Restaurant Week 2023 is wrapping up the work week with the best theme possible, “Beverages”. This is a new theme for 2023, Rachel Thompson from Visit Greater St. Cloud said that they wanted a category to highlight some of the places around the area that solely do drinks like shake shops and breweries that don’t have food. They are a growing trend in the area and they still fall under the “restaurant” umbrella.
Restaurant Week 2023 is ay 15th-21st, and it is the second year that Visit Greater St. Cloud has hosted this event. Local restaurants selected one menu item to submit for this year’s categories:
- Monday: Health Conscious
- Tuesday: Seafood
- Wednesday: Pasta
- Thursday: Sweet Treats
- Friday: Beverages
- Saturday: Unique Finds
- Sunday: Sandwiches
Iron Street Distillery: 539 East St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN 56304
Iron Street Distillery is one of the newest establishments in the St. Cloud Area. The business is located in a historic implementation building on the east side of St. Cloud and is aiming to be part of the revitalization of the downtown area. My husband and I had been trying to make it there to try out their spirits brewed on location, and covering Restaurant Week was the perfect excuse.
The featured item they picked was a Straw-Basil Smash made with Iron Rail Gin, fresh locally grown basil, elderflower syrup, and soda. Luckily my husband enjoys gin so I had someone to taste test it for me. I took a sip myself and for someone who doesn’t like gin, I actually thought it was really good. I myself ordered a rum and pineapple juice. Sticking to what I know, but still branching out to try the locally brewed brand. It was really good, and I’m super excited to go back and try more drinks off their menu as they expand and grow.
More restaurant week content will be coming out as the week goes on. To see a full list of participating restaurants and get involved with the giveaways going on to celebrate, visit the Visit Greater St. Cloud website. And check out The Small Town Tourist Podcast for a deep dive into Restaurant Week and the St. Cloud food scene.
The Small Town Tourist 
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