Ethnic and Regional Cuisines

Twin Cities south Asian hot spots

Gorkha Palace, Darbar India Grill, and more

Happy Hours

Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen: Will it lift the curse?

Popular restaurateur boldly closes Azia to embark on new challenge

Frog legs--delicacy or eco-issue? Local restaurants weigh in

STF sticks up for frogs.Frog legs enjoyed a certain level of kitschy popularity about 30 years ago, appearing regularly in Twin Cities buffets. But today, only a few of our restaurants serve the amphibs on their daily menus, and scant others offer them as seasonal specials. Perhaps it's because ... More >>

Lunch at Obento-ya: a photo tour

Sharyn Morrow​ Having friends who are chefs means you have to sneak time to hang out with them during random days off, or before they go to work. On this particular day, we headed to Obento-ya for lunch with Chris Olson.

Bar La Grassa: a photo tour

Kate N.G. Sommers​ Bar La Grassa has been one of the most heralded restaurants in town recently. We stopped by this week to indulge, trying 10 items off the dinner menu alone, not to mention dessert and drinks. First up was the plate of prosciutto. Not enough was it to serve outrageously ten ... More >>

The best thing I ate this week

Treating yourself to chicken tikka.​What would I have to do to get a little tandoor in my kitchen, to supplement the workhorse Caloric? I could cook up skewered meats and puffy disks of hand-patted naan, while warming up the whole house with the oven's 900-degree heat. Or, I suppose, I could j ... More >>

Top 5 spots to celebrate Oktoberfest

It's not yet October, but it's time to fest!​What do desperate hausfraus, meter-long bratwurst, and dachshund races have in common? They're all part of upcoming Oktoberfest celebrations in the Twin Cities. So squeeze into your lederhosen and polish your steins: Here are several German-beer-d ... More >>

Tavola Fresca launches new outdoor dinner opera series

www.latavolafresca.comOpera outdoor gourmet eats​Nick Schneider, the chef behind this summer's Tavola Fresca garden dining series and Picnic Operetta (playing through September 26), has partnered with Picnic Operetta singer Meredith Cain-Nielson to host a fall dining series, Tavola Lirica, t ... More >>

Szechuan Spice takes over the Zen space in LynLake

The spicy new kid on the LynLake block​​Move over, Zen, Szechuan Spice has taken over your old digs in LynLake. Open since August 9, it focuses on Szechuan flavors with the greatest hits of Chinese-American cuisine thrown in for good measure. Owner-chef ChangFu Xue has worked in China and New Yo ... More >>

Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen now open

www.wonderousmpls.comStep right up and get your dim sum!​The bright, Vegas-style sign at 6th and Hennepin is all aglow: Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen is open. The deep red color scheme and antique artifacts suggest a throwback to mid-century Chinese-American restaurants like Minneapolis's ... More >>

Josh Grier of Tapes n' Tapes loves Letterman's cookies, Surly's beer

No napkin required​Tapes n' Tapes singer Josh Grier is a guy after our own heart: He knows the exact number of steps between his home and his favorite bar, and when it came time to submit a photo, he offered to dig through his extensive stash of food-on-face pictures. Throw in addictions to su ... More >>

Bukhara Indian Bistro coming soon to Minnetonka

Out: Turkey. In: India.​Joginder Cheema, former owner of the Taste of India and India Palace restaurant empires and current owner of three India House restaurants in St. Paul, Fridley, and downtown Minneapolis (India Express), is bringing Bukhara Indian Bistro to the former home of Istanbul Bi ... More >>

National Bratwurst Day--we visit the very best place for wurst

Tj's Country Corner, a place of bratwurst dreams.​For National Bratwurst Day, which is unofficially Monday, August 16 (there is another school of NBD that celebrates August 3), we wanted to praise the brat by visiting the place that calls itself "The Best of the Wurst": TJ's Country Market in Maht ... More >>

Broders' Michael Rostance: Chef Chat, Part 2

A.J. Olmscheid​Here's part two of our chat with Michael Rostance, executive chef at Broders' Cucina Italiana and Pasta Bar in south Minneapolis. (Read part one here.) Today we talk with the veteran chef about the challenges of grilling in front of customers and why American dried pasta will never ... More >>

Broders' Michael Rostance: Chef Chat, Part 1

A.J. Olmscheid​Chef Michael Rostance has always faced the pressure to produce, but it wasn't always in the kitchen. His first career was in radio, when he worked as one of the DJs who started the Twin Cities community station KFAI. Rostance started cooking at the Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis ... More >>

Origami vs. Tanpopo in a battle of noodle soups

Lisa Gulya​ If you've seen the Japanese film Tampopo, you know the power of a perfectly prepared bowl of Japanese noodles. Heck, even if you've never heard of Tampopo, you probably know someone who subsisted on ramen noodles when times were tough. This Food Fight is for them. We want to make ... More >>

Pizza Luce, Nick & Eddie, and more: The most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

Photo: PizzaLuce.comHere's what's hot at Pizza Luce​When you go out to eat, do you ever stare at the menu for minutes on end, waffling over what to order? Do you ever wonder if the restaurant's regulars know something you don't? Here's a handy guide to what customers order most at some of the ... More >>

Sebastian Joe's ice cream goes kosher

Michelle Bruch Sebastian Joe's thinks "kosher" could be the new "organic."​Starting this month, about 90 percent of Sebastian Joe's ice cream flavors will sport a "K" for kosher. There are separate kosher scoopers, bona fide kosher ingredients, and special kosher production days open to rab ... More >>

Foxy Falafel's Erica Strait: Five Questions

Photo by Nikki MillerFoxy Falafel's bike-powered smoothies at the Uptown Market​If you've been to the Kingfield, Uptown, and Northeast farmers markets this summer, you've probably seen Foxy Falafel owner Erica Strait peddling (and pedaling) her bike-powered smoothies and amazing falafel, along wit ... More >>

Fuji Ya Uptown: Happy hour of the week

​ Fuji Ya Uptown (lounge only). 600 West Lake St., Minneapolis 612.871.4055 website Hours and details: Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12 p.m. Sunday 8 p.m.-10 p.m. sushi $3.50-$8.00; appetizers $3.00-$6.50; select domestic and imported beer $3.50; sake small $3.50, large $4.50; ... More >>

Raku and Pairings fit right in in western suburbs

One is Japanese and the other favors a "total meal concept"

Sushi in a tube: weird foods

​ ​ Since we are going to have sushi in Lowertown, why can't we also have sushi in a tube? Guess what, you can have it all.

Barbette, La Grassa, and more: The most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

​When you go out to eat, do you ever stare at the menu for minutes on end, waffling over what to order? Do you ever wonder if the restaurant's regulars know something you don't? Here's a handy guide to what customers order most at some of the Twin Cities' most popular eateries, plus recommenda ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo: Top 5 Mexican restaurants (plus bonus pick)

If you can't make La Fiesta mas Caliente de Minnesota--Minnesota's spiciest celebration--this weekend in West St. Paul's District del Sol (Friday 4-9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., includes a parade, low-rider car show, music, dancing, and more) you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo Fiesta with a Mexican m ... More >>

Fusion: Happy hour of the week

​Fusion2919 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls612.824.6200websiteHours: Daily 4 p.m.-6 p.m., late Tuesday and Wednesday, 10-close, Thursday-Saturday, midnight-close.Details: 1/2-price drinks and beer, $4 signature martinis, $10 bottomless house wine, $20 bottomless premium wine, 2-for-1 select appetizers,&nbs ... More >>

St. Patrick's Day eats: Top 5

Wanna score some corned beef and soda bread along with your Guinness and Jameson? Step right up.

Food Fight: Sen Yai Sen Lek vs. True Thai tom yum

What better way to preface a flavorful curry than with the mild, citrus-y tang of a bowl of tom yum.

Pierogi as public art? Sorry, but this is terrible.

"There is no more art in this than a lump of poop." Northeast Minneapolis: Save yourself from a $100,000 mistake.

Food Fight: Falafel King vs. Wally's falafel

All falafels are not created equal. See how two restaurants style up some fried legumes.

100 Favorite Dishes: Bento Box at Obento-Ya

Our favorite thing to order at our favorite budget-friendly Japanese restaurant.

What local critics' Top 10 lists say about 2009 dining

It's part good news, part bad...

Epic Sandwich: Pizza Nea puts a pizza twist on focaccia sandwiches

Many regard Pizza Nea as one of the best pizza joints in town, but can Nea apply its pizza skills to create killer sandwich?

The best new Twin Cities restaurants of 2009

Sea Change, Anchor Fish & Chips among favorite new spots

Om Restaurant serves up nirvana on a platter, Indian-style

Vik Uppal has a new spot in the nightclub district

Epic Sandwich: Modern Café's pork, kimchi and hog fat sandwich

The Modern Cafe in NE Minneapolis seemed like the perfect lunch spot on a cold day, but I made an unfortunate sandwich selection.

D'Amico Kitchen follows up legendary era with chic Italian

Famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is replaced at the Chambers—now what?

Chef spotlight: Bader Jaber from Wally's Falafel & Hummus

The chef's favorite dishes, such as the chicken shawarma, come straight from his childhood in Palestine.

Food Fight: Gelato

See who comes out tops in a showdown between a reliable gelato and a new kid on the block.

Now open: Jackson's Coffee and Gelato

Jackson's Coffee and Gelato brings some competition to the Twin Cities gelato market.

Slovenia a lesser-known foodie destination

Slovenia, with its Italian and Austrian influences and fresh ingredients, makes a kickass foodie tourist destination.

Lyn-Lake's Risotto is affordably and casually chic

Restaurant does the fussy Italian dish right—but not at lunch

Epic Sandwich: Gardens of Salonica's tzatziki refreshes in the MN heat

The hot Minnesota sun had me craving something bold, flavorful and refreshing to beat the early summer heat - a perfect excuse to grab a traditional Greek sandwich slathered in cooling tzatziki at the Gardens of Salonica.

Garlic scapes: just like garlic but bad breath x1,000

Garlic scapes a suitable, more colorful substitute for garlic. Just remember mouthwash.

Coming soon: Wakame Sushi

Sushi competes with burgers for claim to most popular new restaurant theme in the TC.

Pardon My French, Volnay Bistro bring Paris to the Twin Cities

Local French cafes will make you say, "Ooh la la!"

Mt. Fuji and Zen crowd Uptown's overgrown Asian cuisine market

Lyndale and Hennepin are peppered with a plethora of Asian fusion options

Sushi's not all tuna and salmon, far from it

Traditionally, sushi is made with local, seasonal ingredients reports the Atlantic.

April Artists' of the Month Opening Party

Domacin of Stillwater and Tian Jin of Chanhassen are bright spots in the suburbs

A classic culinary case of East meets West