If you've talked to anyone who's traveled to Iceland, there are probably two things they mention first: "It's so beautiful!" followed by "And so expensive!" Luckily, there are plenty of strategies for eating and drinking in Iceland without going broke, whether you're on a tight budget, willing to spend a moderate amount, or want to splurge wisely.
Most coverage of the Minnesota State Fair is food-focused, although the live entertainment, farm animals, butter sculptures, crop art, and Midway rides also garner plenty of attention. Something that usually doesn't get mentioned is that State Fair is great destination for history buffs—the Minnesota State Fair dates back to 1859, and many of the fairgrounds' buildings were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Minnesota State Fair is one of the highlights of my year. I love the crowds, the nostalgia, the food, the overload of sights and sounds. I love it so much that my ideal Minnesota State Fair day starts before 8:00 a.m., just when things are ramping up, and goes until at least 10:00 p.m., when the colorful lights and overflowing buckets of chocolate chip cookies make the fairgrounds feel like a magical place set apart from the concerns of daily life.
I go to the Minnesota State Fair for many reasons: nostalgia, the live entertainment, the livestock, the educational exhibits, the display cases full of prizewinning knitwear. But mostly, it's about the food.
This post was originally published on August 14, 2024 and was most recently updated on August 11, 2025. The Minnesota State Fair is known for deep-fried food, including cheese curds, Pronto Pups...
My recent visit to Nova Scotia was a trip I've been dreaming about since the first grade. Six-year-old me wasn't a foodie, but adult me was delighted to discover that Nova Scotia boasts amazing seafood, along with wonderful bakeries, unique cafes, and Halifax's impressive culinary scene.
For those of us in the U.S., skyr is the best-known traditional Icelandic food. I'm a big fan of skyr, so I used my trip to Iceland as an excuse to eat as much skyr as I possibly could. Here's my review of every cup of skyr I ate in Iceland, organized by brand.
Mike and I spend our weekends running in opposite directions (literally in my case: seven miles on Saturday and three miles on Sunday). After one too many weekends when the only significant chunk of time we spent together was grocery shopping, we realized that we needed to prioritize time with each other. So we instituted a standing coffee date on Sunday mornings.
Iceland has been on my travel bucket list for nearly a decade, and it exceeded my expectations. Food wasn't necessarily the focus of our trip—dining out is incredibly expensive in Iceland, so we stocked up on groceries in order to prepare nearly all of our breakfasts and most of our dinners at our accommodations. However, we still ate some incredible food.
When I moved to the Twin Cities, a scoop of raspberry chocolate chip ice cream was what convinced me to stick around. Since then, I've become an ice cream connoisseur, scouting out the best frozen treats in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here are my picks for the best ice cream in the Twin Cities—plus my all-time favorite.
It's time to savor the all-too-brief Minnesota summer by dining outdoors at a local restaurant patio. Here's a roundup of my favorite restaurant patios in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
My approach to Passover is extremely low-key. I don't keep kosher for Passover; I don't host a seder (although I hope to someday); and my contribution to my synagogue's community seder is a bottle of...
As a Twin Cities-based blogger and food writer, there's one question that I hate more than any other: "What's your favorite restaurant?" Immediately, my mind goes blank and I forget everywhere I've ever eaten. Typically I stammer out the first place that pops into my head, and my questioner inevitably looks disappointed.
Hidden entrances, secret passwords, strong drinks: once an illicit way obtain alcohol during Prohibition, a century later, speakeasies have been reimagined as stylish spaces to enjoy craft cocktails. As I mentioned in my post about the best distilleries in the Twin Cities, I am very much a cocktail person, and speakeasies appeal to my love of history and penchant for the dramatic.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is serving up 1950s nostalgia, romantic comedy, and beloved tunes like "We Go Together" and "Greased Lightening" in their current production of Grease. Inspired by the 1972 play and the 1978 Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta film adaptation, the story of retro teenage romance has timeless appeal, whether you know all the songs by heart or you're encountering Danny, Sandy, and the Pink Ladies for the first time.
Seven years after quitting my paralegal job, things are still chugging along at Stacy Inc. Over the past few years, I've settled into a groove of covering the Twin Cities food scene for the Heavy Table, Eater Twin Cities (recently reorganized as Eater Midwest), and Racket; writing about food and travel for various web publications; a part-time paralegal gig; and copywriting work for clients in the tourism industry (although that aspect of my work has decreased over time for a variety of reasons).
Afternoon tea is fun treat, with fancy china, tiered trays of beautiful desserts, and often, a unique, historic setting. Ready to settle in for an afternoon of tea, treats, and conversation? Here's where you can find afternoon tea in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the Twin Cities suburbs.
There's a good reason Minnesota's football team is named the Vikings—the state is home to more Nordic-Americans than any other state. About 28 percent of Minnesotans, or over 1.6 million people, have Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and/or Icelandic heritage. Even if you don't have Nordic roots, Minnesota's wooded landscapes and chilly winters evoke the Nordic countries, and Nordic-inspired cuisine, minimalist design, and hygge appeal to people of all backgrounds.
I love compiling my annual "best things I ate" post because it's a chance to relive the year's most memorable moments. 2024 included trips to Japan and Montreal, an exquisite kaiseki meal and Laotian feast in Minneapolis, and everyday delights like a top-notch plate of truffle fries and an amazing chocolate croissant. Here are the culinary highlights of my very tasty 2024.
You may have spotted Jono Pandolfi Designs dinnerware on season 3 of The Bear. You might have noticed the mention in Wirecutter's review of the best dinnerware sets. Maybe you've even seen it on this blog, serving as a backdrop for kimchi fried rice. Jono Pandolfi ceramic stoneware has a minimal, modern feel and was originally designed for restaurant use.
