Foodie File

Dancing with DiSpirito

07Last night I caught what must be the first horse of the culinary apocalypse: Rocco on Dancing With The Stars. Why? Because train wrecks need audiences.

But I don’t get it. I don’t get why someone who is so talented with food and cooking keeps peddling his cheaper wares. How was his dancing? Sluggish…

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F3: Road Trip

RoadIt’s time to hit the road, time to stretch my definition of "local." This Fresh Forkin’ Friday has me itchin’ to load up, pick a point outward, and take off. I filled up for $3.42 yesterday, and those bargain-basement numbers aren’t sure to last, so let’s burn ‘em!

Besides beautiful fall foliage and random…

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Apple Madness

WhoaThis last weekend, I made the season’s first foray into the madness that has become apple picking. Minnesota orchards have found a way to eke out a living by providing a State Fair-like experience that often includes jumping goats, hayrides, and corn mazes. It’s a gift . . . and a curse. Some places go way over the top and cease…

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F3: Post W Bash

Burger_forkI’m a little fuzzy this Fresh Forkin’ Friday morning, working through the haze from last night’s W Hotel grand opening bash. It was glammy and fun, and I had good hair and too many cocktails. My favorite was the Epiphany, which is made with St. Germaine, an elderflower liqueur that the W carries…

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Big E: In the Wind

AskewThere was much excitement over the resurfacing of Chef Eric "Big E" Austin when the Bourbon Street Steak House was unveiled. In the past, the former owner of Big E’s Soul Food had enjoyed a nice foodie following until legal issues got in the way. There were arrests, and Soul Food was closed.

Could…

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The New French Is Back!

Anyone who had driven by the sad and rapidly dilapidating former home of Minneapolis’s legendary restaurant and bar, the place that brought modern cooking and hospitality to Minnesota in the late 1970s, has to feel a pang of sadness. But the thought of some sort of local resurrection seems all wrong. I mean, the New French CafĂ© was of an era, and that era is…

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Sushi and Gorgonzola?

TogoThis one’s for sushi lovers out there. How do you feel about restaurants that are decidedly not Japanese yet add sushi to their repertoire?

I’m not talking about r. Normans/Seven Sushi because Seven is a separate entity. It’s not about operators opening a different concept; that happens all the time. I’m talking about places such as…

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F3: Feeling Fall

Grassy_forkWhat’s with the perfect eating weather that has fallen upon us? This chilly air makes me want to kick the oven on and bake something. I’m not up to braising yet, don’t be silly, but as soon as those colors start busting, I’m all about short ribs. This Fresh Forkin’ Friday is dedicated to the…

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