A few months ago, I impulse purchased a package of Sixteen Bean Soup Mix from Aldi. I told myself that it was for serious, adult reasons—bean are a high-fiber form of protein, cooking dry beans is more environmentally and budget-friendly than buying canned, etc.—but actually it was because I thought the beans looked nice.
Welcome to my annual best things I ate post, a compilation of 2025's most memorable dishes. This was an especially travel-packed year, with trips to Wisconsin, New York City, Iceland, Nova Scotia, Boston, and Japan, plus fabulous meals close to home in the Twin Cities.
During our time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Kanazawa, Takayama, and the Japanese Alps, we were treated to gorgeous scenery, beautiful temples and gardens, enriching cultural experiences, and of course, delicious food. Here are the best things I ate along the way.
Do you like buying presents for frequent travelers that will actually get used? Are you a travel lover whose friends and family are asking you for gift ideas? Here's a practical-minded travel gift guide ranging from stocking stuffers to splurges, based on my experiences as an avid traveler.
'Tis the season for holiday gift guides—from bloggers, magazines, and online publications. My annual made in Minnesota gift guide reflects my personal tastes: think earrings and chocolate. If that's your (or your loved ones') jam too, I hope you find something here to add to your holiday gift list.
My trips to Japan have been among the best travel experiences of my life. Here are my tips for making sure your trip to Japan goes as smoothly as possible, from planning and packing to navigating mass transit and restaurants.
Thanks to geothermal activity throughout the country, bathing in onsens (or hot springs) is a quintessential part of Japanese culture. The options range from remote, scenic pools to large resorts and urban hotels, and soaking in the hot, mineral-rich water promotes relaxation. But I had a problem. Most onsens don't permit visible tattoos, and I have three of them.
As I've previously mentioned, since I'm a self-employed freelancer I have the flexibility to workation, or combine my workdays with vacation activities when I'm away from home. Mike's recent team work week was the perfect opportunity to workation in Boston's Seaport District—accommodations and his expenses were already covered, so we only had to pay for my flight and meals.
For the past several years, my husband Mike and I have had a standing coffee date on Sunday mornings. Thanks to all of our coffee dates, we've developed a rotation of favorite local coffee shops.
Instead of choosing one full-sized espresso drink, a coffee flight lets you sample three or four miniature-sized beverages. Ready to start sipping? Here's where you can find coffee flights in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs.
Welcome to my 13th annual summer recap! I've been writing these posts every September since 2013 to cope with my bittersweet feelings at the end of my favorite season. In recent years, these recaps have also become an homage to the more personal, narrative style blogging of the late 00s/early 10s that inspired me to start Tangled Up In Food.
St. Joseph is one of my favorite small towns in Minnesota, thanks to its picturesque surroundings and walkable downtown dense with local shops and eateries. As an added bonus, it's well-positioned for a day trip from the Twin Cities—it's about a 90-minute drive northwest of Minneapolis.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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).
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.
