EP OFFERS A PLETHORA OF CULINARY OPTIONS
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hen it comes to culinary tastes, Eden Prairie offers a plethora of options — from a thriving restaurant scene to local food events that offer things hard to find elsewhere. The restaurant choices include fast casual, fast food, coffee shops and fine dining establishments. “This is one area that has greatly improved over recent years,” said Gary Stevens, an Eden Prairie resident for over 40 years. “We now have highly rated restaurants.” Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce President Pat MulQueeny said many restaurants offer opportunities for outdoor dining and listening to entertainment, especially during the summer months. “Eden Prairie is pretty blessed with having not only a lot of restaurants, but a wide variety,” he said. Want a taste from a different part of the world? Visitors and residents don’t have to travel far with the selection of ethnic restaurants that can be found in Eden Prairie. The city is home to several establishments offering cuisine from around the world, such as Chinese, Korean, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, pan-Asian, Thai, Venezuelan and Vietnamese restaurants. Throughout the year, local clubs and organizations offer food-related annual events, many of which have become
FOOD
Mike Thomas of the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club slices ribs in June 2017 at Staring Lake Park as part of Ribfest. The Rotarians saw a long line of customers when the late afternoon rolled around. (Photo by Tim Engstrom)
“Eden Prairie is pretty blessed with having not only a lot of restaurants, but a wide variety.” — Pat MulQueeny Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce president
community traditions. These include Eden Prairie Lions’ Schooner Days, offering carnival food and beer; Eden Prairie Lions’ Corn Feed, featuring all-you-can-eat corn; Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club’s RibFest where visitors can have a rib dinner, and Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary’s Vino Classico and Eden Prairie Community Foundation’s Prairie Brewfest, which are beer and wine tasting events. Stevens said his favorite event is Schooner Days. “It’s the premier event in Eden Prairie, and what better way to kick off summer? This is where you’ll find your neighbors and friends on the first weekend after Memorial Day. It’s been around for over 50 years and each year is better than the last,” he said. Additionally Eden Prairie is home to multiple grocery stores and residents can experience the community’s rich farm history with stands dotting the community. Picha Heritage Farms has fresh fruit and more and Marshall’s Farm Market sells meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit. There are two natural springs in the community where people often stop to fill their gallon jugs or water bottles. The Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area Spring is at 18700 Flying Cloud Drive and the Fredrick-Miller Spring is at 9995 Spring Road.