Nokomis

Minneapolis residents—ever wonder where your neighborhood’s name came from? Ever been just a wee bit curious about your neighborhood’s zoning? Ever looked across the street and wondered how your neighborhood compares to the next in terms of population, income, or…oh, say, housing values? Well, your city government is here to satisfy all your nosy needs with its Neighborhood Profiles Page. Take a look and see how your ‘hood stacks up. MORE »

I was by myself the other day when I stopped in for lunch at SerenTori restaurant, 5748 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis, so I could only try one dish, which made it kind of a tough choice. The $6.95 lunch specials didn’t sound that appealing – they’re mostly Chinese take-out classics like Sesame Chicken, Egg Foo Young, and Mongolian Beef (all come with fried rice and choice of eggroll or cream cheese wonton). MORE »

At the end of July, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act which, if signed by President Bush, will create first-ever national standards for the toxic chemicals lead and phthalates in children’s products. MORE »

I stopped in at Shiraz Fireroasted Cuisine for dinner the other night, to check out the new menu and the belly dancing, and at 8:30 on a Saturday night, the place was nearly empty. That’s really a shame, because it is a charming little restaurant, with good food and an ambience of Persian arts and crafts that’s stylish enough for a date. On earlier visits, I grumbled about the lack of vegetarian and fish entrees, but that flaw has been fixed — they now offer salmon kabobs, a spinach pie, and a couple of meatless Persian stews. MORE »