March 3rd, 2023
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
When thinking of popular sandwiches associated with the Upper Midwest, the sloppy joe immediately comes to mind. But let’s not forget the sandwich with a spicy side – the taco grinder. It’s a Fargo staple.
Now that outdoor temperatures have warmed up a wee bit, it’s time to get out of the house for a food competition. There are not two but three heavyweights in this sandwich match. Which sandwich will deliver the knock-out? Let’s get in the ring.
I…
February 8th, 2023
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
Area food fans are definitely excited about the new Asian and American Supermarket that recently opened just a few blocks west of its former location on Fargo’s Main Avenue. Just drive by the new store, and you’ll notice how full the parking lot is. Personally, I was excited enough to make a stop there on opening day.
The market’s owner has been quoted in other media saying that the store is the largest of its kind in the Dakotas. I don’t doubt it.…
January 15th, 2023
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
The winter blues has me feeling sentimental about former Fargo eateries. It’s been so cold recently that I need to warm up with some fond food memories.
The first eatery of absence on my nostalgia list is Bertrosa’s Cafe at their Downtown Fargo location. For those not familiar, Bertrosa’s opened a spot on south University in the late 1990s. It eventually ended up in the lower level of the Black Building after a brief stint off of south 45th Street.…
December 16th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
You can find all sorts of kitchen gadgets, gizmos and goodies at just about every big-box store these days. Heck, with Amazon, a home cook can become a collector in no time at all. However, it’s much more fun to take a local tour of some of the specialty stores around the area, in search of unique gifts.
Right down the road from my apartment building is the Asian & American Market. This place serves up some of the most unique food items available in the…
November 17th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
As someone who’s written a lot of feature stories and press releases, it’s tempting to write something cheesy as a lead for this month’s column. But, instead, this column will actually feature cheese and many of the dairy distributors you need to know about in the area.
If you’re interested in exploring the maturing dairy options here in Fargo-Moorhead, there are four locally owned mongers you definitely need to be familiar with.
Known as Fargo’s…
October 20th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
You’ve probably heard about some of the brewery and winery tours happening around here. But in this column, we’re going to take a tour of many of the locally owned butcher shops.
Let’s start in Dilworth at Butcher Block Meats. This market opened last summer and is located in Dilworth’s hip new area on the east side of town.
Butcher Block offers a variety of freshly cut items including many favorite cuts of beef and pork. They have a large meat case to…
September 14th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
In this land of hotdish and ham, it used to be a real pain to find something satisfyingly spicy in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Thankfully, there’s a much different menu here these days. So give a muchas gracias to the following establishments for greatly improving the scene.
Let’s start with El Vaqueros, which is a restaurant that opened for business a short…
August 17th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
It’s Mick’s Office vs. Vic’s Lounge for best beef over in spud town. How will these fierce competitors stack up, and which will come out on top?
Because it’s legendary, let’s start with Mick’s. On weekends, this college bar is home to many Concordia and Minnesota State University Moorhead students. I’d guess that the amount of burgers…
July 20th, 2022
By Rick Gion
rickgion@gmail.com
While the Fargo-Moorhead area offers many great things to dine on these days, there are some hopeful establishments that would make for big improvements to the local food scene here.
The first restaurant on my wish list is a full-on Korean restaurant. You may have heard of some of the Korean barbeque places around town, and that’s all fine and dandy. I do love good bulgogi and kalbi. It’s delicious.
What I’m talking about is a restaurant where meals are…
June 16th, 2022
By Rick Gion
Photos by Rick Gion
Some people say that a pizza tastes better if you cut it in squares. And, the main event in this food battle features Fargo-Moorhead’s favorite thin-crust squared circles.
Judging a competition between Duane’s House of Pizza and Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant is not easy. It’s a high-level affair. Did you know that both places are favorites of former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan?
The good senator likes his thin-crust pies well done with…
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Press release Celebrate Dinosaur Day on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum (612 E Boulevard Ave. in Bismarck). This free, family-friendly program is open to all ages. A…
By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu The Northwest Blade, from Eureka, South Dakota, published a wonderful story in August 2020. It’s called “Granddaughter keeps Grandmother’s precious chamomile seeds,” by Cindy…
Sunday, October 19, 10 a.m.Buffalo River State Park, 565 155th St. S., Glyndon, MNHosted by the Red River Valley Chapter of Herbalists Without Borders at Buffalo River State Park for a fun fall day full of flora. (Say that three…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com Yes, we know, everywhere you look, the world situation is mental. It’s almost inescapable just how tenuous life’s circumstances are. And how they are mostly — pretty much entirely — out of our…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill we be banging or whimpering at the end of the American empire?T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” accurately portrays the end of most empires in his first lines: “We are the hollow men/…
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 Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com 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…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com The multiple meanings of the title location in Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s “Bone Lake” cover the sex and death spectrum that will flummox Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) as…
By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…
Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…
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…
Press Release As Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins, Essentia Health is highlighting an innovative — and recently expanded — program that brings early breast cancer detection services to rural communities. Essentia’s mobile…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…
