Inside Best Buy's big TV bet

Plus: The 11 new burgers our food critics recommend [Plus: The 11 new burgers our food critics recommend] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Lynx in 5? 🏀 On to the news 📢 [Zoë Jackson] By Zoë Jackson TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Liberty beat Lynx 80-77 to pull within one victory of WNBA title]( - [Why meager price gains might be good for Twin Cities homebuyers]( - [Yuen: Are the northern lights even northern anymore?]( - [How a Wisconsin lawyer’s ‘cartoon head’ billboards created an unlikely celebrity]( - [Como Zoo names new Amur tigers](   Why Best Buy is betting big on big TVs (Brandon Wade/The Associated Press) One of the hottest gifts this holiday season might not fit under the tree, and Best Buy has decided to lean into the trend. More Americans are gravitating toward XXL TVs, which have screens larger than 97 inches — nearly twice the average size of TVs sold in recent years. Prices on the movie-ready monstrosities are only falling, and tech industry leaders expect them to be the Black Friday doorbuster of the season, after a long stretch of stagnant sales. Best Buy has already doubled its selection of the supersized screens and now has at least one on display in 700 stores. On average, an XXL screen now costs about $3,100; Best Buy has one on sale for $2,000. “The addition of XXL TVs to our stores provides our customers with an experience they won’t find anywhere else,” Best Buy Senior Vice President Blake Hampton said. Planning to add one to your holiday wishlist? Let us know! [Read More](     GOING OUT - [Crystal Gayle talks about ‘Brown Eyes,’ her sister Loretta Lynn and her floor-length hair ahead of Parkway show]( - [‘Golden Bachelor’ sends Minnesota-raised widower Mark Anderson home]( Get in, loser, we're watching scary movies 🎃 Every October, La Jefa and Eder whip up a list of 31 scary movies or TV shows to watch — one for each day of the month. They call it "The Halloween List," and you can [check out this year's offerings here](. Here's what's on tap tonight: 🔪 "Don't Breathe:" Fede Álvarez threaded the needle quite capably when he took on the interquel to “Alien” and “Aliens” earlier this year, which made me want to revisit his first original feature. (He helmed the 2013 “Evil Dead” remake before writing, directing and producing “Don’t Breathe.”) Streaming on Starz with a subscription. Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV: $3.99.   [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below.   11 great new burgers to try right now in the Twin Cities area The challenge faced by chefs in Twin Cities restaurants is not whether to put a burger on a menu, but how to make it stand out. In a never-ending quest for burger greatness, our food writers combed through the menus of recently opened restaurants and found these notables, all worth a spot on your to-try list. I had the famed, spendy Parlour burger last weekend after a show. It was the first time in a while, and I'm happy to report that it still hits. I can't wait to try some of the entries on this list, like Beckett's and So & So’s. [Read the full list here.]( Joy Summers MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [I covered Gov. Walz’s pheasant hunt and got an unexpected lesson in misinformation]( - [Vikings leading tackler Blake Cashman expected to miss Lions game because of turf toe]( - [Meet the former Nebraska attorney who loves books so much, she opened a Lowertown bookstore]( TASTING NOTES Food Network With unseasonably warm temperatures (again) and the Lynx still on a championship run, non-sports TV might not be at the top of your list. But a new season of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” premieres on Food Network tomorrow, and Twin Cities restaurants are front and center. The first episode features StepChld in northeast Minneapolis; Fieri also stopped by Hai Hai, Guacaya Bistreaux, Oro by Nixta, Union Hmong Kitchen and OG Zaza Pizza. None are diners, drive-ins or dives, but all are delicious. Along with burgers, we have beer on the mind, too. Anything on that burger list would pair nicely with the standout Minnesota beers Chris Riemenschneider [sampled at the annual Autumn Brew Review]( last weekend at Boom Island Park, along with more than 2,000 of his closest friends. Our highlight, though, has been reading the entries to this year’s Holiday Cookie Contest. The recipes sound delicious, the stories heartwarming — all the ingredients we need to make it the best year yet. We can’t wait to share them with you in December.     IN OTHER NEWS - [St. Paul neighbors demand plan to 'stabilize' Midway intersection in crisis - Axios]( - [Exploring Miller Castle near Nisswa - WCCO News]( THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE @TheJvandy on X Good news for those who slacked on planning those leaf-themed trips: We are [nearing peak fall colors]( in the metro! Coupled with some great Halloween decor out in the neighborhood, I'm pretty convinced this is the best time of the year. Thanks for reading Zoe Jackson, reporter Patrick Condon, editor     [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Subscribe]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.