Dawn Brodey

The chariot of the dining bicyclist.

The Twin Cities are regularly voted among the most bike-friendly in the country. Bicycling.com currently has us in the #1 spot although we regularly swap the prestigious ranking for second place with Portland, Oregon.

Similarly, publications such as Travel and Leisure also have the Twin Cities and Portland sharing top spots for best cities for foodies.

The situation has us asking two big questions: One, how do we get rid of Portland; and two how do we best pair our Cities' tremendous and unique opportunities to bike and eat out?

Biking to dinner can be a trick. Does the establishment have a bike rack? Will my helmet hair and wrinkled right cuff solicit snubs from the other diners? Do they serve Surly?

Well Hot Dish cooked up a sample course for your courses: A scenic, bike-friendly, 10-mile loop with recommended stops for beer, apps, dinner and, since you've earned it, dessert. On your next date night, why not ditch a couple of wheels and take this road less traveled.

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Courtesy Black Walnut Facebook page

A new venture from Sarah Botcher, popping up all around town

Though bourbon, big portions, and beer gardens may be the most talked-about attractions at Jack Riebel's Butcher & the Boar, a recent James Beard Award semi-finalist in the Best New Restaurant category, early on we also recognized there's something special going on in the pastry station. Southern-inspired desserts with retro flair -- like grasshopper pie, molten s'mores, and banana pie with gingersnap cookie crust, playfully presented -- are the sweet and simplistic finish diners so desire after a meal of big grilled meats.More »

Sasha Landskov

Gather by D'Amico hosts Jim Christiansen tomorrow night

The first Thursday of every month, Gather, the D'Amico owned restaurant inside the Walker Art Center invites a celebrated local chef to take over the kitchen for one night. This month Jim Christiansen, head chef at the downtown hot spot Union will be making two complimentary small dishes. Plus, there will be a special cocktail they will be making to pair with these dishes.

See Also:
Chef Chat, Jim Christiansen of Union
Chef Chat, Josh Brown of Gather

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You decide it's time to donate to charity. So what do you do? Likely reach for your wallet or try to squeeze a couple of volunteer hours into your busy schedule. That's simple enough, but what you probably don't know is that giving back is now as easy as going out to eat.

Thanks to a new local organization, fighting world hunger is as easy as doing what you love-- eating, with no extra cost to you.

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Julia Merle-Smith courtesy Seward Cafe

Seward Cafe collective members raise a pint.

Fans of the Seward Cafe's granola ethos, colorful walls, and sprawling patio have long been disappointed by its breakfast-and-lunch-only offerings (and hours). But for the past week, people passing by the cafe's spacious Franklin Avenue corner lot have had to double take: Yes, there are lights on inside past 3 p.m. (actually until midnight, six days a week). Yes, those people are eating from an all-new dinner menu. And yes, they're drinking wine and beer.

"So far at night it's been overwhelmingly positive," says Nils Collins, the longest-standing member of the 13-to-15 person collective that owns and runs the cafe. "Every day more people stop in who are surprised that we're open, or who have never been here because they work 9 to 5."

See also:
Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant - 2012: Seward Café
Birchwood Cafe comes one step closer to expansion

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Have you got a restaurant dream? Is it a concept that would work well inside a mall? Ever wonder what Tyler Florence looks like really up close? Your time has come. The Food Network is throwing out the nets, hoping to catch its next cooking competition hit. Here is your chance for a close-up:More »

Via ReviewerCard Facebook page

ReviewerCard: Shameful? Or really, really shameful?

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Brian Garrity

Skyway retailers are calling a meeting tomorrow to discuss whether food trucks are given an unfair advantage

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Sasha Landskov

Gather will host Sameh Wadi and other local chefs during the 2013 season

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The Twittersphere ran rampant this weekend with word of Uptown's newly opened World Street Kitchen. The new restaurant is based off of chef Sameh Wadi's locally renowned World Street Kitchen food truck, which serves a collision of global street foods incorporating Wadi's Mediterranean influences.
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