Blue Skies and Red Wine

the churn

Skimming the cream of local food news

• Ultra Late Mid-Afternoon Morning Roundup

  A fairly amazing-sounding Better Beer Society brown bag series event at Butcher & the Boar, some revised menus at local restaurants, a local foodie’s epic Mother’s Day feast, tasting notes for Summit Pilsner and Steel Toe’s Provider, the Star Tribune’s Taste 50, and a new urban farm in Minneapolis.

• Restaurant Parking Changes in St. Paul and May 24 Tweet Rodeo

  The latest from Twitter: @Labellevie_mn gets a Zagat mention (along with 112 Eatery, Vincent, Alma, and Bar La Grassa), @andrewzimmern eats something like a Treatzza Pizza at El Taller in Tijuana, and @weeklydish is excited for new, more flexible parking requirements for restaurants in St. Paul.

• Ramen Robots and May 23 Tweet Rodeo

  The latest from Twitter: @ZenBoxIzakaya watches some goofy robots make ramen, @PizzeriaLola is searching for a new server, and @TravailKitchen is closed for the day for a private event.

• Caramel Sticky Buns and Recipe Roundup

  Asparagus two ways, basil blossom sangria, Asian smoked spare ribs, salted almond butter, caramel sticky buns, sriracha IPA dip, and huevos rancheros pizza.

• Municipal Liquor Woes and Morning Roundup

  Some Minnesota cities are considering getting out of the liquor business, a  profile of Dean Vlahos (the restaurateur who Tom Petters helped put into bankruptcy), Mark Stutrud talks about Summit’s Saga IPA (here’s our recent tasting panel), Minnesota Monthly tackles urban farming, check out this crazy biscuit I made (recipe here), a preview of The Left Handed Cook, love for Brasa, a mostly rave review for Mona, Iggers on Butcher & the Boar, and three good local mint juleps (I’m personally a huge fan of the HauteDish version). Plus: Evan from the Well Fed Guide to Life podcast nearly chokes to death on some sourdough bread at Sun Street.

Read more of the Churn