‘Miscellany’ Archives
RETURNING CHAPTER 14: THE BASEMENT BUSINESS
By Patrick Cabello Hansel We usually expect a basement to be dank, cold and dimly lit. Not so for the one that our dear family found themselves in. It was brighter than day, with banks upon banks of fluorescent lights. There was a humming about the place: from above, from behind a steel door, it even seemed to emanate from within the walls. And even though it was inside, and there were space heaters blazing, it felt terribly cold. The woman who had been Cindy Keefe, onetime friend and now enemy of Luz, told them to sit down on some metal folding chairs. The chairs had once been painted with bright colors and words like “Harmony” and “Paz,”, but they were now graffitied over with garish images and words. Angelito sat next to his father, and whispered, “I don’t like this place, papi.” Angel squeezed his son’s hand slightly and whispered, “I know.” From a door that seemed to appear out of nowhere, a man stepped out. He was dressed in a black long sleeved [...]
Ingebretsen’s Celebrates 100 Years
By Laila Simon, Ingebretsen’s staff The western side of Ingebretsen's in the 90s, including the Dala Style mural painted by Judith Kjenstad. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace, the hub for shopping all things Nordic in South Minneapolis. A neighborhood place, Ingebretsen’s is a store where you can stock up on everyday items like butter and eggs, as well as specialty imports. As a fourth generation family business, celebrating one hundred years is an incredible milestone. Ask any member of the family or staff and they’ll tell you that the business is still here because of Ingebretsen’s loyal customers. You might know Ingebretsen’s as an online store for Christmas gifts and traditional foods, or as the place you drive by in December in Minnesota, with a line of people waiting in subzero temperatures all the way down the block. You may have even heard of people making “lute” (lutefisk) pilgrimages from out of state [...]
