January 12th, 2026
By Rick Gion
Since the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive note. This column will begin by discussing the many restaurant openings.
Taco John's, located at 4522 26th Ave. S., in Fargo and operated by Pentex Restaurant Group, has been a long-awaited affair. Although the public opening took place in early January 2026,…
November 18th, 2025
By Mandy Dolney
This cake will be on the menu at Nova Eatery through Thanksgiving served with maple crème anglaise Ice cream. It uses pumpkin pie pumpkins grown locally at Ladybug Acres and local apples grown by Becky and Arland from Valley City.
For those up for trying their hand at making it at home, I suggest maple nut or vanilla ice cream. Whipped cream would be great too!
Upside down apple and pumpkin cake
Topping:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown…
November 12th, 2025
By Rick Gion and Andrea Baumgardner
Many of us food fans miss our local favorite Nordic-Jewish deli in downtown Fargo. Yes, that means BernBaum’s, which unfortunately closed last fall. Specifically, missed goods include bagels, egg bake, salads, sandwiches, soups, and sweet treats. The list could go on and on.
But don’t fret, my friends. BernBaum’s is back in the form of a new cookbook. If you haven’t heard by now, Chef Andrea Baumgardner has a new…
September 16th, 2025
By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensen
The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past several months. There have also been some delicious additions to the menus. Nichole Hensen, owner of Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe, sat down with the High Plains Reader to tell us about the improvements to her popular bakery and restaurant.
HPR: Tell us about the…
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…
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By Bryce Vincent Haugen More than 300 people gathered at Trinity Lutheran Church in central Moorhead on Jan. 27 for “constitutional observer” training. Led by the Immigrant Defense Network and supported locally by the West Area…
By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…
Friday, February 13, 7-10 p.m.Sanctuary Events Center, 670 4th Ave. N., FargoIn a world reshaped by the fall of Roe v. Wade, the commitment of The Prairie Abortion Fund (PAF) hasn’t faltered, but continues to evolve. This is…
By John Strand If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other. It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
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 GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Greg CarlsonA little more than a decade following the publication of the popular Helen Macdonald memoir upon which it is based, a feature film version of “H Is for Hawk” starring Claire Foy has been theatrically released in…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
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 Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…
