Alright, let's admit it. We all have our favorite restaurants, our favorite bakeries, our favorite coffee shops. The ones we ALWAYS go to because we can depend on quality food and drinks, exceptional customer service and a feeling of satisfaction when we leave. We've heard it all before: we are creatures of habits. And while having our favorite places isn't a bad thing, it can lead to missing out on other wonderful restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries.
My boyfriend and I fall into this category quite a bit. When we want dinner - we grab Punch. When we want a good cup of coffee - we stop by our local neighborhood Dunn Brothers. When we want a good happy hour - we go to Aster Cafe. But here's the reality of living here in Minneapolis - there are SO MANY wonderful restaurants that all it takes is the slightest bit of effort to stop and say "Hey, let's try 'so-and-so' for dinner tonight" or "How about we grab a latte at 'blah and blah' this time".
We recently tried a new place for date night (celebrating 4.5 years - how has that time passed already!?) We made reservations for The Copper Hen in Minneapolis on Eat Street. It was fabulous! First off, water was served in mason jars and if you read my last post you know I totally swoon over any beverages that come served in mason jars. We ordered apps off the happy hour menu - the house made pretzel with whole grain beer mustard and the mini cheese board with soppressata and Meadow Creek Appalachian cheese. Both were delicious and, honestly, the first time that I had ordered a little meat and cheese board when dining out. We both took the opportunity (like we usually do) to order grass fed beef and both got the cheddar ale burger. Highly recommend it.
While the food was absolutely yummy, it's important to note that the atmosphere in the restaurant also made this very enjoyable. We went a little earlier in the evening, so it was a little quieter, but we were seated by the front window and were able to have a nice conversation without asking "huh?" all the time to each other. The hardwood floors, exposed wood beams and the strings of white lights made it cozy and comfortable inside. The service was very attentive and friendly and I would definitively recommend this as a fun place to try!
Trying out new places here in the Twin Cities is one of the ways I plan to "reach" further into new areas of my life and to break out of the routine just a bit in 2016. I encourage you to do the same!