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…
August 14th, 2024
By Rick Gion
The recent fire at Mango’s Mexican and American Grill on Main Avenue in Fargo has left a void in the local food scene. But don’t fret, my friends. There are plenty of Mexican restaurants in the area to choose from. Counting the large restaurants and all the small taquerias, there are now close to 20. Adding food trucks into the mix, and it’s possibly over 25.
Even with the vast amounts of spicy eating options now in the area, those who live and work…