From the MUSIC SIDE
MEGAN ROLLOFF Megan Rolloff is an interior designer in Mankato, who lives in New Ulm with her doting husband Tom. She loves music, especially of the Minnesota variety, and now she writes about it. Reach her at megankrolloff@gmail.com.
regularly featured. 111 N Walnut Ave,, Owatonna, mineralspringsbrewery.com
Patrick’s on Third - Patrick’s is a
fun, comfortable downtown St. Peter anchor with all the best pub grub comfort foods on the menu. Burgers, pizza, nachos, onion rings, salads, sandwiches, and pretty much anything else you can think of. There is even a section on the menu dedicated to the not-so-common meat, Bison. Come for Sunday morning breakfast (in case you need it after a fatiguing Saturday night), go home, take a nap, and come back for live music on Sunday night. 125 S 3rd St., St. Peter, patricksfood.com
Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm
- 55 acres of pizza and the great outdoors! Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm has food, music, and a little adventure. Part brick oven pizzeria and part BYOB farm party, this unique place can be the perfect opportunity to enjoy those oh-soprecious nice-weather days in Minnesota I was talking about earlier. You bring your own table/ chairs, picnic blanket, plates, utensils, apps, bevies, and loved ones, and they provide the pizza, walking trails, and fuzzy farm animals.
The Grand Kabaret is part restaurant, part music venue in downtown New Ulm.
Food, food, food, lookin’ out my back door
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his month, I had to write on theme, because I just couldn’t resist combining two of my most favorite subjects on Earth; music and food. Southern Minnesota has a plethora of food venues that also host and promote live music. And why not?! Personally, I can hardly think of a better way to spend an afternoon or evening than hanging out with friends and family, listening to live music, all while enjoying a glass of wine and some tasty snacks. So in that spirit, here are some great options (hopefully) near you:
The Grand Kabaret - It’s no secret that I have a particular attachment to The Grand. I helped get the art center, on the sec-
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ond floor of the historic hotel, off the ground (no pun intended) and was a board member for the nonprofit organization for nine years. So I might be a little biased when I say that the Kabaret, on the first floor, is one of the hidden gems in New Ulm. The music, usually on Friday nights, but sometimes on Saturdays, is unique and high quality. The atmosphere is historic and comfortable. The food and drink are simple and casual. The adult beverages available are a variety of wine and beer and the food is currently charcuterie and light snacks. There are plans for a few more menu items in the fall, and pizzas, sometime in the future. If you are ever in New Ulm on a Friday night and want a special experience, give The Grand a try. It’s a swell place that, I think, is an important part of giving New Ulm a push forward. 210 N Minnesota St., New Ulm, thegrandnewulm.com
Our Place on 3rd - A quaint,
neighborhood bar focused on being a place for everyone to relax and take a break from all that comes with adulting. Drop by on Saturday nights for live music, beers and cocktails, a slice of pizza, and a meat raffle. Music takes places indoors and outdoors. Open Monday-Saturday with happy hour Monday-Friday, 4-5 p.m. 20 3rd Street NW, Faribault, ourplaceon3rd. com
The Bar - The essential small town gathering place, The Bar has everything you would expect and could ever need, for a cozy, casual, familiar night out with friends and family. The beer is cold, the tots are hot, and the music is local. Feels like home.
130 S Main St., Le Sueur, check them out on Facebook
Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, and Distillery - Hav-
ing been to Chankaska many times myself, I can recommend it to anyone as a great place to meet friends, hang with co-workers, or just relax by your lonesome. Every Friday and
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Saturday night, 6-9 p.m., is their unWINEd music series with a special guest performing on the winery production floor. They have fantastic wine and spirits all concocted on-premises. The food menu alone is well worth the The Contented Cow has a beautiful view of the Cannon River in Northfield to go along with the food and music. visit. My favorite is the Charcuterie Most Thursdays and Sundays, and the ocBoard with an array of meats, cheeses, fruits, casional Saturday, have live music to make the and other yummy bites, but there are numerexperience that much better. ous other “starter” items, tempting desserts, and gourmet pizzas. There is indoor and out41142 160th St., Waseca, pleasantgrovepizdoor seating. And as any Minnesotan can atest, zafarm.com the limited number of days where the weather cooperates deserve to be spent somewhere As you can see, you could easily fill a whole with good food, good drink, good friends, and summer just by road tripping it around our beautiful surroundings. little neck of the woods and sampling these food/music establishments. And these are just 1179 East Pearl St., Kasota, chankaskawines. a few. Each one is different and unique, yet com pleasantly familiar feeling as to make you and yours feel comfortable, invited, and relaxed. The Contented Cow - A BritishAnd honestly, don’t we all need a little more of style pub in downtown Northfield has all the that? good stuff: food, drink, and music. There are 3 stages, two outside and one inside. The wide variety of music is rivaled only by the wide variety of beers available. But if you prefer wine or spirits, you can opt for those as well. A few months back, I wrote Flatbreads, nachos, and weekend Shepard’s pie about a truly homegrown film, can round out your evening. “Sold Out”, that featured and 302B Division St. S., Northfield, contendedutilized the talents of many cow.com local musicians and actors. On July 26, the first single from the Mineral Springs Brewery soundtrack will be released and Mineral Springs loves its live performances, available on all music streaming with frequent showings Thursday-Sunday. All platforms. The song, “Don’t kinds of local bands — like the Lake Effect, Fred Wake Me Up”, appears at the the Bear and Miller Denn — can be seen and end of the film. It is performed heard here. And while the establishment isn’t a by leading lady Kelsey McMahon restaurant itself, food will almost always be am and was written by Kris option on music nights, with trucks and stands Delmhorst.
UPDATE
YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
