Jeremy Iggers My guess is, Ryan Aberle dreams of someday running a restaurant like Grant Achatz’s Alinea in Chicago, or Thomas Keller’s Per Se in Manhattan. For the time being, though, he’s the executive chef at North Coast in Wayzata. During the summer months, Aberle runs a high volume feeding operation, turning out Thai chicken wraps and … Read more
My esteemed colleague Ann Bauer is one tough critic. Last month, she claimed that there were only two restaurants in Saint Paul where you can get a decent upscale meal – I Nonni and Heartland, and in her most recent blog posting (see below) – she added Zander Cafe to the list. My list is … Read more
The Mill City Farmers Market wraps up its 2007 season tomorrow (Saturday) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Fall Harvest Festival. Highlights include a tasting of local wines and beer; a cooking demonstration by local chefs making fall stews, appearances by market mascot Roostini, and a mother hen and her chicks, music by … Read more
You can argue whether globalization is good for the planet or good for workers, but when it comes to gastronomy, the influx of foreign flavors has definitely enlivened the local dining scene. Mention fusion cuisine nowadays, and people are likely to think of the high-end stylings of celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. … Read more
Back about 20 years ago, I wrote an enthusiastic review of the traditional Cantonese cuisine served at the Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe. The little storefront at Cedar and Riverside started as an offshoot of a Toronto Chinese bakery, and the fare reminded me a lot of the food you can find in the restaurants … Read more
Heidi’s, the long awaited new restaurant from Stuart and Heidi Woodman is set to open “next week,” say the Woodmans, in the former Pane Vino Dolce space at 819 W. 50th St. in south Minneapolis. The Woodmans made their reputation dishing up ambitious haute cuisine at two very high-end restaurants that have both gone out … Read more
Me and the missus decided to celebrate five years of married bliss by going back to the scene of the crime, Paris, France. We had gone out on a few dates in the spring of 2000, before I went off for a fellowship at Oxford. We kept in touch during the spring by email, and … Read more
What do Kim Bartman of Cafe Barbette and Bryant Lake Bowl, Brenda Langton of Spoonriver, Lenny Russo of Heartland, Tracy Singleton of the Birchwood Cafe, Lucia Watson of Lucia’s Restaurant, Jim Grell of The Modern Cafe, Steven Brown, formerly of Harry’s Food and Cocktails, and J.P. Samuelson of jP American Bistro all have in common? … Read more
You don’t really have to be a gastronomic adventurer to enjoy the cuisine at Tam-Tam’s African Restaurant in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, the option is there. The menu really covers most of the continent, ranging from Ugandan Hunter’s Ribs ($11.99), an enormous portion of grilled … Read more
Darn! Shiraz Fireroasted Cuisine offers a terrific deal on Mondays and Tuesdays: order two entrees, and get a bottle of South African Mazulu Shiraz on the house. But I can’t persuade my wife to go there with me because they don’t have any vegetarian or seafood entrées — just beef, lamb and chicken. Best bests … Read more