By Betsy Q. Cliff

ASHEcon is just around the corner and is taking place in Minneapolis this year. Very few places are as lovely as the Twin Cities in the summer—with multiple parks, lakes, and a good heaping of culture. To help conference attendees take full advantage we asked a few locals, including Hannah Neprash, Ezra Golberstein, and Sayeh Nikpay, all health economists at the University of Minnesota, for some favorites. Here’s what they had to say.

Food

Breakfast

• Diane’s Place is a Hmong-American restaurant with a rockstar chef who has been winning awards right and left. It’s never not packed, but Hannah says the food is worth it and they save room for walk-ins. They also do lunch and dinner.
• The closest Eggflip is about 0.5 miles from the conference hotel in the Skyway. Fuel up in the morning with decadent Korean-inspired egg sandwiches.
• For a more leisurely morning, it’s a quick cab ride to Isles Bun and Coffee or the Black Walnut Bakery. Take your food to go and you can stroll around Lake of the Isles while you eat.

Lunch/Dinner

• Ezra says you can’t go wrong on “Eat Street“, a stretch of Nicollet Ave filled with a variety of great casual restaurants, which is a very quick cab ride from downtown. Four specific places to try are Quang (Vietnamese) Lulu Vegan Ethiopian, Little Tijuana, and the Eat Street Crossing food hall.
• Pimento Kitchen is a local favorite for drinks and excellent Jamaican food. One of several locations is on the Bde Mka Ska, Minneapolis’s largest lake, which includes a walking path and boat rental.
• Baba’s, which describes itself as modern Middle Eastern, is inspired by the owners’ Palestinian heritage. Take home some hummus or stay and eat at the casual dining room near downtown.
• Gai Noi is fantastic and a very fun setting. They have a mix of small and communal tables so it’s good for groups. It is located on Loring Park and a close walk over the bridge to the Walker Art Center and sculpture garden.

Drinks/Desserts:

• Lake and Irving, in Uptown Minneapolis, has an outstanding and well-priced selection of American whiskeys and good food, too. It’s about a 10–15-minute cab ride from the hotel.
• Gori Gori Peku is a small Japanese whiskey bar in an intimate space above Kado no Mise, a sushi restaurantin downtown Minneapolis with a James Beard-nominated chef. Though the bar is walk-in only, get your reservations in early for sushi.
• Beer drinkers might enjoy Modist, which describes itself as a brewery that embraces ‘unconstrained experimentation’, or Pryes, which has a taproom on the Mississippi River and wood-fired pizza.
• Sayeh recommended two ice cream places: Sebastian Joe’s, a small local chain, and Bebe Zito, which has eclectic flavors including ones from Brazil.

Activities

• Rent a swan pedal boat on Lake Como (in Saint Paul) or Lake Nokomis (in Minneapolis). It’s a beginner-friendly way to experience one of Minnesota’s more than 10,000 lakes — and both lakes have food and ice cream spots onsite.
• Lake Harriet is also a great option, especially for kids, with trolley rides on the historic street car, a fairy tree, and a huge playground. The nearby bandshell has food and don’t miss Wild Rumpus, a kid’s bookstore (with pets!!) within walking distance of the lake.
• Finally, another way to experience the lakes is on the running, walking or biking trails that surround the Chain of Lakes.  Birders (or anyone) may enjoy watching the bald eagles that live on the lake shores.
• Two great music venues are within walking distance of the conference hotel: the Minnesota Orchestra and the Dakota. Very different musical genres, but always a good time.
• The Walker Art Center is great for kids and adults. During the conference, the museum will be hosting an exhibition of Suzanne Jackson’s work. If you go, be sure not to miss Sky Pesher.
• Some other great museums, especially for kids, include The Bakken Museum, Mill City Museum, built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill, and the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.