Minneapolis/St. Paul Named Best Local Food Scene by 10Best/USA Today

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2015

Contact:
Adam Johnson, Vice President of Marketing & Media Relations
P: 651.265.4904 | C: 651.226.5403 | ajohnson@visitsaintpaul.com

Nick Cusick, Marketing & Media Relations Manager
P: 651.265.4907 | C: 651.341.9422 | ncusick@visitsaintpaul.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. – After nearly a month of online voting, Minneapolis/St. Paul has been named “Best Local Food Scene” in the United States by 10Best, a division of USA Today Travel.

The Twin Cities were selected by a 10Best/USA Today panel of experts as a nominee:

"Minneapolis and St. Paul, neighbors across the Mississippi River, are boiling over with new restaurants and award-winning chefs. Dubbed by Food & Wine as 'America’s next great food city,' Minneapolis is rediscovering its heartland roots. Chefs in the Twin Cities are looking to the local fields and waters for inspiration, with Doug Flicker at Piccolo featuring pig hearts and pig tails on his playful menu, and the three chef/owners at Travail blazing the city’s molecular gastronomy trail with creative multi-course dinners."

Minneapolis and St. Paul beat out other destinations including Chicago, Austin, Texas, and Louisville, Kentucky, for the top spot, which was announced Friday, Aug. 21. Voting opened July 20 and concluded Monday, Aug. 17, at 11 a.m. CST.

In celebration of this award, Visit Saint Paul will give away 12 $100 gift cards to some of Saint Paul’s finest restaurants including Downtowner Woodfire Grill, Heartland Restaurant, Kincaid’s, Luci Ancora, Mancini’s Char House & Lounge, Pazzaluna, Public kitchen + bar, Louis Ristorante & Bar, Salut Bar Americain, The Salt Cellar, St. Paul Grill and W.A. Frost & Company.

To win one of the 12 gift cards, people can sign up for Visit Saint Paul’s new “Foodie” eNewsletter, which will provide the latest info on upcoming food-focused events, restaurant news and interesting topics for the foodie in all of us. Sign up at /best-local-food-scene/. Winners will be drawn on September 4, 2015.

“This is a great honor for the Twin Cities,” said Terry Mattson President & CEO for Visit Saint Paul. “It’s a testament to not only our great food scene but the passionate people who support it and who voted throughout the entire contest.”

This is St. Paul’s second 10Best award in two years, winning the title for Best Romantic North American Getaway in early 2014.

About Visit Saint Paul:

Visit Saint Paul, formerly the Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Authority, was founded in 1927 as the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau, making it one of the oldest destination marketing organizations in the United States. The mission of the organization is to generate economic growth for Saint Paul by effectively marketing the RiverCentre campus, Saint Paul and the region as a preferred convention and tourism destination. Visit Saint Paul oversees management of the Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention Center and Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium.