Wisconsin has a new female master cheesemaker, Pam Hodgson of Sartori Foods. The Soap Factory and thirty two magazine are putting on a dinner hosted by friend-of-the-site and MC-of-the-arts Andy Sturdevant. St. Paul is adapting its licensing procedures to allow for more taprooms. Lift Bridge is getting ready to roll out its seasonal pilsner. Buster’s on 28th was shut down by a fire. WACSO sketches a dude selling mini donuts. It was a hell of a good year for local maple syrup producers. A look at Sweet Science ice cream’s new outlet, the upcoming Verdant Tea teahouse. A super-relevant Good Question as the list for State Fair foods gets consumed: How do new State Fair foods get picked? (Here’s our State Fair food guide from last year; brace yourself for this year’s.) The Well Fed Guide to Life heads out to Szechuan Spice. A compendium of a reliable blogger’s favorite North Dakota food and drink. Iggers pontificates on the rise of the izakaya. And March sounds off on all the local-ish, barnwood-bedecked hotel restaurants opening up.