Making Global Local

The Midtown Global Market is the mot public face of the massive rehabilitation of the Lake Street Sears campus, which also includes a hotel, condominium complex, and new headquarters for health care provider Allina. MGM, which opened in May, is an attempt to create a vibrant public market along the lines of Seattle’s Pike Place Market and Philly’s Reading Terminal. It’s also an endeavor to empower and showcase the cuisines and cultures of the many immigrant communities—from Swedish to Somali—that make up the fabric of Minneapolis. Strict quotas on ethnic representation at the market have created a beguiling mix of experiences, but some aspects were incomplete when we visited, as managers continue to search for tenants representing certain cuisines and cultures. The venture’s commercial and social agendas create a complex stew of goals that also includes attracting destination shoppers and eaters to the market on weekends to augment the neighborhood and Allina clientele who sustain the place the rest of the week. MGM is not a farmers’ market per se, but it does offer an outdoor Thursday farmers’ market through October 12. The market is most notable as a venue for prepared foods and ethnic gifts. Here’s our experts’ guide to stalls most worth your time on a first visit.  —Adam Platt

Global Fare

Andy’s Garage
Andy’s Garage has been a University Avenue fixture for six years, serving killer malts, hand-cut fries, and griddled burgers. With its funky retro décor and a staff wearing car-jock uniforms—perfectly symbolizing America’s prowess in marketing—the MGM outpost is one of the most style-conscious aspects of the food hall. But it’s what’s on the tray that really matters: crispy and earthy fries, dense malts, and greasy cheeseburgers. Stall 151, 612-870-1820 (takeout)

Everest Café
Quietly humming along for the last few years on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Everest Café has gained a small army of Twin Cities fans who happily chow down on momos—the cornerstone of its MGM satellite. The steamed Nepalese dump-lings are handmade and filled with a cabbage-onion-spinach mixture or a ground pork and turkey combo. Grab a small tray of momos, a side of spiced pineapple, and some basmati rice, then dunk whatever suits you into Everest’s vibrant and stunningly acidic cilantro chutney. Don’t skip the sturdy and sweet mango lassi—it’s the perfect foil for lunch. Stall 126, 612-872-1203

Farm in the Market
One of the best booths at MGM is Judy and Dean Schwake and Lori and Allan Callister’s Farm in the Market, featuring locally raised sustainable meats from two dozen family farms. It’s unique in that many of the products sold here are not available anywhere else in the metro area. The stall is truly worth the drive. The goods read like a blue-ribbon who’s who of sustainable stalwarts: Big Woods bison, Callister Farms poultry, Promised Land lamb, preserves from Lorence Berry Farm, and the list goes on and on. Phone orders are packed ahead of time, which makes pickup a breeze for those smart enough to fill up the freezer at Farm in the Market. Stall 129, 612-870-2908

Holy Land Grocery & Deli
Central Avenue regulars and savvy supermarket shoppers are familiar with Holy Land products, but its oversized food stall and grocery at MGM has one of the best values in the market: a cafeteria-style lunch counter groaning under the weight of tabbouleh, hummus, roasted lemon chicken with olives and sliced kufta, and about a dozen or so other offerings. Check out the North African rotisserie chicken available to go—it’s a nice solution to the weekday “What’s for dinner?” dilemma. Stall 145, 612-870-6104

Jakeeno's Trattoria
One of the best pizza shops in town has a kiosk at MGM. Jakeeno’s pie is underrated, to be sure. But its crust is crunchy, elastic, doughy, and sweet in all the right places, the sauce is rich, and the Italian sausage and pepperoni pies are superb. Plus the stand serves pastas, salads, and sandwiches as well. Pizza freaks won’t want to miss out on the signature spinach-mushroom-fontina pie drizzled with truffle oil. Stall 113, 612-767-1102

La Loma Tamales
Mercado Central habituales will recognize a familiar stall, La Loma Tamales. Serving breakfast (a rarity here), lunch, and dinner, La Loma makes some great chilaquiles for the morning rush, but the real reason to come is for the tamales—handmade, buttery soft, and available in many shapes and flavors. While the pork tamale with red chilies is a longtime fave, I have recently been gorging on the Oaxaqueno steamed chicken tamale rolled in banana leaf—one of the best I have ever tasted this far north of the border. Opens at 6 a.m. Stall 160, 612-870-3645

La Sirena Gorda
Alfonso Menendez, one of the creators of Babalú in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, has o- pened a wonderful marisquería, or seafood snack bar, that is the most ambitious food stall in the building. La Sirena Gorda, which loosely translates as “the fat mermaid,” serves ceviche, seafood coctels, grilled fish tacos, mariscocillas (fried tortillas filled with seafood), and a beach load of daily specials such as the whole fried red snapper that is served Veracruz style, with capers, tomatoes, and peppers over rice. It’s a delightful meal for two, especially when followed by tres leches cake, one of the best sweets in the market. Stall 124, 612-870-0037

Manny’s Tortas
One of the guiding lights on the Lake Street business scene is Manny Gonzalez. His landmark sandwich shop, Manny’s Tortas, has an outpost at MGM. I can report that one of my top five sandwiches in all the Twin Cities, the Manny’s Special—a Mexican pressed sandwich filled with ham, steak, mushrooms, onions, cheese, refritos, and chipotle mayo—is as good here as it is at Manny’s other locations. Muchas gracias. Stall 125, 612-870-3930

West Indies Soul
One of the best small family-run eateries in town is West Indies Soul on University in St. Paul. These days, west-metro denizens can save time by stopping at MGM to sample the Richardson family’s jerk chicken, smoked pork ribs, island curries, and fish stews. All platters at lunch or dinner are served with rice and a vegetable, but fried plantains and coco bread also get thrown in, making West Indies Soul one of the best in the building for a complete meal. Do not skip the homemade ginger beer and a wedge of freshly baked sweet potato pie. Stall 114, 651-665-0115 

Global Shopping A good global market isn’t just about the food. It’s about textiles, jewelry, hand-carved objects, trinkets, art, and gifts from different cultures woven in among the food purveyors. The overall vibe at Midtown Global Market has a town-square feeling. There’s even a center court where musicians perform and you’re apt to see mothers teaching their children how to dance as diners watch and smile. The vendors are set up along narrow corridors offering a sense of discovery as you work your way from lane to lane.  We expect the number of craftspeople to increase over time, especially once local outdoor farmers’ markets close for the season and buzz about MGM grows. Besides the thirty-plus permanent shops of retailers, importers, and artisans, MGM offers day tables where smaller vendors can come and go based on the season or their inventory. As shoppers stroll by nibbling pastry or drinking fresh coffee, you’ll see women sifting through stacks of Middle Eastern shawls or teens giddy over the selection of beaded African necklaces, across from a couple of hip guys getting a demonstration on how to use a Tibetan singing bowl. Here’s a quick look at some of the great booths to explore: The ColorEd Girls You’ll get a lesson in textiles when you meet Cecile Lewis. Besides beautiful Indonesian shawls, Lewis hand-dyes—she prefers working with indigo—a variety of art pieces and wearables. Lewis uses a “stitch resist” method of hand stitching the fabric to gather it in places that resist the dye. Besides vintage table linens and coverlets, she also sells baby clothes, cotton shirts, and socks. Lewis plans to share her space with Antoinette Williams, the owner of Rituals, makers of bath products, and Brian and Linda Fredericksen, who raise bees and sell beeswax candles and honey products. We’re told we need to try the buckwheat honey. Day table Birchberry Heidi Grika’s little shop specializes in Native American crafts, food, art, décor, select clothing, and jewelry from Midwest area tribes and craftspeople. Grika, an Ojibwe, says her bestsellers include maple syrups, chokecherry jellies, wild rice, and popcorn, as well as black ash woven serving baskets and birch-bark lampshades, frames, baskets, and mini canoes great for lake homes. Stall 139N, 612-872-1126 Fabelos Imports The wide assortment of decorative masks first grab your attention. Then you’ll step into Frank Abange’s booth and be taken with the beautifully beaded vessels, carved figurines, shapely urns, and the beaded and wooden jewelry. Pieces come from craftspeople and artisans from Guyana, the Ivory Coast, Bali, Peru, and other points afar. The works are all of lovely quality and great conversation pieces. Stall 138S, 612-872-8252 Plus: Check out the locally made carved bird mobiles at Simba Craftware (day table), the Caribbean herbs, spices, oils, soaps and shea butter products at Ijahman Change of Style (stall 111), and the handmade cards from Adnil Designs (stall 102).