) Add these to the fruited beers you’ll find on the shelves of your preferred liquor store. It’s really an embarrassment of riches at this time of year. With such a variety of styles and fruit, the decision is truly up to you. Sweet or sour — which one will you choose? James Figy is a writer and beer enthusiast based in St. Paul. In Mankato, he earned an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University and a World Beer Cruise captain’s jacket from Pub 500.

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LIT DU NORD: MINNESOTA BOOKS AND AUTHORS By Nick Healy

A friend in the pages of a book H

ere’s a simple summertime reading tip for you. Ask a friend or family member this question: What’s your favorite book? The question is one that lots of people seem to find difficult to answer. The readers in your life will probably respond by listing three, four, five beloved books. You might have to press a little bit. Ask which book they think you’d like best. When you get a recommendation, you might even ask to borrow their copy. Take that book with you to the cabin or the woods or wherever you go for a bit of summer rest — the backyard, for many of us — and give yourself some uninterrupted time to read. What you’ll discover is that, because it came from a friend, the story has layers of intrigue it otherwise wouldn’t. You’ll find that while you are getting to know the characters and tracking the plot of the story you are also watching for evidence of your friend in the pages. You’ll find that you can’t help but wonder what makes the book important to your friend and you can’t help but notice traits in characters and mileposts in the plot that connect to your friend’s experiences in life somehow. Regardless of whether you admire the book as much as your friend does, you’ll feel a connection to the story. It will stick with you. It will take hold in your memory. I came to know two books by Minnesota’s Leif Enger this way. Enger, of course, made his name as a novelist with “Peace Like a River,” his 2001 debut and a critical and commercial hit. For years it seemed as if nearly everyone I knew had read the book, and many of them recommended it to me. There was a copy in my 74 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“So Brave, Young, and Handsome” by Leif Enger

house, but for whatever reason, I never got to it. Enger’s second novel came along in 2008. With a slightly unwieldy title — “So Brave, Young, and Handsome” — the book also received fond reviews and sold well. Again I heard good things, and again I didn’t get to it. Eventually “Virgil Wander,” Enger’s third novel, found its way to me. A friend at work had gotten her hands on an advance copy, and after she read it, she sent it to me via interoffice mail, along with a note saying she thought it was my kind of thing. I appreciated the gesture, so I started reading right away. And I couldn’t put it down. The book has strands of a love story, a mystery, and a portrait of small-town life in our corner of the country. The title character operates a single-screen movie theater in Greenstone, a fading North Shore town, and after barely surviving a car crash, he must piece back

together his life and his notion of himself. The story is funny and captivating. It has everything I like in a novel. Soon after finishing “Virgil Wander,” I mentioned it to a friend of mine. His face lit up. He loved Enger’s books, and he couldn’t wait to tell me about “So Brave, Young, and Handsome.” This was a friend I’d known for about a decade at that point, and somehow I’d never learned who his favorite writers were, which books he treasured most. My friend handed me his copy of “So Brave, Young, and Handsome,” and again I was eager to get started reading for reasons that were mostly outside of the book. Around that time, we took our teenagers to Phoenix for a short trip during their spring break. I brought along Enger’s second novel, and I spent some very content hours sitting by a pool and reading. The story is genius in terms of plot. Two men go off on a journey

in search of one’s long-lost bride, and soon they find that they, too, are being pursued. It wasn’t hard for me to see why my friend liked the book. Enger seems to approach the world with ever-present openness to wonder and with an appreciation of small and familiar comforts and a keen eye for moments of beauty. My friend BR O’Halloran was also that sort of person. He was curious about the world, and he always was paying attention. He was impressed by nature, and he was a friendly and generous presence amid a daily shuffle that can feel unfriendly and callous. He was the sort of person we need more of. “You can’t explain grace, anyway, especially when it arrives almost despite yourself,” Enger writes in the novel. “I didn’t even ask for it, yet somehow it breached and began to work.” BR passed away in late April. He was a young guy, still in his 40s. He had brain cancer. To me, his disease seemed terribly, maddeningly unfair and unkind. But he stayed himself all the way. Soon after his death, I picked up a copy of “So Brave, Young, and Handsome” at the library and started reading. Enger’s narrator had me again — from the very first line. And rereading the book gave me a chance to encounter BR once more, to imagine him reading the story and getting swept away by it. I felt lucky getting into the story again and finding my friend there, too.

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ANN’S FASHION FORTUNES By Ann Rosenquist Fee

Sneakers/skirts demystified DEAR ANN: I read something about sneakers and skirts as a trend this summer, but what are the details? What makes this new? I have sneakers and I have skirts but I don’t want to do this wrong. DEAR READER: As with all trends, confidence is key, so

whatever you put together, you’ve got to wear it like you mean it. Fortunately, sneakers generally s u p p o r t g o o d p o s t u re , s o a shoulders back/feet-firmly-planted stance should come automatically as a foundation for your look. As for what makes this current version of sneakers-and-dresses

It doesn’t really matter what kind of skirt you’re wearing, as long as it looks as if it was originally intended to be paired with not-sneakers. 76 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“current,” my personal take is that the more you look like an office worker who just parked in the ramp and now you’re hustling across crosswalks to make it into the building by your 9 a.m. biweekly ice breaker/team-building session, the better. It doesn’t really matter what kind or cut of skirt you’re wearing, as long as it looks as if it was originally intended to be paired with not-sneakers. That, after all, was what made the 1990s commuter lady look so distinctive. Whether she was wearing an Ann Taylor Loft suit or a baggy drop-waist sack dress with a super-tiny print pattern, the sneakers did nothing complementary, they were just functional to get us from the parking ramp to our desks where we’d slip off our tennies and our terry cloth socks, and then slide our panty-hosed feet into the low-heeled pumps or chunky Mary Janes that lived under our desks for daily office wear. (Note: As I write this, I’m listening to Minnesota Public Radio’s classical station on an actual radio and not a smart device, so it’s a legit coincidence and not some mind-reading algorithm that the music that just now began as I was typing about Loft suits and sack dresses was Libby Larsen’s “Water Music.” Larsen is co-founder of the Minnesota Composer’s Forum (now the American Composer’s Forum), and she was a big dang deal to me back in the 1990s when I worked in the development office of the Minnesota Orchestra and bore witness on a daily basis to women wearing that whole suitsand-sneakers thing as they hustled from parking ramps or bus stops to their offices on Nicollet Mall. I swear there was something about “Water Music” I had to proofread back in the day, like maybe Larsen gave a talk at some donor appreciation

event and it was my job to proof the invitations? I can’t remember. But I can tell you for sure that hearing her name and her music sends me back to the mid-1990s like nobody’s business and any margin of doubt I had a minute ago about the commuter lady look we’ll call “entry level haste,” it’s gone. I’m telling you with absolute certainty and with “Water Music” as my swelling soundtrack that today’s trending sneakers/skirts look is somehow a deliberate throwback to the glory days of commuters and cubicles.) Maybe the trend has something to do with our current exploration of remote work, like maybe it allows us to firmly locate commutingto-an-office in the past like how petticoats or powdered wigs reference bygone times. Bottom line, if you’re finding it intriguing, give it a go this summer. Approach it with confidence and curiosity and you cannot possibly do it wrong. DEAR ANN: What happened to Ulta in River Hills Mall? Did the whole chain close, or what? DEAR READER: Don’t even get me started on the anguish I experienced one recent afternoon when I’d met all that day’s deadlines and had some cash in my pocket and headed to the mall to worship at the temple of maquillage, only to find the exterior stripped of Ulta’s signage and the windows papered in big blank sheets, no “visit us in our new location” sign. Luckily, I redirected my shopping urge toward crafts, and when I pulled into the strip mall that houses Michael’s I was greeted by Ulta’s signature orange awnings. (And wow, was that a crisis of gluttony, because now I had both makeup and craft supplies at my disposal but only 20 bucks to burn. I went with clearance lip gloss and remnant fabric because, yes, you can have it all.) No idea why they moved, but they did, and the new location appears as big if not bigger with plenty of daylight for better assessment of how great you look strolling the aisles in pursuit of self care. See you there.

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Got a question? Submit it at annrosenquistfee.com (click on Ann’s Fashion Fortunes). Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and host of Live from the Arts Center, a music and interview show Thursdays 1-2 p.m. on KMSU 89.7FM. MANKATO MAGAZINE • JULY 2022 • 77

GARDEN CHAT By Jean Lundquist

A splash of safety I

Never a bad idea

’ve always been a “Yeah, yeah, yeah” kind of person when it comes to taking safety precautions, or even reading safety precautions on any appliance, product or piece of machinery. I laughed at admonitions like, “Don’t cut toward your body. Cut toward your buddy.” And, “Don’t try this at home. Try it at your friend’s home.” I used to mow ditches that were way too steep for the mower I was riding. I used to run with scissors. Now that my parents are gone, I will even admit to tilling the garden once barefoot. But one day, something changed. And on the day I write this, I’m glad it did. And I wish I had paid more attention earlier. My boss (before I retired) one day was digging around in a copier in the office with a screwdriver, trying to free it from a paper jam, or some such thing. I asked him if it was unplugged, but I could not understand his mutterings. I looked. It was not unplugged, so I went around to the back and pulled the plug. Fast forward to this spring, when I noticed how truly prevalent buckthorn is in our yard. It’s thick in the spirea bushes. It’s thick in the windbreak. It was thick around the old, dead plum tree. In fact, every place in the yard that had not been mowed or trimmed in a few years was thick with buckthorn. 78 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

I asked Lar to start eradicating it with his chainsaw. His response was, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” So I bought a chainsaw for myself. I’ve never thought of a chainsaw as “cute,” but this one almost is. It has a 10” blade, it is cordless, and it weighs 6.19 pounds. We used to heat our house with wood we cut ourselves, so I am no stranger to chainsaws. I’m terrified of them! Their power can rip through a full-grown tree in minutes, if not seconds. And as fast as it can cut through a tree, it can cut through a human leg or other appendage in even less time. Even though my chain saw didn’t have the strength or power of its full-sized cousins, I treated it with respect. I read the safety precautions. While eradicating some buckthorn, I wore safety goggles, though they made me look like a bug from the neck up. I wore the toughest Wells Lamont gloves I had. I wore ear protection. Then, I terrorized the buckthorn, feeling relatively safe. At the end of the project, I was sore, but had cut nothing off of myself. Several times I was glad for the goggles, when sawdust and limbs of the terrorized buckthorns came for me. At the end of the day, I decided to try spraying some plant poison on some of the weeds that I figured needed

it. I mixed up the concoction in the sprayer, careful to put the water in first, then the plant poison. (If you put the plant poison in first, then fill with water, it will suds up before the sprayer is full.) It started out fine. Then, nothing came out of the nozzle. I removed the end and looked through it — it was clear. I looked down the other end of the sprayer and saw nothing. Maybe I didn’t have enough pressure built up, so I pumped the sprayer some more. Still, nothing came from the sprayer. Well, heck. Maybe the sprayer was broken and not building up pressure. So I gave the top a slight turn, and I was sprayed in the face. I have never read the safety precautions for a sprayer or for plant poison, but I’m pretty sure they recommend pointing it away from your face while using. My lips burned. My face burned. My hair was dripping. My shirt was soaked. I had just had eye surgery, but fortunately, I had on my regular glasses, plus my wraparound sunglasses, and my eyes were spared. For just a moment I stood there, wondering why I had put my face over the top while opening the sprayer. Then, I dropped everything and headed for the house, peeling my clothes as I ran. I jumped in the shower, and was very generous with soap as I stood there thinking about how bad this incident could have been. Reading precautions is one thing, but thinking is something else.

Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com

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FROM THIS VALLEY By Pete Steiner

FOURTH ANNUAL

STEINIES S

o for, 2022 has been: Interesting? Exhilarating? Distressing? First it seemed like we were finally emerging from pandemic status. Exhilaration! Then a miscalculating dictator invaded a peaceful country in the most heinous and bloodthirsty fashion. Distressing. Minnesota weather has been… interesting, to say the least, and, well, we’ll elaborate, as we herewith announce this year’s winners of the annual STEINIE awards. One note: To avoid any untoward assaults on the presenter and any egregious face-slapping, the STEINIES remain virtual this year. Besides, we couldn’t afford a red carpet or auditorium rental or even real statuettes. If you are a lucky winner, just cut out this page and grab your favorite magnet and post it on the fridge. As always, some categories are quirky and occasionally weird. ■■■■ We typically start with STEINIES in the weather category: Most-observed icon in my new weather App: that little squiggle that looks like hieroglyphs or cuneiform, that indicates “windy.” Did the wind ever stop blowing from January through mid-May? A STEINIE to the wind icon. SHORTEST-SEASON STEINIE goes to SPRING. With sub-freezing nights, frost until past the tax-filing deadline and wind chill readings on Easter, our eventual spring only lasted about three weeks before we hit upper 80s! CRUELEST MONTH: This time T.S. Eliot nails it: APRIL. Thankfully we had basketball to ease the gloom of endless clouds and wind and below-normal temps; this STEINIE, to borrow Final Four terminology, is a slam-dunk. ■■■■ We’ve added a new category this year: While out shopping for toilet seats, your beloved scribe came 80 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

upon something he decided would merit an award for most astounding advertising claim. The inaugural STEINIE in this category goes to AMERICAN STANDARD: Their “Champion” toilet “flushes a bucket of golf balls in a single flush!” (I’ve heard of s--tting bricks, but golf balls?) M O S T- V I S I B L E s t e r e o t y p e shattering construction vehicle: The PINK DUMPTRUCK earns a STEINIE. Our grandchildren gleefully point it out. Kudos to Holtmeier Construction for using it to support breast cancer awareness. This year we bring back perhaps our favorite category, one we had to skip last year because of pandemic restrictions: BEST MALT. Previous winners include Toody’s in Henderson, Mom and Pop’s and Culver’s. To find this year’s recipient, we went far afield, after we finally emerged from quarantine for a little vacation. Up North, on the Gunflint Trail, the Trail Center merits a STEINIE for serving up a rich, thick malted with a metal sidecar. (Foodie footnote: If you’ve come this far, go just 15 more miles toward the border to the Gunflint Lodge: Their superb walleye chowder is what the Vikings order in Valhalla!) ■■■■ Now to the Category: BRINGERS OF CULTURE: We have a couple of winners here. For years Minnesota State University faculty member Dale Haefner has meticulously organized an annual Music Series, open to the public at various venues, including Halling Recital Hall. So far in 2022 alone, he’s brought in Grammy-winning sax player Eric Marienthal, legendary New Orleans pianist Jon Cleary and Chicago bluesman Reverend Raven, not to mention various top-notch local and regional artists. For producing great music right on our doorstep, a STEINIE to “The Hawk.” Speaking of local music, these days that’s almost synonymous with Ben

STEINIES

Scruggs and Chris Bertrand. Their Thursday afternoon show on KMSU has given a big boost to numerous local musicians, and the two are nearly ubiquitous playing their own stuff at various local venues. Ben and Chris earn the “Let There Be Local Music!” STEINIE. ■■■■ For 2022, we award a special STEINIE for CIVIC ACHIEVEMENT to Michelle Schoof and Dave Wittenberg. Along with hundreds of volunteers, they organized a spectacular Hockey Day Minnesota event that actually encompassed a week of activities, even bringing back MSU grads who became NHL stars. Thousands attended in person despite adverse weather, bringing a lot of positive media attention to our area, as well as raising generous amounts for charity. (Who needs Vikings Training Camp?) ■■■■ Last year we created a new STEINIE category: the NOODLE, in honor of a friend who proposed it. The category was defined as going to “one who is open and gracious to all, who enthusiastically promotes connection and makes this a better place to live.” This year’s recipient is a lifelong Mankato resident, who learned about giving back from his parents; their neighborhood skating rink in West Mankato still serves kids each winter. It’s impossible to list here everything DENNIS DOTSON has done for this city outside of his stellar business career, but his recent facilitation of expansion of the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is just his latest good deed. Denny has never sought acclaim or special recognition, but he gets a little of both here, with this year’s NOODLE Longtime radio guy Pete Steiner is now a free lance writer in Mankato.

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