Rick Nelson

Signature Dish: Piccolo's chef Doug Flicker

In the search for the Twin Cities' best culinary creations, we often come across dishes that stop us mid-bite and force us to reflect on the level of thought and artistry chefs put into their work. The efforts of the chefs are often laborious, and the end results are regularly consumed before the fu ... More >>

The Afghan Whigs at Varsity Theater, 10/28/12

The Afghan WhigsWith WussyVarsity Theater, MinneapolisSunday, October 28, 2012"What else you got? I want you naked in three more songs," the Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli called to the adoring person who threw a sparkling black scarf onstage amid "What Jail is Like," from 1993's Gentlemen. "I'm not jokin ... More >>

Summer Set, Bonnie Rait, Murder by Death, and more

Desert Rose Band

World Street Kitchen: Another food truck finds a permanent home

The brothers Wadi are preparing to open their second restaurant. The two already run Saffron in Minneapolis's Warehouse District. Chef Sameh runs the kitchen, while his elder brother Saed keeps the front of the house humming. When not at Saffron, they also run the wildly popular World Street Kitchen ... More >>

Cafe Maude looking to expand to Minneapolis

​Cafe Maude's owner Kevin Sheehy is eying a new space that would bring Cafe Maude a little sister of sorts, according to Rick Nelson's blog at the Star Tribune. Sheehy expressed his thoughts on moving by saying, "When it comes to expanding, I've always thought, 'Do I go to Maple Grove or Eden Prai ... More >>

Andrew Zimmern Chef Chat with the Bizarre Foods czar, Part 2

​Local chef turned big-time TV star Andrew Zimmern is bringing his wildly successful Bizarre Foods home to Minneapolis. The premiere episode of this all-American season, premiering Monday on the Travel Channel at 9 p.m., features Minnesota foods.  (It's the second episode he's filmed in his h ... More >>

Bachelor Farmer hires new pastry chef, loses sous chef

The Bachelor Farmer has ladies coming and going​The Bachelor Farmer has been garnering raves from around the Cities, from four stars from Rick Nelson at the Star Tribune to Best New Restaurant awards.  Just try to get a 7 o'clock dinner reservation and you'll see just how beloved the Dayton b ... More >>

Rogue Valley tour diary, Vol. 1

​Rogue Valley is a Minneapolis-based theatrical folk-pop band who are currently on tour. On the road are drummer Luke Anderson, bassist Paul Engles, keyboardist Joey Kantor, guitar/vocalist Chris Koza and guitarist Peter Sieve. Their tour diaries are written by Koza and edited by Sieve. The road ... More >>

Blue Door Pub plans expansion to Minneapolis

​St. Paul's diminutive burger darling, the Blue Door Pub, has settled on a Minneapolis location for its next outpost, according to Rick Nelson at the Star Tribune. Here are more details about where co-owners Jeremy Woerner and Patrick McDonough say they plan to set up shop.

Sleeping in the Aviary keep it real with their new album, 'You and Me, Ghost'

​Unexpected and unusual, Sleeping in the Aviary charm their way into the indie-rock scene with their quirky albums; they now have three under their belt, and one on the way.With all these albums out, you might be asking yourself, "Where has Sleeping in the Aviary been all your life?"  The ans ... More >>

What foods should Target Field add?

More new eats at Target Field? ​Just because there's still snow on the ground, that doesn't mean we can't start getting psyched up for baseball season. The Star Tribune points out that the Twins will be announcing this year's concessions lineup on March 29--and that there may still be time to ... More >>

Top 5 restaurant breakups

Universal PicturesIf Jennifer Aniston were Tim McKee, then who would Vince Vaughn be?​Valentine's Day is a celebration of love. But then, it's hard not to think about relationships that have gone sour. Let's open up a box of chocolates and take a stroll down memory lane of top five Twin Citi ... More >>

The Star Tribune's C.J., now with less salt

Bob McNamaraC.J. without the salt​C.J., the Star Tribune's legendary gossip columnist and contributor to Fox 9's "Dish with C.J." segments, known for her dogged pursuit of scandals and scuttlebutt, has recently met her match: sodium. After an inner ear problem left her with rigid dietary restr ... More >>

Bob Harper from Biggest Loser (rightly) denied a table at La Grassa, gets bitchy on Twitter

Not making his own phone call meant Bob missed out on La Grassa's deliciousness.​Another catfight went down two Saturdays ago in the ongoing and ever-more-ridiculous war between restaurateurs and tweeting foodies. The Star Tribune recounts Bar La Grassa's social media nightmare surrounding Bob H ... More >>

Rustica's Steve Horton: Chef Chat, part 1

Lisa GulyaPinching and punching: for Rustica baker Steve Horton, it's all in a day's work.​This week's chef chat is better labeled baker banter, as owner Steve Horton of Minneapolis's Rustica Bakery explains that professional baking is all about consistency. Producing the same high-quality loa ... More >>

Star Tribune's cookie of the year a salty-sweet treat

Sugary balls​Every December the Star Tribune tackles a problem that many people would envy: sorting through hundreds of cookie recipe submissions to find the annual Christmas cookie champion. This year Rick Nelson (check out this video describing the cookie-sorting process) chose a pistachio-o ... More >>

Stewart Woodman and Lenny Russo trade blows in the blogosphere

Woodman and Russo trade blows in the blogosphere.​Usually chefs criticize each other's work in private and leave restaurant critics to do the public skewering. But with the rise in chefs taking part in social media, it was only a matter of time before they started slinging serious mud at each ... More >>

Porter Creek Hardwood Grill now open in Burnsville

www.portercreek.comFiner dining now in Burnsville.​Porter Creek Hardwood Grill opened earlier this summer and the Star Tribune's Rick Nelson reports that it's breathing new life into Burnsville's less-than-inspiring dining scene. The former Baker's Square Outlet (!) has been remade into a su ... More >>

Lake Superior's best south shore dining

www.wikipedia.comBayfield hosts a classic, Door County-style fish boil!​We can't say enough good things about dining along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior:Chez Jude and the Angry Trout in Grand Marais, the Lockport Store in Lutsen, Nokomis and New Scenic near Two Harbors, and the heav ... More >>

It's Summertime

So hush now, little babies

Josh Thoma accused of financial mismanagement; out at Barrio, La Grassa

​Rick Nelson reports a big scoop on a local restaurateur accused of "cooking the books." Josh Thoma--James Beard Award winner Tim McKee's partner in La Belle Vie, Solera, and Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque, who more recently entered partnerships with the white-hot Barrio (with McKee) and La Gra ... More >>

Star Tribune's Taste 50 is out!

​We look forward to it every year: Rick Nelson's list of favorite Minnesota foodstuffs, purveyors, and more, the epic Taste 50. The 2010 version features a bunch of items that we love, too, including Piccolo's pickled pigs feet with scrambled eggs, New Scenic Cafe fruit pie, D'Amico Kitchen's ... More >>

Haze reunites over funky mystery record

Discarded album revives forgotten chapter of Minneapolis music history

Coming Soon: Forum

Someone finally leased the former Goodfellow's space!

What local critics' Top 10 lists say about 2009 dining

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

Top 5: Ways to spend X-Mas week, foodie style

How to entertain visiting relatives *and* have some good eats? Start planning now...

John Fogerty

Brother Ali, Dinosaur Jr., John Fogerty, and more

RIP: Tejas

Have your last Tex-Mex meal at 50th and France before Tejas closes next month.

Now Open: Bar La Grassa

Bar La Grassa is now open on Washington Ave.

Missing chef Emily Streeter...

Rick Nelson road trips to St. Peter and finds a destination restaurant worth the drive.

Now Open: Cru

Finer dining comes to the northern 'burbs.

WSJ gives walleye a shout-out

We'll forgive you for calling us "flyover country," WSJ, mostly because you're right.

Hot Eats: Ice Cream

Izzy's People's Flavor Awards take place this Sunday, plus Rick Nelson has some great recs for local licks.

Top 5: North Shore Eateries

Here's where to refuel when you head to Duluth and beyond...

Coming Soon: Cru

A Heartland expat is opening a classy spot to eat in the northern suburbs...

MPR's Midmorning talks food with MSPMag, Strib

Kerri Miller talks Twin Cities dining with local food critics Rick Nelson and Adam Platt.

Awesome Indian food coming soon

Best holiday cookies

Minnesota Republicans out Franken on lesbian jokes

Bye-Bye

Dara departs, and leaves a memoir in her wake

To Catch a Masseuse

Statehouse continues its bold crusade against horny massage therapists

Everyone's a Critic

Paul McCartney: Run Devil Run

Young Spuds in a Longhorn Daze

BLACK & WHITE... and Red All Over

Star Tribune honchos pooh-pooh insinuations that they're at war with that other paper across the river. So why is the Strib stomping all around the PiPress's back yard?

AIDS Walk aims at $800,000 goal

Charity afoot: Minnesotans participate in the AIDS Walk

ON THE COVER: The Twin Cities' Rarest Bird, pop-music priestess Shawn Stewart

The McDonald Affair

Thr Strib's Dubious Timing Puts it on the Wrong Side of Another Local Pol