SNOW DAZE
Winter is here, and it's only a matter of time before that first road-closing, car-towing snowstorm strikes. This got us thinking about some places with enough bargains and cozy vibes that we wouldn't mind being snowed-in for a few hours (or days).
TOWN HALL BREWERY
Should an arctic blast turn Mini Ice Age, we're going to want to be somewhere with ample supplies -- supplies of beer, that is. With an onsite brewery and happy hours from 3-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9 p.m.-midnight Mon.-Sat., featuring $3.75 house pints and rails, $4 cask pints and $10.50 pitchers, Town Hall would be a perfect place to hunker down (especially if you can grab a seat in that snug area by the fireplace).
GRUMPY'S NORDEAST
Nothing complements a Minnesota snowstorm like a helping of hot dish, and Grumpy's has you covered every Tuesday for $1 a bowl, from 5 p.m. till it's gone. Throw in a weekday happy hour from 2-6 p.m. ($1 off drinks) and comfy barstools to hang your parka over, and this friendly dive bar would be a snowbound sanctuary.
W.A. FROST AND COMPANY
The Cathedral Hill fine-dining destination might not be the cheapest place to hole up in during a blizzard, but its chateau feel could make it the most inviting. The comfortably classy restaurant does offer a reduced-price wine list -- on which you just might find that $100 bottle you've wanted to try for $45 - anytime, plus half-priced bottles Mondays until 11 p.m.