When most people think of Bloomington, they think of this. Or this. Maybe, if you’re a millennial, you think of that episode of “The O.C.” where the gang spent the night at South Coast Plaza (as a Minneapolitan teenager, I thought: psh, you call that rinky-dink a mall?), or the Mighty Ducks taking a man’s hat off as they sailed through Camp Snoopy on rollerblades.
In other words, we’ve been trained to think of Bloomington as “the place where the mall is,” with a side of IKEA. But Bloomington is actually Minnesota’s fourth-largest city, home to a diverse population, abundant natural areas, multiple national corporations, and the state’s largest two-year college.
You can easily spend a whole day there, with or without a trip to MOA or Ikea Way. We’d like to think of this as a choose-your-own menu of add-ons for a mall trip, or a guide to delightfully killing time while your teenager browses the wares at Brandy Melville or Edikted.
— Devon Cox
9 a.m.
Grab one of the Twin Cities’ top breakfast sandos
Scramblin’ Egg is, as many things in Bloomington are, tucked into an unassuming strip mall. The space is clearly built for takeout: there’s scarce seating, and the interior is cozy, even with less than a dozen people in line.
But you’re not there for the atmosphere. You’re there for cumulus egg clouds nestled in between squishy, well-buttered slices of local Norwegian milk bread from nearby stalwart Taste of Scandinavia.
We took our server’s suggestion and got “everything,” which included sausage, veggies, cheese, and “scramblin sauce,” (flavored mayo, similar to Thousand Island), but the sandwiches are highly customizable, with a Rubik’s Cube roll call of meat-cheese-veg-sauce combos. You can even get them rice-bowl or burrito-style, if bread is not your carb of choice.
We added on hashbrown bites with country gravy (sleeper hit) and a cute little bag of French toast bites, which tasted like a de-plasticized version of the beloved Pillsbury ones you remember from childhood.
Scramblin’ Egg
Address: 7828 Portland Ave. S., Bloomington, MN
Hours: Open 6 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Good to know: We were perhaps slightly overly ambitious with the “everything” order. We recommend slimming down your fillings unless you have a plate and fork to help with cleanup.
9:30 a.m.
Walk it off at Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge
We took our breakfast to the scenic picnic tables at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, which is a 15,000-acre conservation area along the Minnesota River. After fighting over the last French toast bite, we walked the Forest Loop Trail, an easy and enjoyable 0.63-mile route among shady oaks and hickories, mostly on level ground, making it an appropriate nature walk for all ages. Also, despite being spitting distance from both the mall and the airport, it was quiet.
If you have more time (and a bike), you can hop on the Minnesota Valley Greenway, or cool off in the visitor center, where we spotted several families enjoying the play areas and interactive exhibits.
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Address: 3815 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN
Hours: Open daily, 5 p.m.–10 p.m.
Good to know: The visitor center has a very cute gift shop! Plenty of stuffies, parents beware.
11:30 a.m.
Discover a new artist at the Center for the Arts
Tucked into Bloomington City Hall is the Center for the Arts, anchored by the nonprofit Artistry, which programs both of the center’s gallery spaces and the majority of dates for the mainstage and black box theater spaces.
We wandered around the Inez Greenberg Gallery downstairs, the larger of the two spaces, as well as the Atrium Gallery upstairs. Much of the work we saw was for sale, and popping by is a great way to discover new-to-you local artists. Names like Jimmy Longoria, Leslie Barlow, Lindsy Halleckson, Ta-Coumba T. Aiken, and Katayoun Amjadi have all exhibited at Artistry.
If you have time in the evening, you can always come back for some theater. “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown" is coming up, which features a cast of some of the Twin Cities’ starriest (Tod Peterson as Linus? Yes, please!).
Artistry at Bloomington Center for the Arts
Address: 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN
Hours: Open 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturday; noon–6 p.m. Sunday.
Good to know: It’s City Hall, so if you need to register your Hennepin County homestead or apply for a passport, you’re in luck!
1 p.m
Sample Afghan staples
For lunch, what about returning to the exact same strip mall that houses Scramblin’ Egg and popping next door to Afghan Darbar? Do so, and you’ll be rewarded with sizzling, delicate pakora, huge portions of chewy naan and falling-off-the-bone chicken karahi. This is one of the only restaurants in the Twin Cities where you can order Afghan specialties like kabuli pulao, the country’s national dish and a staple of festive meals, as well as bolani, a stuffed flatbread that’s equal parts flaky crust and savory, vegetarian filling.
It’s distinctly an independent, family place — don’t expect your table to be crumbed, nor would we recommend coming on a tight timeline. Food is clearly cooked from scratch, and ticket times can run long. But the food is well worth it, and we’ll definitely be returning to try the rosh and Afghan mantu dumplings.
Afghan Darbar Zabiha Halal Cuisine
Address: 7826 Portland Ave. S., Bloomington, MN
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Good to know: There’s no air conditioning, so keep that in mind if you’re visiting on a hot day, like we were.
2 p.m.
Get zen at the Normandale Japanese Garden
I got a bit cooked in the comments for calling Normandale’s Japanese Garden “underrated,” but I maintain that not enough people know about this oasis, which is hidden around the back of the Community College’s partnership center.
Opened in 1976, the garden was designed by Takao Wantanabe, a landscape architect for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. These days, it is meticulously maintained by gardener Sam Kaufman, who says that the garden gets closer to Wantanabe’s original vision every year. Kaufman’s work is so good, it is nearly invisible. On first glance, you might assume the garden’s trees just grow like that. But in fact, Sam employs strict pruning schedules and precise techniques to keep them a certain shape and size, like Niwaki and Sukashi.
The garden, which is completely free to visit, is a wonderful place to bring a book and spend an afternoon. Visit on a weekday, and you have a pretty good shot of being the only person there (I think we call that underrated).
This year, the garden celebrates its 50th anniversary, and they’re throwing a party on September 19th. Drop by, or plan to visit later in the fall, when the foliage alights, giving you a taste of Kyoto, sans 13-hour flight.
Normandale Community College Japanese Garden
Address: West Lot, 9700 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN
Hours: Daily, 7:30 a.m. -- 7 p.m.
Good to know: Park in the partnership center and then walk – it’s further than you think, and you may have an “I am lost” moment before you come up to the walls of the garden.
If you’re looking for more Japanese-style gardens in the metro area, we also love the garden at Como Park and the conservatory’s bonsai collection.
3:00 p.m.
Finish with a sweet treat at Valentina’s Michoacana
While we were ogling the technicolor flavors of ice cream, sorbet, and sherbet at Valentina’s Michoacana, the son of the shop’s owners, Tony, told us they might have passion fruit, too. “I’ll go check,” he said. “We were just finishing it this morning.”
Which is to say: this is homemade ice cream. Really, honestly homemade. Given the 90-degree heat, we sampled a few refreshing sorbets (watermelon, mango, passion fruit) before ordering, but there was plenty to get excited about. Valentina’s serves hard-to-find Mexican flavors like mamey, beautiful fruit-studded paletas, and fruit-filled sundaes alongside crepes and a handful of savory dishes, like churros locos, which we were sadly too full to try.
You can get optional Tajin on your sorbet (YES), and the portions are wildly generous – think pint-glass-sized. This is a must-stop for anyone who is going in and out of Bloomington, and we’d go out of our way to return.
Valentina’s Michoacana
Address: 9040 Lyndale Ave. S., Bloomington, MN
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Good to know: It’s across the street from the wonderful, family-owned Fast Foto Film Lab, where all of the film photos you see in these itineraries are developed.
