Consumer Non-Cyclicals

Brau Brothers getting ready for move to Marshall

Brau Brothers Brewing Company is clear about its origins, proudly printing "population 220" for all to see on its original logo. However, as the brewery grows, obstacles have risen, and relocation is afoot for the 15-year-old company, now based in tiny Lucan, Minnesota. Brau Brothers started in 1998 ... More >>

Erwin Lingitz sues after he's arrested for allegedly stealing free samples from Cub Foods

Nearly three years after he was roughed up and arrested for allegedly swiping free samples from the White Bear Township Cub Foods, 68-year-old Erwin Lingitz has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $375,000 in damages.SEE ALSO: Camera unlawfully taken by Ramsey County deputy: "If I end up on YouTube, I'm ... More >>

Lake Superior Brewing on the Duluth brew scene: "The place is hopping"

The Twin Cities aren't the only booming beer scene in Minnesota right now. Just up I-35 one can find a plethora of production breweries and brewpubs springing up. The anchor of the northern Minnesota brewers is Lake Superior Brewing Company, founded in 1994 by Bob Dromeshauser. While Dromeshauser ha ... More >>

Beer maker Nathan Berndt: Brewing "the Indeed way" in Northeast

There's no doubt about it, the Minnesota brew scene is booming. Indeed Brewing Company, which first opened its doors last winter, was the first brewery in northeast Minneapolis. Now there are three. The Hot Dish caught up with co-owner Nathan Berndt to talk about the company he helped found with lon ... More >>

The Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival

St. Paul Classic Cookie Company will not reopen

After a truly valiant effort to keep its doors open, St. Paul Classic Cookie company announced via its blog that it won't be able to continue operating at its current retail location.  It isn't the first business that was forced to close after light rail construction and detours made travel dif ... More >>

Top Brewer Minnesota first-round event this Thursday

The "Iron Chef" of Minnesota home brewing is about to get under way. Starting this Thursday, October 11, a select group of experienced brewers will go head to head to become the state's first Top Brewer. Twenty-four competitors will square off in the qualifying round that will narrow the field to fo ... More >>

Squad19: FUEL 2012

12th Annual Autumn Brew Review: A review

With clear, perfect skies and a hint of hops in the air, the 12th Annual Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild Autumn Brew Review brought nearly 3,000 to the old Grain Belt Brewery site in northeast Minneapolis over the weekend to sample craft brews from across the country. Over 100 brewers were on site to ... More >>

Hot Cheetos and Takis: A taste test

See Also:"Hot Cheetos & Takis" video features young Minneapolis rappers from Beats And Rhymes programThursday's City Pages editorial meeting had several special guests. Yep, Hot Cheetos and Takis showed up and they totally overshadowed (and out-crunched) the discussion topics for the week. After ... More >>

Grand Forks Olive Garden reviewer, internet sensation Marilyn Hagerty to receive major journalism award

See also: Olive Garden review: the greatest restaurant review ever written The Grand Forks Herald restaurant writer whose homey review of a new Olive Garden created a weeks-long internet sensation will receive a prestigious national journalism award that has previously gone to such luminaries as Wa ... More >>

Indeed Brewing taproom coming soon

See also:Minneapolis named Top 10 cities for drinking craft beerOn Monday, Indeed Brewing announced via Twitter that a Minneapolis City Council subcommittee had unanimously approved its application to operate a taproom and sell growlers at its Northeast Minneapolis brewery.If Indeed Brewing complete ... More >>

Tonka Beer: Saving Minnesota lakes one beer at a time

If there are two things on the mind of any Minnesotan during the summer months, they're beer and invasive species. It's impossible to go out to any of our local lakes without seeing sign after sign reminding us to check our boats for any would-be hitchhikers. There is, however, one Minnesota company ... More >>

Maynard James Keenan on recruiting Dave Matthews fans and getting the Scissor Sisters drunk

Tool and Puscifer both to perform at River's Edge Festival

Minnesota voters of all stripes agree: 'Let us buy booze on Sundays'

Minnesota Democrats, Republicans, and independents all agree on one thing -- we should be able to buy booze on Sundays.A new poll released by Public Policy Polling shows that just about everyone except our elected officials agrees that there is no good reason those of us who fail to plan ahead shoul ... More >>

Beer sales at TCF Bank Stadium means Gophers football finally leads Big Ten in something

The Minnesota Gophers football team is finally first in the Big Ten!No, not in the standings, silly. That's preposterous. But the Gophers are the first team in the conference to allow alcohol sales at their stadium.Earlier this week, legislators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill allowing beer ... More >>

Summit's Eric Blomquist on beer drinkin', brewing, and Unchained #9 (INTERVIEW)

​Sipping #9, the newest edition of Summit Brewing Company's Unchained series, the flavors of rich toffee and caramel blend with mellow banana, like a hint of Bananas Foster in a rich malty brew. Unchained #9--a Dunkel Weizen which is a darker version of the popular wheat beer Hefeweizen--was creat ... More >>

Olive Garden review: the greatest restaurant review ever written

​After a great run writing reviews for City Pages, I will probably need to tender a letter of resignation because Marilyn Hagerty, Eatbeat columnist for Grand Forks Herald, just won restaurant reviewing. Forever.Today's column, which she has been writing for years, titled "Long-awaited Olive Garde ... More >>

Taste of Chocolate

Beaker and Brush Discussion: Gastronomy

Cheap dates and chocolate fill this first March Week in Food

A lot of weeks we see the same types of events (beer, wine, beer, wine), but March is breaking the mold with not only a decadent chocolate exhibition but a class about how to power your kitchen appliances with solar energy. Sounds like a promising start to the month.

Summit announces plans for $6 million brewery expansion

​With craft breweries like Boom Island Brewing, Fulton, Harriet Brewing, and Lucid popping up all over the metro area, Minnesota's largest craft brewer has no intention of getting lost in the shuffle. Summit has plans for a major expansion of its St. Paul brewery, slated to begin in late ... More >>

Maple syrup: This season's prospects

Our unusually mild winter has left many wondering just how much sap will run from the sugar maple trees this season. Will we be relegated to purchasing 100% Canadian maple syrup when the local supply inevitably runs out? Fortunately, there is still a possibility of a strong syrup season, according t ... More >>

The Twin Cities loves fast food, study finds

​We may be fit, but apparently Twin Citians also love fast food.According to a study by QSR (for quick-service restaurant) Magazine, from 2000 through 2010, the Twin Cities had the third-largest increase in fast-food spending of any metropolis over 1 million in population. That, combined with the ... More >>

Bawdy Blue Christmas

Is SuperValu anti-Christmas?

Wait--we thought the Grinch was green...​For those people out there who don't make a habit of watching paid political ads on YouTube, you may be surprised to learn that America is currently at war. No, we're not talking about the drawn-out wars in far-off lands like Iraq or Afghanistan ... More >>

Buca di Beppo's headquarters migrating to Florida

​Buca di Beppo's Minneapolis headquarters will be moving to Orlando, Florida, in April, according to a story in the Star Tribune.

Cub Foods settles lawsuit with cleaning workers

Cub Foods will no longer have to deal with CTUL.​Cub Foods has settled a lawsuit with the labor union that's been hounding them for the past year. CTUL, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (The Center of Workers United in Struggle) represented a number of cleaning workers demanding better ... More >>

Wayzata Eatery closes, Taher opens St. Louis Park Woodfire Grill

www.slpwoodfiregrill.comTaher closes Wayzata Eatery, but opens St. Louis Park Woodfire Grill.​Wayzata Eatery, the Taher Corporation's first foray into the restaurant business, has shut its doors, reports Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine. The Minnetonka-based food service company previously clos ... More >>

SurlyFest

Four indie food trends stolen by chain restaurants

WestwordApplebee's: Corporate posers​The Simpsons famously asked, "If you take away our right to steal ideas, where are they gonna come from?" Entertainment is built on stolen ideas, of course. But so, it seems, is the food industry, especially in recent years. Indie food trends--from food tr ... More >>

St. Paul restaurant owners say food trucks are eating profits

Brent SchoonoverSt. Paul restaurants vs. food trucks.​When the city of Minneapolis was creating its food truck policy, several restaurant owners spoke out against it, saying the competition was unfair. Now that food trucks have come out in full force in downtown St. Paul, the Pioneer Press h ... More >>

Local craft on draft at the 2011 MN State Fair

Surly Furious is among the local beers headed to this year's MN State Fair​In past years the craft brew selection at the Minnesota State Fair has been fairly limited. There was Summit and ... well there was Summit. Not that Summit is a bad choice, but a little more variety would be welcome. Ma ... More >>

SurlyFest vs. Summit Brewing 25th Anniversary Party: a beer drinker's dilemma

Summit vs. Surly: Clash of titans!​Locavore beer drinkers will be facing the mother of all dilemmas this fall: Surly Brewing Company's annual SurlyFest is falling on the exact same day as the Summit Brewing Company's 25th Anniversary Party. What's a hop head to do?

Cub Foods workers take protest to Supervalu shareholders meeting

CTUL.Protesters say they're doing more work for less money.​It's been nearly two months since a group of disgruntled Cub Foods workers ended a 12-day hunger strike, and they say nothing has been done to improve working conditions. That same crew of workers is staging a protest today at an Edina s ... More >>

Schell's named among the top 10 breweries at the 2011 US Open Beer Championships

An oldie but a goodie: Schell's was founded in 1860.​Schell's Brewery in New Ulm, Minnesota, is the second-oldest family-owned brewery in the United States, and even after 151 years in business, it isn't showing any sign of losing its edge: The brewery ranked in the Top 10 at the recent U.S. O ... More >>

Minneapolis patio ordinance heads for City Council vote

The proposed law would add restrictions on patio capacity and late-night music​Opponents and supporters of a controversial proposal to add restrictions on restaurant patios packed a Minneapolis City Council committee meeting Monday night, and after a debate by more than two dozen speakers, the ... More >>

McDonald's marketing called out in national ad campaign

Health practitioners are asking McD's to get rid of this guy.​This week's print edition of City Pages includes a full-page ad in which 550 health professionals and health organizations ask McDonald's to retire Ronald McDonald and stop marking unhealthy food to kids. The letter, which is also ... More >>

Get hoppy about Minnesota Craft Beer Week this week in food

Frosty​This week in food is awash in lagers, IPAs, and stouts thanks to Minnesota Craft Beer Week and the Stillwater Brewer's Bazaar. If you're a beer lover, this is the perfect week to call in sick to work.

Glitter Ball 4 takes over the Grain Belt Bottling Building this Friday

​Gimme Noise is proud to be a media partner at this weekend's Glitter Ball 4: A Night in Andy Warhol's Factory, a community-building fundraiser, art showing, and party that will feature Pictures of Then, Alicia Wiley, the Arms Akimbo, and Joey Ryan & the Inks playing covers of their favorite ' ... More >>

Buffalo Wild Wings petitions to stop NFL lockout

​Perhaps no local company will be more affected if the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the NFL stay home this season than Buffalo Wild Wings. The restaurant chain--a favorite locale for eating wings while watching sports, as we documented in our recent cover story, "The Wing to Power"---st ... More >>

Wally the Beer Man's fate in hands of jurors

McNeil's fans launched a "Free Wally" campaign after his arrest.​The reputation of Minneapolis's most famous beer vendor is now in the hands of a jury. Jurors heard final arguments today in the trial of Walter McNeil, better known as Wally the Beer Man. According to the charges, McNeil sold beer ... More >>

Kieran Folliard expands his Irish empire

Restaurateur introduces new whiskey and specialty meats

Chipolte fired more than a third of its Minnesota workforce for immigration violations

Chipotle fired 450 Minnesota employees after an immigration audit.​Until recently, Chipotle Mexican Grills has refused to reveal how many Minnesota workers it fired last year in the wake of an audit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But a new filing with the Security and Exchange Commi ... More >>

Kindred Kitchen gets food entrepreneurs cooking in North Minneapolis

Andy LienOn the boulevard of burgeoning dreams​On West Broadway a new business venture is fostering foodie dreams and hope for a revitalized neighborhood.  On November 11 the Kindred Kitchen officially opened as a community resource for people hoping to begin or grow their own food businesses ... More >>

Chipotle launches mass firings of Latinos across Minnesota [UPDATE]

sleepfordaysMexican food, yes. Mexican workers, no.​At least 48 workers at area Chipotle restaurants have been fired after rumors that the Immigration and Customs Service conducted an I-9 audit or "desktop raid" looking for undocumented immigrants.Brad Sigal, a member of the Minnesota Immigrant Ri ... More >>

U of M let agribusiness big wig pre-screen "Troubled Waters"

Surprise! An agribusiness group argued against the film.​Ever since the University of Minnesota mysteriously tried last month to cancel the airing of "Troubled Waters," a documentary on agricultural pollution of the Mississipi River, there's been speculation that the school's close ties to agribus ... More >>

Cheese Supreme

Local cheese is better than it's ever been. Here's the first of a two-part guide to the rarest, best, and most glorious examples.

Same Steak, Different House

The Triumph of Pomp Over Taste