From the MUSIC SIDE

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

This 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: 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-

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 visit. My favorite is the Charcuterie Board with an array of meats, cheeses, fruits, and other yummy bites, but there are numerous other “starter” items, tempting desserts, and gourmet pizzas. There is indoor and outdoor seating. And as any Minnesotan can atest, the limited number of days where the weather cooperates deserve to be spent somewhere with good food, good drink, good friends, and beautiful surroundings. 1179 East Pearl St., Kasota, chankaskawines. com

The Contented Cow has a beautiful view of the Cannon River in Northfield to go along with the food and music. The Contented Cow - A Britishstyle pub in downtown Northfield has all the 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. Flatbreads, nachos, and weekend Shepard’s pie can round out your evening. 302B Division St. S., Northfield, contendedcow.com Mineral Springs Brewery - Mineral Springs loves its live performances, with frequent showings Thursday-Sunday. All kinds of local bands — like the Lake Effect, Fred the Bear and Miller Denn — can be seen and heard here. And while the establishment isn’t a restaurant itself, food will almost always be am option on music nights, with trucks and stands Most Thursdays and Sundays, and the occasional Saturday, have live music to make the experience that much better. 41142 160th St., Waseca, pleasantgrovepizzafarm.com As you can see, you could easily fill a whole summer just by road tripping it around our little neck of the woods and sampling these food/music establishments. And these are just a few. Each one is different and unique, yet pleasantly familiar feeling as to make you and yours feel comfortable, invited, and relaxed. And honestly, don’t we all need a little more of that? 

UPDATE A few months back, I wrote about a truly homegrown film, “Sold Out”, that featured and utilized the talents of many local musicians and actors. On July 26, the first single from the soundtrack will be released and available on all music streaming platforms. The song, “Don’t Wake Me Up”, appears at the end of the film. It is performed by leading lady Kelsey McMahon and was written by Kris Delmhorst.