Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/category/food-and-restaurants/page/19/)
For decades, my dad complained that people didn’t understand how little of the food dollar goes to the farmers who grow the food. Every time the farmer’s price went up — for milk or corn or pigs — the grocery store price went up by even more. When the farmer’s price went down, the grocery store price usually didn’t follow in that direction. Continue Reading
When you think of Minnesota State Fair food, you may think of cheese curds, corn dogs and gooey cookies. But over the years, that narrative has been changing, and Minnesotans have been seeing more culturally diverse foods popping up on the fair grounds.Many ethnic food vendors from South Minneapolis’ Midtown Global Market (MGM) have made the fair their home, and this year that number is increasing. Panaderia el Mexicano made their debut appearance at the fair selling Mexican bakery items. Other MGM booths include Holy Land Grocery and Deli, La Loma Tamales, Taqueria los Ocampo, Manny’s Tortas, Salty Tart Bakery and Cafe, Fiesta in America, Café Finspång, and The Produce Exchange.”I expect within 5 years ethnic foods will take over the State Fair,” said Holy Land Grocery and Deli owner Majdi Wadi. “People are coming to the fair to try different, cultural foods.”Holy Land is making their seventh appearance at the fair this year with their location at the International Bazaar, and Wadi said that every year he has noticed an increase in sales and an increase in the acceptance of his food and other ethnic foods.Two years ago the lamb fries were so popular that Holy Land ran out, Wadi said, so now the meat has to be reserved far in advance and it’s hard to procure enough quantities for the fair. Wadi said he hopes to be able to bring the item back to the fair next year, but for this year fairgoers will have to look for their other items, like falafel-on-a-stick, kushari rice and tabouleh salad.After a three-year hiatus from the fair, La Loma Tamales is back for their fifth year as one of the featured restaurants at the MGM booth inside the International Bazaar. Continue Reading
Twin Cities photographer Mark Peterson is at it again. And this time, he wanted to document one of summer’s fleeting moments — the Minneapolis Farmers Market.The prolific local photographer shot over 50 photographs of customer’s transactions with vendors at the Minneapolis Farmers Market on North Lyndale earlier this month. And the results are surprisingly entertaining.Related article: The 30 hottest Minneapolis murals“It’s a moment when people stop walking, stop browsing and actually transact,” Peterson said. “The focus of the whole thing is right at that moment.”Peterson said he went to the farmers market looking for something interesting in the large crowds there, but wanted to get away from the milling about and blank stares. Taking the photos right as the customer handed over money offered a moment of human interaction, he said, and it also offered a sense of nostalgia since using cash is becoming less and less common.“You don’t see the greasy bills and the heavy change,” he said. Continue Reading
Are you looking for a cheap place to take someone to lunch? Why not try the Mango Factory on Cedar-Riverside?The restaurant is located on 223 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis, and offers a nice selection of lunch specials for just $8: pick any two basic rolls, or choose from a selected list of entrees including beef teriyaki, pork katsu, chicken curry or a tempura combo (shown here.) With any of the entrees, you can add a bowl of pretty good ramen noodle soup for $2 more, or a side of fried udon noodles for $3. Other items on the Asian fusion menu include a big variety of sushi, sashimi, seafood salads and specialty rolls, and an interesting selection of Japanese and Asian desserts, ranging from fruit smoothies and mochi ice cream to crepes stuffed with exotic fillings such as red bean, mango and durian. Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading
WHAT: Sandcastle’s 2nd Annual Wiener Dog Race, in which daschunds race against each other and a man in a hot dog suit
WHEN: Labor Day Monday, September 1st at 1:00 PM (registration ends at noon)
WHERE: Sandcastle on Lake Nokomis, one of our fave dog-friendly eateries (map) Continue Reading
When the new Sparky’s Grill at the Como Golf Course Club House opened in June, the event went virtually unnoticed.A green sign featuring the beloved Como Zoo sea lion popped up at 1431 N. Lexington Parkway, to alert passersby to the new establishment, but for a while only those who regularly golfed at the course discovered that what used to be a simple concession stand is now a sunny restaurant with one of the best views in the city.Site manager Don Siggelkow hopes the news gets out and Sparky’s becomes a neighborhood hangout.“We want golfers and non-golfers alike to feel welcome here and bring their families to enjoy our food and these amazing vistas,” Siggelkow said. “This is the best location in town.”This article is reposted from TCDP media partner Park Bugle. Check out the links below for other recent Park Bugle stories:New deli menu, outdoor dining on new co-op manager’s to-do listBees, prairie restoration topics of fall SAP garden club meetingsLooking out the massive windows onto the lush grounds of the golf course, one might agree. The rounded veranda overlooks ponds, weeping willows and a carpet of green punctuated by tiny flags. Golfers stroll past, and fountains gently dance beneath. Continue Reading
At a creative farm south of St. Paul near the town of Coates, two things about fruit, vegetable and horticultural growing are immediately clear. You cannot plant and raise perennial crops when renting land on a year-to-year lease. You cannot even think about having an orchard unless you own the land.
Minnesota is home to a large Hmong community of which many farm. One complication is that many do not have access to land that is affordable and near their homes. One group has committed to making a difference. The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) was awarded a Bush Foundation Community Innovation Grant which will allow the nonprofit organization to explore organizing a land cooperative.
Suppertime is a blog in comics form, exploring local restaurants, bars and other food establishments in and around the Twin Cities. I eat, I talk, I draw.
In this Suppertime, a beautiful July evening sitting outdoors with old friends at Coup d’etat in Uptown made me wish for a summer eternal. With dessert included.
The Fair began this year, as it usually does, with friends and breakfast at Salem. Rain and the promise of humid heat kept the crowds away. We spent the morning volunteering at Renewing the Countryside and the afternoon wandering the Fairgrounds searching for old favorites and new possibilities. Continue Reading