This piece about Brownsville is part of a larger project to document the culinary resilience of southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County during the pandemic. You can read more about my Crystal Creek Citizen-Artist Residency project here.

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Early into my project, when looking at a map of Houston County to chart out plans for collecting food stories, I see a small town named Brownsville on the eastern border overlooking the Mississippi River. Upon further research, I discover this town has a population of 500, a good pizza place, and a 150-year-old Episcopalian Church of the Holy Comforter. I add it to my list. 

I learn more about Brownsville while being interviewed by Jordan Gerard of the Caledonia Argus. After discussing my artist residency—the Truck to Trunk event, working on the Mainspring Community Cookbook, visiting Fat Pat’s BBQ, the women revitalizing Caledonia, and more—the conversation turns to our own food stories. 

Jordan tells me about catfishing with her father in the backwaters of the Mississippi near Brownsville. They anchor their boat and watch the giant fishing rod tips for bites. “The fun part is reeling them in,” she says. Jordan’s father once caught a 54 pounder with a mouth the size of his hands, but most catches are smaller, ranging from about 6 pounds to 40 pounds.

Jordan’s father got her hooked on catfishing. The two participate in weekend tournaments, which usually run Saturday night through Sunday morning because flathead catfish are more active at night. Jordan’s great-grandfather built a boathouse in the 1930s-1940s that they use for eating and sleeping during these tournaments and while ice fishing.

The Gerards aren’t just fishing for sport—they love eating their catch. “Some people say flathead catfish can be oily and gamy, but that’s because they’re not cooking it right,” Jordan tells me. “Parboil for 30 seconds to get the oil out, then fry,” she adds. I learn catfish tastes best coated with Shore Lunch and dipped in tartar sauce and mayonnaise. Often, they bring their catch to her cousin’s house for a fish fry. “If you get there late, there’s a good chance the catfish is gone,” Jordan laughs.

Jordan says the beaches have been packed this summer. She’s seen a major increase in boat traffic on the river and at the marina—pontoons are everywhere. Her father’s fishing business, Rusty’s Fishing Charters, is busier than usual. This aligns with other pandemic trends. More people are looking to the outdoors for adventure and entertainment to replace typical summer activities like music festivals, county fairs, and extensive vacations. 

As we finish our coffees, Jordan suggests I visit Lawrence Lake Marina in Brownsville to see for myself. I take her advice and add it to the day’s itinerary.

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Next stop, Sweet 16 Farm in Houston, a producer of flowers and hops. Sarah Mann sells handcrafted bouquets through flower CSA subscriptions and at local grocery stores like Root River Market in Houston. Their annual Hop Harvest Fest had to be cancelled this year due to COVID-19. 

While at Sweet 16 Farm, Katie Bonow of Capra Nera Creamery stops by with a goat cheese delivery. Sarah gives me a bag of these herbed goat cheese crumbles, which I devour while driving east through the Driftless hills towards Brownsville. 

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The humidity thickens as I arrive at Lawrence Lake Marina, where I’m delighted to discover a food barge surrounded by lily pads and Bonefish Bar.

I haven’t eaten anything since the cheese crumbles, and I’m starving. I walk out to the food barge and after perusing the menu, order the “Top of The Rock” Crab Rangoon.

Looking for solace from the hot sun, I find a table under Bonefish Bar’s thatched roof. A group of four sits on bar stools looking out at the marina. I practically inhale the Crab Rangoon, which are so perfectly crispy and tasty that I momentarily consider ordering a second round.

I chat briefly with the owner about COVID-19. She tells me they’re well suited for it as a marina with an outdoor bar, food barge, and liquor store, but it’s still been hard. I learn that people have been sticking with their groups and mostly eating on their boats. She tells me that even though people have been good about masks, eating and drinking while masking is tricky.

COVID-19 safety measures are visible everywhere. A barrel sink stands in the center of the marina. Spray bottles of disinfectant and hand sanitizer greet customers at each bar entrance.

I return to my car and drive south along the bluff into Brownsville.

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Saxon Hall opens just as I arrive, and the friendly bartender invites me in. The interior is dark and cool with heavy beams and old wooden benches. Built in 1866 as a blacksmith shop, the building was later used as storage for school buses before becoming a restaurant and bar. The German-inspired look is not original to the building, but I learn that the owner traveled to Germany for design inspiration.

When COVID-19 restrictions impacted restaurants across the state, Saxon Hall closed for about three weeks before opening for takeout only. The bartender tells me people were so supportive. “It went very well, actually,” she says. They served pizzas and appetizers on the weekends, then increased to more days.

Saxon Hall opened their indoor bar and dining area to 50% capacity at the beginning of June. “It’s a little slow, but you know…we’re doing okay,” she tells me. They’ve been averaging about 60-70 pizzas a night on the weekends. “That’s a lot!” she remarks.

They also have a fantastic beer garden. She tells me that people haven’t been too fond of the whole mask thing, so the beer garden is a nice solution. 

I buy a drink and sit outside in the beer garden appreciating the afternoon sun. As I sip my beer and reflect on the day’s wanderings across Houston County to Brownsville, I applaud the resiliency of the many people keeping businesses afloat despite the rough waters of the pandemic.