Minnesotan Todd Macdonald is the new chef at Cru in NYC. Todd’s parents Bob and Sue are two of the most committed supporters of the local food and wine scene that I know of, and they are ardent boosters of great food and chefs around the world. Their son is a talented young man who deserves this shot in a big way. His parents have been to more Michelin-starred restaurants than anyone I know outside our industry, and their blog can be found at andrewzimmern.com.

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Doug Flicker’s Piccolo will open in the old Agri space restaurant that is currently Café Agri at 43rd and Bryant, and it should be up and running by January. I know it seems counter-intuitive to believe that a restaurant designed to serve a relatively small menu of small plates to a small group of patrons (no more than 30 seats) makes a difference on the local dining scene, but sometimes it’s the impression that counts the most.

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And am I the last to know about the tiny little Bangkok Thai Deli at 315 University Avenue (651-224-4300), or am I helping fill up the “empty tank” feeling many of us have every time we contemplate the local Thai food scene? I am bored silly with all the pablum spooned out by the local bevy of well trodden, often highly touted Thai venues. They all the serve the same stuff, and much of it is ordinary at best! As with the majority of Japanese restaurants in the TC, local Thai restaurants all seem to have the same menu, season and plate food in the same style, and take very few risks. I was complaining about this sad state of affairs to a lady who offices down the hall from me. She is a Bangkok transplant and she wouldn’t stop talking about BTD in St. Paul. I made a note to check it out, but when I got home the next evening I found that she had sent me a care package from the restaurant that she called “the best, most authentic Thai food in town. Very simple, nothing fancy, but the best.” THANKS PUI!

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'Tis the season as they say. Regardless of what type of event or fundraiser it may be, local chefs and restaurants are usually a committee's first call for contributions. No group rallies around causes as well as the food world does.

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The folks at Parasole know what they are doing, but when I saw the press release for Il Gatto the restaurant going into the old Figlio’s space I flinched at the reference to “of course there’ll be a burger on the menu…”. Is it just me or is that idea yesterdays news?

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In The New York Times this weekend, reporter Michael Moss detailed the chilling story
of a Minnesota family's bout with E. coli, one that would make a vegetarian out of anyone. This is why, unless you are grinding your own meat or having a butcher you trust grind whole muscle, you should probably give up eating hamburgers. Makes you wonder what the meat sourcing is for the Twin Cities premium burger joints. I think many of them would proudly tell you the name of their purveyor, and I bet their purveyor would NEVER cop to their alphabet soup of suppliers. If I owned a burger joint, I would post a huge sign telling all my customers exactly where I get my beef from, all the way back to the farm, and anyone who can’t do that should close their doors.

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Over the last six months, I've felt that the food at Little Szechuan has slipped a full notch or two. I may now know why. Dan Luo, the owner of the new Grand Szechuan restaurant in Bloomington, has hired Little Szechuan head chef Luo Guanghe (who was also the head chef of the Teahouse in Plymouth) to run his new eatery. Grand Szechuan holds amazing promise given the guy running the kitchen. You can find the new restaurant at 10602 France Avenue South in Bloomington (at the intersection of France Avenue and W. Old Shakopee Road in the strip mall next to Cub Foods), and the number is 952-888-6507. See you over there tonight for a chili oil pig out! Anyway, let me know what you think. And yes e-mailers, I like Tian Jin in Chanhassen very much, just ate there once though.

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So I ate a slow-roasted goat the other night at Brasa, a Boer-Spanish cross. No, the restaurant is not changing its menu, it is simply offering special meals for larger parties at the kitchen-side lazy Susan table. Order a fancy goat or rare species of swine, and Alex and his crew cook it up. I was blown away. The goat was so moist and so perfectly goaty, with just the right gamy notes dancing around a lamby mouthfeel. Add those Brasa sides and I thought I died and went to heaven. Seriously, this is a big deal. Finally a place that can cook on a customers whim in a casual style…it was awesome.

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D'Amico Kitchen (see attached menu) opens on the 24th and will have a street-level patio area, a rooftop bar, and a lounge area with a DJ on weekends. There will be live entertainment and lots of stuff to get groovy to and the best news is that Doug Flicker will be working the line during the opening. This guy is a major league talent. John Occchiato has created a great menu and any restaurant where I can order suckling pig is A-OK in my book.

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So I send in my blog last Monday and my editor Adam e-mails me the next day that I am an episode behind in Top Chef. Not only was my pick 86-ed Wednesday, but Art’s pillow had been cold for a week as well. That’s what happens when you don’t know where you are or what day it is. Anyway, it has been a busy week…here are some things to check out. They are much more timely than my last blog:

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