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Minneapolis is a very underrated dining city, it is not that far behind Seattle and Portland although it is not nearly as well known for food as either of those cities. I have worked as a line cook and head chef in upscale restaurants for two decades so I know the scene well, the farm to table food network here is really good. I know a number of high profile chefs who came here from bigger coastal cities who were really impressed by the quality of the ingredients available. Remember that Minneapolis is a cultural center surrounded by farm country on all sides. Farming is fundamental to Minnesota society, a lot of that is commodity farming but there is a ton of craft farming as well. The hippy dreamers here who are breeding new strains of produce or raising organic ducks tend to have grown up on farms so they know what they are doing.
Obviously we have a shorter growing season than the Northwest but there are categories where we out do nearly everybody else - turkey, duck, game birds, and bison are all excellent. The pork is the best in the US. Minneapolis is the only city in the US where restaurants can get Cinta Senese hogs through the local network to make old school Italian charcuterie. Upper Midwestern artisanal cheese is world class. We do well with wild mushrooms in season though the northwest does that better. The Twin Cities have the largest co-op network in the country, they operate their own wholesaler and have a number of local organic farms where they custom grow their own stuff and also carry product from over 100 other local craft growers, they sell to restaurants too. It is like having an Alice Water's type farmer network but available from one operator, it is my understanding that it is the only wholesale operation of its' type in the country. It makes it really easy to run a localvore type restaurant.
We are starting to get some good national press too:
One advantage the Twin Cities have is that the kitchen pay scale compared to the cost of living works better here than in most places with good food scenes. Minneapolis is one of the few cities in the US where cooks can both live well and do interesting food. As a result we are starting to draw talent from other food cities, especially New York and San Francisco.
Last edited by Drewcifer; 02-27-2013 at 12:59 AM..
The Twin Cities does have high numbers of some of those groups compared to other places, but when the groups are so small they still have relatively little impact on the culture of the area as a whole. For example, Seattle has over 10,000 Ethiopian immigrants living in the area, yet I would hardly call the area "experienced" in Ethiopian culture or cuisine (which Seattle is also known to be strong in).
Not to take this off topic, but what does being "experienced" in Ethiopian culture even mean in this regard? Eating Ethopian food regularly or actually being familiar with the rites of the Ethiopian Orthodox church or speaking Amharic? We were just talking about food for the most part, but that seems to be a bigger discussion.
Ethipian food is commonly eaten in Seattle(and Portland)--as in a lot of cities in the US. It's not that obscure at this point. In both Seattle and Portland you're likely to talk Ethiopian or Eritrean small business owners, talk to East African cabbies(they drive most of the cabs, and Russians the rest), just as other immigrant groups that have a high percentage of starting small businesses like restaruants and markets would be fairly visible. But there's cities all over the US with high numbers of many groups--where people don't particularly experienced in the culture, unless they are from that culture(or a neighboring one). There's high numbers of Mexicans all over the US, but I don't consider most non-Mexican Americans living in most areas to be particularly knowledgeable about Mexico itself.
Data regarding numbers of immigrant and refugee groups is spotty due to the fact that they often don't answer census questions, but according to CityData, Seattle and Minneapolis have the same percentage of people born in Ethiopia. Which could be lower than the actual numbers for the Twin Cities, but all the same.
Not to take this off topic, but what does being "experienced" in Ethiopian culture even mean in this regard? Eating Ethopian food regularly or actually being familiar with the rites of the Ethiopian Orthodox church or speaking Amharic? We were just talking about food for the most part, but that seems to be a bigger discussion.
Ethipian food is commonly eaten in Seattle(and Portland)--as in a lot of cities in the US. It's not that obscure at this point. In both Seattle and Portland you're likely to talk Ethiopian or Eritrean small business owners, talk to East African cabbies(they drive most of the cabs, and Russians the rest), just as other immigrant groups that have a high percentage of starting small businesses like restaruants and markets would be fairly visible. But there's cities all over the US with high numbers of many groups--where people don't particularly experienced in the culture, unless they are from that culture(or a neighboring one). There's high numbers of Mexicans all over the US, but I don't consider most non-Mexican Americans living in most areas to be particularly knowledgeable about Mexico itself.
Data regarding numbers of immigrant and refugee groups is spotty due to the fact that they often don't answer census questions, but according to CityData, Seattle and Minneapolis have the same percentage of people born in Ethiopia. Which could be lower than the actual numbers for the Twin Cities, but all the same.
Maybe it was poor word choice, but I was calling out a poster for suggesting that groups like tibetans and nepalese are a force in the Minneapolis area the same way Chinese are in San Francisco or Cubans are in Miami. I was simply pointing out that Ethiopians are present in larger numbers in Seattle than many of those groups are in the Minneapolis area yet I would hardly call Seattle immersed in Ethiopian culture. I may have explained that point poorly. Does that make sense?
Maybe it was poor word choice, but I was calling out a poster for suggesting that groups like tibetans and nepalese are a force in the Minneapolis area the same way Chinese are in San Francisco or Cubans are in Miami. I was simply pointing out that Ethiopians are present in larger numbers in Seattle than many of those groups are in the Minneapolis area yet I would hardly call Seattle immersed in Ethiopian culture. I may have explained that point poorly. Does that make sense?
Yes it does, sorry, just inquiring on the point. Though I think what you're getting at is more than just a cultural imprint, it's that larger numbers of ethnic groups become politically important also. Sort of a bigger discussion, though I know that the Somali and Hmong communities in the Twin Cities have provided a large demographic shift for the whole region.
In terms of food offerings, I think it is intersting to point out what's available where, though I wouldn't pretend that the number of good Korean restaurants in Portland and Beaverton neccesarily means that we're heavily influenced by Korean culture, though the number is increasing it's a fairly small group. Though you can have a population of 1,500 immigrants from a certain country and maybe 15 families out of that number start restaurants and maybe 10 of them are pretty good--since many immigrant groups are likely to start their own businesses.
Minneapolis definitely has great Somalian, Hmong, and Ethiopian cuisine because it has large refugee populations from all three groups. However, some of the others are more suspect. I have no idea how the twin cities could be immersed in the culture of immigrant groups that likely number less than 1000 people. The Twin Cities does have high numbers of some of those groups compared to other places, but when the groups are so small they still have relatively little impact on the culture of the area as a whole. For example, Seattle has over 10,000 Ethiopian immigrants living in the area, yet I would hardly call the area "experienced" in Ethiopian culture or cuisine (which Seattle is also known to be strong in).
Again, I was calling out EnricoV, since he and Bill Loney were being a bit ridiculous.
Moral of the story: Portland shouldn't (hot) dish it out, if Portland can't take it
Yeah, pho is delicious, I eat it a lot for lunch, though the best places in Portland are out on SE 82nd which is basically the new Chinatown or Asian shopping/food mecca for the region.
Are there a lot of Hmong restaurants in the Twin Cities? I ask because, I have a lot of family in the Central Valley of California and there's also one of the biggest population of Hmongs in the US in that region, though I don't remember ever seeing many specifically Hmong restaurants. I know they ran some of the Vietnamese and Thai restaurants in the area, which is of course two of the countries they came from originally, but I don't think I've ever specifically tried Hmong cuisine.
The Hmong-- and much of the rest of the Southeast Asian-- population is concentrated around University Avenue between Lexington and Western Avenues, an area of which has been officially rebranded as Little Mekong. Many Hmong live on St. Paul's Greater Eastside, however, and there is a visible population of Hmong in South Minneapolis nearby Nicollet Avenue and Phillips, as well as on the Northside, near Broadway Avenue.
Hmong restaurants can be found in Little Mekong, and many Hmong immigrants also own and operate Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Chinese restaurants, reflective of the country they emigrated from and the cuisine-- besides Hmong-- with which they are most familiar...
Are there a lot of Hmong restaurants in the Twin Cities? I ask because, I have a lot of family in the Central Valley of California and there's also one of the biggest population of Hmongs in the US in that region, though I don't remember ever seeing many specifically Hmong restaurants. I know they ran some of the Vietnamese and Thai restaurants in the area, which is of course two of the countries they came from originally, but I don't think I've ever specifically tried Hmong cuisine.
There are a few Hmong-only specialty restaurants, but there are several restaurants that are a mix of Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai.
Bizarre Foods did a segment on one of St. Paul's Hmong markets.
Oh, gawd. So you're basing everything on ... that show. Talk about being cliche.
Dude, I've been to Portland. It's not my speed. Because, yes: it is obnoxious. Just like the show. And this silly "we're cool because we have microbreweries and farmers' markets" attitude that is on full display in this thread is obnoxious, too. Like, hello? So, microbreweries and farmers' markets are a big deal, now? Is this 1990?
By the way, does the show bwother cute wittle Pwortland? Are cute wittle Pwortlanders so insecure that they can't handle a cute, wittle show??? Awwwww....
Quote:
Ooh. "Calling me out." What are you, 12?
Um....no. Are you? Your holier-than-thou attitude is the peak of immaturity...
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