One of the best ways to get a taste of a region is to visit the local markets. The Twin Cities is brimming with every kind — big and small, indoor and outdoor, year-round and seasonal. Each market shares the specific tastes and aromas of all the places we call home. There’s the smoked meats and pickled herring of Ingebretsen’s. The sizzling crackle of fried pork belly at Ha Tien. The mood-lifting, vibrant colors of Mercado Central. These are the places that feed and keep us, that shore up our communities and that fill our kitchens with memories. These are the iconic markets of the Twin Cities.
Andale Taqueria y Mercado
Andale Taqueria y Mercado
Maybe it’s the low-slung triangular roof and the proximity to a highway exit gas station, but there’s a retro roadside aura surrounding this 12-year-old Mexican taqueria and mercado. Chalk it up to its past as one of the original Embers restaurants, which opened on this Richfield corner in 1961. But Andale is nothing like the midcentury burgers-and-pancakes chain. Next to its restaurant — featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — is a market that was built to house a butcher for hard-to-find cuts; a bakery case brimming with churros, conchas, doughnuts and other goodies; imported groceries; and refrigerators loaded with prepared foods like tamales and tres leches cakes. Here, there’s nothing retro about marvelous Mexican food.
Bill’s Imported Foods
Bill’s Imported Foods
The glittering jars capture your attention: Rows of roasted peppers, olives, grape leaves, olive oils and other food jewels preserved and shipped from the Mediterranean. And that’s just one aisle of this market. There’s also a meat department with sausages and fresh lamb, stacks of fresh bread, both of the flat and loaf variety. The Tirokomos family first opened Bill’s as a Greek market in the 1980s, delivering imported food to restaurants and delis. A retail market came shortly after, and the market expanded to include other global dishes and ingredients like alfajores cookies and Croatian black radishes.
Buon Giorno Deli
Buon Giorno Deli
So, we don’t have an Eataly in Minnesota. Those who have made the trek to Chicago or New York for the Italian-imports wonderland can be forgiven for mourning its absence here. It really is that buonissimo. But the Twin Cities’ small, family-run Italian deli-market-restaurant hybrids are just as worthy of attention; what they lack in square footage they make up for in soul. Like this Lilydale gem. The combination wine shop, hot bar, meat market, deli, bakery and frozen meal purveyor can feed a family in times of tragedy or celebration or just provide a good old Sunday dinner.
Coastal Seafoods
Coastal Seafoods
Minnesota is about as far from an ocean as one can get in the United States, but you wouldn’t know it if you stopped into this beloved seafood market, launched in the mid-1980s in Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood. (St. Paul soon followed.) The fish and seafood display is a delight for pescatarians, with knowledgeable fishmongers at the ready to offer cooking tips — and all the ingredients needed to turn your home kitchen into an Oceanaire. But the real treat is seeing those tips put to the test in Coastal’s cafe, where you can indulge in an ahi tuna smash burger, Nashville hot soft shell crabs, beer-battered fish on a stick, a category-defying smoked salmon Reuben and, of course, buttery lobster rolls.
Everett’s Foods
Everett’s Foods
In small towns around the Midwest, the butchers greet families by name, know how you like your steak cut and where to look for bargains in the case. Butchering is a nearly lost art, but behind the cases at Everett’s, one of the few remaining local grocery stores in the city with a full butcher counter, the art is still thriving. Whether picking up some sliced deli meat or a whole smoked turkey for Thanksgiving, this grocery store — family owned and operated since 1956 — feels like a throwback to simpler times that we’re so lucky to still have.
France 44
France 44
It started as a liquor store more than 60 years ago, and became so much more in 2001, when the France 44 Cheese Shop joined the Linden Hills family business. Now, it’s one (newly renovated) home to fine wines and locally made spirits, whole animal butchery, cheeses from Wisconsin to the Pyrenees, Vietnamese chocolate bars and Italian fruitcakes, made-to-order sandwiches and decadent brownies and cookies. (St. Paul has meat and cheese outposts, too.) France 44 is the closest thing the Twin Cities has to a Zabar’s or a Citarella (or Balducci’s or Dean & DeLuca from back in the day), which is to say it’s the New Yorkiest gourmet market in Minnesota.
Golden Fig
Golden Fig
Visiting the Golden Fig is like sharing time with another food-obsessed friend who knows all the best recipes and ingredients and is bubbling over with the need to share it all. When browsing all the racks of beautiful products, owner and founder Laurie Crowell or one of her eminently friendly staff might even offer a taste or whiff of a new product they’re excited about. Stocked entirely with small producers, there are so many beautiful things: vintage glass cake stands, artisan-formed cast iron pans, chocolates that look — and taste — like works of art, the freshest market items of the moment, eggs with yolks that fry up like sunshine, and all kinds of spice blends to amp up dinner. There’s always a new treasure to discover.
Ha Tien Super Market
Ha Tien Super Market
A former Lunds & Byerlys on St. Paul’s East Side, just off Interstate 94, is now home to this Asian market of epic proportions. Ha Tien first opened in 1996 on University Avenue and moved to its larger space in 2016. Near the entrance is the deli, which assures you’ll be shopping hungry: thick and crispy slices of pork belly, dangling ducks, trays with ready-to-eat dumplings and sticky rice, plus stacks of tightly wrapped egg rolls. Inside are aisles upon aisles of specialty foods from Laos, Thailand, India, Vietnam, China, Japan and even some Indian and Korean ingredients. From fresh and frozen meat sections to a giant freezer section and fresh produce, Ha Tien is a wonderful place to get lost, picking up pantry staples and discovering new-to-you ingredients.
Herbivorous Butcher
Herbivorous Butcher
A Minneapolis Farmers Market success story, Herbivorous Butcher began a decade ago as an experiment in vegan “meat” and became a groundbreaking brick-and-mortar shop that gives eaters a way to enjoy pork-free cold-cut sandwiches, dairy-free cheese plates, faux holiday turkeys, shredded jackfruit tacos, and the bestselling gluten-based Korean “ribs.” In addition to a wide variety of plant-based proteins, siblings Aubry and Kale Walch have assembled shelves of vegan retail items to round out an epic vegan picnic basket. Their “butcher” shop is an earth- and health-conscious market that has won over meat-and-potatoes-loving Minnesotans.
HmongTown Marketplace
HmongTown Marketplace
Since Hmong refugees began settling in Minnesota in the 1970s, agriculture and food have played central roles in the community. HmongTown Marketplace is a gathering point for retail purveyors, farmers and food makers. On summer visits, stands carry a striking abundance of fresh herbs (some still with the roots attached) and a thrilling variety of just-harvested fresh vegetables. With more than 125 stores and 11 food vendors, you can stop by for bubble tea, fiery and funky green papaya salad, crackling crisp pork belly, succulent pork sausages redolent with ginger, galangal and purple basil — and so much more. It’s an indoor/outdoor trove of marketplace goods.
Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace
Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace
The first thing you need to know about the butcher and deli at Ingebretsen’s is how to pay: cash or check only. That alone should clue you in to the Old World charm of this century-old Scandinavian grocer. Another clue? The many ways you can get preserved fish: in a can, in a tube, in a bucket of brine and, of course, as dried-and-rehydrated lutefisk. But that’s only part of Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace; there’s also a gift shop with imported crafts, home decor and jewelry; a classroom; and a needlework store (how many of those can you name in the Twin Cities?). While Ingebretsen’s has held court on its E. Lake Street corner long after the area’s Norwegian and Swedish immigrants moved on to other parts of the metro, it continues to strike a chord of continuity for the community — especially around the holidays, when lines snake out the door.
Karmel Mall
Karmel Mall
Considered to be the first and largest Somali market in the United States, Karmel Mall opened in 1998 as a social and cultural hub for the Somali Minnesotan community. The complex is currently undergoing a $50 million expansion that’ll add to its roster of 300 shops, including 18 coffee shops and seven restaurants, when it opens later this year. Get a haircut, dry clean your clothes, wire money, pray, send your kids to school and, of course, eat — really eat. You can get lost in corridors of restaurants with displays full of sweet fried dough, beef sambusas, potato fritters, pancakes, wings and plates of goat meat and rice. It’s a food hall primed for a Somali feast.
Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co.
Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co.
We’ve already established Kramarczuk’s Polish kielbasa as one of the Twin Cities’ most iconic dishes. Devouring one at the ballpark will always be a rite of summer. But go to the source, the northeast Minneapolis deli, bakery and butcher shop run by a Ukrainian family for more than six decades, and you’ll be privy to everything else a sausage can be, whether studded with wild rice or spiced with Hmong flavors. And the accoutrements! Bacon and buns, head cheese and horseradish, pierogies and poppy seeds, cheesecakes and cherry pastries. And that’s just to go; dining in at the James Beard American Classic Award-winning restaurant, where you can sip a life-affirming borshch, should be a mandatory cold-weather cure. Grab a copy of their cookbook while you’re there.
Mercado Central
Mercado Central
The colorful landmark catches the eye even on this bustling Minneapolis thoroughfare, where there are always at least 15 interesting things competing for immediate attention. Mercado Central is an ode to and a celebration of the city’s Latino community. Inside are fresh flowers, tamales, tacos, jewelry, empanadas, Mexican candies, asado and just about anything you could need, including legal services. It’s best to come with a grocery list, an empty stomach and maybe a couple of friends who like to share. Lake Street is a vibrant (and tasty) tapestry of the surrounding immigrant communities. Mercado Central is just one small piece of Mexican and Latino contributions, and the city wouldn’t be the same without it.
Mill City Farmers Market
Mill City Farmers Market
In the shadow of the Guthrie Theater and the flour towers of the Mill City Museum, with sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge, this urban farmers market is nestled among Minneapolis icons — while an icon in its own right. Eating is as much the goal as shopping directly from area farmers, with stellar prepared foods available all on one tiny slip of land: flower-garnished mocktails from 3 Leche, bubbling wood-fired pizzas from Northern Fires, flaky croissants from Solomon’s Bakery, Indian-spiced doughnuts from the red Chef Shack truck, slices of pie from Vikings & Goddesses, momos from Gorkha Palace, chai from Red Wolf — we can’t stop salivating over all the fixings for the most picturesque progressive lunch summer Saturdays have to offer.
Minneapolis Farmers Market
Minneapolis Farmers Market
Walking past the giant chicken, toward the sheltered corridors bursting with products and the season’s bounty, the aromas hit. Charred sausages, blooming flowers, and even the salty excitement of crowds stocking up on goods — it’s an intoxicating summer vibe that can only be found at this market at the industrial edge of Minneapolis. This is the largest farmer-managed market in the state, and while it’s open daily through October, the activity level reaches its zenith on Saturdays. Taste your way through the small makers, pick up fresh produce and talk to growers — but sample a few bites first so you don’t shop hungry.
St. Paul Farmers Market
St. Paul Farmers Market
Dedicated to locally grown goods, St. Paul’s Lowertown market — the state’s longest-running farmers market — celebrates the bounty of our region all year long. The consciously small market is a rarity in large cities; it’s easy to get to know farmers well enough to watch their kids grow from “helping out” to accepting tips for college funds. Plus, there are small entrepreneurs like HealthGlen’s Dorothy Stainbrook, whose irresistible fresh berries and jams are impossible to walk past. Or Mary Falk from LoveTree Farmstead Cheese. You’ll also find fresh warm dumplings, hanging floral baskets and pastel fresh eggs — it’s an ideal market for those who get why “Saint Small” is the best big small town around.
Tim and Tom’s Speedy Market
Tim and Tom’s Speedy Market
Looks can be deceiving. From the exterior, Tim and Tom’s Speedy Market, a St. Anthony Park fixture since 1995, seems like a convenience mart. Inside, it’s a meticulously curated neighborhood grocery store with a relatively small footprint. At the front there are grab-and-go sandwiches on La Boulangerie Marguerite bread, fresh baked goods, plus quick meal options from sushi to salads. Middle shelves are stocked with necessities and boutique brands. At the back, there’s plenty of produce and a fresh meat counter with the usual cuts and house-blend sausages. It’s a fun and handy place to stock up for weekly meal prep and grab a snack for the car ride home.
United Noodles
United Noodles
If a recipe calls for an Asian ingredient that’s not commonly used in the Midwest, chances are you’ll find it at United Noodles. Founded in 1972 as a wholesale operation, it has grown into a must-shop market for Twin Cities-area food fans. Inside this immaculate market is a vast selection of teas, a butcher case, knives and other kitchen tools, lively produce and a condiment aisle that could make your head spin. United Noodles has also always been a bargain stop to pick up ready-made food. The bành mí sandwiches are a dashboard dining treat, a handy bridge between shopping, mounting hunger, and the time it takes to get home and cook.
Wise Acre Eatery
Wise Acre Eatery
An early entrant into the Twin Cities’ farm-to-table scene, Wise Acre has been handily crafting simple, fresh fare from ingredients grown at its Plato, Minn., farm for a decade. It’s as seasonal as a menu can get. But that’s not all. The modest restaurant, housed in a former gas station, leaves room for fridges and shelves teeming with meat, produce, eggs, pickles and prepared items that diners can take home to recreate the magic themselves. Regulars can purchase a CSA share, or place orders directly from the farm for pickup at the restaurant. Across the street, Tangletown Gardens gift shop and garden center is a further extension of the treasures found on that farm. Coupled with Wise Acre, they make a verdant countryside market in the middle of the city.