March 31st, 2016
Spring is probably my favorite time of year as winter melts away revealing the rich sodden soil and its heady aroma. A time to shed the gloomy grey of late winter for the potential of the spring bloom. Time to source two of my favorite spring treats; ramps and morels. You would be hard pressed to find either in your local grocery. Foragers who guard their secret places might share their finds, but at a cost as ramps can go for $20.00 a pound and upward. Morels, well that is an entirely…
March 24th, 2016
If you travel to the big cities in America today you will come across the hottest food to trend to hit the restaurant scene since the food truck explosion of the nineties. We’ve all visited food courts at our local mall but the new trend of high end food halls is sweeping the country.
Imagine dropping into a food hall where there are booths staffed and run by the likes of Mario Batali, Marc Forgione and other hot chefs, either new on the scene or well established. This could the future…
March 24th, 2016
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There is something special about neighborhoods that continuously offer surprises in the most unassuming places. From the outside it doesn’t seem to be much of a restaurant at all. The sign is printed on sheets of paper. BernBaum’s is tucked inside of the vintage and retro furniture store MIDMODMADHAUS at 115 Roberts Street N. Both look like they might have been plucked from a neighborhood in NYC.
The location is in a place, that coowner Brett Bernath calls NoRo (North Roberts),…
March 16th, 2016
Loafing around
Empire Tavern’s third annual meatloaf cook-off
By Brittney Goodman
When I told my friends I was writing an article about a meatloaf cook-off, almost everyone had an opinion. One friend: “It’s all about the seasoning. Bland meatloaf sucks. Kick it up a notch.” Another: “I love meatloaf, cold, the next day, in a sandwich with some hot sauce.” Another: “I hope someone sings ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light.’” Oops, wrong meatloaf. For the third year,…
February 27th, 2016
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Five courses of bacon paired with five craft beers. When I was asked to cover this dinner I asked myself as a chef, “What would I make if I was cooking it?” It’s a normal reaction for chefs. When we watch shows like “Top Chef” and “Chopped” we wonder what we would do. Knowing that chef Ryan Nitschke of Luna was putting this together made complete sense.
Nitschke is the consummate modern American chef right down to the tats, love for everything pig and hand-crafted local…
February 18th, 2016
A few weeks ago as the northeast braced for what would be a historic winter storm, news outlets positioned teams around the area at various locations to capture every possible public nuance and one provided me a great laugh. The team covering New York City located themselves outside of a Whole Foods Market in Manhattan. Now anyone who has shopped at Whole Foods knows it is not only a great store and a great company but consequently not cheap. But you do get what you pay for without a…
February 11th, 2016
With the special day for romance just a few days away, are you stressing about what to do for that special person in your life? Can’t afford a diamond? Flowers always work but are so predictable. An expensive dinner at a restaurant? Well that’s just a waste of money and frankly not romantic at all. Anybody can make a reservation.
So do something really special for your lover, something intimate, make dinner yourself.
That probably struck a bolt of fear in your romantic heart. But…
January 29th, 2016
A few years ago I came across the term “food desert.” I was intrigued and then struck by the seriousness of the matter and wrote about it in this paper. Recently, I discovered that a national organization in conjunction with others is spearheading a plan to get healthier foods into the mouths of people who really need them, mainly the underprivileged segment of our population who tend to survive on foods that lend themselves to obesity, diabetes, and which lead to pitiable health.
I…
January 28th, 2016
No two chilies are exactly alike – Is yours spicy? Smokey? Sweet? Chunky? Brothy? Beans or no beans – all are welcome to compete. This popular regional phenomena, the Coors Light Chili Cook-off, sponsored by Bergseth Brothers, is in its twenty-seventh year. Bars throughout the region are currently hosting contests, each selecting a first, second, and third place winner.
The 2016 cook-off kicked off with three establishments on Saturday, January 16. Each weekend there are cook-offs…
January 21st, 2016
What really helps me sort through the good, bad and ugly sides of the wine business is my love of an entertaining and informative wine story. I would venture to say that as a person who gravitates toward the unique and esoteric wines for both my restaurant and retail needs, it has become one of the most important tools in my constant search for really good wine. Not unlike food, you can tell a lot about a wine when you know the story behind it. A detailed narrative provides knowledge of…
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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…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
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 Carlson The versatile Nia DaCosta follows her underseen and underappreciated “Hedda” (one of my 2025 favorites) with the first female-helmed entry in the 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later series, a fascinating and grisly…
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…
