Country Grammar rapper is grammin' his dessert, just like everyone else

It's been a good week for Minneapolis restaurants and their celebrity clients. We recently reported about comedian and actor Nick Offerman tweeting his gratitude to Jax Cafe in northeast for fulfilling his steak fantasies, and now a very different public figure has taken to another social media platform to give Minneapolis a sweet shout-out. 

More »

Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson: Two meat-lovin' guys

Nick Offerman, better known to the Internet and the general television-viewing public as the woodworking, mustache-growing, meat-loving, Tammy-fearing character Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation, was recently in Minneapolis doing a comedy set and a few musical numbers at Mill City Nights. Most performers have their own special ways of warming up before a gig to help ensure they can last the night, and according to his Twitter feed Offerman got a little help in that area from a well-loved local restaurant.

More »

Haute Dish in North Loop makes MSN's list for its modern take on classic dishes

The national accolades keep rolling in for Twin Cities restaurants. In our latest bit of national notoriety, the local food rebels at Haute Dish have been singled out by MSN as one of the top 11 restaurants in the country that are redefining the way we think about comfort food.

More »

Esera Tuaolo is one of four NFL players to come out after retirement.

Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo will be working behind the grill at Seven Sushi Ultralounge and Skybar in Minneapolis tonight, cooking up dishes from his native Hawaii.

Now a celebrity chef and singer, Tuaolo is also one of only four NFL players to come out as gay after retirement. We interviewed him for this week's cover story, "Game Changer," about Vikings punter Chris Kluwe's aggressive stance as a defender of gay rights.

In our interview, Tuaolo told us he believes Kluwe is literally preventing kids from committing suicide.

See also: :
Game Changer: Chris Kluwe is opening America's last closet: Major league sports.
Chris Kluwe geeks out

More »

Wikimedia.

Adam Carolla chronicles his recent trip to the land of "white people food."

Adam Carolla really likes Midwestern cuisine -- or, as he calls it, "white people food," which is apparently a scarcity in Los Angeles.

So on a recent trip to Minneapolis, Carolla made a stop at Kramarczuk's Deli on Hennepin Avenue, our local "Polish joint."

It sounds like he wasn't disappointed. From a podcast of Carolla's radio show:

More »

​Everybody online today is enjoying the publication of The Greatest Restaurant Review Ever Written, a piece entitled "Long-awaited Olive Garden receives warm welcome" by Marilyn Hagerty of the Grand Forks Herald.

There are so many evocative parts of the review: The "two long, warm breadsticks," the raspberry lemonade that is proffered but rejected in favor of water. The understated yet wistful tone is reminiscent of a William Carlos Williams poem.

So far, the Olive Garden review has been tweeted over 6,800 times, and Liked on Facebook 4,477 times. The editors at the Grand Forks Herald are scrambling to assemble an article on the outsized reaction for tomorrow's paper, but in the meantime, we called Marilyn Hagerty to get her response to the sudden Internet fame.

UPDATE: I'd like to make clear that I didn't intend to come off as disrespectful in this post. The reason I asked about the lemonade and the breadsticks is because so many of her readers seemed to enjoy those lines in her review and I wanted to get the back story. I'm a fan of Marilyn and her work--I really do think she has a brilliant voice, both in print and on the phone--and I apologize if my enthusiasm seemed sarcastic rather than genuine.

More »

We're assuming that at least one thing tasted was "off the chain" & "totally out of bounds"

​The pineapple-haired Food Network personality who may or may not be a homophobe anti-Semite big fan of City Pages, returned to our town last week to film three upcoming segments. The show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives highlights small businesses and restaurants across the country, mainly focusing on places that might not otherwise make headlines. The show has previously featured Minnesota businesses Al's Breakfast, Colossal Cafe, the Nook, and more.

Where did they film?

More »

Baking cookies with the "Pie Guy" JML

​Now that the turkey is done, the relatives have made themselves scarce, and the cranberry sauce stains have been addressed, it's time to kick this holiday season business into high gear. It's time to get our bake on. 

For ideas we turned to area cookbook author, chef, and television personality John Michael Lerma. You may recognize him from the small screen as the Pie Guy, or perhaps you've found yourself searching his recipe-stuffed blog or easy-to-follow cookbook, Garden Country Cooking.

We asked JML to share one of his favorite holiday cookie recipes, and he sent us this gem.

More »

From footballer to cookbook author to barista, the multitalented Jared Allen.

Caribou Coffee Co. has mostly been concentrating on expanding its franchise business lately, but it opened its first company-owned store since 2008 yesterday, near the site of a shuttered Caribou in Gaviidae Commons in downtown Minneapolis.

The new Caribou is on the street level at Nicollet Mall and Sixth Street, and the Business Journal reports that Minnesota Vikings defensive end (and cookbook author!) Jared Allen will be serving coffee there today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Check it out, along with free samples of Caribou's food and drinks.

Caribou expects that the next seven coffeehouses it will open will be in the Chicago area.

Previous Coverage
Jared Allen tackles his own meat-heavy cookbook

A new novel about the most romantic restaurant, ever.

Anthony Schmitz has held a variety of jobs during his career, including serving as City Pages' editor and its restaurant critic.

Since that time, he's turned out several novels, including Darkest Desire: The Wolf's Own Tale (Ecco), Lost Souls (Random House/Available Press), and two new e-published books, Thereafter and Valentine's Cafe.

In Valentine's Cafe, Schmitz narrates the tale of Victor Valentine, the God of Love, who is sent by the higher powers to open the world's most romantic restaurant in St. Paul. Valentine's carnal carnival inevitably stirs up trouble with the state's stoic governor, Luther Lutherson, as well as amorous feelings for his fiery Russian chef, Elevana Natasha Demidova.

The Hot Dish touched base with Schmitz to hear more about Valentine's Cafe and an urban agriculture project he's working on in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood:

More »