Twin Cities

I remember having this odd experience when my wife was pregnant with our first child. For 30 years, I'd lived my life completely unaware of "baby culture," and now, as we'd stroll through the Galleria, Lake Harriet, Southdale mall, or one of our favorite Minnesota food spots, we were surrounded. Pregnant women and babies were suddenly everywhere.

Every Saturday at 8:00 am, the Central Minnesota Vegetable Growers Association presents Fresh & Local, a fun, local MN food show on AM950. Here's what it says on their webpage (located on the Minneapolis Farmers Market website):

5/23 UPDATE: I had the wrong video showing here, an excellent Bill Moyers piece (which I'll post next week in some form).  Here's the correct, Colbert video. In honor of Michael Pollan's Twin Cities appearance yesterday... In case you missed it when it aired on May 13, here's Michael Pollan's 5 minute interview with Stephen Colbert.

As always, Colbert is baiting and silly (I mean that in a good way), and Pollan spars with spirit and practical smarts. Revelations include whether or not Pollan was breast-fed (his mom - shockingly - answers "no" on camera), the fact that Pollan ate Yodels after school as a kid, and a discussion of what science has done for Cheetos ("they're big!"). Enjoy:

Greg Reynolds, whose Riverbend Farm provides fresh, local, organic produce to many markets and restaurants in the Twin Cities (including The Craftsman, The Birchwood Cafe, and Common Roots Cafe), has asked for some help. I'm hoping that - together - we can provide it.

I'm hooked on The Heavy Table, a new online magazine that's all about Minnesota and Upper Midwestern food. From the About section of their website:

This Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, the St. Paul State Fair Grounds is host to the Living Green Expo, billed as: ... a free, family-friendly event that inspires people to lead healthier and more sustainable lives. The focus of the event is living green, of course - not specifically food - so the many vendors and providers (250+) include those in industries as diverse as transportation, building, arts, and music. Here are the details:

Twin Cities mega-garden store Bachman's (no relation to Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, thankgoodness!) is hosting a "grow your own" event at all of their floral, gift, and garden stores on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, from 10 am to 4 pm. The event is mostly a sale, of course, and includes the following discounts and activities (summarized here from the

So here I sit, day after day, week after week, writing about my favorite local foods and places, like The Craftsman in Minneapolis, Flatbush Farm in Brooklyn, and Peace Coffee, roasted in the Twin Cities.

Two and half years ago, in the fall/winter of 2006, a new eating and drinking establishment opened on the border between Park Slope and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Called the Flatbush Farm, it won over locals almost immediately with its friendly bartenders, inventive drinks, hearty daily specials, rustic interiors, and enormous candle-lit backyard.

Minneapolis' Birchwood Cafe, one of the Twin Cities' community supporting, local, sustainable food treasures (whose praises I've sung in the past), is hosting what is sure to be a fantastic Earth Day Beer Dinner. The 7-course meal includes pairings with Minnesota's finest artisanal microbrews, and will be accompanied by live jazz music. Here are the details: