Three foods you NEED to try on The Range and where to find them

Taste is a frontier to be explored and there’s always something new over the next horizon! So here we will talk about three uniquely Minnesotan foods that you need to try that will surprise you and where to find them here, on The Range.

The first, and most highly recommended of the three, is pickles on pizza. Those of you who are strictly anti-pineapple-on-pizza are likely gnashing your teeth in frustration but pickle pizza, while not wholly Minnesotan by design, is a very rare menu item to find elsewhere. It is a shocking blend of sweet, savory, and tangy that makes it stand out among its cheesy contenders. Here on The Range, you can try pickle pizza at Sugar Shack in Virginia, MN; it’s a cozy coffee and bake shop that also makes a killer pizza pie.

Next up, pasties! While it is a simple dish it actually does pack a punch and is easily one of the most filling single serve meals you might ever have. It is a simple meal of beef or chicken, rutabaga, and potatoes sealed inside of a baked dough. This one also has some historical relevance to The Range as well! Since Iron Range miners in the early 1900’s, many of whom were Cornish which is the region where this food originally derived from, were often forced to work underground in extraordinarily hard conditions pasties were a meal they could easily bring along with them! So, all of you history buffs can get a taste of what early settlers of The Range ate on a consistent basis because it is still alive today; and it has gotten even better as the recipe is always tweaked depending on who makes it. You can find pasties all over The Range but two easy spots where you can pick one up would be Carlson’s Pasty & Sausage Kitchen in Biwabik & The Tourist Center in Hibbing.

And then finally there is potica. Pronounced PUH-Teet-SUH this dessert is a thinly rolled cake that originates from Europe. It is a highly enjoyed dish that is crafted with care and can be found at Pep’s Bakery in Virginia, MN as well as Sunrise Bakery in Hibbing.

For a full experience of The Range try out these unique foods, all three in a sitting if you’re feeling bold!