Debbie Tallen

Now you don't have to wait for dinner to get your Italian on.

​Rinata, "a little piece of Italy in Uptown," has been pleasing guests and critics alike since its opening on Hennepin Avenue in 2008 with its affordable but excellent Italian cuisine. Fans had to content themselves with a dinner menu, until now. Rinata recently announced its expansion into brunch territory, dipping a toe in with just one day a week (Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). The Hot Dish stopped in to sample the new brunch menu. Here's what we found.

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Courtesy of Max Martin

Banh mi, one of the many delicious eats guests will get to try on the Food Crawl.

​History teachers always say that history can be fun and exciting, but sometimes that's hard to remember when you're slogging through pages and pages of readings. This summer, the Minnesota History Center has found a better way to teach the subject--with two series of food and pub crawls that let history buffs eat and drink their way through St. Paul's many historical neighborhoods.

The first of these tours, the History Food Crawl of University Avenue, Frogtown, and Rondo in St. Paul, begins Saturday, July 16, and also runs July 23, August 6, and August 20, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. (providing the state government doesn't shut down).

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Andy Lien

Chef Tyge Nelson & Tim Niver

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Andy Lien

Inn from the cold

​Step inside the Handicraft Guild building just off Tenth and Marquette. Shake the snow from your hair, rub your hands together as the feeling starts to return to your fingertips, and return the smile that greets you at the door of the recently opened Inn. Chances are good the beaming face will belong to owner and local restaurant wiz Tim Niver. After revitalizing a decrepit diner space on Lake Street (Town Talk Diner) and crafting a neighborhood hot spot on Dayton's Bluff (the Strip Club), he's turned his eye to downtown Minneapolis.

Along with his business partners and chef Tyge Nelson (formerly of La Belle Vie and Barrio), Niver took over the space of the Filipino-fusion eatery Subo and has created a sanctuary for the weary traveler as well as the hungry and thirsty downtown dweller or office worker. More >>

Put on your buffet pants & grab the kids - we're going to Wendy's!

​Just in time for sweat-pants season, fast food also-ran Wendy's has debuted it new "natural"  fries. After spending an estimated $25 million on a new ad campaign touting the benefits of the skin-on, sea-salted crispies Wendy's is hoping you'll take a chance on change.
 
The prevailing ideas behind the campaign are that sea salt is better than processed regular table salt, there are more nutrients in the potato skins that are discarded by their competitors, the thinner cut fry will be tantalizingly tasty, and at least on the surface appear to be more healthful.  The only thing that really matters is: How do these new fries taste?  
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Photo courtesy Highland Grill

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It's hard to keep track of Heather Jansz, the Twin Cities' "curry diva," especially now that she's on her own and cooking rogue. After years of cooking in local restaurants, Jansz became a caterer and personal chef, available by request only. For the last couple of weeks she was off in Italy, where she hobbled around small scenic towns despite a fractured foot, taking in the food and the history. Now she's home in Minnesota, resuming her life as caterer to the curry crazed. People seem to hunt down Jansz, seeking out her big personality and soul-warming food. This week, she'll be cooking twice at the Highland Grill, preparing dishes similar to the ones that made the now-closed Sri Lanka Curry House a temple for anyone who's ever had a taste of this self-taught cook's creations.
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Kramarczuk.com

Tonight the nation will see how the sausages are made

​The esteemed local sausage maker Kramarczuk's will be getting national exposure when the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives airs an episode featuring the Northeast meat market and cafeteria tonight at 9 p.m.

The show was filmed in July, when host Guy Fieri came to town for a half day of taping at the store. The Monday-night episode is on "Family Joints," and will also feature a Missouri sandwich shop and West Virginia hot dog joint.

Courtesy of clipartguide.com

Aged Cheddar

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As the first snowflakes fall (in early October...really, Minnesota...Really?) cravings for creamy, cheesy comfort foods are not to be ignored.  Luckily, chef Joel Del Fiacco from Minnetonka's Gold Nugget Tavern and Grille was kind enough to share his fabulous Mac & Cheese recipe.  The ooey, gooey goodness, made with Gruyere, Parmesan, and Cheddar cheeses is a must-have at a restaurant usually known for its burgers and fries.  At under $10 a serving, it's worth the drive to Minnetonka.  However, if say, an early autumn blizzard sets in and driving conditions become less-that-favorable, take a stab at the recipe at home.  Joel's instructions (below) makes this stuff seem easy.

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In tomorrow's edition: a big ol' rundown of New Year's Eve specials, a new Northeast eatery, and a special White Castle-sponsored honor for a local bartender.

Also, The Hot Dish talks to Noah Barton of Chino Latino about his restaurant's extremely global New Year's Eve, and gets him to share a useful bit of insider information about dining out on one of the craziest nights of the year.

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In tomorrow's edition of The Hot Dish, a Jucy Lucy contest, the return of Chef Landon Schoenfeld (formerly of Bulldog NE), a tour of Surly and a New Year's Eve to remember at Heartland.

Also, The Hot Dish talks to Justin Grecco, chef/owner of the newly opened Grecco's on the Saint Croix.

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