Pip's Plate

Have you heard of the 100 Mile Challenge? In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Think about that: everything they ate had to come from within a 100-mile radius from where they lived. That morning cup of coffee you have every morning? Unless those beans are grown within 100 miles of you, forget it. It doesn’t matter that they might be roasted 100 miles from you; if they didn’t grow 100 miles from you, then it’s off the table.

The 100 Mile Challenge gained in popularity and members of their local community participated in their own version for 100 days. There is currently a documentary on The Discover Channel following these community members. More about the 100 Mile Challenge tv show here.

You can take the pledge and do your own research, but how about starting with answering the question “What is my 100 mile radius?”

Here’s mine:

And you can find yours here

What would be difficult to live without? How would you find what you’re looking for? This really makes you think about where your food comes from.

I know I wouldn’t have a problem getting wine

Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine announced this year’s first Restaurant Week which will take place starting this Sunday 2/24/08.

Participating restaurants in the Minneapolis area serve tasting menus during lunch and dinner throughout the week (although not all places offer both). Lunch menus range from $10-$30 and dinner menus are $30. Some restaurants also include a wine tasting flight to accompany the tasting menu.

Last year, I visited La Belle Vie during Restaurant Week and it was unbelievably phenomenal. Although we don’t intend to visit it again this time, I’m hoping there will be another Restaurant Week in March like last year.

Make reservations ASAP to get a table – they fill up fast!

Restaurants participating next week that I would recommend:

Azia Restaurant & Anemoni Sushi – they’re offering a sushi/sake menu in addition to regular menu options

menu | reservations | website

Cafe Barbette

Pip’s Plate review | menu | website

Cafe & Bar Lurcat

menu | reservations | website

Campiello – I’m not typically a fan of American Italian, but their menu looks pretty good

menu | reservations | website

Cosmos

menu | reservations | website

Herkimer Pub & Brewery

menu | website

La Belle Vie

menu | website

Masa – I’ll be hitting this up for lunch

menu | reservations | website

Otho Restaurant and Street Lounge – a new place downtown Minneapolis; the reviews on citysearch sound promising; I’ll be hitting this up for dinner

menu | website

Palomino – I’ll be hitting this up for lunch

menu | reservations | website

Red Stag Supperclub

menu | website

Saffron Restaurant & Lounge – Love love this place; I’ll be hitting this up for dinner

menu | website

Town Talk Diner

menu | Pip’s Plate review | website

Vincent

menu | reservations | website

You can see all of the participating restaurants and their menus at the MSP Mag’s website.

Mpls St. Paul Magazine is launching what I think is a don’t miss event week. They’ve collected a list of restaurants that will be serving up a 3-course prix fixe menu for lunch and/or dinner for an entire week. What Mpls St. Paul Mag says about Best of the Best Restaurant Week:

“Restaurants recognized by our readers, or by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine food critics in past Best Restaurant issues, can participate in this exciting program. Restaurant week participants will be asked to create specially priced prix fixe menu options-from gourmet to casual.”

Mpls St. Paul Magazine is not currently listing details, but I found out some on Open Table:

What it is: 1 week of 3-course prix fixe menus offered at lunch, dinner or both

Where: restaurants that have received a “Best of” award from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Cost: lunch menus can cost $10 or $20 and dinner will cost $30

Why go? This is the perfect time to get to those restaurants that you’ve been meaning to get to

Here are the restaurants listed on Open Table that I would recommend trying (you can make a reservation online at any of the following restaurants at open table):

• Brix Bistro + Wine Bar
• Cafe Lurcat
• Chambers Kitchen (you can read my review of Chambers Kitchen here)
• Cosmos at Graves 601 hotel
• Cue at the Guthrie
• Fuji Ya (only because it’s sushi and I’m really curious as to what they’ll have – but I’m hesitant since it’s not my favorite sushi place and I’ve heard some not-so-great things about it from die hard fans) – eat here at your own risk
• La Belle Vie
• Masa
• McCoy’s Public House
• Mission American Kitchen + Bar
• Pazzaluna Urban Italian Restaurant + Bar (I heard a recent glowing review so I’m intrigued)
• Vincent – A Restaurant

This is just the list of restaurants that I recommend and are available at Open Table, so I don’t know who else will be on the list. Check back for updates.

UPDATE 02/27/07: MSPMAG Restaurant Week Info & Menus

Update 02/21/08: See recommendations for 2008 Best of the Best Restaurant Week locations

The original Food Quest: mussels in Minneapolis.

Last summer, my boyfriend and I decided to search the Twin Cities for the best mussels. It all started at Barbette early in the summer when we ordered the mussels and realized how much we both enjoy them. We decided to order mussels off every menu we saw them on for the next few months (we still order mussels to see if any beat Barbette’s).

The mussels we had at Barbette that day are still the best. They were spicy with a white wine broth filled with chunks of chorizo. Damn they were good.

Also on the list were Bacio, Zander Cafe, French Meadow, and a different preparation at Barbette at the end of summer.

Bacio was by far the worst. The mussels were sketchy at best. I’m surprised I ever ate mussels again after that night. They were served with a tomato saffron broth which was very good. It was the mussels that were scary – every other one was potential food poisoning.

Zander Cafe – the only St. Paul representative in this quest – has excellent mussels and deserves a solid second place to Barbette’s chorizo mussels. Zander Cafe serves their mussels in a delicate coconut curry sauce. They were delicious.

French Meadow serves up a decent plate of mussels, but nothing special. A basic white wine broth with scallions. The mussels were fresh and tasty, but a little boring.

Barbette’s second offering of mussels were very good, although not as good as the chorizo version. This version was served with a white wine, shallot & lemon sauce. The freshness of the sauce was very good with the mussels. I see that they have a tomato saffron option on their menu now as well. Perhaps I’ll be back to try them.

After discovering the merriment of reading tk’s exploration of the Twin Cities’ gyros offerings, I’ve decided to create a new category called “Food Quest.” I also discovered that I’ve been meaning to do this since last summer with the quest to find the best mussels in the Twin Cities (that would be Barbette).

My intention for it is to create a quest to find something you love. For example, I have several Food Quests of my own that I will be and have been on in the next few months.

• Friends Food Quest: to have people over for dinner at least once a week (so far so good for 2 weeks) – it’s been a blast so far. Daniel and I love cooking so why not cook for those we enjoy ALL the time!
• Quest for the best Fries: I’ve been thinking about this one for a while now. I have a couple places in mind that are dueling it out for 1st place as of now but there are a few more places I need to try first.
• Quest for the best Mussels: Since we did this last year, I have to post about it. Look for it soon.

Anyway, you get the idea. Please start using this category as your own!  And please come back to share your quest.

I’ve recently added some new links to my sidebar. Check them out – you’ll enjoy yourself:

Ladies Love TK – a hilarious blog of storytelling, food and life

Delicious:Days – a German blog (in English) about delicious food and some serious photography

Smitten Kitchen – a food blog with enticing photographs and wonderful recipes