The Outer Ring of Downtown

Here's a riddle: where can you go to experience all the horror and witness all the human misery of a downtown bar on the weekends without actually going downtown?

Yep. The Loop.

Don't worry, they've got valet parking.

Really The Loop is a sort of metaphysical realm, the kind of concept that hipsters reference when trying to sound heady.

It's a suburban club that's actually located (approximately) in downtown Minneapolis. But it so much more than cerebral. Yes, that's right, now the Twin Cities have club that takes everything you've ever hated about downtown on the weekends -- the girls with orange skin and bad highlights, the guys who work out all the time and have pointy hair full of product -- and locates it in the exurban warehouse district. It's like Brothers, but with better parking. Or Drink where club goers wear more black.

The riddle has been answered; thanks The Loop. Rating: *

Great New Gallery

First Amendment just opened, but is already at the top of the list of Twin Cities galleries. The grand opening festivities featured fantastic prints and pieces from talented local artists, on-the-spot t-shirt printing, and a classy keg of Sierra Nevada along side the PBR and wine at the bar. All that and sets from POS and Paper Tiger. First Amendment will definitely be a spot to watch. Rating: *****

Always an Enjoyable Experience

In our nearly weekly visits to Chula, my co-workers and I have never had anything but a great experience. The service is friendly, the food is cheap and fast, and the chips are free. If you're in St. Paul and need a good lunch spot, this is the place. Rating: *****

A Must Visit

Set back only a few fronts off of Lyndale and Lake, you've probably been by the Flanders gallery a ton of times without ever visiting. And that's really too bad, since Flanders is one of the best galleries in the Cities.

The high ceilings and the widely sectioned-out rooms does make Flanders feel like other gutted warehouse galleries in the Twin Cities. But the difference is in the work works on display, which come from nationally noted artists and can run in the range of thousands of dollars.

Make it a point to attend an opening. Rating: *****

High End Italian

Quality and quickness are usually not featured together with most resturaunt menus. D'Amico's in Uptown, however, offers you delicious Italian standards -- salads, anitpastas, pastas, olives, and more -- that come out to your table soon after you order. The portions may be a bit small for the prices, but the food is fantastic and the relaxed decore is perfect for a quick get together. Rating: ***