The latest from Twitter: @BirchwoodCafe is featuring artwork by WACSO (check out his lively contributions to some of our stories), @fultonbeer’s Sweet Child of Vine is only $3 a pint @ZenBoxIzakaya, @RickNelsonStrib wants to know how you tip, and @MNBeerActivists ask about the best beer for breakfast time.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
JULY
Maja Ingeman got out to Psycho Suzi’s to see what the big deal is (certainly not the drinks), some crisp writing about and gorgeous sketches of BZA India’s Kitchen from Kelly Carlin and Julie Boehmer, and a chat with Matty O’Reilly of the hip new gastropub Republic.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
James Norton talked to Sarah Burt of the gourmet meatball grinder cart Saucy Burt’s.
The staff (led by John Garland) unveiled a list of “Five Good Restaurants At Which You’re Not Eating.”
Writer and backyard chicken farmer Peter Hajinian reviewed Janice Cole’s opus “Chicken and Egg,” Soleil Ho spoke to the irrepressible John Waters about a food art print available at the Walker, and Hannah Rogal dug into the Concrete Beet Farmers of urban Minneapolis.
In the Churn: Fire claimed the Underground Kitchen in Madison, Scott Pampuch left Corner Table, Schell’s was honored as one of the country’s best breweries, high profile local restaurants parted ways with Open Table, and the government shutdown threatened local bars and eateries.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
AUGUST
Susan Pagani checked out the very August-appropriate exotic ice cream of 10,000 Licks and Jill Lewis loved the newly overhauled Saffron (above).
We also hit the road: James Norton and Becca Dilley offered up 12 tastes from the shores of Lake Superior and John Garland ate his way through Iowa City.
Sarah McGee / Heavy Table
As has become annual tradition, our staff did an immense blowout story about State Fair food, and Kevyn Burger wrote about the waning institution that is the church dining hall. Continue reading The Heavy Table Reviews 2011: Part 2 »
Ambitious openings, fire closings (and post-fire recoveries), a madcap brewery boom, and a continued blossoming of the farm-to-table marked the year in food for 2011. What follows are some of the highlights and lowlights: notable openings and closings, some of our favorite meals, and most controversial writings about food and drink over the past 12 months.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
JANUARY
James Norton visited with Lenny Russo of Heartland (above) about his ambitious pork and charcuterie program.
Coffee writer Eric Faust checked in with Dogwood, coincidentally the sort of coffee on hand at the ambitious new Yo Yo Donuts that John Garland reviewed in Minnetonka.
Madison, WI, contributor Sean Weitner wrote up the ambitious (Underground) Kitchen (which later burned down and was reinvented, in part, as a charcuterie company), and James Norton checked out northwestern Wisconsin’s ambitious tilapia and salad greens farm.
Kate NG Sommers / Heavy Table
And Maja Ingeman reviewed the intriguing (and ultimately nonviable) downtown gastropub The Inn (above).
In the Churn: Town Talk Diner folded, Cake Eater Bakery relaunched, local brewers made good on an international list of beers, Harriet Brewing opened its doors, and Minnesota’s congressional delegation had a hotdish throwdown (winner: Sen. Amy Klobuchar).
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
FEBRUARY
Blackbird (above) and Heidi’s both reemerged from the ashes of last year’s massive fire with reopened restaurants in new locations.
James Norton hailed the innovative cooking of Don Saunders at In Season, and we explored Northeast with beautifully illustrated stories about Dusty’s and the Korean market Dong Yang.
Andy Sturdevant / Heavy Table
Speaking of illustrations: Andy Sturdevant’s epic trip down 38th St. with pen and sketchpad in hand is one of the most ambitious things we’ve published on this site.
In the Churn: Surly announced its $20 million brewery plan, Pearson’s closed, D’Amico took over food at the Walker while Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21 was kicked to the curb, and Summit dumped twist-off beer caps.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
MARCH
Heavy Table’s Silver Whisk awards were announced — they honored Uplands Cheese Company (above), Chef Sameh Wadi, and In Season.
We provoked a bit of controversy with a not-so-flattering assessment of the St. Clair Broiler, and a loving tribute to the Spaghetti Board of Bunky’s in Madison, which many commenters found to be, in a word, gross. Continue reading The Heavy Table Reviews 2011: Part 1 »
We pick up where we left off yesterday as we recap the best, worst, most dramatic, and otherwise most noteworthy in food and drink from 2010.
JULY
Emily Nystrom interviewed Erica Strait of Foxy Falafel, Soleil Ho brought us five tastes from Hmongtown in St. Paul, and we dug two places in Duluth: JJ Astor and Duluth Grill.
Lars Swanson / Heavy Table
We took a first look at Patisserie 46 — and loved it. (Later, we interviewed baker John Kraus in detail.)
Susan Pagani rallied volunteers to save the garlic harvest at Swede Lake Farms.
James Norton sampled two tastes with Sarah Master of Porter and Frye and Katie Cannon went behind the scenes with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
We also checked out the 128 Cafe Food Cart, the wonders of Tour de Farm, the new menu at The Sample Room, and the majesty of blue cheese from Wisconsin.
In the Churn: L’Ecosse is scotched, Colossal Cafe changes ownership, legislation paves the way for local microbreweries, and Tom Emmer likely dooms his campaign by calling for lower wages for servers.
AUGUST
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
August means State Fair around here: we rounded up dozens of the best eats at great risk to our own digestive systems. And read Ed Kohler’s interview with Katie Miron, the 2010 Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
Soleil Ho and the Heavy Table team rolled out the Minneapolis-St. Paul street food truck directory — see also her review of the Border Taco Truck.
James Norton chats with Mike Phillips about Green Ox, his new meat company and then heads to Columbus, Ohio, for an epic marathon of noshing.
Jill Lewis reviewed the first of a slew of mid-range Italian places to open this year: Parma 8200. (See also: our reviews of Scusi and Mozza Mia.)
Tricia Cornell talked to Rabbi Morris Allen about ethically kosher food, and then heads out to Miesville for a burger at King’s Place.
Maja Ingeman discovers a hidden Korean gem: Sole Cafe in Hamline-Midway, St. Paul, and Emily Schnobrich celebrated the struggling Flamingo.
Soleil Ho paid tribute to the unsung hero of the kitchen: the dishwasher.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Elizabeth Millard and Becca Dilley trekked out to visit the emus of Hassu Lintu in Forest Lake.
Jason Walker eats his way around newly hip Robbinsdale, MN. Continue reading The Heavy Table Reviews 2010: Part 2 »
2010 was a particularly eventful year in the world of Upper Midwestern food. We’ve been deluged with promising restaurant openings (everything from the high-end baked goods of Patisserie 46 to the tiny artful offerings of Piccolo to the ambitious local goods juggernaut that is the new Heartland in St. Paul) and witnessed the end (by fire, bankruptcy, or expired leases) of some local stalwarts.
What follows is the first part of a tour of the gastronomic highlights (and lowlights) of 2010.
JANUARY
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Aaron Masterson profiled the brewers of the newly founded Fulton Beer, Alyssa Vance talked to Chef Chad White of the Lexington, Eric Faust interviewed Minnesota culinary legend Beatrice Ojakangas, Chef Shack sent us a postcard from Thailand (their India card followed it), Eric Faust skewered HellBurgers in Duluth, and we profiled the Madison couple behind the burgeoning Madison craft jam company Quince and Apple.
James Norton and Becca Dilley opened the year by proclaiming Febgiving, the holiday designed to get us through winter well-fed and psychologically intact.
Katie Cannon rounded up five different culinary hotspots in the Minneapolis Skyway.
WACSO presented some gorgeous drawings from Wally’s Roast Beef in Bloomington.
And James Norton ate at Northeast Social and nearly froze to death.
In the Churn: The peregrinations of Chef Adam Vickerman, the Boxcar makes a spectacular debut (and later closes), Waconia’s Green Room closes, and Koyi Sushi opens in Seward.
FEBRUARY
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
February 2010 was a good month for the Heavy Table: We hosted an Evolution of Cooking dinner at the Bell Museum, celebrated our first birthday at The Craftsman with a killer carrot cake by Sweets Bakeshop, and made pie with a world-renowned expert.
Beer author Doug Hoverson blessed us with an awe-inspiring “Let’s Grab a Beer” flowchart and beer blogger Aaron Masterson wrote about the arrival in town of Deschutes Brewery. See also: Hoverson’s magisterial writeup of breweriana.
Jill Lewis reviewed the newly opened Piccolo, Maja Ingeman brainstormed a very culinary Valentine’s Day, and Jason Walker reviewed five local BBQ sauces.
Kate NG Sommers / Heavy Table
Kate NG Sommers brought us some heartbreaking images from the Heidi’s / Blackbird fire, which unfortunately, was just the tip of the iceberg in 2010 — there was also a serious fire at the Nook in St. Paul, two fires at Mille Lacs-area restaurants, a steakhouse in Hugo that burned down, and the tragic McMahon’s Pub fire, which killed six people. Continue reading The Heavy Table Reviews 2010: Part 1 »
This is the second part of our magazine’s 2009 year-in-review feature. (View the first part over here).
JULY
Judd Spicer reports on a Wisconsin farm where clothes are optional (and exercises that option himself).
Katie Cannon samples the honey of Nature’s Nectar; meanwhile, Jason Walker gets the story on the long-time underground Iowa whiskey makers Templeton Rye.
Susan Pagani tells herb farmer Bonnie Dehn’s story with lavish detail, and Jill Lewis interviews producer David Page of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
And James Norton eats and writes about every course of the West Bank Social Center’s 100-Course Meal (while Becca Dilley provides heroic photography), before heading out to Black River Falls and having a beer at Sand Creek Brewing.
In the Churn: Bellanotte shuts down, the Oceanaire chain declares bankruptcy, Rustica plans to relocate, we stir up a ruckus by wondering whether a CEO’s politics have an impact on a food brand, a new Mississippi Market opens in St. Paul, and Azuki Sushi goes bust.
AUGUST
Jill Lewis checks out the sprawling company CSA garden of Haberman PR.
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Anna of True Thai gets her portrait painted in words and photos by Susan Pagani and Katie Cannon.
James Norton and Becca Dilley trek deep into Wisconsin (Chilton, to be precise) to document the artisanal honey of Doug Schulz and Wisconsin Natural Acres.
High marks for Duluth’s ambitious new Takk for Maten and Kippis Tapas Bar from writer Eric Faust.
James Norton goes after the pro-European provincialism of I Nonni restaurant, starting with the beer list.
Emily Nystrom barnstorms the local chocolate ice cream scene with an extensive semi-scientific taste test that yields controversial results.
James Norton sits down with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, one of the most food-focused politicians in recent state history.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The Heavy Table goes deep on its State Fair food coverage, sending a roving team to round up the best eats and Lori Writer to explore many, many breakfast options.
In the Churn: Paired and Snap both call it quits, Burger Jones dumps Liberty Custard, and kudos for a Heavy Table/Vita.mn deal.
SEPTEMBER
We profile baker Krista Steinbach, one of the area’s rising stars on the baking scene (pun intended).
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
James Norton and Becca Dilley head down to Callister Farm and sample some delicious Poulet Rouge chickens… while picnicking amid some slightly nervous Poulet Rouge chickens. Later, the couple heads up to the North Shore and interviews Sean Lewis of Nokomis.
Lori Writer explores some of the ins and outs of Somali cooking, contributing artist WACSO files a beautiful series of illustrations documenting Mac’s Diner, and Katie Cannon brings back photos and words from Gastro Non Grata’s Shitty Barn Party in Spring Green, WI.
In the Churn: Ginger Hop arrives, SweeTango apples debut, Ronin fights for its life, Whole Hog Heaven BBQ tosses in the towel, and Lyndale Tap House opens.
We’ve published more than 1,700 posts since our debut earlier this year, ranging from fleeting thoughts on other people’s news stories to 3,000-word investigations of the food, people, and animals that make up the gastronomic scene in the Upper Midwest. What follows is a leisurely stroll through some of the highlights of 2009.
FEBRUARY
On Feb. 17, 2009, The Heavy Table debuts. The mission of the magazine is report on all things Upper Midwestern and gastronomic, posting two pieces of original content daily while constantly aggregating news and features. Within the year, the magazine picks up a monthly readership of roughly 100,000 (mostly local) pageviews and more than 2,100 followers on Twitter.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The site’s debut story was a profile of Olivier Vrambout, the remarkable artisan baker who is the driving force behind Stillwater’s Bikery.
Lori Writer filed a terrific look at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market in winter, and followed up with a piece on Fat Tuesday Elvis-themed bacon cupcakes that immediately picked up some social media traction.
Aaron Landry and Katie Cannon attend an event celebrating the Red Stag and catch up with soon-to-be senator Al Franken, picking his brain on his favorite Minnesota foods.
In the Churn: Farewell to Fugaise, Vera’s Cafe, and Sam’s Wines; Cheeky Monkey opens; and a fire damages Yarusso Bros.
MARCH
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The Heavy Table attends and photographs Paired, an underground supper club / art event helmed by Chef Chris Olson.
Eric Faust documents the somewhat obscure world of Minnesota viticulture, stirring up passionate debate about the future of winemaking in the Upper Midwest.
Always on the trail of a good burger, Jill Lewis becomes the first to hail the burger boom that sweeps the Twin Cities restaurant scene in 2009.
Katie Cannon teams up with Ed Kohler and cameraman / editor Adam Voreis to produce a stellar video documentary on the making and eating of Jucy Lucys.
Ken Liss of Premier Cheese (now sadly closing) talks to Jill Lewis; Lori Writer takes the cheese theme and runs with it, doing an in-depth story on pupusas.
In the Churn: Jeremy Iggers leaves the Rake, Dan Aykroyd barnstorms the area in support of his premium liquor, Andrew Zimmern provokes some farmers market-related rage, Kim Bartmann battles tax woes, Minnesota brewing booms, and farewell to the inventor of the mini doughnut machine.
APRIL
Kelly Hailstone investigates urban maple syrup, and the Heavy Table explores 25 Things Chefs Hate About You and 25 Things Diners Hate About Restaurants.
Becca Dilley snaps a photo of a squid-centric PBR billboard and documents the aesthetic world of Paradise Roasters.
Minneapolis Tribune, 1888
Contributor Andy Sturdevant goes in depth on Minneapolis food cart culture — or the lack thereof.
And Lori Writer goes deep on the banh mi, an immigrant sandwich with a fascinating past.
In the Churn: The Heavy Table blows the lid off a controversial proposed Trader Joe’s near the Wedge, David Vlach joins the Heidi’s team, the Fogo de Chao waitstaff files a class action lawsuit, Trattoria Tosca opens, and insight into why Minnesotans seem to get so much food poisoning.
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