All About Food

​Local food nonprofits have huge impact in our region

September 18th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

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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​Area Mexican dining options aplenty

August 14th, 2024

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

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…

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Screw politics, let’s talk about bacon

August 3rd, 2024

By Jim Fuglie

jimfuglie920@gmail.com

I’m writing this on the day after the Fourth of July, so I’m thinking patriotic thoughts. But none of those thoughts envision Donald Trump serving a second term as president of the United States, or Douglas Burgum being the first North Dakotan to lose a race for vice president of the United States. I suppose one of those things could happen. But not both. So I won’t write about that.

I could write about the North Dakota primary election just…

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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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