August 19th, 2025
By Rick Gion
There seems to be a renaissance in Italian restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. It’s a welcome change from just sporting an Olive Garden as a lone option. No offense to Marilyn Hagerty’s favorite spot, but Olive Garden just doesn’t please a traveled palate. The two additional restaurants of celebration here now are Spaghetti Western and Ziti’s Italian American. Lately, time has been spent at both.
Spaghetti Western does take the top cannoli…
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…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…
August 28, 6-8 p.m.Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., Fargo See this major exhibition firsthand and hear about Rimer Cardillo’s work from the artist himself at 7 p.m. Cardillo is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I’m going to go ahead and say it. I have trust issues with a lot of things and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them. Yes, it’s a tool that can sit shotgun and make your everyday tasks…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill the disappeared ever be able to appear again? Not likely!In dictionaries more than a decade old, the word “disappear” appears all alone. The definition: “to pass out of sight either…
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 Gionrickgion@gmail.com There seems to be a renaissance in Italian restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. It’s a welcome change from just sporting an Olive Garden as a lone option. No offense to Marilyn Hagerty’s…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Bluegrass is a genre of music that is often associated with the American South. Many people would express incredulity at being told there is a thriving bluegrass and folk music community…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Shortly following its world premiere in January, first-time feature filmmaker Kate Beecroft’s “East of Wall” won the NEXT section’s audience award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. A…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks three years of the Annual Vergas Area Backroads Art Crawl. The art crawl is sponsored by the Vergas Arts Club. The Arts Club also happens to be part of the Vegas Community Club and both…
Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…
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…
By Dr. Marc Sapir, MD, MPHjessica@pellienpublicrelations.com Across America, families are quietly struggling with a rising challenge: how to care for aging parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and friends. Most seniors want…
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…
