Homemade food is all the rage these days, with everything from basement breweries to kimchi-making in the kitchen. However, sometimes the goods don't turn out as well as expected. Yesterday, the Minnesota Department of Health revealed that more than two dozen people in Minneapolis have gotten sick from eating homemade cheese.

See also:
Larry Schultz organic eggs linked to salmonella
Plainview milk products recalled over salmonella fears

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Dawn Brodey

The Nightingale in the arena they know best. Night.

When Nightingale opened last October, the Whitter Neighborhood rejoiced. So did all of the hungry night owls in Uptown who finally found a really good kitchen that is open until 1 a.m. And not just good, the food and atmosphere have been very well-reviewed by everyone, including our own Emily Weiss.

The new local hot spot now has a long winter under its belt; just opened the patio, and will be introducing a Sunday brunch starting... well, right now. But that's not all that's new. Hot Dish checks in with Nightingale co-owner Carrie McCabe-Johnston to get all the details on what's cookin'.

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If you spend any time in the comments section of our blogs, you may have already noticed that some people have "Editor" or "Community Manager" next to their usernames. Well, there's a new badge on the block, and it's called the "Vocalizer." Check out some examples from our sister papers, the Phoenix New Times and Denver Westword, below.

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Courtesy of the Herkimer

Herkimer's outdoor sports stadium.

For over 13 years, The Herkimer has been serving up more than just beer and food - they have also sponsored a variety of sports leagues from kickball to bean bags.

Caroline O'Halloran, social media and marketing manager for Herkimer, tells us their roster also includes volleyball, softball, hockey, dodge ball, and shuffleboard.

See also:
Herkimer: Best happy hour in town?

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Courtesy The Coffee Grounds Facebook page

The Coffee Grounds: Closed until further notice

A burglary took place on Sunday night at The Coffee Grounds, an independently owned coffee shop in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Owner David Lawrence reported the break-in via the shop's Facebook page and is asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward or to contact the Falcon Heights police.

Here's the full statement from The Coffee Grounds Facebook page: 

UPDATE: The Coffee Grounds manager Tyler Liedman told the Hot Dish that the store will not close temporarily as previously reported.  "We will be cutting back on some evening hours for the time being," says Liedman. "But the shop will remain open for business most of the time." You can check the shop's Facebook page for updated hours.

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New York Times best-selling author Michael Pollan will speak at a one-night-only event to promote his newest book

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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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Love going out to new restaurants in the Twin Cities? Need to find a place for last-minute reservations? Can't get enough of our scrumptious restaurant photos? We've got a shiny new app just for you.

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Courtesy of Bullpen Facebook page

St. Paul's newest sports bar, Bullpen Sports Saloon, is settling into its downtown location, after opening in early December. We stopped by for a look around and a bite to eat.
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Each year as the frozen Minnesota tundra begins to thaw, we bring you our annual Best of the Twin Cities issue, chock full of the finest in arts, food, drinks, shopping, and more. Though our new Best Of installment is still a few months away in April, we're getting ready for it now.

We know you're an intrepid bunch, going out on the town and exploring new stuff all the time ... so why not have the Twin Cities' best of the best at your fingertips? Our new partnership with Foursquare makes that easy.

What exactly does that mean? We'll break it down:

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