Vending machine raw meat, coming right up.

​Vending machines have really evolved. No longer are you limited to simply buying gumballs, candy, and soda. But the selection of foods you can buy from a machine has gotten a bit extreme. Here are 10 examples of the weirdest vending machine offerings, both local and international.

10. Raw meat.

Why buy it from a grocery store if you can get it from a vending machine?

A Birmingham, Alabama, company has a "Smart Butcher" vending machine that includes steaks, pork chops, pork tenderloin, sausages, and other meats ... all on sale for under $6 a cut.

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Walleye, Surly, Honeycrisp ... and we're just getting started

​When Anthony Bourdain last year told his TV audience on No Reservations that his experience at Doug Flicker's south Minneapolis restaurant Piccolo was "far and away the best and most inspired and inspiring meal of my trip across America," he was confirming what Twin Cities diners have known for years: Minnesota's food scene is worthy of national attention.

The Twin Cities' recent domination of the James Beard Awards for Best Midwest Chef is only one sign that our state is now a fixture on America's food map. The explosive growth of Minnesota dining culture can be seen in the burgeoning farm-to-table ethic and growth of farmers markets; in Lenny Russo's grand, experimental food campus at Heartland; in the artisan meats of Green Ox; and in the designer cocktails at Bradstreet Craftshouse, La Belle Vie, and others. Esquire magazine even singled out Al's Breakfast as serving the "Best Pancakes in America."

Minnesota has long been a food-conscious state, from our Mill City beginnings to Betty Crocker to our invention of the Honeycrisp apple, but nothing has rivaled today's diverse restaurant and food scene. Eating in Minnesota has become a spectacular adventure of tastes and experiences.

Here is our list of the 50 best reasons to eat in Minnesota:

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​Happy Labor Day weekend! Some may call this the unofficial end of summer, but let's not be hasty. We still have a few weeks of warm weather left, and you can even relive the best of summer by catching up on our most popular Hot Dish posts, including guides to the State Fair, a look at Minnesota's new high-tech Coke machine, and lists of the Twin Cities' best small cafe and America's cheesiest breastaurants.

Here are the Hot Dish's top 10 most-read posts of the summer:
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Tony Nelson

Landon Schoenefeld serves a Haute hot dish.

​Along with the Best New Restaurants of 2010, I've compiled a list of my favorite dishes from restaurants I reviewed this year. Here are the second 10 of 20 not-to-be-missed items, in no particular order (for the first 10, click here):

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The KFC Double Down: And they get worse. Much worse.

​It's hard to imagine that food hasn't been invented or combined in every possible combination by now, but humans are still managing to create unique new variations on things to eat or new ways to employ food. But for every delicious new idea that comes down the pike, you can probably find some piece of crap product like these Top 10.

(By the way, some of you may be wondering why Whipahol, the alcoholic whipped cream, isn't on this list. Well, it may be weird, but apparently it's not half bad.)

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Don't miss the dessert tasting at Travail.

​Along with the Best New Restaurants of 2010, I've compiled a list of my favorite dishes from restaurants I reviewed this year. Here are the first 10 of 20 not-to-be-missed items, in no particular order:

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This year's most-read posts. Drumroll, please...

​The Hot Dish has racked up a lot of readers this past year, folks who were curious to find out about what might posses a man to eat only Chipotle burritos for a week straight or what not to eat on a first date.

From jinxed restaurant locations to Randy Moss's hijinks, check out our 10 most popular posts of 2010:

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Bacon--pictured here, chicken fried--is as big as ever this year!

​When The Atlantic published its list of the Top 10 Biggest Food Stories of 2010, the Hot Dish couldn't help but chime in with our local take on each topic:

10. The Meat Trend
From charcuterie plates to dry-aged steaks, both beef and pork, carnivores continue to have their year in the sun. But the bacon trend seems to have found its limit with bacon soda.

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The bike that rode the Rounds

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After tackling the many byway districts--Victory Memorial & Theo Wirth, Northeast, Downtown Riverfront, Mississippi & Minnehaha--our series on the best biking food stops comes to the final leg. There's still plenty of time to pedal the path and enjoy tasty nearby eateries before the weather turns. Or pick up takeout and stake out a picnic spot. Either way, our suggestions will keep you fueled up and motivated to conquer the Grand Rounds.

Chain of Lakes
The Chain of Lakes byway district includes five lakes and covers 13.3 miles of trails. It starts south of 394 at Brownie Lake, passes Cedar Lake, and then encircles Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet, ending at Minnehaha Parkway. Hugely popular, this part of the Grand Rounds sees a lot of traffic, especially in the summer and fall. As a result, parts of the path are one way for bike riders, so be aware. Here is our advice on where to break trail and get your eat on.
 
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The mighty Mississippi

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The Grand Rounds bike path is a great way to see much of the natural beauty the city of Minneapolis has to offer. Just as important, there are tons of places along the trail where you can enjoy a tasty treat or relaxing beverage. The Hot Dish has cycled and chowed through the Northeast, Downtown Riverfront, Victory Memorial and Theo Wirth byway districts of the famed bike route so far. Here's the latest leg of the journey.

Mississippi River and Minnehaha
The Mississippi River and Minnehaha byway districts have majestic water views of the river, the falls, the creek, and both Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis. The Mississippi path covers the west side of the river from 35W downtown to Godfrey Parkway and the east side to just shy of Marshall Avenue. The Minnehaha district picks up at Minnehaha Park, follows the Minnehaha Creek, encircles Lake Nokomis, and continues to Lake Harriet. Together, these paths cover over 20 miles and make for a great day trip, with plenty of time for snack breaks. Here are our recommendations on where to pull off the trail and grab a bite to eat.

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