I think it was a slow week in the restaurant world, or maybe I just felt the impending holiday and turned a deaf ear to all but my grillables.
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? Like you need a reason, shyah. Gotta tell ya, I think we are blessed with a bevy of good scoop shops in the Cities. Maybe it's because we spend so much time in a freeze box ourselves, we know a good scoop when we see it. If you have no idea where to start, check out Red Pepper; she's been doing some legwork on the subject. If you have a few recipe ideas of your own, my Cuisinart and I salute you.
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Because its June tasting menu was so popular, Saffron will host a new one each month. July will focus on "tasting for two" as it offers dishes meant to be shared. Grab a honey or smoocher or dateless friend, and pop in for a meze sampler (with those harissa-lovin' kofte meatballs!) followed by paella, then house-made ice creams. Cost is $55/couple and $50 for the vegetarian version.
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It has probably been about ten years since I ventured to the Taste of Minnesota, but my kids are lobbying hard because they've never been. Looking at the list of vendors, I might be swayed by the possibility of an El Burrito ear of elote (if the booth is actually El Burrito Mercado). More likely, I'll take the brood to the Powderhorn Park celebration, which is being sponsored by Midtown Global Market and will feature Manny's Tortas! Holy Land! Pham's Deli! and the surviving West Indies Soul!
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Since I'll be staying local this year instead of heading out of town, I'm thinking of doing a little farming. Well, not really farming as much as just picking. Tooling through the local lists of pick-your-own farms, I've narrowed it down to a few good options for raspberries. And if I don't want to kill my children by the end of the day, I might make them something good with our bounty.
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The other thing I'll be doing this weekend is some sneaky snooping work. I've heard a rumor and must check it out to confirm, but the gossipy Page Six quote would go like this: Which much-lauded chef-without-a-restaurant has been rumored to be cooking in a lakeside bistro? Tune in next week ...
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