Art-A-Whirl

The Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association's 19th Art-A-Whirl returns May 16-18, and in addition to all the cool art to see in what's billed as the nation's largest open studio tour, there will be food and libations.

Stanley's Northeast Bar Room will shut down Lowry Avenue (from University Avenue to NE. 2nd Street) for its Craft Beer and Bacon Fest from 2-5 p.m. on May 17. Stanley's will host more than 30 local and regional breweries and offer more than 100 beers to try. Oh, plus the bacon, food trucks, live music and that booth where you can build a pretzel necklace. Woo-hoo! Tickets are $40 (VIP, $90), with sober driver tickets for $10. For all the details, visit www.stanleysbarroom.com.

612Brew will host its second Art-A-Whirl Bash with the art of four featured visual artists, five food trucks and three days of live music on its amphitheater, 945 NE. Broadway, Minneapolis. They'll be serving five of its most popular beers, with special cask beers made just for the event. Food trucks include AZ Canteen, Motley Crews and Cajun 2 Geaux, which will offer a full crawfish boil during the event. For details, visit www.612brew.com.

Canada comes south

There's a new baker in town, eh? Ace Bakery, well-known in Canada, now is baking a variety of artisan breads for Cub Foods and Jerry's Foods throughout the Twin Cities. Ace prides itself on working with the simplest ingredients, using long fermentation, and baking in stone deck ovens to achieve breads with a light interior and crisp crust. We found their samples flavorful with a wonderful chew. Available breads include baguettes, ciabatta, filone, rosemary focaccia, roasted garlic oval, demi-baguette, seven-grain oval and wheat and honey oval. Ace also is known for its charitable actions, culinary scholarships and support of organic farming initiatives.

Ready for their close-ups

Midwestern farmers and artisan food producers get to tell their stories in a new program available on Twin Cities Public Television. "Around the Farm Table" is a series hosted by Inga Witscher, a fourth-generation dairy farmer near Osseo, Wis. The show is designed to boost understanding of sustainable farming practices through stories, recipes and information, along with some entertainment and original music. In each episode, Witscher gathers what she needs to produce a meal that celebrates the landscape, with some of the producers from the Twin Cities region. For its program schedule, visit http://bit.ly/1iifvcp.

STAFF REPORTS