Access to food is about as elemental as it gets. But in troubled times with lives on the line, not every grocery store has responded to the pandemic with equal skill and speed. Well into April and May, we visited grocery stores in Minneapolis where masking, even by employees, was sporadic, social distancing was irregular, … [ Read more]
Cooperative Evolution: Food coops like Seward and the Wedge have adapted quickly during troubled times
August 4, 2020 by
Savory Bake House’s unlikely mission: Feeding the people of Powderhorn sanctuary
July 30, 2020 by
In terms of size, Savory Bake House doesn’t rate. Before its temporary closure in March due to COVID-19, this Minneapolis bakery just off of East Lake Street boasted a few shelves of baked goods behind a glass case, with just enough room in the shop for four or five smallish people to politely elbow one … [ Read more]
Who’s Your Farmer? Minnesota farmers and consumers are taking out the middleman
July 30, 2020 by
With legions of restaurants and bars closed or operating in a very limited capacity, demand for wholesale ingredients from local farmers has plummeted. For this reason (and others related to processing, shipping, and logistics), farmers in Minnesota and beyond are struggling to find markets for their products, many of which come from livestock and seeds … [ Read more]
United Front: Inspired by Taiwan’s fight against COVID-19, United Noodles uses assertive tactics
May 11, 2020 by
When you’re fighting an invisible enemy, it helps to have a battle plan. For owner Eric Fung and the staff at the United Noodles Asian grocery store in Minneapolis, the successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan has been both a blueprint and an inspiration, and has led to some of the most aggressive tactics against the disease … [ Read more]
The Flavor of Facebook: Discovering the wide world of home-cooked food on Facebook Marketplace
April 3, 2020 by
Facebook: It’s our daily dose of anxiety, immediately followed by “the 10 cutest dogs that will just make your day” on a loop. But amid the panic (and the distraction from the panic), we ignore the small four-paneled upper-right corner, where a whole world is teeming. It’s called Facebook Marketplace, and for enterprising users, … [ Read more]
Coffee at the Crossroads: Somali-American-owned Nori Cafe in St. Cloud is part coffee shop, part cultural bridge
April 3, 2020 by
Few words are more loaded with subtext than “coffee.” The word refers to a caffeinated beverage, sure. But it also means “comfort.” It means “conversation.” And it means “connection.” Person-to-person, sure. But it can be far more than that: business-to-business, culture-to-culture, nation-to-world. At the Somali-owned Nori Cafe in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the word “coffee” comes … [ Read more]
The Taste Test: 23 Raised-Glazed Doughnuts from around the Twin Cities
February 28, 2020 by
In the wee baker’s hours of a chilly Thursday morning, the intrepid Growler editorial team fanned out across the metro—from Hans’ Bakery in Anoka to Puffy Cream in Eagan, from YoYo in Minnetonka to the Donut Hut in Little Canada—in search of the perfect raised-glazed doughnut. A classic raised-glazed, you see, is a thing of … [ Read more]
Meat Master: With hundreds of awards (and kudos from Germany), Rick Reams is crafting world-class food in Hudson, Wisconsin, and St. Paul
February 24, 2020 by
You often can’t see the world-class food in your own backyard because it’s ubiquitous to the point of being invisible. Think of noodles in Japan, or bread in France, or spiced lentils in India—it’s daily fare that seems simple until you try to make it and realize there’s a world of knowledge that goes into … [ Read more]
In the Loop: The new North Loop Galley is at the forefront of bleeding-edge dining trends—and that’s a good thing
February 24, 2020 by
When I first learned of the concept behind the newly opened North Loop Galley food court, I took it for granted that soul and authenticity—however those two slippery terms are defined—weren’t going to be part of the package deal. The North Loop Galley space was opened by the national Galley Group in late 2019, and … [ Read more]
The sweet and humble team behind Pie & Mighty dish the secret of their delectable crust
February 21, 2020 by
For a state whose very culinary DNA is studded with majestically delicious pies (witness the State Fair pie competition, for example, or try one Marjorie Johnson’s legendary pies), Minnesota has generally fallen short when it comes to delicious commercially available pie. But recent years have seen something of a renaissance in the field. We recently … [ Read more]
Bite of the Week: Gogi Pork Fries at Umami Fries
February 19, 2020 by
Bite of the Week is a weekly feature showcasing an exceptional meal or dish, curated by The Growler. If you’re going to build your business around a food experience that might most easily be described as “Asian-influenced poutine,” the first step is to make sure your fries are up to the task. Umami Fries, a newish … [ Read more]
5 Non-Cliche Valentine’s Day Food Adventures for Two
February 12, 2020 by
It happens every February. Like snowflakes accumulating to create a drift, food writers’ inboxes start to accumulate Valentine’s Day menu after Valentine’s Day menu, each seemingly more choked with lobster-stuffed this and dark chocolate-flavored that than the last. Valentine’s Day does not have to be a day for being led down a prix fixe garden … [ Read more]
Bite of the Week: Big K.R.I.T. fried chicken sandwich at Soul Bowl
February 12, 2020 by
Bite of the Week is a weekly feature showcasing an exceptional meal or dish, curated by The Growler. One of the pleasant surprises hidden within the stylish confines of the new North Loop food courts is that great food can emerge from even manicured, highly focus-grouped surroundings. We loved the Luau Bowl at Ono Hawaiian Plates … [ Read more]
Check the Halls: When it comes to food halls, Minnesota just can’t win. Or can it?
January 27, 2020 by
Does Minnesota have what it takes to establish world-class food halls? Meal Magazine editor Pete Sieve and Growler food editor James Norton make their arguments as to why, or why not, our state has the goods to create a thriving food hall culture reminiscent of other major U.S. cities. PETE: Okay, Jim. I’ll just come … [ Read more]
A Slice of the Pie: With premium ingredients and a feminist mission, Rachel Anderson is building a new kind of bakery business
January 27, 2020 by
St. Paul-based baker Rachel Anderson does business at the three-way intersection of industry, hustle, and soul. Industry, as in the 33-year-old New York state native is the very busy pastry chef for Tim McKee’s Market House Collaborative, a job that includes a contract to churn out the rich, beautiful, jotun-sized desserts that Manny’s Steakhouse has … [ Read more]
