All About Food

ThaiKota goes to Thailand

June 19th, 2024

By Rick Gion and T.J. & Gina Edra

rickgion@gmail.com

T.J. and Gina Edra own ThaiKota, a favorite, flavorful hole-in-wall in downtown Fargo. In April, they made a trip to Thailand to pick up some special ingredients and explore even more about Thai cuisine. Read their interview below to learn about this recent trip and also about their delicious cuisine.

HPR: Hi there! Please tell HPR's readers a little about yourselves.

T.J. & Gina: Our names are T.J. Edra and Gina Edra. We are the…

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​The 2024 Downtown Fargo Burger Royale

May 16th, 2024

By Rick Gion and Dan Altenbernd

rgion@prairiepublic.org

HPR: Hi, Dan. Thank you for doing this interview. Please introduce yourself to HPR’s readers.

Dan Altenbernd: Hey there, I’m Dan. I’m with H2M Brand Haus. We’re a marketing agency located in lovely downtown Fargo. I’ve been working within marketing and advertising for over 25 years, and I’ve officed in downtown Fargo for over 20 years. I also sit on the Downtown Community Partnership board, so as you can imagine, I’m a…

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Ag and Food: Yesterday, Today but What About Tomorrow?

May 9th, 2024

By Madeline Luke

mzlnd@yahoo.com

“When I was growing up in the 1940s in rural Missouri, we had a local food system. Most of what we ate was grown, hunted, fished, or foraged on our farm. Most of the rest was grown and processed within about 50 miles of our farm. There were local meat processors and locker plants, dairy processing plants, fruit and vegetable canneries, and even local flour mills. Coffee, tea, spices, some canned and packaged foods, and occasional bananas and oranges came…

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Local pie scene is prolific

April 18th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

Ever since Pi Day on March 14 of this year, I’ve been on a pie-eating program. And although the shape of Fargo-Moorhead is not round, pie is definitely an easy to find and an enjoyable dessert option here.

As you know by now, when I get chewing on a particular food topic, it turns into an obsession and a food tour ensues. You’ve probably come to expect that with these columns. This subject of pie proved to be no different. The adage “pie makes all…

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Fish fry findings in Fargo-Moorhead

March 7th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

The Lenten Friday fish fry is becoming more popular in this area of the prairie and for good reason. Beer-battered, panko-coated, pecan-crusted, or tempura-dipped – it’s all delicious.

With its wide net of popularity in Wisconsin, the love of Friday fish fry is definitely swimming west. Yes, the land of cheese also exports its love for fried fish. After all, Minnesota and North Dakota don’t lack in the fresh fish department, especially regarding the…

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​French onion soup favorites at Fargo restaurants

February 15th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette middle, and savory steaming interior, French onion soup is a sophisticated and satisfying mix of flavors and textures. And to seek out the best local version of this soup, I recently went on a Tour de Fargo.

To be exact, I recently tried French onion soup at…

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Noshing on knoephla at Fargo restaurants

January 18th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

In the upper Midwest, a bowl of knoephla soup is where dumpling dreams are made. And lately, my dumpling dreams have frequently come true.

Let me explain a bit more. If you’ve been checking out the Fargo-Moorhead Eats Facebook group lately, you know that I’ve been on a knoephla soup tasting tour of area restaurants. In recent months, I’ve tried this soup at quite a few spots, amounting to a whopping 16 restaurants. I have photos of most posted in the…

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​Lots of Specialty Food Stores for Good Holiday Eating

November 13th, 2023

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

The temperatures have dropped and so have the leaves in the Upper Midwest. That means it's now the holiday season. Part of the joy of this special season for me is eating.

But first things first. Before the eating begins, it’s necessary to know where to get all those great Holiday goodies. Below is a lengthy list of unique specialty food markets around the area. The highlighted stores are favorites.

The Asian and American Supermarket on Main Avenue in…

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Red River Harvest Cooperative: A Local Food Community Worth Exploring

October 13th, 2023

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

If you’re familiar with the Red River Harvest Cooperative, you know it’s an organization that’s on the grow. In fact, it’s now the leading food co-op in the area. They offer many goods including eggs, meat, produce, and even services like an innovative composting program.

I recently sat down with Candace Anderson, director of retail operations with the Red River Harvest Cooperative and asked her a bunch of questions. Her enthusiastic and thoughtful…

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​Copious Local Food Destinations for Hungry Students to Explore

September 15th, 2023

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

My new venture as a master’s degree student has got me thinking…again about food. Although I’m in an online program with the University of North Dakota, I thought it would be handy to list and describe some affordable and unique food options for students attending classes here in Fargo-Moorhead.

Most of the locations highlighted below are economical and fairly close to the metro’s colleges and universities. I’ve made a list of a baker’s dozen…

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