If you asked me where I work, I’ll say I work form home. Really, though, I work more from coffee shops in and around the Twin Cities than I do in my own home… or, my “office” - the desk I’ve had since I was a teenager in my bedroom at my parents’ house in the eastern suburbs of Minnesota. 23 (and a half!), restless, curious, and hungry, I can’t stay seated in my office for more than two hours at a time, and how productive would I be if I let myself go for walks around the neighborhood four times a day?
So, I coffee-shop-hop. Each week, I seek out two or three coffee shops I want to visit - some new to me, and others familiar favorites. I pack up my work things and block out the entire afternoon for coffee and a pastry. I mean work! I’m working, I promise… with bottomless coffee and something a little sweet (occasionally savory) and treat-y. Here are my favorites, so far.
When I said “occasionally savory”, I was talking about this croque monsieur bun from Mon Petit Cherie in Stillwater. I think I like it a little more because I don’t need to drive far to get my hands on it. This delicate bundle of ham, cheese, and tender, buttery dough called to me, and I couldn’t ignore it, though I did also have my eyes on the giant slices of peanut butter chocolate cake (!!). I pulled apart the dough, swirled snuggly around a center of warm, melty cheese and more tender, buttery dough. Sweet or savory, the inside of any bun is the best part - that’s a known fact. What is up for serious debate now is which has a bigger piece of my heart (also my stomach): a sweet cinnamon roll or this croque monsieur bun…
The latter is currently in the lead.
And while I’m talking about Mon Petit Cherie, I must shine the spotlight on their chai latte - make it dirty for me, please. I’m not snobby about my coffee drinks, but I will ask if the chai flavor comes from a syrup or actual tea. And if it’s syrup, is it house-made? Also, how sweet is it? Just curious. Okay so maybe I am a little snobby, but the source of the chai flavor makes a big difference! MPC makes their syrup in house, and it’s sweetened only with a touch of sweetened condensed milk, mostly for creaminess. This is the drink to order when you need a hug, but not from a human. When you just want something warm, sweet, and espresso-spiked.
When I do make the drive into the Twin Cities, my two closest friends always offer me their couch for the night. Nicole, who lives in St. Paul, has a surprisingly cozy and comfortable couch and a sweet pup who wakes me each morning with a few kisses (read: aggressive licks on my cheek). Just down the street is PJ Murphy’s Bakery on the corner of Randolph Ave and Syndicate St. It’s the kind of place you can show up to on a Saturday morning in your pj’s, glasses, and still-kinda-tired-yawns and be greeted with welcoming smiles behind the glass case of every croissant, donut, muffin, danish, and coffee cake you could dream of.
I spotted this raspberry cream cheese croissant-danish (yes, it’s a thing) tucked between others, similar to but not one of its kind. This beauty is one-in-a-million. If Julie Andrews were a pastry (in my opinion), she’d be this. Enough said.
One of the first coffee shops in St. Paul, Bread & Chocolate, secured its spot on Grand Avenue almost 30 years ago now, long before the coffee-shop-hopping, aesthetic-latte-loving millennials of my time came on the scene. Minnesotans of all ages love this place - you’ll see young college students with textbooks piled high on their tables sitting next to older folks with sharing newspapers, stories from their college years, and bottomless cups of coffee. A cross between your favorite family-owned neighborhood coffee shop and the new, “hip” spot on the main street, Bread and Chocolate greets all of its guests with consistently high-quality coffee (and free refills), made-with-love sweet treats, and an unmistakeable warm sense of community on a historic, bustling St. Paul street.
When you go, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed in the best way possible when scanning the case of baked goods. Start here - with the classic chocolate chip cookie. I promise you, it’s simple and subtle, but without a doubt, perfect.
And when you’ve got plans with a group later (or not, and you’re just craving sweets - it’s fine), pick up a handful of treats and take them to go. If the chocolate chip cookie takes first priority, the brownie comes next, with a precise and difficult to achieve fudgey, rich and light, cakey texture. The oatmeal raisin cookie, well, get it if you know someone who needs it. It’s good, but it’s not my favorite when surrounded by the rest of these. The cute heart cut-out cookie sandwich was the best shortbread cookie I’ve ever tasted. Reminiscent of the Knott’s Berry Farm thumbprint cookies, this one surpassed the classic upon first bite.
When I’m in Minneapolis for the day, I can’t not take a walk around Lake Calhoun or Lake of the Isles, but before I do that, I must be productive. And to boost my productivity, I must have a steaming hot cup of caffeine and something sweet with me. Coffee shops in Minneapolis aren’t cheap - and this “Chai-der” latte from Five Watt Coffee is no exception. Whatever the price tag, though, the coffee is fantastic every time and the baristas are some of the most friendly of their kind. I’ll warn you - it can get a little loud here so if you absolutely must work in peace, this might not be the best coffee shop for you. If, however, you need some umph in your creativity and you want to work around cool people, definitely check out one of Five Watt’s four locations.
Oh yeah - I forgot to mention! If you wait until 4 PM at Five Watt, you can snag two baked goodies for just $2! Usually, though, I don’t have the patience, and I want something sweet with my coffee, and I can’t drink coffee at 4 PM. So, I pay full price and I’m reminded it’s all worth it when I bite into a giant bittersweet cookie like this with three different types of chocolate!
One time, I was almost patient enough to wait until 4 PM for the $4 special. Almost! Oh well. I snagged this gluten-free brownie and a seasonal scone and planned on taking half of each home with me to share with Mom and Dad, and savoring the other half of each myself with my coffee - decaf coffee because it was 3:55 PM on a Tuesday. In contrast to the brownie from Bread and Chocolate mentioned above, this one was soft and pillowy, distinctly milk chocolate, and studded with tiny chunks of chocolate throughout. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from a gluten-free brownie, and I loved every bite. None of this brownie made it out of the coffee shop, but I did manage to save the scone for Mom and Dad and they said it was delicious, so there’s that on that.
Driving along Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis stresses me out, so I’m thankful for Spyhouse Coffee on the northern end (just one of the brand’s many locations throughout the cities), where I can pull off onto a side street, always find parking, and settle in at this cozy brownstone space. Again, you need to just swallow the larger-than-normal price tag of the drinks because they are worth it. Many of the drinks rotate seasonally, and the baristas are magnificently creative with their flavor combinations. Pictured above is the “Solid Gold” - a play on the turmeric latte, or golden milk latte, made with oat milk and espresso, and only lightly sweetened. I’ll be back begging for this drink to stay on the menu, as soon as I get my next paycheck.
In just 6 short weeks, I made 6 trips to Isles Bun and Coffee in Uptown Minneapolis. If that doesn’t tell you how good it is, I don’t know what would. Read more here about why I adore this place and their giant buns laced with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and slathered with cream cheese frosting. Also, this is the exception to the expensive coffee trend in Minneapolis. You can pick up a cup of drip for just about $2, or a latte or cappuccino for less than $4 alongside your big sweet bun.
Who needs cake on your birthday when you can get a bacon apple fritter, known as the “Pinup Girl + Bacon” at Glam Doll Donuts, and bottomless coffee? Lucky for him, Dad got all three this year with his favorite (and only) daughter. Women-owned Glam Doll Donuts in Northeast Minneapolis (also on Eat Street) brings back memories of my donut-shop days in college. It’s exactly what a donut shop should be - bright and vibrant, whimsical and upbeat, and most importantly, welcoming. Glam Doll nailed it. Oh, and the donuts! Those are fantastic. I went for the jelly-filled “Femme Fatale” donut and couldn’t put it down - it was messy, so that’s one reason, and it was just too good to stop, so that’s another reason. Dad tends to be less vocal about his food, even when he loves it. Before I even took a bite of my donut, I peeked over my laptop and all I saw were crumbs on his plate. Next time we go, I’m sure he’ll get the same thing. I’ll branch out and try something new - Glam Doll offers too many fun donuts too settle on just one. Stay tuned for the next donut adventure!
Hey, thanks for reading. I hope I’ve stimulated your sweet tooth and coffee cravings! Now its your turn - if you’ve been to the Twin Cities, or if you live here, I’d love your recommendations for coffee shops and bakeries. My list is always growing! Leave your suggestions in the comments below.
See you next time!