Fourth of July: Red Sauce, White Bear Lake, Blue Berries

Moveable Feast: MnMo editor Rachel Hutton and MPR Classical’s John Birge get patriotic with this week’s dining selections

4th of july, twin cities
Photo by fotolia – gilitukha

Rachel and John are celebrating Independence Day weekend using patriotic colors for inspiration of where to go and what to eat:

Red: Don’t miss Mucci’s, the new red-sauce Italian restaurant in St. Paul. Their classic Italian concoctions such as chicken Parmesan, lasagna, calamari, and tiramisu are no-fuss and full-flavor. But they’re not afraid to stray from tradition, either: be sure to try their pizzas with deep-fried dough. Check out the review of Mucci’s from MnMo‘s food critics, Jason DeRusha and Joy Summers.

White: While no suburb gets the same food-lover attention as the metro area, White Bear Lake shouldn’t be overlooked. Acqua cooks up upscale Italian food, and Margaux’s Table serves organic, farm-to-table options. Just looking for drinks? The Alchemist pours up fun cocktails and has a great wine and beer list. Lemon Drop martini with Salty Caramel and lemon foam, anyone?

And blue: Don’t berries taste sweeter when you pick them yourself? If you’re looking for an easy day trip, drive along the Great River Road to Rush River Produce in Maiden Rock, WI. Berries will be ready in July, but call ahead to make sure they’re picking. Don’t miss the pie at the Smiling Pelican Bake shop—you deserve a reward for all of your hard work.

Listen to the full segment on Classical MPR.