Review: Wilder Scratch Kitchen Delivers High-quality Food in Bayport, Minn.

Chef and owner Jeffrey Lundmark has a long history of working in kitchens, dating back to his childhood when he’d bike to work at a burger and taco stand in his hometown of St. Croix Falls, Wis. Like many people, he spent time in his 20s figuring out his career path until finally, after bouncing around the food scene, he attended Le Cordon Bleu school in St. Paul and settled into Domancin Restaurant and Wine Bar in Stillwater for 10 years. Read more about Review: Wilder Scratch Kitchen Delivers High-quality Food in Bayport, Minn.

From a Hudson Kitchen: Nan’s Naughty and Nice Bloody Mary Mix

Nancy “Nan” Hansen enjoyed gardening; she tended a crop of tomatoes in her yard. In 1970, her tomatoes yielded a bumper crop and she decided to create her own bloody Mary. It only took three days before she had the recipe you can find today on shelves in grocery and liquor stores across Minnesota and Wisconsin: Nan’s Naughty and Nice Bloody Mary Mix ($8.69–$13), now available in both original and spicy. It’s Nan’s daughter, Peggy, who 30 years later carried the recipe to market. Read more about From a Hudson Kitchen: Nan’s Naughty and Nice Bloody Mary Mix

Historic Hudson Office Remodel

Located on the corner of Walnut Street and Second Avenue, the law firm of Eckberg Lammers P.C. is in the historic Goss-Boyden building, built in 1871. As the firm was looking to renovate their office space, they also wanted to preserve the historical look and feel as much as possible.

The firm engaged Kelli Kaufer of Kelli Kaufer Designs, a Stillwater-based commercial and residential designer. Read more about Historic Hudson Office Remodel

The St. Croix Valley Sexual Assault Response Team

In a front room of a two-story house in River Falls, Wis., a basket of children’s toys sits on the bottom shelf of a bookcase. The back room to your right—the conference room, they call it—doesn’t have a sterile desk but instead a kitchen table, and the professionals who work here are considering a homier paint job than dark green. They’ve brought in an easel with a large pad of drawing paper that stands mid-room. But in the back room to your left, you’ll find a medical exam table. Read more about The St. Croix Valley Sexual Assault Response Team

Loome Theological Booksellers in Stillwater Offers Rare Finds for Niche Audiences

On a small farm in Stillwater, a local business attracts customers from around the world. Loome Theological Booksellers specializes in rare religious texts, primarily relating to Christianity.

“The older the better,” owner Chris Hagen says. “We don’t carry current bestsellers. That’s not the kind of bookstore we are.” Read more about Loome Theological Booksellers in Stillwater Offers Rare Finds for Niche Audiences

Vineyard, Sommelier and Local Wines at Chateau St. Croix

After a full 2016 season and January off, Chateau St. Croix has reopened under new management with regular hours and events that celebrate local wine, art, cheeses and gourmet foods. Nestled in rolling hills north of St. Croix Falls, Wis., its expansive property includes a vineyard, carriage house, formal garden with a fountain and statuary, a tasting room modeled after a French chateau, and a huge patio with an amazing view. At the heart of it all is a commitment to growing and sourcing the best grapes to create top-quality wines. Read more about Vineyard, Sommelier and Local Wines at Chateau St. Croix

Business on Both Banks

The St. Croix Valley is quaint and, as such, both adored and overlooked by tourists. Tourism guides Explore Minnesota and Travel Wisconsin highlight state strongholds, while tourism-ready businesses in Marine on St. Croix (Minn.) or Dresser (Wis.), may feel drowned out in the din.

So Polk County (Wis.) hosted a regional tourism conference last fall, where nearly 100 shop owners and restaurateurs networked about social media and formed marketing partnerships. At the heart of the event: the St. Croix Valley Tourism Alliance. Read more about Business on Both Banks

Who Am I to Judge?

When a seat opened on the Minnesota Supreme Court last year, Minnesota Bar Association president and Stillwater resident Robin Wolpert “was out talking with members of the public,” she says. She considers Minnesotans educated and engaged, but “it seemed that the court was largely a mystery. And I get it. I’m a lawyer, and I don’t always know what’s going on.”

For starters, aren’t judges appointed, not elected? Generally, yes. Read more about Who Am I to Judge?

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