Vino Volo — Restaurant in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory

Let me tell you something about airport bars – the real ones, not those sterile lounges where business travelers hide behind their laptops. I'm talking about places like Vino Volo in Minneapolis Terminal 2, where the beautiful chaos of human travel plays out in full technicolor.

At the heart of this controlled mayhem stands Marcy, a force of nature in an apron. She's working the room like a champion prizefighter, dancing between wine bottles and draft pulls, orchestrating seating arrangements, and somehow making every stressed-out traveler feel like they've just walked into their neighborhood bar. This is the kind of service professional who makes me believe in humanity.

The Malbec Nieto Senetiner arrives in a pour that speaks of generosity rather than profit margins. It's aromatic, honest, exactly what you want while watching the parade of humanity shuffle past. But it's when I switch to Minnesota's own Surly Furious IPA that things get interesting. This is no concession to local pride – this beer is the real deal, as genuine as the midwestern spirit itself.

Here's the truth about travel: sometimes the best moments happen before you even board your flight. I get to airports early not because I'm paranoid about TSA lines, but because of places like this, where stories unfold in real time and someone like Marcy can turn a fluorescent-lit corner of Terminal 2 into...

One of the weirdest airport interactions I’ve had in all my years of flying. I ordered a very basic Salad, Arugula with lemonoil, parmesan, and canned tuna. It came covered in black pepper. I told the server I don’t like black pepper, especially not on salads. She told me to eat it cause she didn’t want to throw away a whole plate of food. I tried to, as she was being difficult, but could not (have a slight allergy to black pepper) so asked for the bill and I told her its not normal to put black pepper on salads with out asking. She then proceeded to gaslight me and say thats normal and i probably just never noticed before! Paid $23. Went and ordered a salad at a Republic bar around the corner, asked the bartender, please no black pepper, to which he replied “ Why would there be black pepper on it?!” So I shared my Vino Volo experience, to which he replies “thats crazy.” And yes, it was. A complete waste of my time & money and the food. Such an awful dining experience that I’m writing my 1st google...

So I sit down at the side tables of this establishment before boarding my 3rd leg of my trip to Alaska when the rudest nastiest most disrespectful bar tender attacks me for sitting down at an empty table in an empty bar conveniently located right across from my boarding doors. Not only did she instruct me to go sit in the back but when I didn’t jump up to do so immediately she went on to ask me why hadn’t I gotten up. My colleague who overheard n witnessed the entire incident asked me what prompted the verbal assault. I explained to her what had just transpired and as I got to my last word. The rude bar tender said that if I didn’t get up she was going to call airport police on me. That’s when my colleague chimed in that she was completely unprofessional and she was applauded to hear her talk to...