In 2010 I ... Introduced my mom to Uptown

It's a long-standing point of contention in my family that my mom never ventures past her Bloomington-Edina comfort zone. So, to give her a rundown on all things Uptown (okay, realistically just some things Uptown - it's just too wonderful to cover in one day) I strong-armed/forced her into a day of bumming around the 'hood.

First stop: brunch at French Meadow. Even after an attempt at strategically arriving just past the brunch rush, FM was totally packed. My mom managed to scout a hidden but perfectly placed two-top by the window = major score. After noshing on French toast and Eggs Benedict we jetted off to Patina where I was bitten by some sort of New Year spending binge and splurged on a fantastic purse I'd been stalking pre-Christmas.


After a quick stop at Trader Joe's to stock up on some of our favorites - like Mac & Cheese and Orange Chicken - we wandered down Hennepin for book shopping at Mager's & Quinn and spent much too long ogling everything at Paper Source.


How could I have forgotten about this gem? I could have purchased one of everything in PS, and was drooling over the paper selections (perfect for framing) along with all the awesome project ideas. But, I tried to reign it in after the purse splurge. Some crafting was definitely inspired and will likely be followed up on in a future post.

To round out our exciting afternoon exploration, we met up with my dad for dinner at Burger Jones, complete with delicious, delicious cheese curds.

Honestly, this place knows what they're doing when it comes to frying up cheese. My mom considers herself a bit of a curd connoisseur, and labeled these the best she'd ever had. After all the deep-fried consumption, we rounded out the evening with a rowdy game of dominoes at my place.

Next Mom Tour Stop: Northeast Mpls.