The Tavern of Northfield Restaurant
(507) 663-0342
I think, in a previous life, I was bad girl (not a famous one, or anything) who hung out with bootleggers and rum-runners during prohibition. I am fascinated by the 1920's. I still have a tendency to be a little on the naughty side, which may be the result of cellular memory, but more likely it is the result of having grown up in a strict family regime and attendance at an uncompromising Catholic grade school. A girl needs to have a little fun, so it makes perfect sense to me that I would be drawn to former speakeasies, and Northfield in southeastern Minnesota has a wonderful example called The Tavern of Northfield hiding under the fabulous Archer House.
This former speakeasy is located in the old cistern. Clever, huh? It is now an intimate little restaurant with heavy, dark furniture and thick stone walls, and beneath it all, a tangible sense of history.
Remember, it was our own Andrew Volstead from Granite Falls, Minnesota (which, ironically, also has a former speakeasy called Bootleggers on the edge of town) who introduced the 18th amendment leading to prohibition. He meant well. My own opinion is that the more laws you make, the more laws there are to break and enforce. It gets complicated. And let's face it, you just can't legislate morality.
Melanie and I slunk in through the back door of The Tavern and looked around for a discreet place to sit where we wouldn't be spotted. Nah. I'm just kidding. Discretion isn't our strong-suit. But eating is. We chose a table in the shady courtyard out back and ordered up a couple cold, foamy . . . floats, made with Schwan's Ice Cream. I used to make corndogs at the Schwan's plant in Marshall, Minnesota. If you want to know how it's done, I've got the scoop. Oh man, do I wish I would have made ice cream instead! That would have been one jukin' pun! (Insert a high-five here.)
I'd love to take a tour of every speakeasy in the state. I wonder if there is such an itinerary? I bet our Minnesota Office of Tourism could advise me. In the meantime, I'll try to behave, and maybe Melanie will let me continue riding along with her on adventures.
