The Twisted Shrub

The Twisted Shrub was nominated by Skaalvenn Distillery for this post.

If you spent 20 years working for a large company in the food industry and suddenly got laid off with a generous severance package, what would you do with your life?

Well, Scott Dillon--when he got laid off from a Minnesota-based food giant just a couple years ago--he had no clue what he was going to do. In fact, in the midst of his new need for direction in life, he found himself taking magic classes, ushering for Twins games, and taking pan-USA road trips with his children. He also, one fateful night, took a class about drinking shrubs with his wife at Parlour Bar in Minneapolis's North Loop. "I went into the class thinking, 'what the heck is a drinking shrub,' and left it in an epiphany moment. I thought, 'Okay, this is my next path in life.'" 109 days later, Scott launched his new business The Twisted Shrub at Linden Hills Farmers' Market in Minneapolis.

Bottling up all 5 flavors at his production space in the NE Food District building

So what IS a drinking shrub? Quite simply, it's fruit, sugar and vinegar, all boiled down and bottled up to make a sweet-tart mixer that instantly transforms your booze or LaCroix into a cocktail or mocktail. The Twisted Shrub currently has five flavors on the market, which can be found at Mill City Farmers' Market, local co-ops and liquor stores, and online at Amazon.com. Scott does all his production out of the new Food District building in Northeast Minneapolis.

Rumor has it there is a 6th flavor in the works!

Forward Eats MSP followers met with Scott recently for an informal but informative happy hour to hear his story and learn about his product line. The happy hour very rapidly turned into two, only because Scott's insight on the local food scene and food business in general is both passionate and endless.

Scott talking shrubs at the Forward Eats MSP event

Attendees of this event were genuinely more interested in picking Scott's brain for a look into his triumphs and tribulations in both local and national markets than they were in drinking free, unlimited cocktails mixed with The Twisted Shrub. Call me naive,  but in that moment of realization, I understood that even though Scott does a good deal of business on Amazon, having his passion, knowledge, and years of insight into the local industry behind a Northeast Minneapolis-based food business is invaluable.

Forward Eats MSP followers experimenting with making their own cocktail creations with The Twisted Shrub

I won't go so far as to say we're happy you were laid off, Scott, but well--we really kind of are! Thank you for putting your years of expertise into creating your own successful business, and sharing your experience with all of us Forward Eaters and the greater Twin Cities community. Shrub on!

Pineapple Habanero shrub & whiskey = my favorite cocktail combo of the evening

Stay tuned to see who The Twisted Shrub nominated for my next post!

Skaalvenn Distillery

Eddie Wu at Cook St. Paul nominated Skaalvenn Distillery and owners Tyson and Mary Schnitker for this post. Here's what Eddie has to say: "Tyson and Mary are the only distillers in MN that I know of that actually make their booze.  Also, they get their grains from MN, and have been to the farm where they are grown. They are amazing people and crazy hard workers."

In late 2013, Tyson turned to his wife Mary and said, "You know, I think we're going to open a distillery." She said, "Are you sure?" and he responded, "Yeah, I think it's the right time for a couple of idiots with a little money saved up to get into an industry they know nothing about.'" Just under two years later, Skaalvenn rum, vodka, and aquavit appeared on liquor store shelves for the first time.

Tyson Schnitker is a self proclaimed "average Joe." A few weeks ago, he welcomed me into his production space in Brooklyn Park to share his story with me. By the time we looked up from our conversation and a personalized liquor lesson, two enjoyable hours had flown by. With Tyson, and with the brand he's created, what you see is exactly what you get, and you can't help but love it.

Tyson worked a handful of odd jobs--from IT to construction and joining the US Army--before the idea of opening a distillery fell in his lap. "It came about completely by accident." He laughs as he tells the story of a New Year's Eve party he and his wife attended in 2012. "We walk in and I can tell this is wealth I'm not familiar with." Although there was an open bar with fancy cocktails and every craft brew you could dream of, Tyson and Mary found themselves chatting with a couple from Tennessee who'd brought their own stash of Michelob Golden Light and homemade apple pie moonshine. After much resistance,  Tyson accepted a pour of their moonshine. "I was 32 at the time," Tyson explains. "The apple pie moonshine was the best thing I had tasted in my life up to that point. On the drive home from that party, all I could think about what how I was going to recreate this man's recipe."

Is it just me or are these bottles literally luring us in?

He spent the next few months experimenting with recipes based off Everclear. His friends love being taste-tasters and encouraged him to look into selling it to people other than just them. "One night, I found myself typing "how to open a distillery" into Google. I knew nothing about working in the food industry. At that time my only connection was the job I had a McDonald's when I was 15 and 16." As it turned out, the legal fee to operate a distillery in Minnesota had just dropped from $30,000 to $1,000. That was the moment Tyson turned to his wife to inform her they were going to open Skaalvenn.

Skaalvenn Habanero Rum is great in hot chocolate!

"We're now in 400 locations across the state." Tyson talks proudly of his business's success, despite almost going out of business twice. Skaalveen, which means "cheers, friends" in Norwegian, is a brand that strives to be approachable and affordable to all. They chose to sell rum, vodka and aquavit instead of his Everclear recipes so they could market there bottles at $20 a pop instead of the $50 Everclear-based liquors tend to go for. "We make less per bottle than some of our competitors, but we have a lot more happy customers. It's worth working twice as hard to have double the amount of happy customers." Tyson doesn't skip a beat as explains the nuances in each of his liquors, poses proudly for a few photos, and sends me out the door with a handful of cocktail ideas share with world. Thank you, Tyson, for your humble passion and hard work. Cheers, friends!

Tyson in his production space in Brooklyn Park, MN

Tyson nominated The Twisted Shrub and owner Scott Dillon for my next post and event. "Scott's a good friend of mine and he's creating something really awesome." Stay tuned to my Facebook page for event details and the full blog post!

Cook St. Paul and Eddie Wu

Birchwood Cafe nominated Cook St. Paul and owner Eddie Wu for this blog post for being a "small gem of a restaurant" that sources locally and has a noticeable community impact. Congrats Cook and Eddie!

Last Friday, a crowd of Forward Eaters and I ventured out to Cook to partake in that evening's Korean pop-up. The restaurant is typically open for breakfast and lunch only, but hosts occasional evening pop-ups to support freelance chefs, raise money for causes, and highlight Eddie's interest in ethnic flavors. Immerse yourself in last week's pop-up through the photos below, and enjoy Eddie's story as told by Eddie to me in a recent interview.

"My name is Eddie Wu, but I'm generally the whitest guy in the room. My wife is a Korean adoptee, and I took her last name."

Eddie Wu inside his restaurant.

Photo credit: Cook St. Paul

"I was born and raised in South St. Paul, spent time in San Diego and Denver, and eventually made my way back to home to St. Paul."

Lines were out the door to get a table at Friday's Korean Dinner pop-up

"I started washing dishes at age 14. I was a lit major, I'm an ex-marine, I managed restaurants, I managed a strip club. I knew I wanted to work in the service industry but I wanted to be more than a boss, so when this space opened the thought of opening my own restaurant started to become more real."

One of each, please!

"My main goal was to create a place where anyone could come eat at a reasonable price and feel comfortable whether they were on a date or by themselves or with children or out on business."

Cook offers sake cocktails

"The most expensive item on our regular menu is only $15, and that's steak and eggs. We got our steak from Peterson Meats. The truck stops here and then goes directly to Spoon and Stable. People ask 'what do you do to your eggs to make them taste so good' and I tell them 'we get them from a farm.'"

Dubu Kimchi with tofu and bacon

"I can relate to kids in the neighborhood that are lower class or in poverty. I grew up in welfare. I know what's it like to be in a neighborhood where there's generally nowhere to go. I wanted to project my social awareness into the restaurant and create an outlet for change by partnering with local businesses like Urban Roots and hiring kids from the neighborhood."

Mung Bean Pancake

"I was told my first work was 'McDonalds.' I grew up on Tombstone pizzas, Chef Boyardee, and generally had a 7/11 diet. When I started dating my wife she told me I had to eat better. So I did. And then we continued it for our kids when we had them."

Garlic Fried Chicken

"I'm not a chef, I'm a cook who runs a restaurant."

Owner Eddie Wu mans the kitchen during Friday night Korean pop-ups

"This space has been a diner for years, so if I figure if I can't make this restaurant concept work here then I shouldn't be allowed to be a dishwasher anywhere."

Cook's cozy corner in St. Paul.

"Cook St. Paul is perfect for the 'royal blue collar' crowd. It's a 'greasy silver spoon.'" 

And I think Cook is a perfect restaurant for YOU! They're open M-F from 6:30am to 2pm and Sat-Sun 7am-3pm. 1124 Payne Avenue, St. Paul. Stop in a support Eddie's passion and dedication to making St. Paul even more fantastic through food.

Eddie nominated the folks behind Skaalvenn Distillery for my next post!  Here's what he has to say: "Tyson and Mary [the distillery's owners and only staff] are the only distillers in MN that I know of that actually make their booze (they make rum, habanero rum (the best rum on the planet), vodka, and aquavit.  Also, they get their grains from MN, and have been to the farm where they are grown. They are amazing people and crazy hard workers." Stay tuned for the inside look!

Birchwood Cafe

You know what sucks? It sucks when you write a long, beautiful post about what makes Birchwood Cafe a fantastic restaurant and an anchor in the Twin Cities' food community, but then your computer (your NEW computer, at that) freezes and shuts down just as you're finishing the post, deleting everything you spent the last couple days writing. It really sucks, but in a way, makes sense--Birchwood Cafe is an institution that best tells its own story. A stop in for a drink during happy hour, or a leisurely brunch over a savory waffle-- it's impossible for a diner not to notice the quality of food they're eating, the passion of the people that created it for them, and the countless ways this Minneapolis restaurant strives to give and to a be a part of an impactful community.

Ample thanks to Steve Horton at Baker's Field Flour and Bread for nominating Birchwood for this post, and to Megan and her cohorts at Birchwood for hosting Forward Eats MSP and giving us the inside scoop on your awesomeness. Come along for a photo tour, and please, stop in Birchwood Cafe to be a part of this important, unfolding food story yourself!

The Crostini and Cracker plate on the dinner menu features housemade bread and crackers, using flours milled by the company that nominated Birchwood Cafe, Baker's Field Flour & Bread!

In warmer months, Birchwood can source a majority of its local produce from just a handful of local farms. In the colder months, they source from over 10 local farms.

Birchwood's Chef Dan explained they will can rotate through their entire pantry--grains, dairy, produce, meat--in just a week.

Photo: E. Owens

The next time you stop in, you might notice Chef Dan, working behind the scenes or in the kitchen to whip up whatever delectable menu item you order that day. Fun fact: his favorite kitchen tool is this fry cutter.

Grains in bulk, in back.

Photo: E. Owens

Birchwood organizes their culinary year into eight seasons: Winter, Thaw, Spring, Summer, Scorch, Autumn, Dusk, Frost. We are currently in Dusk.

Photo: E. Owens

The savory waffle is so popular it generates 11% of Birchwood Cafe's income on a regular basis.

Photo: E. Owens

A major thanks to Birchwood for hosting Forward Eats last month, and for nominating Eddie Wu of Cook St. Paul for my next post!! To join Forward Eats MSP at our event in January to support Cook St. Paul, click here.

OPINION: Where is Restaurant Week for the Millennials?

To the Organizers of Restaurant Week:

Not that many years ago, I was a 22-year-old new college graduate, roaming the streets of New York City with little on me but a sure sense that I'd arrived in the food capitol of the world. The only problem was, during my first three months there I was making no money at my unpaid internship, and shortly after moved into a minimum wage gig selling cheese at a specialty foods counter. I settled into eating peanut butter sandwiches and gawking at the people and places of the food world I so idolized from a distance. That's all until Restaurant Week rolled around, of course.

An oversized Restaurant Week advertisement beckoned to me on my walk to work each morning--for the next two weeks (it really should have been called Restaurant Fortnight), I could eat a three course meal at 100+ world class restaurants for a nominal fee. The $30 ticket for lunch was surely still at the top of my starving artist budget, but for a millennial who moved to NYC for its food culture, it felt like I was being handed unlimited free passes to the premiere of the next big Hollywood movie. Suddenly, I had the means to dine at Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster Harlem, Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Junoon, and several of Top Chef host Tom Colicchio's hotspots, all thanks to Restaurant Week.

Similarly, when I moved to Minneapolis nearly four years ago, this time a little more cash in my pocket, I immediately became engrossed in the local food scene and found myself scouring the list of restaurants in the back of each issue of Mpls St. Paul Magazine to pinpoint my favorites. But when restaurant week rolled around every time for the last four years, I've found myself letting out little more than a sigh of disappointment.  

Your website states that the Mpls St. Paul Restaurant Week was created "in an effort to connect Twin Cities food enthusiasts with the best in Twin Cities dining." I'm only left to wonder how exactly you define a "food enthusiast," as it's clearly not "a millennial." Tacos in Wayzata? A $35 fondue at The Melting Pot? A cookie as the third course at an otherwise-alluring place like Mercy? As a food enthusiast who dives in each day and believes strongly in the vibrancy and diversity of our food scene--with options like these--I'll take a hard pass on Restaurant Week and spend my $15 at countless places that will offer a more genuine experience. 

As a millennial food enthusiast, I want Restaurant Week to provide me access to dining experiences I couldn't normally afford. Where is Spoon and Stable, Heyday,  or 4 Bells? I want access to a new experiences at popular or award-winning restaurants. Why aren't Bachelor Farmer, Revival, or Cafe Alma on the list? I want exposure to long-standing establishments. Where's Mancini's, The Lexington or Gluek's? I'll even go out on a limb to say I want to eat a really great $15 lunch at under-exposed, affordable restaurants that are turning out authentic food every day. Where is Dilla's Ethiopian, Homi Mexican, or Trieu Chau Vietnamese? Surely I don't understand the finer points of actually piecing a Restaurant Week together, but if other cities can create a truly alluring experience, why can't we? A force as influential as Mpls St. Paul Magazine should take advantage of its pull to cater Restaurant Week toward an interested crowd like us millennials, create an experience that is both memorable and impactful, and one that is ultimately more profitable to all parties involved.

Let's keep the conversation going and do our part to make the food scene in Minneapolis/St. Paul more vibrant than ever.

With open ears,

Ruthie Young

Steve Horton @ Baker's Field Flour & Bread

What does a man named Steve Horton + 22 years baking experience + a vacant space in Northeast Minneapolis' Food Building equal? Nothing short of the Twin Cities' premier milling and baking facility, Baker's Field Flour & Bread and the finest loaf of bread for sale at your local grocery co-op! Kelly and Jeff at Dumpling & Strand nominated Steve for his pure passion and ground-breaking work in the industry.

Steve showing off his bread during the Forward Eats tour

How'd a guy like Steve find himself waking up for the 4AM baking shift, receiving hundreds of pounds of grain fresh from Minnesota farms, milling them on a unique granite mill, and then moving swiftly on into the evening to promote his business to crazed fans like us Forward Eaters?

After pursing a Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Steve found himself managing a Caribou Coffee, and later working at the metro's artisan bread chain, Breadsmith, where he fell fast in love with the art and science of baking and taught himself much of what he knows today. From there, he moved on to managing the The Wedge's Co-op's (now defunct) wholesale bakery operation. Years later, he opened his own bakery, Rustica, which quickly gained a local and national following. When the venue space in Food Building opened up, Steve was eager to move onward to a venture that would allow him to delve even deeper into his interests in milling, collaborating with local farmers, and gaining a deep understanding of how different grains translate into different artisan breads.

Steve in front of Baker's Field's granite mill

Baker's Field has now been open for just over a year, and is still settling into its home in the Twin Cities market. "At capacity, we're a small operation," Steve explains. "We're working with farmers on a small scale, which can involve a lot of risk." Last year, Steve hired a farmer to grow a 30-acre crop of rye for him to mill and bake, but the farmer lost the crop due to an early frost-- a huge financial loss to both the farmer and Baker's Field. "We're building this local operation from the ground up, which allows access to a lot of unique grains and opportunities. It's a risk but it's also exciting because nobody else is really doing it."

Dough mixers

"Our biggest challenge now is getting the word out and educating people about why they'll enjoy our breads." Look for Baker's Field demos in co-ops around the metro, and stay tuned for several pop-ups at Food Building closer to the holidays. Food Building (and Baker's Field) is open for self-guided tours Tuesday-Friday from 8 to 3pm. Bread loaves and other baked goods are sold individually and are on the menu at the neighboring Draft Horse restaurant Tuesday through Sunday. If you haven't picked up a baguette or loaf of table bread yet, I highly encourage you to give it a shot! Baker's Field bread is an experience, not just breakfast--especially when customers can have such easy access to viewing the space in which it's all made, and the incredible scientific knowledge of the business's owner and staff. Reach out, get involved, eat good bread!!

Freshly baked loaves

And now, stay tuned to see which local kickass business Steve nominated for the next blog post!

Kelly and Jeff @ Dumpling & Strand

"We get really geeky about noodles." Meet Kelly McManus and Jeff Casper, co-owners of the Twin Cities-based fresh pasta company Dumpling & Strand. Per Yia Vang's adamant nomination, I had the pleasure of chatting with these two about their noodles, their geekiness, and the how & why of their start-up business.

If you've shopped at a co-op or a Whole Foods in the area recently, or Mill City and Kingfield Farmers' Markets this summer, chances are you've happened upon this duo's boldly-labeled, skillfully-crafted, and downright delicious line of noodles. They haven't been around for long, though--after months of thought and research, the enthusiastic neighbors and business partners officially launched their venture in May 2016 at Kingfield Farmers' Market. Jeff's science background and passion for grains combined with Kelly's marketing and entrepreneurial expertise are the factors that ultimately led the neighbors to turn to noodles.  "Fresh pasta is kind of a novel concept in Minnesota," explains Kelly. "Because of that, we found an interested crowd and dedicated following right for the get-go. It was kind of fun."

Mill City Farmers' Market

This is where I stop to say--if you've never had fresh pasta, GO. NOW. It is surely not the same species as boxed pasta, and the Dumpling & Strand line ranks amongst the top for flavor and flare. For Kelly and Jeff, pasta starts with the very soil the grains they purchase (most of which are local) to mill into the flour (most of which is done locally) they use to make their pastas are grown in. "Most grain growers rank flavor of their grain second or third to yield and consistency," explains Jeff. "We've been experimenting with working with farmers who will place flavor as their top priority." The duo has worked tirelessly to get grants, co-ops and other funding for such experiments that ultimately impact a more sustainable future for farming, as well as elevate the flavors of their pastas.

Forward Eats MSP Pasta Tasting Party

Their lineup of noodles ranges from classic spaghetti, to ramen, to several gluten-free pastas, and my favorite--the wild rice Minnesoba. It's a thick noodle crafted from local wild rice. Minnesoba lends a pleasant nutty flavor that pairs nicely with Asian flavors as well as more traditional cream sauces. "We're all about finding an expression of a food in its place, " says Jeff. "There are a lot of purists who might not like the fact that we're using local grains to make a really good ramen, for example--it's not traditional--but we like to push boundaries and ask what ramen would look like if Minnesota were the first place it was made. And then make it!"

Build Your Own Pasta at the Forward Eats MSP Pasta Tasting Party

As for how the business partners see Dumpling & Strand affecting our community--well, "You can make all the fun you want of people posting pictures of their dinners, comments Kelly, "but for us it's really fun to see the ways people get creative with our products, the stories behind the dishes, and the people they share them with. It's a pretty big thing in a world that's becoming more insular. We're one tiny part of bringing people together."

"It's not just noodles," Jeff chimes in with a confidant smirk on his face, "it's the essence of humanity."

If you want to meet Kelly and Jeff at a farmers' market, or find out where to purchase their products, click here. Stay tuned to find out who they nominated for my next post!

Yia Vang and Union Kitchen

I've been lucky enough to interview some incredibly passionate, dedicated local foodies for this blog, but I have to say-- Yia Vang of Minneapolis' Union Kitchen pop-up Hmong restaurant is hands down the nicest, most thoughtful person I've had the pleasure of talking with. A blog post could hardly do our conversation justice, and it's only my own laziness preventing me from typing up and posting the entire transcript of our gem of a chat. Alas...

Monica at Dinner on the Farm nominated Yia for his unique approach to showcasing his Hmong roots through food. After meeting him for coffee last week, I heartily agree that his approach is creative and his story is one all should hear. He's a 33-year-old Hmong chef who was born in Laos, grew up in Philadelphia, went to college in Wisconsin, and eventually moved to Minnesota, where his career in restaurants flourished. He opened Union Kitchen a little over a year ago, and hosts pop-ups at festivals and events in the Twin Cities throughout the year. He and his business partners hope to have a brick and mortar destination soon.

What is Hmong food? Yia says he gets that question a lot. "I kind of end up defending Hmong food instead of describing it, because there's no specific country that we can place ourselves from. That leads to a kind of shame--like we're just a lost people. But Hmong food is really about technique rather than ingredients. Hmongs are farmers and wherever we migrate we take a little bit of that culture with us. If Southeast Asian flavor is our paint, then here in Minnesota we could say Midwestern produce is our canvas. We're doing things that we know and love, but we're using the produce and the products of this area. That's who we are, and Union Kitchen is all about coming out and being proud of that."

Union Kitchen's pop-up last week at Little Mekong Night Market in St. Paul

Yia moved to Minnesota to pursue grad school, but ended up working at Nighthawks, then Borough, and Spoon and Stable. "I've been trying to get out of the kitchen my whole life," Yia laughs. "It's like that ex-girlfriend you keep coming back to, you know? Like 10 years later, let's just make this work out." When he began to feel his creative voice getting lost in his restaurant jobs, a few good friends and some intense brainstorming led to the idea of creating a pop-up restaurant that tells a story of cultural identity while bringing people of all backgrounds together. "I firmly believe food is the commonality between everybody." Yia goes on. "So it doesn’t matter where we come from. We can differ in religious and political beliefs but at the end of the day if you put a big bowl of friend chicken between the two of us, we’ll both believe that’s a great bowl of fried chicken. When you bring people together over food, the conversation shifts. We want Union Kitchen to be a space for that to happen."

"I have no problem calling myself a Midwesterner. I love that!" Yia concludes about his identity. "Cheese curds are my jam, you know? Double cheeseburgers from Culvers, I love that stuff. I'll have a pho day and I'll have a good ol' chili day, too. I love forging cultures together like that."

Loco Moco, cooked up by Yia (right) and team at Little Mekong Night Market

Union Kitchen will be hosting their next pop-up this Friday, June 16th at The Bird in Minneapolis from 5-9pm. Check out Union Kitchen's Facebook page for more pop-up updates!

Stay tuned to canoodle with Yia's nomination for my next post: Dumpling & Strand!

Dinner on the Farm

It's a romantic idea and one that makes easy sense, all at once. It's a daydream-turned-reality, a sturdy farm-to-table link, and perhaps one of the Twin Cities' best-kept secrets. It's Dinner on the Farm, a recurring event created and organized by Minnesota-native Monica Walch. Ticket-holders have the opportunity to eat dinner cooked by local, professional chefs at the farm on which many of that dinner's ingredients were produced. A local brewery and band are also featured, and diners have the chance to tour the farm and interact with the chefs. 

Dinner on the Farm founder, Monica Walch making a farm friend

Monica's childhood on a diary farm in Rochester combined with her post-college experience working for an organic milk marketing company inspired her to create Dinner on the Farm. "I was searching for a way to bring local food closer to the people who were buying it, and I liked the idea of turning it into an event so more people could participate in it at one time." Dinner on the Farm was born in 2009, and hosts around 5 events every summer on different farms around the Twin Cities metro.

Monica explains that the community-building aspect of her business is her favorite part. "There were constantly people visiting my parents at the dairy farm I grew up on. They would stop work for hours and just sit and talk and have coffee and bars with their guests. This type of in-person connection doesn't happen as much any more, and I think people are missing it." Each Dinner on the Farm has room for around 150 guests, small enough that each attendee has the chance to interact with the chefs, brewers, band members and other diners.

What type of person attends Dinner on the Farm? "It's people on a date, it's someone passionate about local food coming on their own, it's an entire family celebrating an 80th birthday, it's the band member's friend who has no clue about local food but ends up learning a lot and having a great time." Most of Monica's dinners sell out shortly after they're posted on her website. She relies on word-of-mouth as her primary form of advertising. 

"It means so much to the people growing the food to know that people care about it. I love that Dinner on the Farm helps create that connection for people." There are two dinners with tickets available this summer, and one yet-to-be-announced dinner that will take place in September.

Nicole at Bad Apple Mini Urban Orchards nominated Monica and Dinner on the Farm for this post. Stay tuned to see who Monica nominated for the next post! 

Bad Apple Mini Urban Orchards

When I sat down with Nicole Pappas Stanoch at a favorite Northeast Minneapolis brewery to interview her about her blossoming, apple-centric business, Bad Apple Mini Urban Orchards, I knew it was going to be a good conversation. She's the type of person who knows A LOT, about EVERYTHING, and has a contagious sense of enthusiasm for it all. We'd been talking for a good ten minutes about everything from the time she accidentally stole gas in France to her love of edible landscaping before she takes a breath to say, "Wait, aren't you going to take notes or something?" I'd completely forgotten to start recording our conversation in the wake of her lively entrance.

Nicole at one of her sites

So Nicole. How did she get into apples? The answer, suprisingly enough: wine. "I love wine," Nicole explains. "I mean, I really love wine, and I love how, in order to make it, you have to grow something and turn it into something else. That whole process got me interested in horticulture." Nicole took a few classes in the University of Minnesota's Masters of Horticulture program a few years back, and became inspired to implement an mini orchard business model based on the skills she'd learned. She wanted to turn empty spaces into orchards, and then turn the apples into brandy.

Nicole currently owns two small plots of land with trees in Northern Wisconsin, and 18 smaller sites in Northeast Minneapolis where she plants the apple trees, tends to them, harvests the fruit, and hands it off to 45th Parallel Distillery to turn the fruits of her labor into brandy.

Nicole's partner helping process apples at 45th Parallel Distillery

"I plant on anything from city-commissioned spaces to people's personal backyards. People get excited about my business and are like, 'we want apple trees, we want apples trees,' and I tell them we'll find a way to make it work." She's currently looking into purchasing several empty lots in North Minneapolis.

Nicole started Bad Apple in 2015. She's expecting her first batch of brandy to be done in about 8 months--it's currently aging in barrels. When it's finished, Nicole will give some of the final product back to each land-owner who hired her to plant trees, and 45th Parallel will sell the rest. She's seen her business double in size from the year she started.

"It's not a complicated model," states Nicole, and then continues on to remind home gardeners of the world to "never use compost that's not done composting! If it still smells, it's not dirt yet and shouldn't be used!" And on with her endless wisdom...

If you're interested in learning more about Nicole's business (and maybe getting a tree or two planted on your land!), check out her Facebook page or email her at npstanoch@gmail.com. Stay tuned to Forward Eats MSP's Facebook page for news about an upcoming event to hang out with Nicole and support Bad Apple Mini Urban Orchards.

Sen Yai Sen Lek Thai Restaurant

I was thrilled when Reverie Cafe + Bar nominated Sen Yai, Sen Lek (Big Noodle, Little Noodle) for Forward Eats. This standout restaurant on Central Avenue is 10 minute saunter from my house, and the first business in Northeast Minneapolis featured in this series! I took a stroll over the other day to chat up co-owner Holly, and hang with the FE crew for a very inspired dinner.

Co-Owner Holly (right) and Bar Manager Laura celebrate this family-owned digs

The wonderful and difficult thing about the Northeast neighborhood is that it's both incredibly diverse, and also ever-evolving. Holly, along with her Thai-American husband Joe, opened up shop in 2008 after years of building up the courage to do so. They opened, as it were, in the midst of that year's infamous economy crash. "The weird thing is, " explained Holly, "we were so consumed with starting the restaurant up that we were kind of unaware of an economic crisis." Holly's main concern was, once they opened their doors, who was going to come through them?

The Sugar & Spice: a white wine cocktail with mint, lychee, and a homemade Thai chili syrup

"Northeast was a much rougher neighborhood 8 years ago. Almost all of the restaurants and coffeeshops and breweries that are here now weren't here then. There was no Thai food in Northeast and certainly not a place to sit down and hang out with a drink along Central Avenue. So I kept thinking, 'how's this gonna work? Where are customers going to come from?'" 

Taohoo Tod: Fried firm tofu with a peanut cilantro chili sauce

It turns out, Northeasters are a very loyal bunch, and enjoyed having a new gathering spot in their neighborhood. Plus, Holly and Joe are very committed to running their business around their 4 guiding principles: Family Ownership, Cultural Authenticity, Social and Environmental Sustainability, and Community Orientation. "We operate Sen Yai based around meeting these principles, not necessarily around making a certain profit. We just make everything else work out along the way."

Khao Soi: Curried Chiang Mai egg noodle dish with beef, cilantro, pickled mustard greens and shallots.

And Sen Yai has certainly become a stronghold for Thai food in Minneapolis and beyond--the restaurant has been awarded a "Thai Select" certification 2 times--an award the Thai government gives to American restaurants they deem are procuring authentic Thai food.

Naam Prik Ong: Spicy chili dip with ground pork, tomato, lemongrass, garlic and cilantro. Served with fresh vegetables and crispy fired pork rinds.

This place is great for a family-style meal, a hearty solo entree, or a few drinks up at the bar. The have monthly specials created by staff members, and an ongoing "Thai-ku" poetry contest for all to participate in. The amount of love and passion Holly and Joe put into Sen Yai was very obvious in the the outstanding overall experience we had. Can wait to get back to try more menu items, and order the gem below again, and again, and again.

Khao Neow Mamuang: Sweet sticky rice with mango. So, so, SO GOOD!!!

So, who's up next to bat? Holly and Sen Yai nominated Nicole, the one-woman wonder at Bad Apple Mini Urban Orchards! Stay tuned to Facebook for more info on FE's upcoming outing to learn about and support this unique Twin Cities business! 

Reverie Cafe & Bar

"I never thought I'd be in the restaurant business. I’d always heard it’s really hard to succeed, and it’s a really difficult business." This is Kirstin Wiegmann, co-owner of Reverie Cafe + Bar in Stevens Square, Minneapolis.  

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Jeff and Kirstin, co-owners of Reverie

Kirstin and her life partner, Jeff, have--whether they expected it or not--put together a rather successful vegan hotspot on Nicolette Avenue. The space, formerly a coffee shop, has become a popular community hangout spot, complete with a full menu of plant -based foods, an enticing happy hour, and live music every night.

Forward Eats makes a stop at Reverie

"Our neighborhood is so high density," commented Kirstin, "that people have really enjoyed having this cozy, warm, and welcoming place to go for an afternoon."

Head chef Jeff has been eating a plant-based diet for a long time, and spent years cooking at Minneapolis's now closed vegan eatery, Ecopolitan, before starting the Reverie venture. He works with his staff to develop recipes and keep the menu fresh.

The "Cubano," with pulled jackfruit in a smoky sauce with garlic aioli and pickled onions

The Cauliflower Poboy, with smoked paprika cashew remoulade

"The Twin Cities doesn’t have a lot of vegan options. There are even cities that you’d think would be less progressive than Minneapolis that have options," Kirstin told me candidly. She and Jeff are excited to be at the forefront of a local movement, along with Herbivorous Butcher and the soon-to-open J. Selby's in St. Paul.

"We’re not here to advertise a ethos or an ethic. We’re about making good food that also happens to be plant-based." From their made-from-scratch pastries to the popular jackfruit tacos, the Forward Eats crew approved!

Forward Eats visits Reverie!

Who did Kirstin, Jeff, and Reverie nominate for the next Forward Eats event and post? They chose Sen Yai, Sen Lek, a positively forward-thinking Thai restaurant on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis. Attend the Forward Eats event at Sen Yai by RSVPing here. Stay tuned for the next post!

Forward Eats MSP: The Herbivorous Butcher

Is it pronounced Herbi-VOR-ous Butcher, or Herb-BI-vorous Butcher? Nobody could say for sure as we clambered into their Near Northeast storefront, bewildered by all the knife-themed decor. And yet, there was no blood to be seen! Meat? Oh yes, we'd found the nationally-renowned hotspot for steaks and sausages--made from plants. Welcome to The Herbivorous Butcher, a haven for all-you-vores (get it?), and the brain child of Aubry and Kale Walch, the powerful sister and brother duo pictured below.

"Kale and I both really wanted to do something for a living that would change the world," explained Aubry when I met with her this week. "And the only skill set we had was making meat substitutes." She laughed. Both bro and sis had become vegan in their early teens, and finally turned their passion into a booth at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market in 2013.

A popular option at their storefront: Korean Ribs

"We set up our 6 foot table at market on our first day not thinking we’d sell a single item. But we sold out the first day, and then we sold out the second day, and we started selling out every weekend." The idea of a locally-crafted meat substitute that was actually really delicious caught on, and before the duo knew it, they completed a successful Kickstarter campaign and opened their storefront in January 2016.

"At first the idea of opening a vegan butcher shop was really funny and everyone laughed really hard," explained Aubry, "and then, all of a sudden, everyone got really quiet." The store found overwhelming success almost immediately. The Herbivorous Butcher currently ships and wholesales nationwide.

"I think this is a little bit of what people were looking for in order to switch over to a plant-based diet, but maybe they didn’t realize this is what it was going to take. As a storefront we’re a safe space for people to come in and ask questions about veganism. We're really here to help people with that journey." Aubry and Kale will open a shop on both coasts within the next two years.

The Vegan Breakfast Sandwich--I'd eat it again.

Who does The Herbivorous Butcher think is making the coolest difference in the Twin Cities food scene? Congrats, Reverie Cafe & Bar, on your nomination! Stay tuned for my next post, and attend our sampling event at the cafe by RSVPing here.

Forward Eats MSP: Local Crate

I'm convinced I've found the two men who are singlehandedly redefining what the word "local" means to the Twin Cities--and national--food scene.

"When you say 'local' people think of vegetables right away. But there’s so many different aspects of local that tie into food." This is Frank Jackman, co-owner of the Twin Cities-based mail delivery meal kit company, Local Crate.

Mike Stalbaum and Frank Jackman launched Local Crate in November  2015. They left their corporate jobs in "big food" after completing a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund their idea. "We kicked around quite a few ideas before we settled on Local Crate," Mike explained. "But always around local food."

How their service works: Customers go online and pick from 11 different recipes every week (there's always diet-sensitive options, too). Crates are shipped directly to the customer's doorstep, complete with every ingredient you'll need to make the recipe, a recipe card with a step-by-step instruction card to guide you through the cooking process, and information about one of the local farmers or businesses that supplied ingredients to Local Crate that week.

Supplies to make Green Lentil Soup and Chicken Fajita Bowls

"You can cook without thinking about it," explains Mike. "Nobody has to decide what to cook, and everybody knows what they're going to be eating. It saves a lot of stress."

It may seem like a simple concept, but Mike and Frank have turned their business into a local machine. Not only do they source almost every ingredient from within a 150 miles radius of the Twin Cities (rising to the challenge of keeping a diversified menu come the winter months in Minnesota), they also partner with local chefs to develop their recipes, and support local hunger relief organizations.

Prepping the Chicken Fajita Bowls

"Everything that we had a gripe about while working in big food," says Jackman "we are able to do the exact opposite of and feel good about what we're doing." Stalbaum and Jackman expect to  continue to see their business grow, and have dreams of setting up similar operations in multiple states.

Leo stirs the soup!

"Our goal is to become the first locally national food company in America. Forget mass distribution, and have more depth distribution. Bringing in the seasonality aspect of it," says Jackman. With their level of enthusiasm and ability to successfully think outside the box...er, crate...I wouldn't be surprised to see their dreams take fruition before long.

Viola!

Who did the team nominate for my next post? One of their great suppliers of vegetarian proteins and the Twin Cities' landmark vegetarian/vegan destination...The Herbivorous Butcher! Stay tuned to find out what makes them so great.

Cheers!

Forward Eats MSP: Isabel Street Heat!

TURN UP THE HEAT, and meet Tony Stoy!

Who is Tony?

He's the owner of the St. Paul business that produced the best hot sauce in the Twin Cities as ranked by City Pages for the last two years in a row: Isabel Street Heat! He also makes all the hot sauce, sometimes at 9PM after his daughters have gone to bed, because he still has a full-time day job in the car industry. I met with Tony in his production space a few weeks ago, and the entire hour I spent with him was filled to the brim with great conversation and explanations and what was clearly a genuine passion for what he does.

Why did he want to start a hot sauce business?

Tony started making hot sauce in 2005 when his neighbor, who knew Tony cooked a lot, asked if he'd make some hot sauce. So Tony did. The neighbor loved it, the guys at work loved it, and Tony's family loved it when they received it at Christmas that year. Every year after, Tony made more and more hot sauce until finally, in 2014, he and his wife Leslie started selling it at farmers' markets, launched their website, and got picked up by local grocery distributors. "At my day job I work with technicians and service advisors and I'm pulled in a million directions all day," explained Tony. "But with Isabel Street, I just get to relax and enjoy myself."

Here's Tony mixing the salt left over from fermenting a batch of peppers. He'll turn it into a rub or brine!

What makes Isabel Street Heat hot sauce the best in the Twin Cities?

Attention to detail. Tony could have chosen to blend a few simple ingredients, bottle them up, and call it a day, but instead he's cultivated a business in which a great amount of attention is paid to each step of the process. First, the peppers: Tony selected a handful of local growers to grow peppers specifically for him, with hopes that in the next few years ALL of the peppers he uses will be purchased within the state. Then, he carefully ferments the peppers, not halting the process until the desired pH has been reached. You guys--he even uses the salt cap from the pepper fermentation (the layer of salt on top of the pepper mash to keep the oxygen out) to make rubs and brines which he sells online and to local restaurants. From start to finish, it's clear Tony isn't out to just make ANY hot sauce.

Tony's sriracha ages in oak barrels at his production space in GIA Kitchen.

Where in the Twin Cities can I find Isabel Street Heat's products?

In some pretty fun and funky places. Like the Grassroots Gourmet booth, the business highlighted in my previous post. Or the gas station at 36th and Lyndale. You can find it in a special batches of sriracha-infused spiced rum at Bent Brewstillery in Roseville, or as a sauce on the cheese curds Curdtown in Plymouth makes. the Or, you can find in as an ingredient in your next Local Crate box, a Minneapolis-based meal mail delivery service that includes locally sourced ingredients and chef-driven recipes. Local Crate--it's also the business Tony nominated for my next post! Stay tuned...

Here's their award-winning Fatalii hot sauce, made with peppers of African origin and a little citrus

Forward Eats MSP: Grassroots Gourmet

If the Twin Cities gave out an Employee of the Month award, I'm pretty sure Vicki Potts would have won it several times over. The owner of and face behind the counter at the Grassroots Gourmet booth in Midtown Global Market, this woman is committed to her work on every level.

A transplant from California many years back, Vicki’s upbringing by a mother who bought her groceries primarily from the small farms near which she lived inspired Vicki to create a business centered on local products. "Midtown Global Market is about food and goods from around the world, and the world includes your backyard, so I think it makes sense to be here," she explained. Her booth is stocked with every specialty food item imaginable, from local soda to pasta to cheese and meat and candy and hot sauce (including Isabel Street Heat, who Vicki nominated for my next post). “I just like really clear, straightforward flavors,” she explained. “It’s not like I ever felt like I had to eat that way, it’s just what I enjoy and enjoy sharing with others.” Her booth gets especially busy when the lunchtime crowd passes through.

Tucked in the heart of Midtown, Minneapolis, Midtown Global Market is perhaps the hippest spot in an area many would consider to be much less than hip. Vicki lives just across the street from the market—a good thing, considering she staffs her booth 7 days a week—and is very clear about her love for her community.

“I tell people I live on the corner of Chicago and Lake and they look at me like ‘whoa, where’d you go wrong in life.’ But it’s just a huge range of incomes, and ethnicities, and it works fine. It’s just the way it is. It’s very calm; very un-self-conscious. I like it here a lot.”

Vicki’s wholehearted commitment to a humble life in retail is moving. When I asked which local product, business, or person she’d like to nominate for my next post, she took me on a tour of her booth, picked up nearly every local item, and told a detailed story about the makers of that item. She eventually paused to exclaim, “so maybe you could write about them!” after describing every product. The fact that we finally, finally settled on Isabel Street Heat--a St. Paul-based hot sauce company—for her nomination must be a pretty big honor. Stay tuned…

You can visit Grassroots Gourmet at the Midtown Global Market from 10am-8pm Monday through Saturday, and 10am-6pm on Sunday. Vicki currently does not have a social media presence, however, if she "found the right person to help" she would love to change that...

Forward Eats MSP: Ames Farm

In 1994, Brian Fredericksen bought an orchard near Watertown, Minnesota. He bought it not to farm apples, or honey, as one might suspect--but to use as land on which to dogsled. A 3M engineer at the time, Brian thought the property would be the perfect place to exercise his hobbies. He had a vision of one day turning the land into a food farm, and when he became worried he would kill one of the two beehives that came with the property, he began to teach himself about beekeeping. In 2001, Brian quit his job at 3M and began spending his days turning Ames Farm into what it is today--one of the premier honey farms in the United States.

Today, you can find Ames Farm honey in many Midwest retailers, as well as a large smattering of shops across the country. I asked Brian what factors he thinks were most helpful in growing his small, Minnesota start-up into a nationally successful company. "Co-ops," he immediately replied. "Minnesota has more co-ops than anywhere else. They're really unique to the Upper Midwest in many ways. I'd attribute a lot of my success to being able to get my product into all the co-ops, and farmers' markets, too." Check out the map of where to find Ames honey here.

Ames is well-known for procuring "single source" honey, meaning that each batch of honey comes from one of their 40 pound boxes of 9 combs, during one time period. "Other companies normally draw their honey from a larger pool over a longer period of time. I'm instead selling a seasonal floral snapshot from one hive. It may not be honey from a single flower, but it is from a single period in time."

Some of the hives at Ames. Photo Cred: Ames Farm.

Such attention to detail and quality doesn't come without a lot of hard work, though. "It takes us 4 months to process 400,000 pounds of honey. A commercial honey maker could process that amount in 5 weeks." But Brian and his crew at Ames, being the progressive that they are, are always coming up with new ways to advance their business and overcome challenges. Brian just recently got the required loan to build a new, two-story, old-style production building, which will greatly increase production capabilities and is incredibly energy efficient. Additionally, Ames will begin to focus more on "renting" hives out, meaning anyone who would like to install a hive on their property can, and Ames will lend the equipment and skills needed to ensure the hive is successful. They will also transport the bees with their own to Texas for the colder months. "Beekeeping doesn't just have to be done by some guy with a piece of hay in his mouth," explained Brian. "Every year hundreds of beekeepers will try to keep bees but maybe 80 percent will lose their hives due to lack of experience or finances. Renting, for those who can afford it, is becoming the sustainable solution."

One unique shop at which you can locate Ames Farm honey is the Grassroots Gourmet booth in the Midtown Global Market--this is the business Brian nominated for my next post. "They sell only Minnesota-made products. It's a great local shop, and I encourage anyone I can to support Vicki (the owner) whenever I can." Stay tuned for an inside look at the shop!

Forward Eats MSP: Singing Hills Goat Dairy

My list of female role models includes (but is not limited to): Eleanor Roosevelt, my mom, Leslie Knope, Michelle Obama, and Lynne Reeck. Who is Lynne Reeck, you might ask? Well, in my opinion, she's the baddest-ass goat farmer, hog raiser, cheesemaker, and (essentially) solo female farmer in all of Minnesota! She's the face behind Singing Hills Goat Dairy in Nerstrand, Minnesota! When Kiri Gray of The Curious Goat nominated Lynne for this post, I headed over to Mill City Farmers' Market to catch up with her at her booth where she regularly sells the cheese and meat products procured from her farm. In a matter of 15 minutes, she talked with me about everything from her goats, to the trials and tribulations of farming, to feminism, to global warming, to cheesemaking, to taking a dream vacation! Here are some highlights:

Why do you enjoy farming?

"One of the greatest blessings is being connected to the natural world. As a farmer, I get to see the sunrise every day, I get to see the birds and the wildlife. You're out there breathing fresh air, knowing what you're doing because you're so connected with the land. It's tremendously gratifying."

How did you get in to farming?

Lynne considers herself a latecomer to the farming game. After graduating from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Reeck spent twelve years working in media. "The whole time I was trying to get into farming," she explained, but faced obstacles of finding land that was both farmable and affordable. "I come from a long line of farmers, but in my family the sons are the first ones to inherit the land. And even then, women were not typically looked at as farmers, even in those days. It was a groundbreaking concept." Her struggle to find land was long, but she finally purchased the place that is now Singing Hills Goat Dairy in 1996. The land was in such great disrepair that she did not being farming it until 2008.

Some of the flock in their summer pasture. Photo cred: Singing Hills.

Where would you go on your ideal vacation?

Lynne works long hours on the farm every day, from milking her goat flock two times a day, to spending sometimes up to 10 hours making a new batch of fresh cheese, to spending entire days prepping for and selling her product at farmers' markets. I asked where she would go on her ideal vacation, if she ever found the time to take one. " This is going to sound pathetic," she laughed, "but one of my favorite places in the whole world is the north shore of Lake Superior. I would go there."

Herb-coating ball of fresh chevre. Photo Cred: Singing Hills.

Why is farming important?

At the end of the day, Lynne admits that she thinks farming is one of the most difficult and riskiest occupations, but that small farms are critical to our planet's future in the face of global warming. "If you have a world full of large farmers," she explains, "and one large farmer goes under due to bankruptcy, crop failure, or whatever the reason might be, we're kind of screwed. Small farms create a better, more stable web."

"I have no regrets about choosing such a laborious, risky job. I took a lot of risks, not all of them panned out, but I feel like the work I do is good work. I really just try to do good work." Boom. I think so too. If you don't think all that is cool, I don't know what is. I have so much admiration for anyone who spends EVERY waking hour on their passion. I think the world needs more people like Lynne.

You can find Lynne with her cheese and meats at the Mill City Farmers' Market most Saturdays, and the Kingfield Farmers' Market some Sundays.

Who did Lynne nominate for my next post? Drumroll please....

Ames Farm honey! Stay tuned for an inside look at Minnesota's premiere honey producer!

Forward Eats MSP: The Curious Goat

I'd heard about Sociable Cider Werks pretty frequently after moving to the Twin Cities in spring of 2014, but it wasn't until early 2015 that I finally took a solo drive over to the brewery to check out a craft market they were hosting. The long drive down an unexpected off-shoot of a driveway is memorable for its industrial vibe. But then, as you finally glimpse what might appear to be the brewery's entrance--there's an orange dot that looms ever-brighter in the cider-seeker's eye. A beacon. A food truck, stationed next to Sociable's happy gates. Behold: The Curious Goat.

Ian Gray, local restauranteur-turned-food truck owner and his wife and business partner Kiri, are the two friendly faces behind the window of the truck, which is open for business Wednesday through Sunday outside Sociable Cider Werks. I sat down with Kiri last week to discuss what life as a food truck owner is really like, and talk about the reasons The Lone Grazer Creamery nominated them as a business making awesome waves in the local food scene.

So, Kiri, how do you source the ingredients you use at The Curious Goat? Do you just make a big shopping trip at the grocery store once a week, or what?

We do weekly pickups from several vendors at Mill City Farmers' Market and other farmers' markets, and sometimes take trips to local coop partners. It's a lot of picking up, usually one or two trips a week. But this is how we can guarantee our ingredients to be fresh and local.

What's the biggest way your food truck is impacting the local food community?

We make large weekly purchases from several small farms and vendors. In a way, we are really helping to sustain these businesses and pay their bills. Also, it's nice to know where each and every ingredient we use comes from, so when our customers ask us "do you sell happy chicken," we can say yes, because it came from Larry Schultz Organic Farm in Owatanna, Minnesota.

How did the partnership with Sociable Cider Werks come about?

When Ian owned The Gray House, his restaurant venture before the food truck, he wanted to get Sociable Cider on tap at the restaurant. So he came to the brewery for a tour, and met the owner, Jim Watkins, who asked him if he'd ever considered opening up a food truck. We pursued the opportunity, and now here we are! We've since opened a second, roaming food truck, The Smoking Cow.

What should I order?

From today's menu: ground turkey nachos! Our chips are topped with ground turkey from Larry Schultz Organic Farm, our house-made cheese sauce, chevre from Singing Hills Goat Dairy, and a seasonal salsa and greens. I also recommend the goat cheese curds when they are on our menu--they sell out fast!

And...which local food business or person will you nominate for my next post?

Singing Hills Goat Dairy! They are essentially a one-woman goat dairy in Nerstrand, Minnesota. They supply us with our goat meat and most of our goat cheese. They do an incredible job with their products, and we've been great business partners with them for quite a while.

Gotta say, I'm pretty happy I meandered down Sociable Cider Werk's Northeast driveway and discovered The Curious Goat that fateful day almost two years ago. Foodwise, I have never been let down by anything I've ordered from The Curious Goat's menu, and to learn more about the genuine passion Kiri and Ian have for creating the best food from the most local ingredients makes me love it even more. Stay tuned as the love train makes a stop in Nerstrand, Minnesota to learn more about Singing Hills Goat Dairy, and the woman who makes it all possible.

Forward Eats MSP: The Lone Grazer Creamery!

When you give Minneapolis an artisan meat maker, it's going to ask for a local creamery to go with it. That's just what happened when Kieran Folliard, an Ireland-born local food entrepreneur, did when he realized the building his company Red Table Meat Co. operated out of had room for another business venture or two. In 2015, The Lone Grazer Creamery, Minnesota's first urban creamery, was born. I chose The Lone Grazer Creamery for the first Forward Eats nomination because of their string cheese. It was the first product of theirs I tasted, and its pure, creamy flavor and fresh, almost squeaky texture transported me straight out of the dairy aisle of my supermarket and into a serene cow pasture somewhere in Minnesota. I later learned that 100% of the milk The Lone Grazer Creamery uses is grass-fed, and comes from either Sunrise Meadows Dairy Farm in Cokato, MN, or Corstar Farm in Litchfield, MN. When I discovered my new favorite sting cheese is crafted just a short drive from my apartment in Northeast Minneapolis-- in a facility that encourages anyone to come by for a self-guided tour-- I was enamored. The Lone Grazer Creamy was everything I believe good, local food to be: conscious, intentional, shared, and darn tasty.

"The rising tide effect of Lone Grazer is so incredible," explained Tom Brossart, the Digital Architect for Food Building (the facility that houses Red Table Meat Co., The Lone Grazer Creamery, and most recently, Baker's Field Flour & Bread) when we met to discuss The Lone Grazer Creamery's nomination for Forward Eats MSP. "Not only can people who don't know what a creamy looks like take a self-guided tour, but we've also cultivated a community for local cheesemakers. People will come in and start a conversation about local farmers, or bacteria used in cheesemaking, or milk quality. Wisconsin is known for their cheese, but Lone Grazer is helping put Minnesota on the map as a great dairy state, too."

So, by now you definitely want to stop in Food Building from 10-5, Tuesday to Friday to check out The Lone Grazer Creamery and its partner companies, right? If that's not enough, you can purchase their award-winning string cheese and other great products at any of these stores in Minnesota and beyond.

And now a drumroll please, for the local food icon that Tom and The Lone Grazer Creamery nominated for the next Forward Eats MSP post: "This business has been a great partner to The Lone Grazer Creamery and other brands in Food Building. They utilize local products in an intentional way. I nominate...The Curious Goat !" Stay tuned for an inside look on what goes on behind the window of this popular roaming Minneapolis food truck.

Bonus: just in time for the holidays, The Lone Grazer Creamy and Food Building have put together these awesome "holiday gift blocks" for the foodie in your life. I think they look pretty awesome. *hint hint* ;)