It had been a while since I had stopped at the former gas station on Nicollet Avenue just south of Minnehaha Creek. As I was checking out what is near a new listing nearby in the Windom neighborhood I thought I should check out Wise Acre Eatery that now lives in this charming spot next to Tangletown Gardens that was Liberty Frozen Custard the last time I stopped.
When I popped in for a quick stop I was warmly greeted and I asked what I should pick up for a delectable treat. Without missing a beat, she recommended the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I got one of those and couldn't resist also picking up a chocolate chocolate chip cookie. Both were wonderful... I was sorry when they were gone!
The charm of this former gas station is still there, including windowed doors on the former garage door tracks which are perfect for opening onto the patio in nice weather... which will eventually come, the sun is even shining as I write!
But what really impressed me about Wise Acre Eatery was its evident strong emphasis on the source of their food. Farm-to-table restaurants are not that unusual in the Twin Cities any more, but this one is unique. As its FARM-O-METER indicates... "on any given day, and at any time of the year, 80-90% of what we serve is sustainably grown on our farm, less than an hour away." You can even take home some of their home raised and prepared delicasies with you when you leave... from their famous bacon to organic dairy to pickles and preserves.
I didn't realize the close connection between Tangletown Gardens and Wise Acre Eatery before. The owners of Tangeltown Gardens bought the building when Liberty Frozen Custard moved on with the specific intent of opening a restaurant sourced by their rural farm. In their own words...
The Wise Acre Eatery connects guests to the source of their food, most of which comes from Tangletown Gardens' 100 acre farm in rural Plato, MN. Here, our Scottish Highland Cattle, Berkshire and Large Black hogs, and free range chickens, ducks and turkeys live stress-free, hormone-free lives with plenty of room to roam. Fresh produce is grown year-round in our greenhouses and fields ensuring a steady stream of farm fresh goodness delivered to our kitchen all the time. We are the folks sowing the seeds, nurturing plants and tending the animals in the morning, then delivering the harvest to our restaurant's kitchen in the afternoon—it just doesn't get any more local than that.
Truly, the shortest distance between the earth, the hand and the mouth.
Nicollet Avenue is called 'Eat Street' coming out of downtown Minneapolis to Lake Street because of its wide variety of unique and ethnic restaurants. I would argue that 'Eat Street' continues as Nicollet makes it way through the Kingfield, Tangletown and Windom neighborhoods... lined with wonderful local coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants, many of them locally sourced.
Want to live in a neighborhood near Wise Acre Eatery where you can eat locally? Check out homes for sale in Kingfield, homes for sale in Tangletown and homes for sale in Windom... then let me know when you find something you would like to see!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minnepaolis Foodie Realtor
