Let's get this over with first: Yes, it's cold in the winter. But there's so much more to being a vital and vibrant city in the North. Minneapolis, the Midwest's larger Twin City, is driven by a food culture that is part of its energetic creative class (because what else are you going to do when it's cold, other than make things?). The spirit of collaboration has propelled the city's chefs, growers, artisans and bartenders to really dig into what it means to cook food from here and for here. Neighborhoods like the North Loop have sprouted up around nightspots and cutting-edge restaurants, brewery taprooms and distillery cocktail rooms have redefined the way we drink, and night markets and pizza farms have changed the way we gather for a meal. What's getting Minneapolis the national attention it deserves is that the food scene is setting the tone for life in the city. — Stephanie March, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine