Krik's Picks

In today's NYTimes, there's an interesting 'editorial observer' item by Verlyn Klinkenborg. He's writing about a cross-country road trip and the thoughts that occupy his mind while speeding down the highway. As he's driving past the farms and ranches, small towns and cities of middle America , he finds himself wondering, "Could I live here?" It's an interesting question, and he handles it well in his commentary. I usually make a point of reading Klinkenborg's commentary, even though I often disagree with him. He's about my age; actually a little younger. He lived in Iowa for a while during his youth. He was born in Colorado , and he went to college in California . Now he lives on a small farm in New York and writes for the New York Times. Often, I object to his views on 'what's wrong with American agriculture' and what policies are needed to make it right. But even when I disagree with his observations and prescriptions, I f...

Oh, boy – field trip! I had the pleasure of hosting a van load of visitors in Minnesota for a visit to a dairy farm near Baldwin, Wis . My visitors were co-op people from Washington , DC , the Northeast, and Kansas City . What brought them to this particular dairy? Manure! More specifically, we came to learn about an innovative system set up on the dairy that captures methane gas from cow manure, refines and purifies it, and burns it as a fuel. As our nation starts to get serious about decreasing our reliance on petroleum-based fuels, we’re seeing a surge in interest in renewable fuels from agricultural products. Ethanol and biodiesel probably get the most attention. But in Wisconsin’s Dairyland , with all those cows, there’s a logical and natural interest in finding ways to convert methane from cow manure into a fuel. The result is a win-win situation. There’s a desirable environmental benefit because the process of capturing the methane reduces the odors and carbon emiss...

Lunch with a friend, to find out how she likes retirement, provided a good excuse to try a new restaurant. I’ve been hearing some good things about Kafé 421 . And it’s a good location – in Dinkytown, two doors down the street from Al’s Breakfast . The restaurant is getting good reviews around town. Some of the on-line reviews I read gushed with enthusiasm, some calling Kafé 421 a ‘treasure.’ So I’ve been eager to give it a try. It certainly is an appealing restaurant. When you pull up on the street, you’re greeted by a large, attractively-designed sign over the awning that shelters a half dozen tables for sidewalk dining. I thought about eating outside. But it was a very hot day, and there wasn’t quite enough shade for me to feel comfortable, so we went inside. Inside, you are welcomed by several friendly staff people. I think the hostess who seated us was the owner, Georgia Sander, though she didn’t introduce herself. I noticed, however, that all during the hour we were there, s...

A friend of mine from Washington , DC , forwarded to me an interesting article. A New York Times food writer ran an article on April 29 about the food scene in Minnesota . As I am writing this blog entry, there are 50+ reader responses to the article. Many of them agreeing with the writer’s picks, and many taking indignant exception to - 1. Restaurants not included in the list; 2. Disagreeing with restaurants recommended, or 3. The whole concept that our Minneapolis food scene needs to be validated by a reporter from the New York Times. (Though the article’s headline refers to the ‘Twin Cities’ food scene, there are no St. Paul restaurants mentioned.) My reaction was somewhat different. First of all, I was pleased that not only had I eaten at all but one of the writer’s picks, I agreed that some of these are among the top restaurants in our city. Second, while I think our Twin Cities restaurant scene has improved immensely, I don’t think we are a top tier restaurant cit...

I love Bistro Bis . The food is consistently outstanding. The menu is creative, and the food is well-prepared. So when a friend of mine suggested Bistro Bis for a lunch meeting recently, I quickly agreed. Bistro Bis is considered a French restaurant. But I think it’s more accurately described as a Mediterranean/French-Italian restaurant. I’ve been there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they do all three extremely well. They also do a great job with groups. I’ve entertained a table of 12 for lunch. I’ve attended breakfast and lunch group events. They just consistently perform well. Another thing I like about Bistro Bis is the location. It’s in the Hotel George , two blocks from Union Station and four blocks from the U.S. Capitol . The George is a Kimpton Hotel . It’s a great place to stay, and occasionally, you can find great room rates. (My wife and I stayed at another Kimpton, the Hotel Serrano , in San Francisco in March.) For our recent lunch meeting, I was accompanied ...