The Lager Queen of Minnesota

Returning to 2003, Edith arrives home from her job interview at Tippi’s Café in Nicollet Falls, a suburb of Minneapolis. Amy offers Edith $15 per hour to bake her famous pies. Stanley convinces Edith to take the job, suggesting they move closer to the café and noting the added benefit of living closer to their daughter, Colleen, and her family. Edith feels guilty leaving St. Anthony-Waterside, knowing her famous pies instilled pride among the residents.

Edith and Stanley struggle to find an apartment they can afford in a more populated area, eventually finding a tiny one-bedroom. Edith experiences difficulty adjusting to the changes at her new job. She arrives at 4:30 am, makes 25 pies a day, and is encouraged to use heavy, professional baking equipment with which she is unfamiliar. Her boss, Jackie Lund, provides confusing instructions that frustrate Edith. Jackie explains that she took over the café after her mother passed away. Edith recognizes a Macalester diploma in Jackie’s office; Jackie attended the university primarily because her parents both went to Macalester, meeting over a six-pack of Coors. Without many details, Edith tells Jackie her sister attended Macalester.

Eugene, Edith’s son, visits the café, helping himself to donuts without asking or paying.