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NOVEMBER AVERAGE HOME SALES PRICE BY COUNTY
- Dakota County – $390,099
- Washington County – $473,299
- Ramsey County – $344,470
- Anoka County – $364,747
- Hennepin County – $461,392
- Carver County – $518,224
- Scott County – $462,872
*Ask me if you’d like a free analysis of the current value of your home in today’s market!
MONTHLY HOUSING TIP:
It’s been said many times that kitchens and bathrooms is what sells a home. Upgrades to those locations can bring you your biggest ROI when you decide to sell, along with the peace of mind while you’re still living there! If you’re looking at selling next year and potentially sprucing up your bathroom first, here is a great article that goes over some of the 2023 trends.
7 Most Popular Bathroom Upgrades (nar.realtor)
JAMIE ABOUT TOWN (December)
We’ll we’re closing out the year, so I just wanted to take a moment and say I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas, and an overall amazing holiday season!!! Also wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read and respond to these blogs! I had to slow down on them a bit this year but I’ll be back at it monthly from here on out. I hope you all have a Happy New Year and may your 2023 be everything you hope and more!
But as for this month’s food stop, anybody that knows me, knows that I’m really into the craft beer scene that’s blown up all over the country. And while I’m of course a bit bias here and don’t live anywhere else, I think it’s fair to say our MN breweries are hands down just as good as anyone, & better than most!
But anyone that goes to the breweries knows that there are very few that have their own kitchens. Just about all of them will let you bring your own food in, and most will also have rotating food trucks on any given day. Many will even serve their own Heggies Pizzas behind the bar. Lord knows you give me a beer and a slightly burnt Heggies that’s so scalding hot you lose the roof of your mouth for a week, well that’s the making for a great night! But sometimes we want more. So let me introduce you to one our newest breweries in the Twin Cities…Bear Cave Brewing in Hopkins.
Opened this past spring, and nestled right in the mix of historic downtown Hopkins, which is a great spot to spend a few hours anyways. Great boutique shopping, beautiful architecture, other fun restaurants (along with one of our favorite wine bars), and the neighboring LTD Brewing. Great opportunity to check out a couple great breweries and have a tasting.
I’m not going to get too much into the beers because what’s there today may not be there tomorrow. But I can say they had 16 of their own on tap, so a wide variety of lagers, IPA’s, sours, stouts, and blondes, so something for everyone.
They work on a self-pour system, so you get a card when you walk in, use it to open up one of the taps, and pour anything from just a tasting to a full pint. Great opportunity to try as many as you like and not feel committed, or woozy.
If beer isn’t your thing they also have some respectable wine on tap, along with two cocktails (old fashioned and a margarita). I think that’s smart! Not everyone is as into beer, but everyone does eat and may want other beverages to pair with their dinner.
And speaking of the food, that’s why you’re reading right??? If you were to look at the shareables they offer here and nothing else, you’d think this menu was being served in a 4-5 star upscale restaurant. How many breweries have you been to that serve octopus? Easily one of my favorite proteins, but really hard to compare it to anything. It’s a pleasantly firm texture, with a good balance of sweet and salty taste. They mixed it here with a great corn salsa with a touch of heat, sprouts and purple potatoes. Just a great light dish I’d eat by the bucket on a summer patio.
We also grabbed a couple others with their pork belly offering. Braised in their Belgian tripel ale, and hit hard with a sweet/spicy honey glaze, with a few apple crunches for some acid. Very Asian inspired dish, bombing with flavor!
And as if we didn’t have enough food, well they do have the stone fired pizza oven in the kitchen, and had about 10 specialty pizzas, and you can of course build your own. Main base of this beauty was wild rice Gouda cheese & caramelized onions, and topped with apples, shredded pecans, and truffle honey. More on the sweet side with this one, but then when you hit that perfect crust for the savory/smoky portion, match made in heaven.
This is one of those spots we plan on eating our way through the full menu over the course of a few visits. A number of their pizzas sounded amazing, and still plenty of options on that non pizza side. Check them out at the link below and make a plan!
Bear Cave Brewing Co – Hopkins, Hopkins, MN
Don’t believe me? Just ask my wife….
Bear Cave is a very cool spot. The building they occupy in downtown Hopkins has a basement and two levels. They have seating and taps on EVERY LEVEL! The spirits (old fashion & margarita) are only available in the basement which gave me speak-easy vibes. They also have a side yard where there is a temp controlled banquet tent and tables for outdoor seating. I am not sure if the tent will be staying when the weather improves, but either way, a great outdoor situation for sure! The menu was a very pleasant surprise offering carefully crafted recipes worthy of any experienced Foodie – similar to what Surly was when it hit the scene. I hope they continue using their creativity on their food and beer and they will be #1 in no time.
