Venues

Bowling Alley
Elsie’s scores a strike for karaoke, food, and a really good vibe. Oh, and there’s bowling. Part of its retro charm is its Nordeast locale. 729 NE Marshall St., Mpls., 612-378-9701 [top]

Cheap Date
The tasty, inexpensive food, great happy hour, and, yes, bowling and live performances at the hugely popular Bryant–Lake Bowl can keep a marginal date from becoming a disaster. 810 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-825-3737 [top]

City View
From the yellow-glassed lobby of the Guthrie's ninth-floor studio theater, you’re treated to a unique panorama. Below and to the right is the Mississippi River and the flour mills of the city’s past; below and to the left are the skyscrapers of the modern city. 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-377-2224 [top ]

Comedy Club
Acme is the only serious local comedy venue right now. Touring comics consider the crowd to be smart and hip. And Monday open-mike nights have helped fuel an appreciation for quality standup in a town without a standup industry. 708 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-338-6393 [top]

Cross-Country Skiing
You don’t have to schlep your gear across the city limits to find great cross-country skiing. Hie thee to Theodore Wirth Park, which offers 7.25 miles of groomed trails for beginning, intermediate, and advanced skiers—and gorgeous urban forest scenery. 1339 Theodore Wirth Pkwy., Mpls., 612-230-6400 [top]

Free Wi-fi
There’s no better than at the new Central Library in downtown Minneapolis, where the connection’s fast, the chairs are comfortable, and the coffee’s on at Dunn Bros downstairs. 300 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-630-6000 [top]

Holiday Tradition
The Eighth-Floor Auditorium Holiday Show survives another takeover and lives  to thrill again. [top]

Ice Skating, Indoor
The handsomely restored, festively outfitted railroad barn at the old Milwaukee Road Depot is the best reason (not counting a subzero wind chill) to take your skates under a roof. 225 3rd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-375-1700 [top]

Ice Skating, Outdoor
Landmark Plaza next to Rice Park. Because on a crisp winter’s night, Rice Park is the most beautiful acre and a half in the Twin Cities. 75 W. 5th St., St. Paul, 651-291-5608 [top]

Indoor Music
The Turf Club books the best alt-country (and lots of other) bands in the Twin Cities and occasionally scores with a really big indie band that should be playing in a bigger venue. 1601 University Ave., St. Paul, 651-647-0486 [top]

Jukebox
The Red Dragon. Very hip, with a wide selection of music and, really, not a bad song on its menu. 2116 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-874-8877 [top]

Karaoke
You’ll find a small room, but very supportive crowd at the U Otter Stop Inn. 617 Central Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-331-4169 [top]

Movies
For first-run showings, Southdale’s stadium-style recliners are the comfiest cinema seats in town. Plus the arm rests swing up and out of your way for enhanced cuddling. For indies, second-runs, and the occasional first-run feature, the storied Heights Theatre—eighty years old this year—is our favorite, thanks to its weird combination of big screen, fresh popcorn, and mighty Wurlitzer organ. Southdale Center, Edina, 952-229-4262, amctheatres.com; Heights, 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights, 763-788-9079 [top]

New Year’s Eve
Avoid the amateur-night madness raging outside and book a room at the Graves 601. The hotel’s New Year’s Eve package includes dinner at Cosmos and breakfast in bed the next morning. 601 1st Ave. N., Mpls., 612-677-1100 [top]

Newsstand
It’s still Shinders, folks. Everything from European magazines and weird literary journals to mainstream titles and comic books. Twelve metro locations, including 733 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-333-3628 [top]

Outdoor Music
All summer, Sue McLean books great national acts—Los Lobos, David Sanborn—as well as top local attractions—Keri Noble, God Johnson—in the intimate, pristine amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo. Serenity rocks! 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley, 952-431-9200 [top]

Private Gallery
Midway Contemporary Art showcased the work of ten of this year’s Whitney Biennial artists before they were selected for the high-profile exhibition. 527 2nd Ave. SE, Mpls., 612-605-4504 [top]

Running Path
From Fort Snelling State Park, proceed down the hill to Pike Island, where you can run the dirt trails along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. 101 Snelling Lake Rd., St. Paul, 612-725-2724 [top]

Salsa Dancing
Conga Latin Bistro is a genuine salsa bar, not just a bar that hosts a weekly salsa night (almost never on the weekend). Irresistibly hot and not necessarily for beginners. 501 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-331-3360 [top]

Snow Tubing
Green Acres offers tubers a good, well-maintained hill complete with tow rope and a chalet for hot chocolate and other treats, plus arcade games. 8989 N. 55th St., Lake Elmo, 651-770-6060 [top]

Spot to Enjoy a Drink With Your Spouse
Whether it’s after work in your downtown duds, a late-afternoon Saturday swing-through in your jeans, or all dressed up after a fundraiser, Cafe Lurçat is a no-fail destination. The Loring Park setting, floor-to-ceiling windows, swell music, Ketel One and tonics, and all the other quintessential D’Amico touches make it the perfect spot for two. 1624 Harmon Place, Mpls., 612-486-5500 [top]

Urban Oasis
Totally underappreciated Mears Park has a stream, gardens, and Zen–like calm near the center of downtown St. Paul. There’s also a stage with occasional performances and plenty of benches all within steps of the Twin Cities’ best farmers’ market. E. 5th and Sibley Sts., St. Paul [top]

Vintage Cars
Wheels of Italy bills itself as an affiliation of owners and admirers of Italian “works of art.” The group helps other aficionados identify service providers and national and international car auctions. It also posts a calendar of local auto events, including its own annual Wheels of Italy Italian Car & Motorcycle Show. 612-385-3111 [top]

Winter Getaway
Bed down at the Covington Inn and you may not want to leave come spring. The 1946 towboat, now moored on the Mississippi at Harriet Island, was given new life in the mid-1990s when it was fully refurbished and converted into a bed-and-breakfast. The cozy staterooms boast lovely views of the St. Paul skyline and the Mighty Mississip’, and there’s a fireplace to fend off the winter blues. 100 Harriet Island Rd., St. Paul, 651-292-1411 [top]