Weekend Best Bets: January 1-3

Friday

Six Courses in Happiness.

WHAT: New Year’s Eve Happiness
WHEN: 6:30 and 9 p.m.
WHERE: Red Wagon Pizza Co.
For those who can’t stay up because they have to work the morning after New Year’s Eve (and everyone else who just enjoys a good meal), Red Wagon Pizza Co. is offering its festive six-course meal. From oysters on the half-shell to a flourless chocolate cake, each course is paired with a different beer from Bauhaus. A full menu can be found at Eventbrite, along with a link to purchase tickets.

Art Parties

WHAT: Lowertown First Fridays First Anniversary
WHEN: 4 p.m.
WHERE: Lowertown
A year ago, the artists of Lowertown expanded their biannual art crawl into a monthly event. To mark the passing of the first year of Lowertown First Fridays, the Artists of Lowertown and the St. Paul Art Collective will be hosting a party with live music and cake. At the same time, the Black Dog Cafe will be hosting their own party to celebrate the completion of construction in the neighborhood, and to celebrate what the construction unearthed. For a complete list of studios and galleries, check out the Facebook page.


Saturday

A Minnesota Classic

WHAT: Party in the Rec Room
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bryant-Lake Bowl
It’s again that time of year when local writer, comedian, and self-proclaimed “antic dealer” Lorna Landvik takes the stage at the Bryant-Lake Bowl to tell a few jokes, do a little improv, and mix up some margaritas for the crowd that comes to watch. You can get a sense of Landvik’s sense of humor at her webpage, and get tickets at Bryant Lake Bowl.

Baroque in the Cities

WHAT: Epiphany with Consortium Carissimi”‹
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: St. Mary’s Chapel
Consortium Carissimi, a Minnesota non-profit dedicated to introducing 21st-century audiences to baroque music, will be performing a joyful selection of works that highlight the baroque trumpet. The program will include music by Graziani and Carissimi, as well as Vivaldi’s Gloria and Charpentier’s Te Deum. Tickets and more info at Eventbrite.


Sunday

Culinary Adventure

WHAT: 9 with Nord
WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Kutzky Market Pop-up Restaurant
Chef Dustin Nord, the sous chef at Rochester’s Kutzky Market, will be taking over the kitchen to serve up a nine-course meal. The menu has not been released, and even executive chef Justin Bell doesn’t know what will be served. This looks like an opportunity to sample the work of an up-and-comer on the Minnesota dining scene. Tickets and more info are available at Eventbrite.

Old Favorites

WHAT: Tribute to James Brown
”‹WHEN: 7 and 9 p.m.
WHERE: Dakota Jazz Club
Sonny Knight may have spent his youth driving trucks, but he broke out in 2014, along with his Lakers, as one of Minnesota’s best bands. Knight is no stranger to covers, having used his driving, soulful voice to pay homage to R&B legends such Sam Cooke and re-imagine the work of artists as diverse as Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. This Sunday, Sonny Knight and the Lakers are spending an entire evening in tribute to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Tickets and more info at Dakota Jazz Club.