Eat Street South

If you haven't been to the corner of Fourth and Churchill Streets in the South Hill neighborhood lately, grab your bike and pedal on over. Stillwater institution, Meisters, still serves up Burgermeisters, onion rings and all the standard brews, but the corner is also drawing bicyclists from all over the Twin Cities with the addition of two bike cafes.

The Bikery was the first to open three years ago with handmade European breads, pastries, and coffee roasted in-house. I knew something special was happening when my weekend mornings began to include the sounds of cyclists cheering as they spotted the green awnings, bike racks and sidewalk tables, a sign that coffee and chocolate croissants were close at hand. If your bike needs a quick adjustment or you've just used your last tube patch on the Gateway Trail, you can visit Ben at the bike shop for expert assistance while you wait for your Belgian waffle.

Next weekend is the much anticipated opening of the Chilkoot Cafe and Cyclery, named for Stillwater's infamous Chilkoot Hill. Owner, Lee, and cafe manager, Katie, have been hard at work taking the walls back to their original exposed brick, refinishing hardwood floors and adding a diner-style counter to complement the funky red and black tables and chairs. So far, I've heard they'll be brewing their own beer, roasting their own coffee and offering breakfast and lunch.  The bike shop (already open for business!) connects to the cafe and features rubber flooring for those still wearing their cycling shoes.

As soon as the Chilkoot Cafe has a website up and running, I'll update this post. In the meantime, I'll be in my backyard watching my two huskies take in the smells of the South Hill - bacon frying at Meisters, bread baking and coffee roasting at The Bikery, and (soon!) breakfast cooking at the Chilkoot Cafe.