When the news broke Monday that Noma, the Michelin three-star restaurant and repeatedly listed as “Best In The World” was closing its doors at arguably the height of its powers, I shrugged. As someone who started reporting… Noma closure = reality (finally) accepted
The price of lobster has dropped, but the cost to catch and process them it has not. Note: A version of this story was first published in Foodservice News in February 2013, thus explaining some… The Labor of Lobster
For all the hubbub the Mpls.St.Paul Magazine cover is causing, the issue might have been one to get buried under the pile, what with all the usual, recognizable chefs on the cover. I didn’t look… On Mpls-St. Paul Mag’s Manly March Chef Cover
The U.S. House of Representatives took up rancorous debate and passed yesterday its version of the Farm Bill (which is actually the Food, Conservation and Energy Act), that gargantuan piece of legislation renewed every five… The Farm Bill: gerrymandered for failure
By The Hack Most of you saw the story in the Strib yesterday, but if not, Rick Nelson reported that Lenny Russo, the chef and owner at Heartland Restaurant will likely move to St. Paul's… Russo to move Heartland to Lowertown
By The Hack As y'all already know, the Twin Cities lost (at least temporarily) Heidi's and Blackbird, two great Minneapolis restaurants (along with a number of other fine businesses) in a fire last month. To… Fork the Fire
A fella we’re lucky to have in town. –The Hack Chef Sameh Wadi, owner of Saffron Restaurant & Lounge will be the first Minnesotan to compete on Iron Chef America when he appears on the show later… Saffron’s Sameh Wadi first Minnesota chef to compete in Iron Chef
This press release just in from the man himself, Chef Sameh Wadi, who co-owns Saffron Restaurant & Lounge with his brother, Saed. Sameh has been nominated for the James Beard Award-Rising Star Chef a coupla time now. The Twin Cities is lucky to have him, and now lucky that they can have a bit of the restaurant in their own homes. —The Hack
Spice Trail leading to the Heart of Minneapolis; Chef Sameh Wadi Launches “Spice Trail,” a Gourmet Spice Collection
(Minneapolis, Minn.)—After two and a half years of business and numerous accolades and awards, Chef Sameh Wadi is exited to unveil his first line of gourmet spices, “It’s always been on my mind to share the culture and culinary history of my ancestors. The basis of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine is in the spice blends, I’m pretty sure we have the biggest spice collection of any restaurant in the cities.” When guests approach him about how their home cooking can taste similar to the things they order at his restaurant, Wadi tells them it’s all about the spices. And now, he’s going to make it easy on those guests by offering spice blends for sale at the restaurant, the restaurant website, online and hopefully in some specialty stores soon.
“When you buy ground spices and spice blends off the shelf at supermarkets, they could have been sitting there for over a year, shipped from god knows where, they have anti-caking agents and additives to extend shelf life, they lose most of their aroma and that just doesn’t compare to the real thing.”
By The Hack The Hack has semi-regular conversations with Lenny Russo at Heartland, and knows him to be funny, extremely smart, and extremely passionate about professional path he’s chosen. His rants are rarely without a… St. Paul without Russo? That’s crazy talk.
By The Hack How often would you describe a ham sandwich as “savory”? Um, never. Unless, of course, you try the ham sandwich at The Citizen Café, the restaurant opened by former Sample Room executive chef Michael… The Citizen Café: Yes, it really is great food for the people.