Relo February 2008
The Things We Do for Love
by Rebecca Patt,
Vice President of Development, Dick Wray Executive Search.
As I’ve told some associates by now, I’ve recently relocated from my long-time base of Santa Cruz, CA, to Minneapolis, MN. If you’re thinking a man might be involved in this Northern migration, you’re right. My boyfriend Rick got a job in Minneapolis and convinced me to take the leap with him. Fortunately, I got to take my job along with me, as a nationally-focused recruiter’s work tends to be fairly portable. Besides the joys of starting a new life with a wonderful guy, I’ve discovered a huge happy coincidence for a restaurant recruiter who likes to eat out: Minneapolis is a thriving restaurant hub.
My Midwestern journey started with our reconnaissance trip in September 2007. My boyfriend’s attempt to woo me to move halfway across the country led him to make reservations at the downtown Minneapolis outpost of Fogo de Chão. Seems he read about it in the inflight magazine. Brazilian churrascaria was one of my most memorable dining experiences ever; in fact, I might choose it as my last meal on Earth. Notwithstanding the endless, succulent, and perfectly seasoned parade of meats and the mind-boggling array of delicacies at the salad bar, what Rick can’t stop talking about is the Brazilian lemonade, a sensational combo of fresh lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.
I made two other important discoveries on our weekend recon trip. I found out that Minneapolitans have an amazingly powerful and addictive drug available to them found in few other places. While my guy was touring his new company in Eden Prairie, they sent me over to the nearby Dunn Bros. Coffee. At this unique location - a picturesque historic farmstead home - I had a cup of the house specialty with a big hunk of banana bread. The beverage was a sublime trip for this caffeine addict. Most of the 100 franchised, locally owned and operated Dunn Bros. stores have their own coffee roasting machines in-house, serving only the finest, freshest beans and creating the great aroma and spectacle of roasting beans.
While wandering through the suburbs, we came upon Culver’s Frozen Custard. I couldn’t wait to try it. We found the dining area buzzing with families with kids in sports uniforms. The Butter Burger and “Concrete Mixer” treat hit the spot, but I was most excited about taking the first opportunity I’d ever had to try cheese curds, something most Californians would not be able to identify. Those balls of lightly breaded and fried cheese were delicious.
I quickly realized I had to move to Minnesota to join Rick and have more Dunn Bros. If the Brazilian waiters we encountered at Fogo de Chão could be so happy and well-adjusted in Minneapolis, why couldn’t I? Before I knew it, on Oct. 15th, I boarded myself and my cat on a plane to move to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Our company chairman, Dick Wray, was sad to see me leave the office space in Santa Cruz that we had shared for nearly four years, but supportive as always, and we still talk on the phone most days.
As it turns out, the new Minneapolis office of Dick Wray Executive Search is just down the street from Granite City Food & Brewery, the fast-growing Midwestern concept. Since I had watched the founders win a Hot Concept award at MUFSO a few months earlier, I had to try it. The place was packed, and the parking lot always looks packed as I regularly drive by it. I followed the smart waitress’s suggestion and got the Two Pull brew, a combination of their lager and bock beers. I found it to be one of the freshest, tastiest beers I’ve ever had.
When some of Rick’s relatives visited, we decided to try the downtown Minneapolis original location of Buca di Beppo. Judging by how difficult it was to get a reservation and the subsequent long wait, you would never know that the company’s stock is barely above water. The kitschy Italian décor and the free pizza they served us made the wait much more fun, and it was nice to bond with Rick’s family over a crowd-pleasing platter of lasagna.
Speaking of Buca and crowds, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves at some of the other venerable hotspots created by restaurant guru Phil Roberts and Parasole Restaurant Holdings. So far we’ve also been to Figlio, Chino Latino, and Salut Bar Americain. I could rave about each of these unique establishments, especially the latter two.
I’ve also had the pleasure of dining at Minneapolis-based Famous Dave’s at their Calhoun Square location. The BBQ ribs were the best I’ve had in memory, made even better because I got to sample several different sauces on them while listening to authentic blues music.
A local chain we’ve quickly grown to love is Punch Neopolitan Pizza, which has five locations throughout the Twin Cities. Punch adheres to the strict rules for making authentic Neopolitan pies, using top-notch ingredients and baking them at 800 degrees for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. Before you can settle into your seat, they are calling you to collect your order. Many locals swear Punch makes the best pizza between here and Napoli, and their salads are hard to beat, too. The inviting vibe of Punch with its bright tiled oven and rustic wooden furniture make it a cheery destination on a subfreezing Minneapolis night.
My boyfriend is a happy camper over having relocated to the world headquarters of the Dairy Queen corporation, which means that DQs abound. He is powerfully drawn to them, and I think he’s been sneaking off for cheeseburgers and Blizzards without me.
Since moving, I’ve become convinced that the rest of the country does not realize just how much Minneapolis has to offer. I’m happy to find myself living a stone’s throw from one of Minnesota’s beautiful lakes, and also, to my relief, from a Jamba Juice location –in case the California girl in me craves a smoothie.
Rebecca Patt is Vice President of Development at Dick Wray Executive Search. She can be reached at 1.888.875.9993 ext. 106 and Rebecca.patt@dickwray.com