Foods

Top 5 pre-Valentine's classes for the perfect DIY meal

A natural aphrodisiac?​There's less than three weeks until Valentine's Day and if you've taken even a cursory stroll through OpenTable.com, you'll find pickings are getting slim if your go-to plan is a dinner date. Luckily that 21-day buffer leaves plenty of time for you to plan a DIY dinner - ... More >>

Prairie Ale House introduces better class of pub grub

Eden Prairie restaurant merges sports and great eats

The Inn: A tour of the bar and menu, part 2

Andy LienChef Tyge Nelson & Tim Niver​ The food menu for the Inn is intentionally simplistic, listing entrees and few ingredients.  "There are five usual dishes on any menu," Tim Niver explains. "Chicken, beef, pork, fish, and veg. We have each of those."  Eschewing the resume-like m ... More >>

Worst food products of the year

The KFC Double Down: And they get worse. Much worse.​It's hard to imagine that food hasn't been invented or combined in every possible combination by now, but humans are still managing to create unique new variations on things to eat or new ways to employ food. But for every delicious new idea ... More >>

Cooking with chocolate: chefs' tips (RECIPE)

Lisa GulyaRuby Moon chocolate truffles​Frazzled by the holiday hubbub? A little chocolate cookery could help soothe those frayed nerves. Three chefs share their tips for cooking with chocolate, plus a recipe for mole sauce.

Kopplin's vs. Espresso Royale: Whose hot chocolate is the hottest?

A.J. OlmscheidNot for the snowbound: hot chocolates worth the trip​The snow emergencies may have ended, but it is still the season for hot chocolate. So after all the snowbound days this week, where are the hot chocolates worth leaving the house for? We checked St. Paul coffee shops Kopplin's ... More >>

Whisky Park, Ugly Mug, and Be'wiched Deli: Downtown delights

Good food shows up in Minneapolis in surprising places

Free Muddy Paws Cheesecake tasting on Wednesday

Muddy Paws CheesecakeReese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Muddy Paws will be one of the 20 flavors available at Wednesday's cheesecake tasting.​Muddy Paws Cheesecake owner Tami Cabrera has done a lot of funky things to cheesecake, but it was the Nerds candy request that gave her a moment's pause. ... More >>

The Hanger Room reinvents the small-town steak house

Kill the baked potato

Purple Sandpiper and BLVD Kitchen bring culinary ambition to suburbs

Big city not required for big taste

Pregaming Thanksgiving with Wisconsin's best cheeses

We're thankful for cheese​Want to impress your Thanksgiving guests with some of the best--and, at times, hardest to get--cheeses in the country? The two cheeses produced by Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, fit the bill: the extra-aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve was recently named Best in S ... More >>

MSP Airport: The best eats

Don't put our fare in the flyover category

B.T. McElrath vs. Chocolat Céleste: A holiday chocolate showdown

Lisa GulyaIf only chocolate truffles really grew on trees​As if the Minnesota History Center's "Chocolate" exhibit doesn't provide enough excuses to indulge this fall, the Hot Dish is here to tempt you with locally made seasonal chocolates. We tested our sweet tooth against pumpkin truffles fr ... More >>

Pizzeria Lola opening this month in South Minneapolis

Pizzeria Lola aspires to be "a neighborhood institution that fosters joy, beauty and friendship"​The corner of 56th Street and Xerxes Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis is about to get tastier. Ann Kim, an actor turned restaurateur, and her business partner Conrad Leifur are set to open Pizzeria ... More >>

112 Eatery vs. Haute Dish in a charcuterie challenge

Lisa GulyaMeet the meat on Haute Dish's charcuterie plate​Some diners might find sampling a tray of charcuterie, or an assortment of cooked and air-dried meats, spookier than any haunted house offerings of spaghetti-as-brains. But for adventurous eaters, slightly mysterious meat can be a treat ... More >>

Top 5 tasty things to do with pumpkin seeds

Public Domain Photos via flickrDon't throw them away!​We know you usually just throw them on the compost heap, but wait... we've got some ideas about how to use all those pumpkin seeds that your October decorating scheme has left you with. And not to worry, we know that a "wild honey-hazelnut-pump ... More >>

Punch Pizza's big cheese, John Puckett, on the secrets of his success

Punch Pizza​John Puckett recoiled when I referred to him as the most prolific restaurateur in the Twin Cities, "Let's hope not." But the founder of Caribou coffee and partner in Punch Pizza can claim a hand in opening over 400 stores, easily eclipsing Famous Dave and his BBQ joints at 175. The ... More >>

Kings Wine Bar has a new chef--and a famous face on staff

Chef Reilander handles a pig.​Kings Wine Bar's chef Chad Reilander and his crew have been on the job a little over a month, and the menu shows their presence. With a slew of new lunch and dinner items, the restaurant is focusing more on main dishes but still offering small-plate and late-night opt ... More >>

Top 5 local chocolate treats at the History Center

Monica WrightGorging encouraged​Sure, you can visit Chocolate: The Exhibition and leave the Minnesota History Center's gift shop with a cocoa-colored magnet or pencil. Or you could get into the freakin' spirit of things and indulge in one of these top five delectable (and totally local) chocol ... More >>

Making pesto before the frost comes

rob barrettFresh pesto​With Sunday's forecast of frost, be sure to take in any of your crops or herbs that are left. If you still have some basil, and you probably do, making pesto is a great way to keep that fresh basil taste all winter long. Maybe some of you have been put off by the unavai ... More >>

Fish First

Wurst Night of Oktoberfest: Black Forest dishes up heart, tongue, and more on Monday

from BFI's Facebook pageYou can eat the rest of this deer.​For this year's Oktoberfest, the Black Forest Inn is bringing a little something special to your table. With a renewed interest in eating all the parts of the animal, BFI' is adding tongue, heart, liver, and kidneys to their Oktoberfest br ... More >>

Five Guys coming to Dinkytown

Five Guys expands beyond Edina.​The former East Bank building at 1413 Fourth Street SE in Dinkytown will soon have peanut shells all over the floors when the popular burger joint Five Guys moves in this fall. The Virginia-based chain has something of a cult following nationally (even our heal ... More >>

Twin Cities street food Pt. 2: Smack Shack, Sonny's, and more

Discover tasty treats to go

Free sweets for Top Chef Just Desserts premiere

What tops this? Free desserts!​Time to frost yourself in buttercream and sprinkle on the jimmies: Fans of the Bravo series Top Chef have been salivating over the arrival of the network's new show, Top Chef Just Desserts, which premieres tonight (11/10 central). In its honor, several Twin Cit ... More >>

Top 5 Minneapolis street eats

Head to the streets for some Brotherly love.​This week's Dish column investigates the new street eats in downtown Minneapolis: goat curry, Ethiopian coffee, pulled pork sandwiches, homemade lemon-ginger sodas, and more. We ate our way through the new carts' offerings to bring you the five be ... More >>

Sonny's ice cream cart takes a turn downtown

Michelle BruchLast call for outdoor ice cream.​Summer ain't over till it's over in Minnesota, and we have plenty of warm days left to take advantage of the Sonny's Ice Cream stand on Nicollet Mall. Sonny's is one of the new street carts that opened in downtown Minneapolis this year. It's near ... More >>

Street food takes over the Twin Cities

In search of the best meal on wheels

Faces Mears Park updates American classics

David Fhima returns with new Lowertown restaurant

Parma 8200 revives Bloomington's staid dining scene

D'Amico-owned Italian makes strides with modern dishes

American Burger Bar coming soon to downtown Minneapolis

http://americanburgerbar.com/Burger patriotism at its best: American Burger Bar​The guys behind American Burger Bar in downtown St. Paul have snapped up the awkward-shaped, possibly-cursed former Mahnattan's space at Eighth and Hennepin/LaSalle in downtown Minneapolis (previously a Pizza Nea) ... More >>

Manny's vs. La Alborada in a torta takedown

Lisa GulyaManny's stackable steak sandwich​In the market for a quick lunch? This week's food fight compares tortas, Mexican sandwiches, from two of Lake Street's numerous mercados. Read on to discover who sells a more satisfying steak sandwich.

Franklin Street Bakery II now open

A new sweet shop for Edina​Let the scent of char-grilled burgers mingle with cupcakes: Frankin Street Bakery opened a second outpost near 44th and France in Edina, next to the Convention Grill. Even with this spring's arrival of Sweet Retreat, ever since Patisserie Margo moved to Excelsior, ... More >>

Mike Phillips and Kieran Folliard launching Green Ox meat co.

Mike "Charcuterie" Phillips with some of his wares ​For years, Mike Phillips, the man behind the 100 Favorite Dishes-worthy charcuterie at the Craftsman, has dreamed of becoming the Midwest's first artisan salami maker, and I'm happy to report that plans are in the works to make that dream a r ... More >>

Turkey To Go street cart roasts State Fair food all summer

Michelle BruchFrom the fair to the mall: Minnesota-raised turkeys.​A State Fair staple is now open for lunch on Nicollet Mall, serving slow-roasted turkey drumsticks and giant turkey sandwiches. You can't miss it--the Turkey To Go truck is in a prime spot at Eighth and Nicollet. (At the Stat ... More >>

Best Chicago beef in Minneapolis: the search begins

Our quest to find the best sandwiches in the city lead us to Dinkytown in search of killer Chicago beef.

Cheesecake 101: Baker basics from cooking instructor Joan Donatelle

zingyyellow via Flickr.com​Happy National Cheesecake Day! Sure, you can rush out to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate in, um, style, or you could wait until next week to take a Cheesecake 101 class at Byerly's St. Louis Park with Joan Donatelle, Culinary Shop Manager. We talked with Donatelle ... More >>

Sweets Bakeshop offers free cupcakes daily

Photo courtesy Bethany DickFree cupcakes? Sweet!​Sweets Bakeshop just launched a sweet program to reduce their end-of-the-day inventory. Every night, from 6 to 8 p.m. (5 to 6 p.m. on Sundays), guests who drop in and mention the code words "Cupcake Happy Hour" will receive one free cupcake from amo ... More >>

Patisserie 46: Full-on French bakery in Minneapolis

Decadent treats situated at 46th and Grand

Morey's of Motley: A great seafood store where you least expect it

Morey's of Motley​Fresh seafood in Minnesota has always been an oxymoron of sorts. For the state farthest from both oceans, how is that possible? To people driving through Motley on their way to Brainerd, this must have seemed even more of a reach--fresh seafood in Motley? But a quick stop at ... More >>

The Depot at First Avenue and Green Mill's Twisted Fork

Casual, chef-driven eats in the Twin Cities

Haute Dish's Landon Schoenefeld: Talent with a temper

Chef has held more restaurant jobs than many retired cooks

The Simple Sandwich makes lunch automatic

Touch me....there.​If the main reason you eat lunch at your desk every day is a fear of human interaction, then it's time you hit the Minneapolis skyway to explore the Simple Sandwich. Located in the Fifth Street Towers, this new locally owned lunch spot offers customers a self-serve ordering ... More >>

St. Paul Grill, Sea Salt & more: Most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

The catfish po' boy is No. 1 at Sea Salt​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 ... More >>

Friendly's 1,200-calorie BurgerMelt? Burger Jones has it beat by a mile

Burger JonesYou're getting fat just looking at it​ You may have heard that the Friendly's restaurant chain recently joined the outrageous-food bandwagon (popularized by KFC's Double Downs and one-upped by Krispy Kreme's Donut Burger) by creating the new

Grand Ole Creamery vs. Liberty Frozen Custard in a battle of banana splits

KB35 via Flickr.com​Since searching for the perfect root beer float, we had another hankering for a summery ice cream classic: the banana split. We staged a food fight between Grand Ole Creamery and Liberty Frozen Custard to see who had the best. While both versions brought us closer to 5,00 ... More >>

La Belle Vie, Lucia's, the Nook, and more: Most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

At La Belle Vie, you can't go wrong with the halibut​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 >>

Ringo offers worldly menu

From South Korea to South Africa

Oceanaire, Blue Door Pub, and more: The most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

​When you go out to eat, do you order decisively or do you stare at the menu obsessively, as if it's your last meal? Here's a handy guide to what customers order most at some of the Twin Cities' most popular eateries, plus recommendations from the chefs at Oceanaire, Blue Door Pub, and more. C ... More >>