Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper

Photography by: Ashley Camper
Written by: Jill Livingston
Creative Direction by: Liz Gardner
Model: Alexa Carlson from Ignite Models

Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper

Minneapolis

Glacial history had a profound impact on Minnesota’s landscape. Tens of thousands of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams were formed when gullies and valleys, carved out by advancing ice sheets, were filled with melt-off from receding glaciers. With their origins in the Dakota word minshota, which means “clouds reflected in water”, these waterways are Minnesota’s namesake.

Although our lacustrine landscape is the state’s iconic feature, the legacy of glaciation is also found in the fertility of Minnesota’s fields and forests. Despite the extremes of the Nordic climes, this fecund land provided for the diverse indigenous peoples and later attracted industrious and resilient folk emigrating from northern Europe who saw, in the wild lakes and woods, a reflection of home.

They settled into to life in Minnesota, on farms and in logging camps, with a culture of resourcefulness and a vigorous love of nature. From their woodlands and farmsteads came abundant lumber and grain. Powered by the mighty Mississippi, mills were established to transform timber into boards and grist into flour. Both land-based resources were instrumental in building and fueling a growing city: Minneapolis.

The relationship between Minneapolis and the rural communities was not one simply of extraction. Industrially, it was marked by reciprocity. Culturally, they were akin. Whether laboring in rows of wheat or rye in Hallock or Cambridge or at a mill in Minneapolis, Minnesotans had a fierce work ethic and an ability to face adversity with innovation. Generations later, Minnesotans maintain an intimacy with nature and an unfettered exchange of population, culture, and goods between rural and urban areas. Small farming communities ringing the city continue to resist the industrial farming trend and grow food for their community, which includes the restaurants and neighborhood food cooperatives in Minneapolis.

While farm to table has become de rigueur for restaurants across the nation, many of the homegrown chefs in Minnesota, such as Erick Harcey of Upton 43, not only make use of the fruits of local fields and forests, but also grew up in them. Harcey was raised in a small town outside of Minneapolis, and had lived and worked in the city before returning to the country to raise a family of his own. “I learned refinement in the city but when it comes to the food they are still all flavors I grew up with”, he says of the restaurant’s cuisine, which pays homage to Scandinavian heritage.

A nod to heritage is also evident with a new surge of craft distilleries in the city center, as well as an estate distillery, Far North, in the northernmost reaches of the state. After a decade of urban living, founders Cheri Reese and Michael Swanson returned to the family farmscape in Hallock, Minnesota. They established fields of rye and heirloom corn to fuel an estate distillery – unique the world over and the first of its kind in Minnesota. “A strong desire to live more simply, more seasonally, and more soulfully” inspired Reese and Swanson to move home and do “something meaningful with the family farm.”

It is this straddling of worlds that defines Minneapolis and its surroundings. Respecting tradition and yearning for simplicity. Drawing on heritage but with a modern gesture. Being urbane but with humility. Fetishing the beautiful – but of form and function. Moving as rhythmically and effortlessly as breathing from the city streets to wild landscapes of our youth.

Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper

5 Questions with Chef Erick Harcey

What is your first food memory?

I remember eating Sunday roasts with mashed potatoes. I pretty much looked forward to it every weekend.

Tell us about your Swedish roots.

My grandpa and his brothers emigrated from Sweden with my great grandparents. They spoke Swedish first and picked up English on the way. They were great cooks and had restaurants. Mostly, it was all about family. People would be hanging out and there would be ham in the oven and a whole bunch of food – basically a potluck all the time.

How does Upton 43 compare to famous Nordic establishments like Noma and Fäviken?

Magnus Nilsson of Fäviken and Rene Redzepi of Noma spend time outside and observe. They know how things work in the wild and it influences the way they cook. What makes Upton different is that I am drawing from my own experience, my own memories.

What dishes on the menu are your interpretation of foods you grew up eating?

The meatballs and the pickled herring. The meatballs are virtually the same as my grandma made them. I changed the gravy - no one could make gravy as good as my grandma so I just had to do something different. But there are pickles and mashed potatoes with lots of butter - never skimp on the butter. The herring is a little different. At home we would have just put it on crackers. I make a composed dish with different flavors and textures.

What do you want people to feel or experience at Upton 43?

“I want people to leave having had an amazing experience but they don’t know why because everything was perfect – the food, the space, the service. It’s not about me telling them what to feel but providing them an opportunity to relate and pull on memories from when they were younger.”

Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper

Resources

Eat:

Upton 43

Chic atmosphere and Swedish-American cuisine. If possible, try to snag a seat at the Chef’s Table, to sample an adventurous prixe-fixe menu.

Esker Grove

The newest addition to Walker Art Center, it’s a place to people watch and sip cocktails or grab decadent brunch.

Victor’s 1959

A welcoming Cuban cafe with juicy Cubano sandwiches and invigorating coffee.

Stay:

Hotel Alma

A stylish urban inn located above a cafe by the same owners. The decor is cozy-meets-luxury.

Hewing Hotel

Situated in a century-old brick-and-timber warehouse, this small hotel is decorated with historic touches and feels like an upscale lodge.

Do:

Walker Art Center

This important Minneapolis art hub displays modern art, multimedia installations and video, along with lectures and events.

American Swedish Institute

This important Minneapolis art hub displays modern art, multimedia installations and video, along with lectures and events.

Lake Calhoun

A favorite destination for locals, the lake is perfect for hiking, biking and kitesurfing.

Concert at First Avenue

Entertaining Minneapolis since 1970, the First Avenue is a popular live music ticket.

Shop:

Idun

Inspiring and empowering women to wear what they find here with confidence.

Mona Williams

Womens contemporary apparel and accessories, a curated selection of designer vintage, fantastic gifts.

Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper
Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Minneapolis, Ashley Camper