Article

These Fabulous Food Halls are Taking Over the Twin Cities

Scroll to Read
Image Caption
The Market at Malcolm Yards

These Fabulous Food Halls are Taking Over the Twin Cities

By Erica Wacker

The national food hall phenomenon has arrived in Minneapolis-St. Paul with a vengeance, coming in a wide variety of inventive iterations to attract the masses. So what’s a food hall? Think food court, only trendier — and much more Instagram-worthy.

The slow-roasted jerk pork plate at Pimento Kitchen

The slow-roasted jerk pork plate at Pimento Kitchen  / Visit Saint Paul

St. Paul

A longtime landmark of St. Paul's West Seventh Street, the former Schmidt Brewery is back in a big way. Vacant since the brewery closed in 2002, the former keg house reopened in 2018 as Keg and Case. The culinary and retail marketplace houses nine local vendors, including Clutch Brewing, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen, Five Watt Coffee, an edible (and eggless!) cookie dough company called Dough Dough, and more.

A crowd walks through Hmongtown Marketplace

The bustling Hmongtown Marketplace in St. Paul is a must-visit food and cultural destination / Brian Fanelli

On the other end of West Seventh near the Xcel Energy Center, Seventh Street Truck Park features RVs and other vehicles serving “road foods” and low-brow beverages in paper bags. For a more upscale experience, Market House Collaborative is home to a butcher shop, bakery, coffee roaster, pie shop, mushroom cultivator and Octo Fishbar seafood restaurant, conveniently located across the street from CHS Field in the trendy Lowertown neighborhood.

For a taste of one of St. Paul's most prevalent cultures, the Hmongtown Marketplace features over 100 vendors serving traditional larb, locally grown Asian produce, papaya salad, bubble tea and so much more. In the summer, the food court expands to include outdoor vendors. Hmong Village, on the city's East Side, is a similarly massive Hmong market.

Andy's Mexican/American Garage at Midtown Global Market

Andy's Mexican/American Garage at Midtown Global Market  / Meet Minneapolis

Minneapolis

Opened all the way back in 1997, Mercado Central in south Minneapolis is the granddaddy of Minnesota food halls. The thriving Latino marketplace specializes in tacos, tamales, pupusas and other favorites from Mexico and Latin America, along with a handful of retail storefronts. For a wider variety of international flavors, head to the Midtown Global Market—an incubator for minority business owners selling everything from tamales to camel burgers—less than a mile up the road.

More recent additions to the Minneapolis food hall scene include The Market at Malcolm Yards located inside the historic Harris Machinery Co. building with vendors like Joey Meatballs slinging red sauce pastas and meatballs, incredible cheeseburgers and frozen treats at Bebe Zito, or a fusion of flavors from Malaysia, Thailand, Korea and Japan at Abang Yoli.

Opening week at Eat Street Crossing

Opening week at Eat Street Crossing 

Other newcomers include Graze Provisions and Libations — a downtown Minneapolis destination with a rooftop deck, two bar areas, and such popular vendors as Soul Bowl and Union Hmong Kitchen — and the newly opened Eat Street Crossing. Named after the multi-cultural neighborhood it's now a part of, the complex features Brazilian-style pizza, sushi sandwiches, ramen, and the innovative ice cream of Bebe Zito (think: Gochujang Brownie, Chocolate Mezcal, and a bracing combination of lemon and extra virgin olive oil).

The hall's in-house bar is also straight out of left field, with a cocktail menu that revolves around star signs. For instance, the Taurus blends cognac with rye whiskey, chai and cold brew. The Virgo, on the other, shakes gin up in a tin with jasmine-matcha syrup, Falernum, dry vermouth and lemon juice. 

 

Roseville

Yes it's in a mall (Rosedale Center), but Potluck is no food court. The suburbs' only food hall features quick-service concepts like Adam's Soul to Go, Salad Slayer and OG ZaZa, along with outposts of popular Twin Cities eateries including Burger Dive, Smack Shack and Joey Meatballs. Not to mention buttery and flakey Southern-style biscuits at B&E that were modeled after the family recipe of FOX 9 host Jason Matheson. 

Erica Wacker

Erica Wacker is a Midwesterner through and through, growing up in Illinois, going to college in Wisconsin, and settling down in Minnesota. She loves to run, travel with her family, and go to concerts to relive her youth.