James Beard Foundation

Thomas Keller and Bouchon Bakery coming to La Belle Vie

Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel of Bouchon will be stopping in town to promote their new Bouchon Bakery cookbook along with a little help from local celebrity chefs, Andrew Zimmern and Tim McKee. A very special book signing will take place at La Belle Vie and you're invited.See Also:2013 Best Des ... More >>

Butcher & the Boar's pastry chef opens Black Walnut, a pop-up bakery

Though bourbon, big portions, and beer gardens may be the most talked-about attractions at Jack Riebel's Butcher & the Boar, a recent James Beard Award semi-finalist in the Best New Restaurant category, early on we also recognized there's something special going on in their pastry station. South ... More >>

La Belle Vie throws fabulous birthday fête

La Belle Vie, widely recognized as the pinnacle of Minnesota fine-dining threw itself a birthday party to celebrate its 15 years, inviting the well-to-do to mix with the well-known chefs both present and past who have contributed to the success of this storied restaurant.  The Hot Dish was luck ... More >>

Food & Wine opens voting for the People's Best New Chef

Today Food and Wine magazine put out the call for the people to choose their best new chef. In the Midwest region there is a strong Minneapolis showing, with several familiar names.

Win a trip to the James Beard Awards

When the semifinalists for the James Beard Awards were announced, the local food world was all a-twitter. Each year the James Beard Foundation hands out its awards recognizing excellence in the restaurant industry. The tales of the awards and ensuing after-parties are always tantalizing. To be a fly ... More >>

Best of Hot Dish: March 4-8, 2013

These twin towns are totally bonkers as they burst with food and drink news; Find out what's been happening this week from Hot Dish.~There's lobster-fueled madness going down in the North Loop at the new Smack Shack. Read our review, and take the tour.~What are the best dishes in town? Our Top 50 di ... More >>

La Belle Vie makes Open Table's top 100 best service restaurants

Both 2012 and 2013 have been kind to Twin Cities restaurants, and the national recognition just keeps rolling in. This week the restaurant reservation website Open Table has published its 2013 list of the top 100 restaurants in the country with the best service, and Minneapolis fine-dining restauran ... More >>

Cakewalk brings out top chefs to benefit Share Our Strength

It was an evening of elegance and pastries. Share Our Strength, whose goal is to end childhood hunger, gathered many of the finest chefs in the cities to put on their annual benefit. The gala was presented by Michelle Gayer, James Beard Award nominee and owner of the acclaimed Salty Tart Bakery, in ... More >>

Kramarczuk's wins James Beard Award

Yesterday the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its 2013 American Classics awards. On the list of America's restaurant treasures was the Northeast classic Kramarczuk's.See also:Kramarczuk's holubets, 100 Favorite DishesBest Restaurant for GluttonsBest Kolaches

La Belle Vie turns 15: An interview with Tim McKee

The most lauded restaurant in Minnesota is turning 15 years old this year. In honor of the event, La Belle Vie's James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee is hosting a party on Sunday, March 24. A collection of chefs who have passed through the kitchen in both its current and the original Stillwater ... More >>

Burch in Lowry Hill: A first look at Isaac Becker's new restaurant

A moment of silence for the Cotty Lowry billboard. The delightfully defaced ad is gone, and the building it once clung to has been revitalized. Now, rather than looking for clever captions or dubious mustaches, we can eagerly peek inside the brand, new Burch Steak.See also:Burch announces openi ... More >>

Michelle Gayer possible judge for new baking competition show

As American television networks are wont to do, CBS announced it is developing its own version of the popular UK series The Great British Bake Off, a competition show that pits the country's best amateur bakers against one another over the course of several weeks. Contestants must display proficienc ... More >>

James Beard Award semi-finalists announced

Today the James Beard Award semi-finalists were announced. The food world's annual answer to the Oscars recognizes the best in the business. Winners carry the proud title throughout their career. Past local honorees include the likes of Isaac Becker, Alex Roberts, and Tim McKee. This year's list inc ... More >>

Isaac Becker's Burch announces opening date

The highly anticipated restaurant from James Beard Award-winning Chef Isaac Becker at the corner of Hennepin and Franklin is shockingly close to opening their doors. What's more, it will be not one, but two restaurants and just wait until you hear about all of their menu plans.

Chef's Day Off: Where Carrie McCabe-Johnston of Nightingale likes to eat

It's relatively rare -- maybe even a blue moon-level occasion -- for a chef, particularly one at a new restaurant, to be able to go out on the town and have someone else cook for them. So when local chefs do get a chance to get away from their own kitchens, where do they choose to eat? This Chef's D ... More >>

James Beard benefit dinner brings out the star chefs

Last night, on the bluffs in Mendota Heights, the James Beard Foundation, in conjunction with Le Cordon Bleu and Mpls/St.Paul magazine, hosted a benefit dinner in which eight of the Twin Cities most regarded chefs prepared a multiple-course, roaming tasting menu. Guests could nibble their way from k ... More >>

Masu Sushi Mall of America has an opening date

See Also: Masu Sushi makes list of best new American sushi restaurantsBest of the Twin Cities: Best Japanese Restaurant -- 2012 Dining options at the mega mall are about to get a little hipper. The Best Japanese restaurant of last year is getting a suburban sibling. The menu will be nearly identica ... More >>

Blind beer tastings and yoga in a vineyard this Week in Food

Drinking has gotten more adventurous lately, or so this Week in Food has led us to believe. Whether you're doing yoga in a vineyard (and topping it with a glass of wine) or doing blind tastings of 28 specially chosen beers, it's almost like Outward Bound for folks who like to tipple.

Salty Tart celebrates 4 years with cookies

Michelle Gayer, the James Beard Award-nominated chef, has been running her bakery, the Salty Tart, for four years today. That is four tasty years of macaroons, cakes, breads, and her unmistakable brand of salty sass. It's hard to imagine a world without those tasty milk buns that have popped up on s ... More >>

La Belle Vie named one of the top 25 bars in the country

It's nice to get the notice, when the man running the bar program literally wrote the book on fine drinks cocktails. Johnny Michaels's cocktail-shaking star continues to rise. This week Men's Fitness magazine named La Belle Vie one of the 25 best bars in America.

Andrew Zimmern wins James Beard Award

Minnesota food celebrity and TV show host Andrew Zimmern has won a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Television Show on Location. His popular Bizarre Foods show is now in it's seventh season, with new episodes airing on the Travel Channel Mondays at 8 p.m. The James Beard Awards are known as the ... More >>

Gastro Non Grata: Pre Earth Day Confection Carousel

Gastro Non Grata's next event: dessert extravaganza Confection Carousel

If you have a sweet tooth, mark your calendars for Friday, April 20. Gastro Non Grata, the collective "chef-driven labor of love" headed by organizers Craig Drehmel and Jeff Mitchell has announced its next event, and it features a killer lineup of pastry talent.Tunes will be provided by the Cactus B ... More >>

Best of Hot Dish: March 19-March 23, 2012

​With an early spring shining upon us and the Cities bursting with life. one of the great joys of the season is the return of the food trucks. Here are a few Hot Dish posts from this week to get you in the mood.  ~The truck court in St. Paul returns for the season on Wednesday, May 2.~We ... More >>

James Beard Award finalists announced

​While Minnesota chefs and restaurants were well-represented when the semifinalists were announced, fewer were recognized as finalists.  The James Beard Awards are regarded as the Oscars of the culinary world. Here are the local nominees who made the cut:

Cake Walk was a sweet success

​What began as a simple cake walk soon transformed into a sort of sweet vision quest for WCCO newsman Jason DeRusha. "I just don't know how I'm going to get this thing home," he remarked as the cake he'd won from event organizer and James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Michelle Gayer loomed beh ... More >>

Michelle Gayer of the Salty Tart: Chef Chat

When the James Beard Award semifinalists were announced this week, it was no surprise that Michelle Gayer was listed among nods for Outstanding Pastry Chef. We've recognized her Salty Tart as our Best Bakery and the Beard Awards have nominated her in the past.   Her career began as a dish ... More >>

The Best of Hot Dish: February 20-24, 2012

And thus ends another week at the Hot Dish, a week packed full of exciting local food news. Here are a few stories we wouldn't want you to miss.​~Find out which local food superstars are now semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Award.~We visited Jack's Cafe, now open in Kingfield. Read th ... More >>

Win tickets to Share Our Strength's Cakewalk

Cake, tunes and booze--what's not to love?On March 1, James Beard Award nominee and Best Bakery owner Michelle Gayer will be hosting a cakewalk at the Fine Line. The proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending childhood hunger.In addition to the Salty Tart, a few ot ... More >>

James Beard Award finalists include Twin Cities names - Updated

​The James Beard award semifinalist list was announced today, and on the list were some familiar names. The awards were established in 1990 and named for chef, food writer, and celebrated lover of life, James Beard. The awards are the highest honor available to food professionals. Part of why the ... More >>

112 Eatery is chock full of delicious dishes for less than $12

To kick off 2012, we're highlighting 12 of the best dishes under $12 in the Twin Cities. Scroll down to view the complete list. Isaac Becker has much to be thankful for, and he knows it. The restaurant game can be brutal, and when you're fortunate enough to survive, you count your lucky stars. ... More >>

Five more freaky local dishes you'll love to eat

A tasty Halloween dinner that bites back​Halloween is here, and we've been contemplating more dishes that make the meek go "eek."  Part of the fun of being an adventurous eater is bragging rights to your friends, especially the squeamish, that you have endured--nay, savored--a food that other ... More >>

50 tasty reasons to love Minnesota food

Photo: Steve Neuharth, Michelle LeonReason No. 11: Chefs like Doug Flicker at Piccolo create food that doesn't just impress--it inspires. ​When Anthony Bourdain last year told his TV audience on No Reservations that his experience at Doug Flicker's south Minneapolis restaurant Piccolo was "far ... More >>

Zimmern, local chefs talk sustainability at James Beard Foundation salon

Mitchell Davis and Ashley Kosiak from JBF​Thursday morning, a small but impressive group including Andrew Zimmern, Lenny Russo, Lucia Watson, Tracy Singleton, and Erick Harcey, as well as representatives from several nonprofits, a cookbook author, and a few other notables, gathered at Restaurant A ... More >>

Top 5 brunch spots for foodies with kids

nvainio/FlickrFoodie in the making​Just because you're stuck at home Friday night, while your friends are experiencing the coolest bands, hippest new restaurants, and banging hangover that follow, doesn't mean you've turned in your cool card entirely. Having kids changes things, but if you're ... More >>

Delta teams with top local chefs for 12 new restaurants at MSP

The skies might not be friendlier, but things on the ground are tastier​What began with Ike's and Surdyk's has expanded into a dramatically upgraded foodie experience at MSP International, with new restaurants from a veritable who's who of local star chefs popping up on Concourse G at the Lindberg ... More >>

Celebrate good times in the Best of Hot Dish: May 9-13, 2011

One reason to party...​Much rejoicing has come to the land of Minnesota--perhaps because winter is finally over or maybe due to the fact that there is a wealth of good food news to groove on. As you look back on this fine week, tornado warnings not withstanding, the Hot Dish would like to help you ... More >>

Masu Sushi & Robata: A sneak peek Inside

Masu Sushi & Robata Japanese meets Nordeast​Take the pop of a Shea-designed restaurant, add the sizzle of a Tim McKee-produced menu, a dash of sustainable seafood, served with a twist, and you'll find yourself with Masu Sushi and Robata, the latest venture of Minneapolis's own menu whisperer. ... More >>

Saffron's Sameh Wadi: Chef Chat, Part 1

photo by Saed WadiSameh Wadi​Saffron's Sameh Wadi has a lot on his proverbial plate. He was named as a semifinalist for the "Rising Star Chef of the Year" James Beard Award and was invited to cook at the awards ceremony this May. He's also collaborating on a family book of Palestinian cooking ... More >>

James Beard Awards finalists announced

​The field has further narrowed, and we have two Twin Cities chefs among the final contenders for the James Beard Awards' Best Chef Midwest. Drumroll, please........:

Jason Blair of Red Stag Supperclub, Chef Chat Part 1

​Jason Blair is a Minnesota guy through and through.  Growing up in Delano, one of his first jobs was working at a hometown pizza joint.  From there he started down a culinary path that has led through some of the most beautiful, lush parts of the country, only to find himself right back ... More >>

Andrew Zimmern wants you to watch Bizarre Foods tonight and help the homeless

Travel ChannelWatch Zimmern eat bizarre foods and help the homeless​Andrew Zimmern has been encouraging everyone via tweets to watch the San Francisco episode of Bizarre Foods tonight to help out 100,000 Homes Campaign, a charity organization that battles against homelessness. For every viewe ... More >>

The Best of the Hot Dish, February 14-18, 2011

Newsy, but choosy​This week at the Hot Dish was chock full of straight-up restaurant happenings--the comings, the goings, the James Beard Awards, and more. The Hot Dish presents this week in foodie news:The James Beard Award semi-finalists were announced and also Food and Wine nominated four local ... More >>

Where Obama should eat in the Twin Cities

"Damn, I'm hungry."​Dear Mr. President, Welcome to the Twin Cities. We're very much looking forward to your Northrup Mall visit. (The opening band is going to be awesome, by the way!) But surely with all that baby kissing and public speaking, you're going to work up an appetite. Here's where ... More >>

James Beard Awards accepting nominations

Beard gets out the vote!​Minneapolis is coming off a 2-year winning streak at the James Beard Awards, with Tim McKee and Alex Roberts taking home the Best Chef Midwest title in 2009 and 2010, respectively. If you'd like to nominate someone deserving of that award or another (best new restaur ... More >>

Salty Tart's Michelle Gayer: Chef Chat, part 1

Lisa GulyaMichelle Gayer of the Salty Tart bakery​Michelle Gayer, owner and head chef at the two-year-old Minneapolis bakery Salty Tart, has been busy the last six months. Last spring she was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. After attending the awards c ... More >>

Celebrity Chef Tour Minneapolis: the slideshow

Tim McKee's grilled lamb ribeye ​A legendary feast took place at Solera last Thursday as a multitude of culinary superpowers combined forces at a benefit for the James Beard Foundation--supporters of all things educational and extraordinary about food. Nine chefs. Nine courses. Here is the team: T ... More >>

Celebrity Chef Tour comes to Minneapolis

A foodie's dream come true.​Dining at the James Beard House in New York City is an experience very few people enjoy. Since chances are slim that any of us will ever be invited, the next best thing is happening in Minneapolis on Thursday: The Celebrity Chef Tour creates the experience of those dinn ... More >>

Lenny Russo: Chef Chat, Part I

​Stunning is the scope of Heartland's move to Lowertown, from its current location at 1806 St. Clair Ave. Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market, scheduled to open on Thursday, July 15, 2010, will be in the Market House building, a 1902 warehouse across the street from the St. Paul Farmer's ... More >>