Author: Jeremy Iggers

  • The Favor Cafe: Miami Vice to Southern Fried

    It’s a scene enough to bring tears to a restaurant owner’s eyes. As we dined Friday night at the new Favor Café (the former Restaurant Miami), 913 W. Lake St., one party after another walked in the door – mostly young women dressed for a night of partying. Some of them sat down at tables,…

  • White Bear Thai, Fun Times at Victor's, Wine Classes at Dancing Ganesha

    Notes From the (e) Mailbag: Subject: Ban Thai. "I went to the most wonderful Thai restaurant in White Bear Lake last night," wrote Julia Barton recently. "I live in White Bear Lake and I found out it’s been open and I’d never even heard of the place. I talked to the waiter/husband of the chef/owner…

  • Naked Bones at the Brickhouse BBQ

    As I get older and balder, I have come to appreciate the t-shirt legend that proclaims, "Only a few heads are perfect – the rest are covered with hair." Something similar is true of barbecued ribs – the best way to serve mediocre ribs is smothered in sauce – but to serve ribs naked, they…

  • Outdoor Dining: Old Favorites, New Finds

    My how time flies. It is almost August, the days are getting shorter, and the evenings of patio dining will soon be a distant memory. I still haven’t made it back to my all-time favorite outdoor dining spot, the patio at the Black Forest Inn, for a mug of Pilsner Urquell, a pair of bratwurst…

  • Gandhi Mahal – In Pictures

    The first time I visited Gandhi Mahal, the new Indian restaurant at 27th and E. Lake St., was before it was actually open for business. I introduced myself to the owner, which seemed like the right thing to do at the time, since I wasn’t reviewing the place, and I wanted to ask a lot…

  • The Naschmarkt: Vienna's Outdoor Market

    "Probieren Sie mal, Herr Professor," says the guy behind the counter at the market stall, as he holds out a freshly fried felafel ball. "Have a taste." (I guess the beard and glasses make me look like a Herr Professor.) A few feet away, another vendor holds out a green olive on a toothpick. Strolling…