July 15th, 2025
By Rick Gion and Simone Wai
The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the Downtown Fargo Street Fair.) Rick Gion asked Simone Wai, co-founder of Folkways, the non-profit placemaking organization that organizes the Red River Market, what’s in store for this season.
High Plains Reader: Please explain to readers a bit about this…
June 17th, 2025
By Rick Gion
The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel.
The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger Royale has been keeping me quite busy lately. This “battle of the beef” has both my heart and my stomach for the month of June. Eighteen restaurants are competing for this year’s coveted golden burger-tower trophy. Get a glimpse of this shiny metal meat…
April 16th, 2025
By Rick Gion
After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved in the sweet treat industry here.
This is a different culinary angle for me. Yes, I do have a sweet tooth, but the focus of these columns is usually about the savory side of life. Since the sugar industry is very robust here in the Red River Valley, it’s…
March 26th, 2025
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
Photos by Rick Gion
Living in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a person both curious and hungry.
For a few weeks now, each stroll past the old BernBaum’s location at 402 N. Broadway has been an intriguing experience. Colorful wallpaper has been going up inside, new paint has been added to the walls, and dining room…
March 15th, 2025
By Rick Gion
The below zero temperatures endured this recent January and February were a motivator to find something fun and interesting to do to lift the spirits. (Insert blue, teeth-chattering emoji here.) To warm up, attending local food-featured events was just what the mental health doctor ordered.
Perhaps the most frequent winter food event with eating involved around here is the chili cookoff. There seems to be one of these spicy shindigs at a local drinking…
February 19th, 2025
By Rick Gion
As a food enthusiast, there’s nothing better than attending a local event featuring hotdish. And as far as hotdish events go, no place does it better than the fine folks at Brewhalla and Drekker Brewing Company. Fargo’s palace of cool warms up every year to host its annual Fargo Hotdish Festival.
The Fargo Hotdish Festival at Brewhalla is a world-class eating event. I should know, I’ve been a judge for two years in a row now. The event is definitely…
January 15th, 2025
By Rick Gion
So far in 2025, announcements for new restaurant openings in the metro far outnumber closings. This is good news going into the new year for us hungry folk. In my opinion, the positive trend will continue for a while. The state of the restaurant scene is strong.
The big news of Harry’s Steakhouse coming to West Fargo has my mouth watering. If you’ve visited the location in downtown Grand Forks, then you know what’s coming. The decor of the restaurant…
November 20th, 2024
By Rick Gion
Photo by Rick Gion
To say the least, this election season was a doozy. Anxiety was high for many on both sides of the political aisle. To calm down and settle the nerves, a comforting meal is definitely in order. That’s why this month’s column will focus on a menu of classic comfort food destinations.
Since Fargo-Moorhead is considered peak Midwest by many, it’s only fitting that the area boasts some of the very best in comfort food offerings. Comfort…
October 16th, 2024
By Rick Gion
Photo by Rick Gion
The recent opening of Tee’s Tacos just off of 1st Avenue North on the edge of downtown Fargo is a continued sign of an emerging dining option in the metro. This Indigenous-owned restaurant is operated by Tanya “Tee” RedRoad. I’m going to make an educated guess and say it’s the first of its kind in Fargo-Moorhead. It’s also being welcomed by many.
Tee’s Tacos features items like fry bread tacos, Indigi bowls and desserts…
September 18th, 2024
By Rick Gion
The vibrant restaurant scene here in Fargo-Moorhead tends to garner much of the social media attention. Although the food buzz is usually about the hottest new restaurant or tasty product, there are also many food-related nonprofits that deserve recognition. This column aims to highlight and describe five of those organizations.
Farm in the Dell
The first one I’ll discuss is Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley. This nonprofit operates and manages a…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakotans will take part in a nationwide civil rights rally on Thursday, July 17. Protests, marches, rallies and acts of service are scheduled in Bismarck, Bottineau, Devils Lake,…
Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…
July 18-19, 25-26 and August 2-3North Dakota Horse Park, 5180 19th Ave. N., FargoLadies and gentlemen, prepare to place your bets — racing season is upon us! Not just horses will be racing this year; word on the street suggests…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Sabrina Hornung Wing, North Dakota is a town of 132 located about an hour northwest of Bismarck on Highway 36. There’s a shiny new Cenex on the intersection of the highway and the high…
By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…
