Life + Culture

Life Minded

Check Please Article by Jen Fortner There was a long stretch of time when my favorite activity was to go out to eat. A restaurant, especially a new one, with a hard-to-get table was my top choice for weekend plans. This was before every place offered takeout, and we could have anything and everything at home. Before food delivery and online ordering and curbside pickup.  This was also long before my favorite weekend plans became canceled weekend plans.  In our early 20’s, my husband was...

Home + Design

Where the Wood Speaks

How local woodworker Carl Ecker found a home at Five Swans and turned a Wayzata staple into the centerpiece of every gathering Article by Haley Asanovich There is a moment in Carl Ecker's woodworking process that he enjoys more than any other. The board comes to him roughly cut, unremarkable. Then it goes through the planer. That’s when the wood reveals itself. The grain surfaces. The character shows up. What was once just a piece of walnut becomes something no one else will ever own. “When...

Food + Beverage

Publisher’s Picks

We’re sitting down at three of our favorite local restaurants to share what makes them special, and the dishes that keep us coming back Article and Photography by There’s something about a great meal that brings us all together, doesn’t it? Food has a way of anchoring our best memories, whether it's sharing a cozy table with family or escaping for a much-needed date night with my wife. As we put together this issue’s culinary feature, I wanted to step out from behind the publisher’s desk and...

Auto + Marine

Dining Aboard the Finest

Steamer City of Saint Louis Article by Nathan Hofer Compared to most metro communities, Lake Minnetonka boasts an unusually varied and high-end dining scene. On the surface, lakeside fine dining appears to be a modern trend. In reality, the lake has demanded the highest culinary standard for the better part of 150 years. A prime example could once be found sailing aboard the steamboat City of Saint Louis . The City , as she was commonly known, was the second largest boat to grace the waters...