Tin Fish: Now guilt-free

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I have long been a big fan of Tin Fish, the concession on Lake Calhoun, and was delighted to see them work out their lease issues with the Minneapolis Park Board and reopen for another season. But I always felt a twinge of guilt about all the garbage I was adding to the landfill every time I ordered a Tin Fish combo—especially since Carol joined the CARAG neighborhood Green Team, dedicated to reducing landfill waste in our neighborhood. So on my latest visit, I was delighted to discover that Tin Fish has gone green: all their packaging, napkins, plastic knives and forks, etc. are now compostable and can tossed in designated containers. Good move, Tin Fish! Continue Reading

Left Handed Cook at Midtown Global Market: Midwestern comfort food with an Asian twist

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Lots of people go to press previews of restaurant openings just for the free booze and food. But I also go to see old friends, and catch up on old restaurant news. Like at the preview party for the Left Handed Cook, which opens May 21 at the Midtown Global Market. Owners Thomas Kim and Kat Melgaard offered a great sampling of the foods they will be featuring at their stand, in the space that formerly housed La Sirena Gorda. Continue Reading

Shopping the Mill City Farmers Market with Sea Change Chef Jamie Malone

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My favorite time of year has arrived – farmers market season. Pretty soon, Carol and I will start our weekly ritual of Sunday bike rides to the Kingfield Market, and frequent visits to the Uptown Market and Midtown Farmers Market. And this year, our market calendar is going to get a bit more crowded, with the opening of the new Linden Hills Farmers Market on June 3.  Continue Reading

A rendezvous in Istanbul

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So here I am in Istanbul.

I just got back from a big trip — to Vietnam — and I hadn’t planned to travel again so soon, but when my son Micha called me from Austria and said, “Dad, let’s take a trip together,” I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Continue Reading

From Peru to Vietnam: Uchu Peruvian in Plymouth and Blue Lagoon in St. Paul

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We haven’t had a Peruvian restaurant in the Twin Cities since Machu Picchu closed four years ago, so I was delighted to discover Uchu Peruvian Cuisine recently in Plymouth. From what I can tell, Peruvian cuisine has a lot of similarities to Ecuadorian, and some of the dishes on Uchu’s menu seem pretty similar to what you can find at places like Guayaquil, Los Andes and Cocina Latina – dishes like cebiche con mariscos –  shrimp, calamari, octopus and scallops marinated in lime juice ($12.95), shown here; and lomo saltado, strips of beef tenderloin sauteed with tomatoes, onion and soy sauce ($14). (What’s soy sauce doing in a South American dish? Chinese restaurants are quite popular in South America, and a version of fried rice called chaufan or chaulafan is a staple dish in Ecuador and Peru,)  Continue Reading

New Minneapolis Eateries: Sparks in Bryn Mawr, Eat Street Local in Whittier

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There was something about Sparks, the new Bryn Mawr eatery, that brought the old neighborhood diners to mind. The old diners started out as railroad dining cars, or were designed to look like them, but their essential ingredients were stools and a counter, an open kitchen – decades before that concept became trendy – and a short-order menu that  cooked fast on the grill: burgers,  BLTs, eggs, hashbrowns and toast. Continue Reading

Franco-Brazilian Harriet Brasserie coming to Linden Hills

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I am really looking forward to the opening of the Harriet Brasserie, in the old Cafe 28 space in Linden Hills.

I got to meet the owner, Alain Lenne, and his chef, Fernando Silva, a couple of weeks ago at the first anniversary party at Tilia, Steven Brown’s Linden Hills cafe. The talented chef Brown knows how to feed a crowd, with an unending stream of platters loaded with pulled pork sandwiches, jerk chicken, thighs, corn dogs, gravlax, farmstead cheeses and more. As you might expect, the place was packed, and the decibel level as high as ever, so I asked Steven about the best time to beat the noise and the crowds. Continue Reading

Daily Planet’s Third Annual Greek Feast at Gardens of Salonica, April 11

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You’re invited to the third annual Daily Planet Greek Feast will be held on Wednesday, April 11 at the Gardens of Salonica restaurant, 19 5th St. N.E., Minneapolis. This dinner has sold out every time, and it’s easy to see why: it’s great fun, great food and great value. Four courses of delicious Greek cuisine served family style, prepared by Gardens of Salonica owner-chef Anna Christoforides, with specially selected Greek wines accompanying each course. Plus a great opportunity to meet and socialize with the Daily Planet staff, and other Daily Planet writers and readers.  Continue Reading