Minnesota Humanities Center Menus

Minnesota Humanities Center menus

Meals are normally served in our Commons Dining Room. Because of our intimate size, we typically only are able to offer one menu selection per meal. If there are two groups booked at the Humanities Center, we allow the larger group to pick that day's menu. Special dietary needs can usually be accommodated with advance notice.

Our continental breakfast comes standard with meeting packages and includes fresh seasonal fruit, assorted pastries, bagels and cream cheese, juices, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and assorted teas. You may substitute the continental breakfast for any of the hot breakfast selections for an additional per person charge.

We refresh water and coffee throughout the day. Afternoon meetings are provided with cookies or snacks and soft drinks. Our current seasonal specials and menu offerings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and hors d'oeuvres follow.

Our chef Daniel Schmitt is dedicated to the use of quality natural and organic foods whenever possible. Please feel free to talk with him directly if you have special needs.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Breakfast

Continental Breakfast (Comes standard with all packages)
A selection of pastries and fruit tray. Includes fresh fruit juice, coffee, tea and water.

Hot Breakfast Selections

Note: Substitute any of the hot breakfast selections below for the continental breakfast for an additional per person charge.

Egg Bake*
Eggs, cheddar cheese, diced ham, pullman bread mixed together and baked until set custard style.
* Contains pork.

Eggs Rancheros
Scrambled eggs, black beans, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Served with sour cream and salsa.

Stuffed French Toast
French toast stuffed with cream cheese and cherries. Dusted with powdered sugar and topped with whipped cream.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Luncheon Selections
Each offering is accompanied with a seasonal vegetable preparation, bread, a choice of either soup or a garden select salad tossed with our house vinaigrette,
and your choice of dessert.

Lunch Buffets ** Soups ** Desserts

Grilled Lemon-Thyme Chicken Piccata
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Olive oil marinated, grilled chicken breasts topped with capers, parsley and lemon-thyme butter. Served with mashed up celery root, potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Seared Creole Shrimp Po'Boy Salad
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Creole style seared shrimp over a salad of romaine lettuce, sweetened onions, cherry tomatoes, and cornichons tossed with a honey-Creole mustard vinaigrette. Served with parmesan-garlic bread.

Insalata Caprese Sandwich
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
An oven-warmed Ciabatta bread sandwich layered with mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar-mayonnaise. Served with garlic roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Chicken Fricasse with Grilled Bell Peppers
Braised boneless chicken thighs topped a mix of julienne grilled red, yellow and green peppers dressed sparely with olive oil. Served with a rich and subtly spiced chipotle supreme sauce, and roasted garlic potatoes.

Parmesan Dijon Chicken
Chicken breast bathed in Dijon mustard and coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parsley, chives and parmesan cheese. Roasted and dressed with a mayonnaise mustard blend. Served with roasted red potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Biryani
A baked dish of basmati rice flavored with garam masala, curried chicken thighs and sautéed red onions mixed with cashews and golden raisins. Served with creamy, curried spinach.

Open Face Turkey Sandwich
Buttered and grilled sourdough bread topped with simmered medallion of turkey, sautéed onions, a rich sage cream sauce and cranberry compote. Served with mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Prime Rib Sandwich
A crusty baguette houses thinly sliced prime rib of beef bathed in au jus topped with sautéed onions and topped with gruyere cheese. Served with kettle fried potato chips and fresh seasonal vegetables.

French Burgers
Fresh ground beef and veal mixed with herbs and butter, stuffed with Roquefort cheese and braised in a red wine mushroom sauce. Served with whipped potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Swedish Meatball*
Fresh ground meats mixed with cream, honey, red onions and egg, rolled into big balls and fried. Served with a lingonberry pan sauce, garlicky mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.
* Contains pork.

Chicken Caesar Salad
Homemade Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, garlicky croutons tossed together and topped with a grilled chicken breast.

Lasagne Bolognese*
Each layer of the lasagna combines two rich sauces, one a creamy béchamel, the second a Bolognese meat sauce, and Parmesan cheese, which is baked until the top is golden.
* Contains pork.

Linguini alla Carbonara*
Linguini tossed Parmesan cheese, eggs, Romano cheese and applewood smoked bacon, zucchini, red pepper all sautéed in olive oil.
* Contains pork.

Curried Tofu Mango Stir-Fry
Cubes of fried tofu tossed with a stir-fried combination of mushrooms, green peppers, scallions, red onions, sauced with mango chutney, and spiced just a bit.

Garden Wrap
Big tortillas stuffed with spinach, sprouts, cucumbers, red onions, havarti dill cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. Served with an apple and red cabbage slaw, pickles and kettle fried potato chips.

Lunch Buffets
Lunch buffets are reserved for groups of 15 people or more.

Note: We can serve any of the four Lunch Selection Buffets for dinner with dinner-size portions for an additional per person charge.

Deli Buffet*
A sandwich gourmet's buffet of fresh breads, an array of meats and cheeses, and vegetable toppings. Served with soup, salad and kettle-fried potato chips.
* Contains pork.

Mediterranean Buffet
Tandoori kebab-style chicken, beef, peppers, onions and tomatoes are the centerpiece of the buffet. Yellow split peas cooked with tomatoes, wilted spinach cooked with a curried onion sauce and cream, and basmati studded with lentils complete the array.

Mexican Buffet
This buffet offers sautéed fajita chicken and saucy seasoned beef along with fried peppers and onions, refried beans, a Spanish-style rice pilaf, warm flour tortillas, tortilla chips and a bar of condiments

Asian Buffet
A selection of red curry-coconut milk vegetable stir-fry, chicken satay, a lime spiked egg drop soup and jasmine sticky rice.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Dinner Selections

Each offering is accompanied with a seasonal vegetable preparation, bread, a choice of either soup or a garden select salad tossed with out house vinaigrette, and your choice of dessert.

Note: We can serve any dinner selection below during lunch hours
for an additional per person charge.

Dinner Buffets ** Soups ** Desserts

Cod in Thai Curry Sauce
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Fillets of slow cooked cod in a coconut milk and red curry broth. Served with steamed jasmine rice and seasonal vegetables.

Spicy Buttermilk & Coconut Chicken
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Roasted chicken breasts with a toasted coconut and buttermilk crust, topped with sweet Thai chili sauce. Served with cilantro-lime basmati rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables.

Roast Chicken with Wonderful Spices
Whole chicken roasted with a variety of spices stuffed and served with apple spiced rice and seasonal vegetables

Chicken Escoffier
An elegant and classic preparation of a breast of chicken doused with clarified butter, breaded with fresh breadcrumbs and sautéed until golden that is set atop Arborio rice risotto and topped with briefly sautéed cherry tomatoes. The dish is finished with a ring of intensely flavored balsamic glaze.

Herb-stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade
Turkey breast butterflied, stuffed with a variety of herbs, rolled up, wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and roasted. Served with Arborio rice risotto and seasonal vegetables.

Pot Roast
Tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich beef broth with carrots, pearl onions, and Yukon gold potatoes.

Beef Bourguignon
A classic dish of beef slowly braised in red wine and brown stock until extremely tender and deeply flavored is combined with sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions and then served with the rich wine sauce over egg noodles.

Caraway Crusted Pork Tenderloin*
Delicate medallions of pork tenderloin roasted with a robust caraway seed crust each served atop an herbed Carlsbad dumpling, doused in a rich mushroom veloute and accompanied by sweet and sour red cabbage.
* Contains pork.

Prune Stuffed Pork Loin*
A whole center cut pork loin stuffed with ginger, prunes, garlic, caraway and herbs roasted and served with an enriched pan sauce, curried potatoes and braised red cabbage.
* Contains pork.

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi
A delicious combination of tender sea scallops and jumbo shrimp simmered as well as served in a garlicky white wine butter sauce and served with a rich coconut rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables.

Atlantic Seared Salmon
A filet of Atlantic salmon that is pan-seared to form a crisp crust is set atop perfectly tender, gently braised leeks. Served with steamed jasmine sticky rice.

Macaroni and (Bleu) Cheese
Little macaronis cooked in a (bleu) cheesy cream sauce. Served with roasted beets slathered in butter and herbs.

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Lasagne
Layers of lasagne noodles, spinach mixed with salted and peppered ricotta, simmered squash pureed and mixed with goat cheese, and all sorts of mushrooms sautéed in butter. Served with garlicky parmesan bread.

Tofu, Pepper and Zucchini Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
Little diced pieces of tofu, zucchini, summer squash, and red peppers all tossed together with worcestershire sauce and parmesan cheese, then stuffed into a Portobello mushroom cap and roasted. Served with Arborio rice risotto and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Dinner Buffets
Dinner buffets are reserved for groups of 15 people or more.

Note: We can serve any of the four Lunch Buffets for dinner with dinner-size portions for an additional per person charge.

Cajun Buffet*
Boiled shrimp in a creole sauce, slow cooked red beans, jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage, and green beans simmered with potatoes and rendered bacon fat.
* Contains pork.

Midwestern Buffet
Roast beef, goulash, wild rice pilaf, green bean casserole, and corn on the cob.

Atlantic (Seafood) Buffet
Butterflied grilled prawns, seared crab cakes with beurre blanc, coconut rice pilaf, and seasonal vegetables.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Soup Selections

Chilled Mint, Spring Pea, and Spinach
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Brightly flavored, smooth puree of spring peas, baby spinach, mint and buttermilk.

Sopa de Albondigas*
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Literally, "Meatball Soup." A Mexican soup with small beef and chorizo meatballs in a light broth with tomatoes, rice, and cilantro.
* Contains pork.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Rustic vegetable soup with cannelini beans, leeks, carrots, zucchini, pickled pepper, and swiss chard. Touched with herbs and parmesan cheese.

Chicken Noodle
Flavorful chicken broth with onion, carrot, celery, fettuccine and chunks of chicken breast.

Tomato Bisque
Creamy and chunky tomato soup flavored with dill.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Dessert Selections

Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Basil and balsamic vinegar macerated strawberries over angel food cake with whipped cream.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cake SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Triple layered cake with white chocolate and raspberry cream filling.

Key Lime Cheesecake SPRING & SUMMER SPECIAL
Sweet and tart key lime pie style cheesecake.

Gourmet Bars and Brownies
A selection including strawberry cheesecake bars, lemon bars, brownies, blondies, peanut butter bars, and seven layer bars.

Carrot Cake
A sweet spice cake with grated carrot and chopped walnuts mixed into the batter, baked and iced with a cream cheese icing.

Vanilla Cheesecake with Chocolate and Caramel Sauce
A classic vanilla cheesecake topped with caramel and chocolate sauce.

Apple Crisp
Sliced apples cooked with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and sugar. Coated with a streusel topping and baked.

Ice Cream Sundae
Vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Hors d'oeuvres

Cold Hors d'oeuvres ** Hot Hors d'oeuvres
Hors d'oeuvres are priced per 25 pieces, unless otherwise indicated.

Cold Selections ~ Hors d'oeuvres

Gourmet Cheese Plate, $78
Four to five varieties of artisan cheeses (a selection that may include and is not limited to: Tillamook sharp cheddar, Gruyere, Stilton, Maytag Bleu, Gorgonzola picante, Chevre, Camembert, Sheep's milk) served with a variety of crackers, biscuits, breads, etc.

Caramel Brie (Serves 25), $48
A wheel of creamy Brie cheese is coated with caramel and garnished with pecans.

Herbed and Spiced Goat Cheese Balls, $48
Rolled balls of soft goat cheese coated individually with either parsley, chives, thyme, pecans, paprika or curry and served in a pool of olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes.

Prosciutto & Melon*, $58
Thinly sliced strips of Prosciutto de Parma are wrapped around balls of honeydew melon that have been soaked in a mint syrup and rolled in finely sliced mint leaves.
* Contains pork.

Strawberry and Brie Kabob, $48
Slices of strawberries macerated in sugar and Limoncello are skewered alternately with slices of chilled Brie.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries, $48
Fresh strawberries dipped in mouth-watering milk chocolate.

Vegetable Crudités with Buttermilk Peppercorn Dip, $48
Raw vegetables (a selection that may include and is not limited to: wax beans, haricot verts, asparagus, celery, jicama, cucumber, scallions, carrots, squash, zucchini, radish, cherry tomatoes) served with a dip that is made of sour cream, buttermilk, peppercorns, chives, thyme, and shallot).

Hummus & Pita, $35
Cooked chickpeas are pureed with olive oil, lemon juice, sesame seed paste, and garlic and served in crips pita bread cups, then garnish with a chopped salad of kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper flakes, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Asparagus Straws*, $68
Blanched asparagus stalks are wrapped with thinly sliced Prosciutto de Parma, Parmesan cheese and phyllo dough, then baked until the dough is crispy.
* Contains pork.

Gazpacho in Cucumber Cups, $58
Cucumbers are peeled and partially hollowed out, then filled with gazpacho, with a chilled soup made with red bell peppers, jalapenos, red onions, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.

Shrimp with Fresh Cocktail Sauce, $78
Peeled, de-veined shrimp poached in shrimp stock. The cocktail sauce is prepared with fresh horseradish, ketchup and lemon juice.

Insalata Caprese Crostini, $69
Slices of baguette brushed with olive oil, grilled and topped with teardrop tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Deviled Eggs, $25
Hard-boiled eggs halved and filled with a mixture of the mashed yolks of the eggs and homemade mayonnaise, then topped with one of a variety of different garnishes. The garnishes may include but are not limited to: nutmeg and sea salt, "fines herbes" (tarragon, parsley, chervil and chives), kalamata olives, bacon and thyme, anchovy.

Fruit Tray, $ 42
A selection of fresh seasonal fruit.

Meat Assortment with Crackers, $48
An assortment cold sliced roast beef, ham, turkey served with crackers.

Meat Assortment with Dollar Buns, $58
An assortment cold sliced roast beef, ham, turkey served with bread buns.

Hot Selections ~ Hors d'oeuvres

Beef Tenderloin Teriyaki, $44
Pieces of beef tenderloin marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic, ginger, scallions and sesame oil grilled and garnished with slivers of scallions.

Pork Satay and Pineapple*, $38
Pieces of pork shoulder marinated in oil, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, sesame seeds, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar are skewered alternately with chunks of fresh pineapple, grilled, and garnished with toasted white sesame seeds.
* Contains pork.

American Meatballs with Smokey Chipotle Sauce*, $24
A blend of ground veal, pork and beef, onions, celery, and sun-dried tomatoes are sautéed in oil and served with a sauce made of ketchup, whole grain mustard and diced chipotle.
* Contains pork.

Chicken Yakitori, $38
Pieces of chicken breast, chicken liver, green pepper and onion are skewered, grilled and brushed with a mixture of mirin, soy sauce and sugar.

Buffalo Wings, $28
Chicken wings baked and tossed in Frank's hot sauce.

Sea Scallops Wrapped with Bacon*, $58
Large sea scallops wrapped with applewood smoked bacon are brushed with a mixture of lemon juice, chives, olive oil, and garlic and grilled.
* Contains pork.

Classic Crab Cakes with Mango, $72
The crab cakes are made of crabmeat, white bread, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, egg, shallots, homemade mayonnaise, and lemon zest. They are cooked in oil and served with a puree of homemade mayonnaise and mango chutney.

Hot Crab Dip, $55
A hot dip made of cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, Old bay seasoning, and fresh crabmeat. Served with chunks of baguette bread for dipping.

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Heart Dip, $35
The dip is made with spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, onion, béchamel sauce, Worcestershire, Parmesan cheese. Served with chunks of warm baguette.

Shiitake Mushrooms with Plum Glaze*, $48
The caps of shiitake mushrooms are filled with a mixture of ground pork, Chinese Five-Spice powder, and soy sauce, brushed with a mixture of plum sauce and sesame oil and roasted.
* Contains pork.

Spanakopita, $54
A mixture of spinach, Feta cheese, scallions, parsley, dill and eggs inside a triangle of phyllo dough, baked until crisp.

Pate A Choux with Onion Jam, $42
Baked balls of pate a choux dough are filled with onions and slowly cooked in butter, red wine and black currant liqueur.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres

Special Events

If you are interested in having a special event including a wedding ceremony or reception, hors d'oeuvres or dessert reception, work or private party, or any other type of event please call and inquire about pricing.

Themed Menus

If you would like a special menu to fit your meeting or event, you can work directly with our chef.

Breakfast Selections | Luncheon Selections | Dinner Selections
Soup Selections | Dessert Selections | Hors d'oeuvres