March 19, 2010Joan Ida: Making Waffles!
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard this one: Joan Ida, lately the chef of high-end Porter & Frye, one-time endlessly awarded pastry chef at (dear departed) Goodfellows, and former top toque at fine dining Tria, has taken over the top position at… the Highland Grill. The Mac-Groveland diner. What the heck is someone known for super-fine dining doing in the land of waffles and fish and chips? I tracked down Ida at the Blue Plate Restaurant Company’s corporate HQ in Maple Grove. Blue Plate is the company that owns the Highland Grill, the Edina Grill, the Longfellow Grill, the Groveland Tap, and Three Squares, and Ida had only been there a few days.“How do you find out these things?” she gasped. But then she clammed up and put... Read more » Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (1) |
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March 18, 2010Springtime Equals a New Meritage Crêpe Stand!
I walked past a patch of purple and white crocuses in bloom this past weekend and my heart leapt with joy: Spring really is coming! Now, to add to my springtime joys, I have learned that chef Russell Klein plans to debut a crêpe stand once farmers' market season gets rolling. Says chef Klein: “We’ll have it out on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the farmers' market, on the plaza next to Great Waters. I do a fair amount of shopping at that market. It’s a great resource. We’ll also have it out on our summer patio when the season gets going. I’m thinking we’ll keep it pretty simple, just two or three sweet crepes and two or three savory ones. We’ll make use of the farmers' market, making our own strawberry preserves, using local ham and... Read more » Posted on Thursday, March 18, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (1) |
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March 15, 2010Sneak Peek: Great Sun Buffet
Restaurant watchers in Minneapolis know to be skeptical of the new-restaurant-du-jour at the corner of Nicollet Avenue South and 14th street—you know the spot. It most infamously held the unforgettably named “Snoodles” (noodles you sniff?), a few doors down from Market BBQ and Salsa a la Salsa, two restaurants which have proved that this location can work quite well. However: Can it work well for a half-Indian, half-Chinese buffet? Ordinarily I’d say that concept sounds sort of dopey, but when I heard such a restaurant was being opened by the people behind Gangchen (the very good, affordable Tibetan restaurant with the vibrant bar scene a little farther south on Nicollet), I had to try it out. I mean, maybe half-Indian, half-Chinese was just a way of... Read more » Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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March 11, 2010Wild Acres Turkey Drumsticks at the Twins Stadium!
Most foodies in the Twin Cities are familiar with Wild Acres, the Pequot Lakes grower of wonderful pheasant, duck, turkey, wild turkey, and other poultry, and they’re familiar with them because the Wild Acres name appears on so many of the Twin Cities’ top restaurant menus. But no one knows this but us: Turns out the smoked turkey drumsticks at the new Twins Stadium about to open will be supplied by Wild Acres. But no one will know this but us because being an official supplier to the Twins is one of those pay-to-play arrangements that have to be worked out by contract, and Wild Acres isn’t big enough to get involved in such a contract. Still, the smoked turkey drumsticks on offer at the Twins Stadium will be Wild Acres drumsticks nonetheless. They’ll... Read more » Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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March 10, 2010Naviya’s Back! Coming to Midtown Global Market in Late April?
Naviya and Kim La Barge have been a strange force in Twin Cities restaurant culture the last few years. They opened one of the best Thai restaurants the Twin Cities have ever seen in Richfield in 2007, developed a devoted, almost cultish following for their vibrant, herb-bedecked ultra-fresh creations, added a blue-collar Thai sibling called the Kalico Elephant that was equally raved about, and then vanished without a trace, closing Naviya’s last August and selling the Kalico Elephant to one of the restaurants’ cooks, who set about... Read more » Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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March 8, 2010Cheap Eats: Authentic Ethnic
After loads of date-worthy destinations and small perfections, our March "Cheap Eats" cover story continues with what I like to call Authentic Ethnic: Punch Neapolitan Pizza La Loma Posted on Monday, March 8, 2010 in Dear Dara | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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March 3, 2010Cover Story: Small Perfections, Under $10!Our intrepid food critic scoured the metro for the best dishes under $10. Turns out, it’s a delicious time to be thrifty. Read more » Posted on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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March 1, 2010Heidi’s & Blackbird Spectacular Spectacular, March 14!Three Special Events on March 14 to Help Heidi’s and Blackbird Restaurants Recover Read more » Posted on Monday, March 1, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (1) |
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February 19, 2010Silence of the Lambs Cake & Big Stakes At the Chef Challenge!
Food & Wine’s kick-off last night was a blast: Tickets sold out. Scott Pampuch from the Corner Table had a bizarre and amazing cake frosted with a bright pink ganache made with beets. Michelle Gayer from the Salty Tart celebrated her inclusion on the Beard Awards’ long list with cookies shaped like mustaches, baked so that stick handles stuck down on one side. She was frosting them with your choice of frosting (Brown? White? Curled 19th century evil-doer style?) and taking Polaroid pictures of anyone who wanted their picture taken with their own mustache cookie—fun. Of course, the big story of the night was everyone’s shock and grief about the loss of Heidi’s, Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 in Dear Dara What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (2) |
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February 17, 2010Best Food & Wine Experience Ever?!
What are you doing this weekend? I know what I’m going to be doing: As much Food & Wine Experience as possible. Longtime local foodies know this show as the one weekend a year when us Minnesota Monthly types take over the Minneapolis Convention Center, bring in wine makers, wine distributors, and various complementary folks such as cheese makers and beer makers. Then we sell tickets to raise funds for MPR, and people like you and me get to wander the convention center tasting all the great wines, beers, and fancy foods that come complimentary with your entry fee. It’s a great time and we’re raising money for a great cause. However, if you haven’t been in a while, you should know that we’ve been adding lots of fantastic new attractions,... Read more » Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 in Dear Dara | Permalink | Comments (0) |
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