Bull’s Horn Food & Drink Minneapolis has no shortage of throwback dive bars that embrace a no-frills come-as-you-are vibe, with self-service popcorn machines and cheap drinks. Even with a faint hint of stale cigarette smoke lingering, the nostalgia keeps the bar stools filled. The problem is, most of them don’t—or can’t—serve food beyond a frozen… Read More →
La Barbecue’s Top 5 for Austin In the crowded, competitive and often ruthless Texas barbecue scene, La Barbecue sits among the best of the best. Sure it helps that owner LeAnn Mueller hails from barbecue royalty—her grandfather founded Taylor, Texas’ Louie Mueller Barbecue in 1949, a temple of smoked meat that never fails to impress.… Read More →
Our Picks for Pre- & Post-Game Dining Lucky for hungry baseball fans, Target Field sits next to some of Minneapolis’ best restaurants and bars. Just in time for the 2014 All-Star Game, here’s a round-up our favorite Downtown and North Loop establishments, from raucous pubs and local breweries to after hours fine dining. Pre-Game… Read More →
A Quintessential Early Summer Ingredient Some call rhubarb a fruit, others call it a vegetable (which it technically is). Sunset’s New Western Garden Book calls it an uncommon vegetable used as a fruit in sauces and pies. The Joy of Cooking calls it a reasonable facsimile of fruit. Ouch! Here in the hardy zone of the… Read More →
Madtown Recommendations By Molly Mogren Wisconsin’s capital city is also its biggest college town. While Badgers are known to party hard, this hippy-dippy town also offers up amazing ethnic restaurants, classic German bars and locally-driven fine dining. Without further ado… The Classics Tornado Steak House An old-school steak house serving up classic cuts (T-bones, ribeyes… Read More →
Where to Eat & Drink in Portland Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley are the chef-owner duo behind Portland’s Eventide Oyster Co., Hugo’s and the brand new, noodle-focused The Honey Paw. A modern take on the classic American oyster bar, I love Eventide for their amazing raw selection, inventive Asian-influenced lobster rolls served in steamed buns… Read More →
A Taste of New Orleans in Your Own Kitchen Mardi Gras is an annual excuse to eat, drink and celebrate all day long before the start of Lent. Next to king cake and party beads, you can’t forgo a meal of classic Creole and Cajun flavors. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for… Read More →
Homemade Eggnog By Andrew Zimmern A rich and creamy holiday drink, eggnog is simple to make at home. It’s worth the extra effort—the store-bought version pales in comparison to the real thing. Serve it plain with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or perfume it with a few tablespoons of bourbon for the adults. Watch Andrew make… Read More →
Bellecour My friend Gavin Kaysen’s latest project, Bellecour, is an absolute stunner. The award-winning chef’s return to the Twin Cities in 2014 to open Spoon and Stable came with unprecedented buzz—a few years later and it’s still near impossible to score prime time reservations—but the announcement of Bellecour sent diners into a frenzy, with more… Read More →
Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine Located just south of Powderhorn Park, Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine is justifiably famous for its incredibly fresh, spicy, from scratch, honest and delicious Pan-Caribe style food. Marla is a doyenne of jerk and an expert with the hallmark Caribbean mashup of Indian, Creole and Latin flavors. I can typically take down… Read More →
Mexican-Inspired Recipes The breadth and depth of Mexico’s culinary traditions are unrivaled. If you are looking for some Mexican-inspired recipes check out this guide with some of my favorite ones! Frozen Margaritas You can easily make these party drinks non-alcoholic, just omit the tequila and Grand Marnier and add a little extra sugar. Get… Read More →
A Taste of New Orleans in Your Kitchen Mardi Gras is an annual excuse to eat, drink and celebrate all day long before the start of Lent. Next to king cake and party beads, you can’t forgo a meal of classic Creole and Cajun flavors. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for a… Read More →
Eat Andrew Zimmern’s favorite fair foods and share your pics for a chance to win. There’s a reason Andrew finds himself at the Minnesota State Fair for every one of its 12 days: the food. Sure, every year brings new booths to peruse and novelties to try, but nothing beats traditional state fair chow from… Read More →
An Insider’s Guide to Rome A Rome-based Italian-American journalist, Katie Parla lives and breathes Roman culture and cuisine. Originally from New Jersey, Parla graduated from Yale with a degree in art history, before pursuing a sommelier certificate and master’s in Italian gastronomic culture. She’s written and edited more than 20 books, including the ebook Eating &… Read More →
Robert Stehling’s Top Picks for Charleston For the past decade, chef Robert Stehling’s Low Country fare at the acclaimed Hominy Grill has rivaled the best grandmother food in the South. His Charleston Nasty Biscuit—fried chicken, cheddar and sausage gravy, sandwiched in the perfect biscuit—has a loyal following, as do other favorites like catfish po’ boys,… Read More →
The Purposeful Traveler A prolific travel writer and expert on Central America, Joshua Berman began his writing career after a stint in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Nicaragua. He now writes a monthly column for The Denver Post, has published travel articles in the New York Times, Delta SKY, Sunset and National Geographic Traveler, acted as my guide… Read More →
Where to Eat in Iceland’s Capitol By Devan Grimsrud Reykjavík is many things. It’s a port city, the capital and largest city in Iceland, and the northernmost capital in the world with a latitude of 64°08′ N (I would know as my only memento from the touristy gift shop was a magnet stating this very… Read More →
Gift Ideas for the Cook in Your Life From fun stocking stuffers and edible indulgences (Roe Caviar, I’m looking at you), to inspiring cookbooks and splurge-worthy kitchen gadgets (who doesn’t want a high-powered blow torch for the perfect golden sear?), here is my gift giving guide for 2015. • • • EAT & DRINK READ … Read More →
A Way with Words An award-winning food writer and creator of the long running blog The Food Section, Josh Friedland was the man behind one of Twitter’s greatest mysteries—the elusive and satirical personality mash-up known as @RuthBourdain, which won a James Beard Award for Humor. He’s dropped the alternate persona, and has now authored a new… 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 →
Jonathan Brooks’ Top Picks for Indianapolis Indianapolis native Jonathan Brooks opened his first restaurant, Milktooth, with his wife in October of 2014. It didn’t take long for his edgy brunch menu to gain a following and a national reputation. In 2015, Brooks was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef (the first award given to… Read More →
Comedy for a Cause The co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio, Lizz Winstead is a brilliant comedian. These days, she’s using her platform to advocate for women’s reproductive rights through a national comedy tour supporting Planned Parenthood and her organization Lady Parts Justice, which uses humor, parodies and events like V to Shining V… Read More →
Chef Accarrino Shares San Francisco Favorites After graduating from the CIA in New York and working for top tier chefs around the country (including Thomas Keller at Per Se and Tom Colicchio at Craft Los Angeles), chef Matthew Accarrino moved to San Francisco in 2009 to take over the SPQR kitchen. At the intimate Fillmore neighborhood restaurant, Accarrino takes traditional,… Read More →
Devour Madrid A vibrant city with a storied history, beautiful architecture and a serious appetite for food, art and music, Madrid is one of Europe’s great capitals of culture. From market tapas to Michelin-starred fine dining, restaurants in this bustling metropolis intertwine the country’s rich culinary traditions with innovation and modern gastronomy. Here’s a sampling… Read More →
Edward Kim on Where to Eat & Drink in Chicago After graduating from culinary school, chef Edward Kim worked in kitchens in Los Angeles, Seoul and New York City—most notably under Thomas Keller at Per Se—before returning to his native Chicago to open Ruxbin in Wicker Park. After the wild success of his globally-influenced 32-seat neighborhood BYOB,… 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 →
How to Win Your Next Dinner Party Maybe you’re the shy type who freaks at the idea of striking up conversation at an intimate dinner with strangers; maybe you’ve been hiking the Appalachian trail for the past few months and need a refresher course on culture and current events; or maybe you’re just a food-obsessed… 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 →
