Brasa Rotisserie For years, Brasa Rotisserie has been the go-to for Creole-style rotisserie chicken and Southern-inspired sides. From the mind of James Beard award-winning chef Alex Roberts, Brasa is a casual, convivial spot where meals are best had family style. They’re known for a mash-up of Southern-Caribbean-Mexican-Creole dishes, like slow roasted pork doused with fresh… Read More →
Mucci’s Italian Owned by local restaurateur Tim Niver, Mucci’s Italian is one of the best new restaurants to come to the Twin Cities. In a tiny, unmarked brick building in St. Paul, you’ll find incredible food and service in a beautiful, yet unpretentious setting. With lacquered wood tabletops, black leather banquettes and chairs, the cozy… Read More →
Punch Pizza There are plenty of great pizza places in the Twin Cities, but Punch will always have a special place in my heart. Now with eight locations across the metro, their first location, which opened back in 1996 in St. Paul’s Highland Park, is my favorite. Co-founders John Soranno, who grew up in Milan,… Read More →
Southern Soul Food Takes Root When you think about Minnesotan food, the first thing that comes to mind is… well, anything BUT fried chicken. Lucky for us Northerners, chef Thomas Boemer filled the city’s Southern-food-void with crunchy, succulent Tennessee hot chicken, Johnnycakes and crispy pigs’ ears. They’re also serving one of the best burgers in town… Read More →
A Few Paris Gems By Bob & Sue In addition to our favorite Michelin 3- and 2-star restaurants (L’Astrance, Le Cinq, L’Ambroisie, Pierre Gagnaire, Jean Francoise Piege, and L’Atelier Robuchon), we enjoyed some exciting meals in smaller venues and bistros: Chez Georges This old fashioned bistro delivers classic dishes as well as anyone in… Read More →
Where to Find Great Comfort Food in the Windy City By Bob & Sue In addition to three of our favorite fine dining restaurants in Chicago—Grace, Alinea and 16 at the Trump—we enjoyed several first time places for memorable comfort food: Credit: Huge Galdones Momotaro This large Japanese restaurant offers delicious sushi and high-quality small… Read More →
The Great Northern is an annual celebration of Minnesota’s most iconic season—but you already know that. What’s so exciting about this year’s festival is the food component, and none are more tantalizing than the debut of the Winter Table. As part of the 10 day festival of outdoor food, arts, and activity, The Bachelor Farmer and Spoon… Read More →
We are the North. Let’s celebrate it. Northerners don’t apologize for winter—they embrace it. The Great Northern, a new collaborative winter experience founded by event leaders in the Twin Cities, has recently announced an exciting lineup of 10 days of outdoor winter dining events. It’s time to celebrate this place we call home (and the weather that comes with it).… Read More →
We Have Your Holiday Shopping Covered Use code AZCYBER25 at Shop Andrew Zimmern for 25% off store-wide on Cyber Monday 11/28 only! From edible gifts and accessories to clothing and travel gear, Shop Andrew Zimmern is filled with products inspired by my travels at home and abroad. Go check it out, I bet you’ll find something for… Read More →
My Favorite Chickpea Salad By Andrew Zimmern Dressed with lemon juice, Banyuls vinegar, earthy capers and fresh herbs, this flavorful salad is one of my go-to side dishes all year round. It makes great leftovers as well. Like this recipe? Save it on Pinterest!
Andrew Zimmern’s Bucket List Back-to-Back Episodes Tuesday September 27 9|8c on Travel Channel. I’ve devoted a lifetime to gathering the best food experiences all over the world. From iconic restaurants to off-the-beaten-path markets and shops, I’m adding to my bucket list everywhere I go. In my new show, I’m sharing my personal ‘best of’ list for anyone whose… Read More →
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week By Andrew Zimmern The best thing I ate last week was dinner on Saturday night. Tomato and feta salad, crispy twice-cooked potatoes with thyme from the garden, and these amazing grass-fed, corn finished 2-inch thick ribeye steaks from Peterson Farms cows. Peterson’s raise Limousin cattle exclusively on their… Read More →
Austin City Bites By Bob & Sue A weekend in the country’s fastest growing city (which embraces its reputation for being weird, as well as the Live Music Capital of the World) included memorable dinners at a prominent food critic’s three favorite restaurants: Qui Credit: Nicolai McCrary Philippine native Paul Qui delivers an eclectic combination of… Read More →
The Twin Cities’ Best Vietnamese Restaurants Home to a vibrant Vietnamese community, the Twin Cities are a pho-lover’s paradise. And in a town chock-full of great Vietnamese restaurants, it’s difficult to name the best. From fantastic noodle soups to Banh mi sandwiches, bao to broken rice platters here are our favorite Vietnamese spots. Quang If… Read More →
What Not to Miss in Austin The co-owner of Salt & Time, Ben Runkle is Austin’s leading meat purveyor. What was born from Runkle’s passion for Old World charcuterie, turned into the city’s first whole carcass butcher shop and salumeria when a partnership with Bryan Butler developed in 2010. The pair are committed to sourcing animals… Read More →
Devour Buenos Aires A Latin American city heavy with European influences, Buenos Aires is the best of both worlds. Equally confident and classy, there’s no question why it’s the most visited South American city. A unique cultural life thrives here, from the old-timey cafes, European architecture and bustling streets to the devoted soccer fans and… Read More →
Devour Munich The capital of Bavaria, Munich is full of impressive architecture, world-class art, and prosperous industries. Home of Germany’s renowned Oktoberfest celebration, there’s a lot more to Munich than huge beer gardens and lederhosen. Bike through the old town, visit Frauenkirche, and indulge in various Bavarian meals that you simply can’t find outside of this region. From… Read More →
I’m writing to invite my fellow Minnesotans to a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who loves food. As previously reported, on Friday, October 9 the Minneapolis Institute of Art is welcoming Ferran Adrià, an innovator widely considered to be one of the world’s top chefs, his protégé and award-winning chef José Andrès, and yours truly for… Read More →
Devour London A global hub of history, finance, fashion and food, London is incredibly accessible, reliable and popular for tourists. As England’s capital grows increasingly diverse, so do the culinary offerings. From high-end Michelin-rated tasting menus and an influx of chef-driven gastropubs to roaming food trucks and amazing ethnic food from around the globe, there… Read More →
I received a lot of questions about this pickle picture on Instagram last week, so here’s the low down. For those of you who want to try it at home, I’ll walk you through my process. I put 15 pounds of washed and dried small pickling cukes—the average size was a little bit bigger than my… Read More →
The State Fair is my favorite Minnesota food celebration, hands down. I adore the Minnesota State Fair so much that I try to go all 12 days. Every year there’s a list of new food booths, but I dig on the classics…. Sweet Martha’s Cookies, Speedy’s About a Foot Long Hot Dog, the Gizmo (an Italian… Read More →
I got this email from Tamra C. McCraw yesterday. It’s reprinted in its exact form because I couldn’t put it any better… please read it, make the links your mission for today and lets help kids get the food they need during the summer months and beyond. I need you to call/email/tweet/urge your Senators to get active on this piece of legislation. Thanks, AZ Andrew it… Read More →
Real Minnesota Farmhouse Food By Andrew Zimmern These beet pickles are simply the best. Don’t throw the brine away when the jar no longer has beets in it. Core and slice a hard, crisp apple. Bring to a simmer in the brine, return to the jar and refrigerate for a day and you will have… Read More →
Minnesota summers may be short, but we never take a sunny day for granted. We jam-pack June-September with events celebrating the food, drink, art and music that make Minnesota an amazing place to live. You probably already know that my favorite food festival on earth is the Minnesota State Fair. But there are several other… Read More →
Justin Yu on Where to Eat & Drink in Houston With an astounding blend of cultures and cuisine, Houston has long been one of America’s great food cities. But it’s only been until recently—with chefs like Chris Shepherd, Hugo Ortega and Justin Yu leading the pack—that anyone’s paid attention to the robust dining scene. Well… Read More →
My Favorite Cooking Tunes Music is always playing when I’m in the kitchen. What I listen to varies, but the playlist I’m sharing today is my perfect catch-all for spending time behind the burners. It’s an eclectic mix of genres, of new and throwback tunes… Holly Williams to Talking Heads to The Jayhawks. Listen here or, if you… Read More →
Pickled Golden Chanterelles & Morels By Andrew Zimmern Marinovannye Griby are pickled mushrooms in Russian, and until I spent time in St. Petersburg a few years ago, I never would have told you to pickle chanterelles and morels, but I’m telling you…do it. These days, with access to farmers’ markets and foragers these mushrooms are… Read More →
Congratulations JBF Award Winners! As always, I had a fantastic time at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious awards ceremony honoring professionals in the food and beverage biz. I’m so proud to be a part of this amazing organization that works hard on education, agriculture issues, food insecurity and hunger relief. You… Read More →
Minnesota Restaurants Supporting Local Farms I love all four seasons, but there are few greater things in life than the first days of a Minnesota spring. We love celebrating another winter survived, and if you’re anything like me, food plays a huge role. I can’t wait until restaurants unveil their spring menus, teeming with fresh… Read More →
Stephanie March Just Start Stephanie March, senior Food & Dining editor of Mpls St Paul Magazine, joins us this week to talk about the restaurant review process, how to get an awesome food job, and why there were no women on the cover of “The Best Restaurants” issue. Questions We want to include your listener… Read More →
