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.
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.
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.
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.
And, ringed by a holy cavalcade of food trucks, we held our second North Coast Nosh sip-and-sample at Peace Coffee in South Minneapolis.
In the Churn: Esquire hailed Al’s Breakfast for having the best pancakes in the country, USA Today said the Old Fashioned in Madison is one of the country’s 10 great places to eat like a local, Jack Riebel left the Dakota, local cheesemakers cleaned up at the American Cheese Society awards, and the locally based David Page Productions vs. Food Network dustup finally settled.
SEPTEMBER
Elizabeth Millard met Barley’s Angels, and Angharad Guy toured (some of) the diners of the Twin Cities.
Louie the Loon, our foodie cartoon, made its debut with a review of La Hacienda Pupuseria.
We traveled to the Apostle Islands, sampled and profiled Smude’s Sunflower oil, and photographer Becca Dilley turned the art of brewing beer into a series of lovely animated .gifs.
James Norton headed up to Door County and wrote up its food and drink, and Emily Schnobrich made it out to the splendid new Peruvian restaurant Uchu in Plymouth.
In the Churn: Lift Bridge released a beer made with oyster shells from Meritage, Solera rebooted, True Thai’s head chef died in a controversial hit-and-run, leading Madison chef Tory Miller was charged in a brawl, details emerged about the Jack Riebel Butcher and the Boar project, and the Gopher Bar was named manliest restaurant in the country by Men’s Health.
OCTOBER
The impeccable baklava (above) and schwarma of Filfillah appealed to us, and we went on a trip to two of the manliest spots in the Cities: Mac’s Industrial and the Gopher Bar.
Soleil Ho explored what to eat at the Occupy Minneapolis protest, and Susan Pagani talked to Brett Laidlaw about his new book, Trout Caviar.
Louie the Loon dug the oysters and bone marrow at Meritage, and James Norton loved Espresso BellaVitano, a new chese from Wisconsin.
And Tricia Cornell previewed all the high-flying new eats coming to Concourse G of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.
In the Churn: Blue Door Pub announced plans to take its stuffed hamburgers to South Minneapolis, Parasole started taking a share of its servers’ tips, Madison’s Ale Asylum announced plans for a major new destination brewery, Shorty and Wag’s hung up the towel, Cafe Twenty Eight announced plans to shut its doors, and the New York Times dined in Madison.
NOVEMBER
We sampled the new line of spices from Raghavan Iyer, presented a flowchart guide to the doughnuts of the Twin Cities, and ran a gastronomic gauntlet of autumn pies, tasting more than 20 in the search of the best.
John Garland profiled mixologist Johnny Michaels (above), and the team of WACSO and M.C. Cronin presented a gorgeous profile of the Twisted Sister House of Hunger food truck.
In the Churn: Mojo Monkey doughnuts launched with a media-powered bang, Turkey to Go announced storefronts in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Izzy’s ice cream began hunting for a factory location, the New York Times toured Wisconsin supper clubs, and Kopplin’s debuted at its new location on Marshall Ave.
DECEMBER
Megan Borgert-Spaniol tried the chocolate stout pudding at the newly opened Pig & Fiddle, while Susan Pagani got over to the Sample Room to check out their 100 sausage project.
Emily Schnobrich adored the deep flavors at Krungthep Thai, Tricia Cornell chronicled the art of knife sharpening at Eversharp, and Becca Dilley dug deep into the world of coffee roasting and serving at Peace Coffee to present two lovely series of cinemagraphs.
In the Churn: The Minnesota Depts. of Health and Ag cracked down on food swappers, locally made Joia Soda was honored by BevNet as the year’s best new carbonated beverage, the Sample Room was slinging whole pig heads, an intriguing project called Dr. Chocolate’s Chocolate Chateau appeared on the radar, and Masu Sushi announced a new location at the Mall of America.