Taste All That The Restaurant Capital Of The World Has To Offer And Run For Mayor Of This Tiny Minnesota Town
By Trent Jonas|Published July 11, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
The tiny village of Dorset, near Park Rapids in Minnesota’s Heartland Lakes region, is the self-styled “Restaurant Capital of the World.” And every summer, the hamlet’s population of 22 grows exponentially as folks flock to the community to experience its annual Taste of Dorset celebration, a classic small town festival in Minnesota – and to elect Dorset’s new mayor.
With four eateries and an ice cream shop - along with a population that hovers around 20 - Dorset, Minnesota, arguably has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world.
No, there's no voting or anything like that. Folks of any age pay $1 to put their names in jars at area businesses. Whomever's name is on the winning ticket becomes the next mayor. Thanks to this process, Dorset has become rather infamous for its recent string of youthful executive officers.
With all the media scrutiny and questions about stances on important issues, like ice cream and pets, both the office and the campaign trail can be brutal.
Being mayor of Dorset isn't for the faint of heart.
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Even when you play the game, jump through the hoops, and put your name in the mayonnaise jar, politics is a rough business - as this two-term mayor of Dorset discovered when he lost his bid for a third term.
It helps to take the sting out of the hard parts of being mayor.
This classic small town festival in Minnesota is a little quirkier than most – which means it should be on every Minnesotan’s summer bucket list! If you need a place to stay while you’re in town, there’s a unique waterfront tiny home rental on nearby Big Sandy Lake that you may want to check out.
Have you attended Taste of Dorset? Did you run for mayor? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
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