The Twin Cities Offer Upscale Grocers

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer several upscale grocers with fresh, unique specialty items.

Lunds and Byerly's

www.lundsandbyerlys.com

Lunds and Byerly's are two different upscale grocers in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and surrounding suburbs. They are separate stores, but owned by the same company. Lunds is geared more for younger urban shoppers. The store in Uptown is actually known for single people picking up other singles! Byerly's is geared towards the older crowd. Most of the stores feature carpeted floors and chandeliers! Each store features wonderful deli sections. Byerly's stores have cheese shops with cheeses from all around the world, deli meats, a huge selection of salads, roasted vegetables, artisan pizza, hot sandwiches, olive bars, and hot foods such as chicken and potatoes. Lunds and Byerly's stores have fantastic meat/seafood, produce, and bakeries. They offer the "killer brownie". The killer brownie has several varieties; my favorite is the powdered sugar, caramel, and nut version. These stores are fun to shop at; it will not be your ordinary mundane shopping experience you may have at discount stores.

Kowalski's

www.kowalski's.com

Kowalski's has 8 locations in the metro area. Kowalski's is known for a great deli department, including many hot foods, ready to go for a quick dinner. They also have a great cheese selection and olive bar. Their produce is beautiful and fresh. My favorite are in the Kowalski's stores is their gift selection, though. Within the stores they feature a gift area, perfect for the last minute gift, especially for women and girls. They feature cloth purses, costume jewelry, frames, candles, gift wrap, and unique cards.

Whole Foods Market

www.wholefoods.com

Minneapolis and St. Paul each have a Whole Foods store. Whole Foods philosophy is to carry the freshest and most natural food possible. They are not big on preservatives! Whole Foods loves to support the small food grower and food artisans. The store carries many specialty natural food items. I also like the bakery. They often have free samples of their products.

Trader Joe's

www.traderjoes.com

Trader Joe's is a unique grocery store that has taken landing in Minneapolis, specifically St. Louis Park. Trader Joe's is a small grocer that features store brand nuts, spices, granola, and many other foods. They also have a liquor store attached, which has very inexpensive wine, including the famous "3 buck Chuck". Trader Joe's features a Roasted Red Pepper Tomato soup that is to die for...try some. They also have a nice plant/flower section. A small store with specialized foods, you might not want to do all of your shopping here, but it's great for specialized treats.

Try one of the above grocers to escape the ordinary discount food chains and indulge in some amazing specialty items from around the world.