It’s a good time to be a foodie.
There are lots of food happenings around town, you just need to know
where to look. Dinner on the Farm is a good place to start.
During the summer, Dinner on the Farm
hosts chef-planned and prepared dinners on farms. They are fun
family-friendly events that also often include good, local beer or
wine. There’s special pricing for kids so please don’t tell the
organizers, but I have seen my kid eat her weight in beef then wash
is down with a gallon of strawberries and cream as she chases cows in
the field at these events. The dinners are summer highlights. It’s
a fun way to learn about a local farm (local may mean up to two hours
from the Twin Cities), an emerging chef and often local breweries or
other specialty food producers are included. The only way to find out
about them is sign up. (Pssst – signing up is free!)
During the winter, Dinner on the Farm
hosts Underground Dinner Parties – in art galleries, breweries,
Tiki rooms, haunted houses and other fun places. These are less
family friendly as they often have a higher level of alcohol content;
they also involve a lot less driving. It’s a fun way to meet other
foodies. (Be warned it’s not a place to pick up foodies since
mingling is minimal and most folks come in groups but with a little
effort and sometimes wine you get to meet the most interesting
people!)
This last weekend the underground
dinner turned to brunch at the Dogwood Coffee Roastery. I heard the
coffee was amazing. I’m not a coffee drinker but I was introduced
to Spruce Soda Ginger Beer drinker. I have been looking for something
to replace Diet Coke; this is on the shortlist. It’s sweet but not
syrupy or sugary. And it’s all natural.
The brunch included dry salamis from
Red Table. I will forego bacon with brunch any and every there’s
dry meats from Red Table on the buffet. Rise provided the bagels;
they feature only locally grown and organic ingredients. Soft on the
inside, a bite on the outside. Holds spreads and jams well!
The highlight was tasting delicacies
of Sean Sherman – the Sioux Chef. He cooks with traditional
indigenous foods – foods naturally found in the Midwest. Sherman
uses natural organic ingredients that kept his ancestors healthy
generations ago and now he is presenting them as a healthy option for
foodies today. He created a smoked whitefish spread that was creamy,
salty and not too fishy. That on a bagel mixed with a little
raspberry job is a perfect sweet and savory bite. His squash salad
was also delicious with a tart dressing and pepitas.
So as I said, a good time to be a
foodie. With focused chefs like Sherman and with tireless conveners
like Monica Walch who is heart of Dinner on the Farm. She manages to
gather an interesting array of chefs, food producers and happy eaters
and helps sell the story of better food by introducing local food,
chefs and places.
The Twin
Cities Daily Planet is a media partner that features news, events and
reviews in and around Minneapolis-St. Paul. To see more, visit their Web
site at www.tcdailyplanet.net.
PHOTO: A sample of the offering by the
Sioux Chef Sean Sherman (Photo by Ann Treacy).
