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Raspberry Pie
It's hard to decide! Should you pack up and head to the great North Shore and take in all the up-nort' living that people say keeps their skin younger and minds piney fresh? Or do you stay in town and dive into the fests and parties that happen with longer days and sultry nights? The richness of a MN summer is that you can have it all. Find a new brewery/hotel up north, burger/bbq/beer party in town, and a fruity festival out in the 'burbs. Winning all around ya.
NEWS
\\ USA! USA! The US team is coming home with top honors from the Bocuse D'Or Americas competition. Our own Gavin Kaysen was with the culinary team as they won gold over Canada and Chile. According to officials, the US came to play with a "breathtaking culinary experience combining a 100% vegetal theme on plate based on quinoa and mushrooms pave, and both roasted and confit salmon with brown butter citrus jus, beet and pistachio garnish for the theme on platter."
\\ Third Wave Masa is a cool partnership with traditional Mexican farmers and Masienda to bring heirloom corn into our lives. You can now order all kinds of sustainably grown ancient corn that you may never have seen, and maybe learn how to make tamales with it from a cool video by our own Gustavo Romero of Nixta. I ordered the pink corn, will totally gram my pink quesadilla once I perfect it.
OPENS
+ Slice pizza is fully slinging in the Midtown Global Market, but if you want to celebrate with them grandly on Wed., you would be welcome. Ribbon cutting starts at 11:30am, and then slices will be 25% off!
CLOSES
- Big news: David Fong's is closing. The iconic Chinese restaurant in Bloomington has had a great run, 64 years, and it's time for Ed Fong to retire and play with his grandkids. They'll stay open through August so that you can go and say goodbye. No crying.
- Hey kids? The Bungalow Club is not a drive-thru, k? Unfortunately not everyone got the message and someone drove though the front window, into the dining room. The Longfellow eatery will be closed for a bit while they clean up and fix up. No one was hurt, thank goodness.
- Apparently, Hammer & Sickle vodka bar in Uptown closed a few weeks ago.
- Burrito Loco in Dinkytown closed last week after the night when their window was shot out. Concerned for the safety of their guests and staff, they say they will remain closed until further notice.
COMING SOON
>> Francis Burger Joint, the plant based burger truck that's been parked outside of Sociable Cider Werks, will be taking over the former Sen Yai Sen Lek/Dipped & Debris locations as a full-fledged parked restaurant. If you want to go give them a crisp high-five, head over to Sociable on Saturday for Francis Fest during which things will be tie-dyed, dunk tanks will splash, and more than 30 vendors will be available for perusal while the live music thrums.
>> Lake Superior Brewing Co. is just about to open in a former tanning salon and fitness center situated in the Lakeside neighborhood in Duluth. The brewery, restaurant, and hotel will live in a 7,000 square foot space completely refinished by Seth and Sarah Maxim. They bought the Lincoln Park brewery in 2020, but decided to move it to this location. They are on the cusp!
AGENDA
// The 88th Hopkins Raspberry Festival is afoot as we speak, and it rolls all weekend. Between raspberry breakfasts and pulled pork sandwich lunches, you'll find food trucks, street dances, fireworks, meat raffles and everything in between.
// Bap & Chicken and the Salsa Collaborative are hosting a Taste of Asia series this summer and it kicks off tonight with the first theme: Noodles. Not only will they be debuting a new hot sauce, but you'll be able try Nikki's Cambodian Kroeung cold noodles. Order in person or online tonight from 4-9pm, then stay tuned for two more theme nights this summer.
// Tonight's Keepsake Cidery fun includes Nettie and her magical Red Hen Gastrolab deliciousness in the form of lobster shrimp salad rolls, Rainey Lake fried walleye sandwiches, guava BBQ pulled pork, and brats with cider zuke pickles. Feels like a good night for an orchard hang.
// A very worthy way to spend your Saturday is tooling around the dirt roads and rolling hills on the annual Co-op Farm Tour. Visit some of the 21 urban and rural farms that are open to the public from 10am - 4pm, many of them will have tours, activities like berry picking, farm stands, demos and more. It's all free and self-guided and a great way to see where your food is coming from.
// It really has been 8 Years of Awesöme for Bauhaus Brew Labs. They'll prove it on Saturday with a lineup of rad music (Solid Gold 7pm!), Animales will be on site with their BBQ truck AND their burger trailer (and if you know what's what it's Texas Jake's Brisket Week), plus special beer fun all day.
// Falling Knife Brewing is also festing hard on Saturday, with Alive Inside Summer Brewery Fest. Live music in the fresh outdoor amphitheater all day, they've got a Raging Demon collab with Toppling Goliath to release, plus JELL-O shots, icy pineapple hard slushees, tacos, burritos, and an outdoor craft market.
// If you like spending time looking for your lost shaker of salt, you'll want to get out to Old Log Theater for their Escape to Margaritaville show. If you buy a ticket to this Sunday's or next Friday's show, you get a free margarita!
// Hey Date Night! Cooks of Crocus Hill classes in North Loop are a great thing to do with a special someone. This Saturday you can learn to cook cherry BBQ-sauced chicken sandwiches and berry hand pies together, then in August you can learn chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives together, and pretty soon you'll just be married. It happens like that.
// The Lynhall is launching their Farm Dinner Series with DragSmith Farms this Thursday. A favorite with local chefs, this organic vegetable farm is the inspiration for a six course meal for $95. Expect a menu chock full of summer squash, heirloom tomatoes, buttermilk braised turnips, blackened nectarines and more.
// Well the Great Midwest Rib Fest is coming up at the end of the month down at Mystic Lake. It's free to hang, and Pat Benatar is going to be there along with a massive amount of smoked meat to chomp. And you could watch competitive eater Joey Chestnut try to stuff it all into his surprisingly compact body at the World Rib-Eating Championship on Saturday the 30th.
