tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:22:01 +0000Thanh DoGigi's CafeP.F. ChangsCosmosVictor's 1959 CafeThe SetaiSpoonriverOMOur KitchenPazzalunaST: Puerto RicoLittle SzechuanD'Amico KitchenST: ColoradoPizza NeaThe Bad WaitressCowboy SlimsST: LouisianaCraveIzzy's Ice CreamST: FloridaMercaditoST: NevadaGrand CafeRusticaDancing GaneshaST: United KingdomST: AustraliaST: BrazilIstanbul BistroST: SpainLibationsSpill the WineEcopolitanNamiOld ChicagoEventsST: NetherlandsTea House RestaurantMonte CarloST: IndonesiaRisottoSaffronNamaste CafeFood LitJoe's GarageChin's Asia FreshKeegan'sJasmine 26Chino LatinoGrand Ole CreameryHosteria RomanaMt Fuji SushiSoleraB.A.N.K.The Melting PotST: IllinoisRinataMeritageST: WisconsinLucia'sPopMoose and Sadie'sDuplexSuboBarrio TequilaGardens of SalonicaGalactic PizzaThe VegetarianFrench Meadow BakeryIn the KitchenBlue Door PubST: Hong KongZeno CafeWilde Roast CafeST: IndiaTopper's PizzaNgon Vietnamese BistroST: CaliforniaST: MexicoTaste of ThailandNortheast SocialRed Savoy'sRoat OshaHeartlandSapor CafeIn the NewsSen Yai Sen LekBeaujo'sPumphouse CreamerySea ChangeHomemade Pizza Co.Harry's Food and CocktailsThe Sample RoomBe'wichedKoyi SushiCafe AgriBar La GrassaLa Belle VieThe Strip ClubSra MartinezBradstreet CrafthouseCafe LatteGood EarthBrasa112 EateryEdina GrillEl MesonBirchwood CafeSalut Bar AmericainBlack Sheep Coal Fired PizzaBurger JonesYum Kitchen and BakeryLiberty Frozen CustardSidetripThe Malt ShopST: JapanPiolaZeloAnchor Fish and ChipsLeaning Tower of Pizza20.21Seven Sky BarST: MichiganST: FranceDakotaTapas y TintosBarbetteLake Harriet PizzaPizza LuceCafe LevainHighland GrillOlaOrigamiST: New YorkTryg'sSonny's Ice CreamStabby's CafeHeidi'sClosed RestaurantsRestaurant MaxPatrick's French BakeryST: UtahTrue ThaiST: ConnecticutBev's Wine BarStella's Fish CafeST: OhioST: TurkeyBryant Lake BowlST: SwitzerlandCrema CafeAmore VictoriaKing and I ThaiBar AbileneChatterbox PubLongfellow GrillObento-yaViewPalominoBulldogST: CanadaST: EgyptRainbowBread and ChocolateSunsetsAmazing ThailandChiang Mai ThaiGuruSebastian Joe'sVincentIl GattoLoring Pasta BarAziaCafe MaudeZumbro CafeST: MassachusettsLyndale TaphouseRed Stag Supper ClubLotus RestaurantTrattoria ToscaForumBig BowlTurtle BreadST: South CarolinaAt the MarketST: UAEPicosaEl ParaisoST: IsraelEvergreen Chinese RestaurantCampielloFirelake RestaurantDulono's PizzaCooperSakaya KitchenBlackbird360 Gourmet BurritosHell's KitchenNick and EddieMichy'sBest of IndiaLa Chaya BistroST: ArizonaButterMort's DeliTum Rup ThaiST: ArgentinaPorter and FryeMoto-iFuji YaToastIke's Food and CocktailsBroder's Pasta BarST: KansasRestaurant AlmaTown Talk DinerManny'sST: Washington DCAl VentoWakameCommon Roots CafeGood Day CafeColossal CafeLurcatRice PaperBrit's PubD'Amico and SonsCheck out the new blog: Savoring South Beach. See link below...http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)Blogger597125TwinCitiesEatshttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-6187425817832663386Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:02:00 +00002010-10-24T17:02:05.799-05:00Dear Friends and Followers --- I write today to invite you over to my NEW Blog:  Savoring South Beach.  It was a bit silly to keep a URL called Twin Cities Eats when I am all about South Beach in Miami Beach nowadays.  And let me tell you, it is a heck of a lot different than living in Minnesota.  Follow me while I discover the Latin vibe, learn how to avoid sunburn, date more crazy men than http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-beginning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7142592300991736092Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:57:00 +00002010-10-15T18:24:28.709-05:00The Setai I miss Bali on a daily basis. It was a heavenly place that smelled like flowers, tasted like fruit and was full of calm. I only wish I was able to return as often as I might like but realistically it may never happen again. So what a treat to discover a little bit of Bali in South Beach.My brother and his family are a dream come true. They give me a beautiful niece to play with, a crashpad http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/10/setai.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-1886761607461802946Mon, 11 Oct 2010 02:06:00 +00002010-10-10T21:42:12.516-05:00ST: IllinoisIt was time to marry VG off and make her into a VK. Their whirlwind 6 month engagement came to a conclusion with a four day party in the Windy City. I can't believe all that they pulled together so quickly! Wedding activities were overflowing starting with a rehearsal dinner of Italian comfort food at Vinci's quickly followed by karaoke in Lincoln Park at the Four Farthings. It was a flashback tohttp://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/10/st-chicago-il.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-8155910844663007825Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:56:00 +00002010-10-07T20:49:56.326-05:00ST: Argentina Buenos Aires is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities in the world. And there was no denying that the four days I spent there at the end of September charmed me yet again. After attempting to adjust to the sultry days of summer in Miami, it was immense relief to instead be amidst the first days of Spring in Argentina. Like the first days of Spring in any country, the Portenos were grabbing http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/10/st-buenos-aires-argentina.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-2513333964306058773Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:49:00 +00002010-09-19T20:29:21.929-05:00ST: Brazil It's dificult explain the excitement I feel when I am about to land in a new country. What will it be like? What will it remind me of? How will it be different from anywhere ? Now that I have been to so many countries, I also sit with this small fear that it just won't feel special anymore. Thank goodness that has yet to be the case.Brazil. Brazil is set to become one of the top five http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/09/st-sao-paulo-brazil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-4566394680626956090Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:56:00 +00002010-09-19T17:45:47.513-05:00Tapas y TintosEveryone in Miami who has lived here more than three months (and is thus a "local") usually likes to appear repulsed when they hear that I live on South Beach. Then, when I tell them I like food, they immediately tell me there is no good food on the Beach. Way to be negative and uninformed. Thanks! Especially because I have been slowly but surely discovering some quite good food on the Beach,http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/09/tapas-y-tintos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-5660701692778053164Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:32:00 +00002010-09-12T20:17:43.918-05:00MercaditoSometimes meals are simply a nightmare. My dinner at Mercadito fits the bill. We arrived for a 9pm reservation and were immediately sent to the bar. Three minutes later, they came to find us for our table. I hate that restaurants do this, almost forcing you to have a drink then, as soon as you order the drink, you have to rush and attempt to close your tab and move. In this instance, thank http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/09/mercadito.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-1651677172074408494Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:33:00 +00002010-09-06T16:31:19.548-05:00Michy'sThere are a lot of star chef restaurants in Miami but many of them are simply outposts of chefs who barely step their foot into town. Thank goodness this isn't always the case! Here in Miami, I have been most keenly excited to find and try the chefs that have built their acclaimed restaurants starting from Miami, and one of these chefs is Michelle Bernstein. I had already graced Sra. Martinez http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/09/michys.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-136397895538344950Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:24:00 +00002010-09-02T16:02:20.707-05:00ST: New YorkThe trend of not being in Miami continues with a weekend soiree in the Catskills. I cannot think of anything more fun than celebrating an upcoming wedding with a group of wonderful girlfriends. Surprisingly, the Catskills ended up being a perfect location. The amazing weather (and lack of humidity!) certainly didn't hurt either.I arrived into JFK airport and made my way to Brooklyn, where we http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/09/sidetrip-catskills-ny.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7549072215777336070Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:43:00 +00002010-08-24T15:44:44.915-05:00ST: MexicoI thought I moved to Miami but in reality I am starting to realize that I just moved to another airport hub. Someone yesterday actually asked me why I have an apartment at all. And I definitely sometimes feel like I spend more time traveling than I do at home. In fact, in 2010 I wouldn’t be surprised if this was actually the case.I spent this past week in Mexico City. The temperature http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/08/sidetrip-mexico-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-5169206955306178468Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:31:00 +00002010-08-15T20:34:22.530-05:00Common Roots CafeBe'wichedDuplexAround and around I go and where I stop, nobody knows (except my Mom who demands to know where I am traveling).Last weekend, I headed back to Minneapolis for a final farewell (to get my things with the movers)and a beautiful wedding of friends at the Guthrie. While there I found 24 hours of perfect August vegetable goodness. If there is one thing I haven't found in Miami yet, it is truly fresh http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/08/back-in-cities.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-4364078597248071996Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:51:00 +00002010-08-03T15:01:00.329-05:00Food Lit Celebrity sister (of Sandra Bullock) and Hollywood lawyer turned bakery owner. Wow – this book was either going to be horrible or wonderful. Thankfully it ended up in the latter category as Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado wrapped me up in its sweet goodness.The story is the expected one: burned out business person moving to New England and opening a bakery. It is http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-lit-confections-of-closet-master.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-6679683589947659839Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:42:00 +00002010-08-02T11:47:33.175-05:00ST: Canada It’s summer, which means it is wedding season! My second wedding of the year brought me to a small town in New Brunswick. I love my friend who got married there at the family home but what made the potential for the weekend even better is that I was staying at in the “French Fry Capital of the World!”. Sounded like a heavenly vacation from the brutal Miami humidity to me so I jetted out of http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/08/sidertrip-new-brunswick-canada.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-2053143047344301532Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:58:00 +00002010-07-30T08:18:57.603-05:00Food Lit You knew I would get to Medium Raw. I mean, who can resist a dose of Tony??This is Bourdain’s follow-up (many years later) to Kitchen Confidential, the book that made Anthony Bourdain a household name for those that love food and travel. Since he wrote that original tome, a lot has changed the life of Anthony Bourdain. He has a new wife, a new child, a new job. Basically he is now quite a http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/food-lit-medium-raw.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-2469008460577180501Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:48:00 +00002010-07-28T13:10:17.556-05:00ST: Puerto RicoSidetrip24 hours in Puerto Rico - GO!I jumped off the flight from Miami in San Juan and then zipped around the city and to my office there with hardly a chance to breath. We grabbed a sandwich at a shop near the beach and then I was ushered onto the shuttle to take me out to the El Conquistador resort, which is about an hour or so outside San Juan.Talk about a gorgeous view from a cruise ship of a resorthttp://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/sidetrip-puerto-rico.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7378912995778593972Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:25:00 +00002010-07-21T08:25:00.174-05:00PiolaI'm still sitting here in Miami in an empty apartment waiting for my things to arrive from Minneapolis. Just a few more weeks of air mattress living to go. Consequently there are a few things that I miss about the Twin Cities and highest on that list are my bed and my wireless router (and my car registration since apparently I need that to get a license plate here... wonder where that is...). http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/piola.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-9151263254413267069Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:02:00 +00002010-07-19T15:02:00.177-05:00Food LitIf there is one thing that can mess you up in life in more ways than not, apparently it is living in Grosse Pointe, Michigan during your formative teenage years. Just think about the books Middlesex, The Virgin Suicides and Grosse Pointe Girl, not to mention Grosse Pointe Blank. And, of course, there is myself and only to find out by reading her memoir, Kim Severson from the New York Times too. http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/spoon-fed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-399700433823535765Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:27:00 +00002010-07-18T14:56:57.840-05:00Sra MartinezI stopped and stared. It was a perhaps a Tuesday and we were wandering the Design District waiting for the reservation time to arrive at Michael's Genuine. But then we rounded the corner and I was struck dumb by the appearance of Sra Martinez. The place is just plain stunning - an old post office completely refurbished with a huge front patio and, as I would find out on my second trip in the http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/sra-martinez.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7092838461819782607Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:37:00 +00002010-07-13T08:37:37.838-05:00GuruWashington Ave in South Beach isn't known for its high quality cuisine, rather instead for its pizza by-the-slice joints and raucous club scene, where the edibles might be in pill form. It is amazing what a difference, then, a ten foot walk can make. Between Washington and Collins on 12th lies a small but elegant Indian restaurant that I had probably walked by a dozen times but never seen. The http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/guru.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7138919014655833830Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:02:00 +00002010-07-08T09:04:34.536-05:00Hosteria RomanaI am a bit intimidated by Miami dining. Here I come from the “big” city of Minneapolis and I am suddenly thrust into the mayhem of South Beach. Sobe is outfitted with a unique combination of celebrity chef cuisine, tourist bars and drunk eats. Some locals have been telling me it is quite the culinary wasteland. But I figure I better taste it myself in order to figure it all out. Yet, it stresses http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/hosteria-romana.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-8871744023237058672Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:39:00 +00002010-07-05T19:42:04.757-05:00OlaOooh la la. Ola. It was a fancy, great start to my first full weekend in my new home on the Beach. Attempting to avoid the flooded streets of hot summer rains in South Beach, I let my date escort me to our mystery location, Ola, the restaurant in the very swanky Sanctuary Hotel. It was a posh welcome to Miami and my first venture into Miami's Nuevo Latin Cuisine with famed chef Douglas http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/ola.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7561146443706837339Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:31:00 +00002010-07-03T18:15:24.497-05:00Sakaya KitchenThere are some very important activities that one must do when one moves, such as turn on the gas, figure out how to take out the garbage and wait for the cable man. Even before I left the state of Minnesota, though, I had already done the Google to determine where the nearest Target was going to be for those immediate move-in needs (like a shower curtain rod). After hours of wandering the http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/sakaya-kitchen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-3987358983179681522Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:05:00 +00002010-07-03T17:23:39.247-05:00EventsArriving in Miami and moving in to my new place in South Beach is an assault on the senses. My eyes see such diversity and Art Deco everywhere, my ears hear late-night partiers and the daily patois of international languages, my body feels the intense heat and humidity, the smells in the air are tropical and heavy, and,yes, finally the tastes are as widespread as the tourists are many. Simply http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/07/miami-adventure-begins.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-7057860431784852158Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:57:00 +00002010-06-28T21:40:57.041-05:00EventsThe postings have been a bit sparse lately. Why, you ask? I returned from my sabbatical round-the-world trip and at the end of May learned that I started my new position at my company the following week.... in Miami. As of yesterday, June 27, I am now a resident of the Art Deco District in South Beach. Do you think I could get much further from Minneapolis??? Especially come January. In my http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-live-in-miami.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30451988.post-1379227251875277515Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +00002010-06-22T11:10:12.216-05:00EventsThis Thursday, Taste of the Nation HOTList returns to the Twin Cities and it is better than ever!!! My goodness, the team has done an amazing job pulling together a stellar group of restaurants to represent. It includes everyone from La Belle Vie to Brasa, Grand Cafe to Strip Club. This is a wonderful event for a great cause and I will definitely be there to support the mission of No Kid Hungry http://twincitieseats.blogspot.com/2010/06/taste-of-nation-hotlist.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Red Pepper)1