Today is a day that will live in infamy..annually. Cheese is life and there is literally no food I love more than cheese curds. I probably have reviewed or took photos of cheese curds more than anything else in the history of Hipster Hack so I am going to properly document National Cheese Curd Day by sharing them all in one post for your viewing (and drooling) pleasure. Continue reading
Burger Dive is the new name of the kitchen operation at Tony Jaros Rivergarden, similar to how Smack Shack runs the kitchen at 1029 (another Northeast gem), Smack Shack chef, Josh Thoma partnered with chef Nick O’Leary (Borough, Coup d-etat, and Travail) to rejuvenate the food at this classic Northeast dive bars.
You can read the full Tony Jaros Rivergarden Hipster Hack HERE. It also looks like a second Burger Dive location will be opening up in Rosedale Center’s second attempt at a Food Hall so stay tuned there! Continue reading
I’ve been staring at photos from MN Nice Cream on Instagram for, well, YEARS and I’ve passed it driving more times than I can count so when my sister went to the new Stillwater location before I got there and rubbed it in my face, it was game on! Luckily, during our annual brewery crawl this year we started at MN Nice’s nextdoor neighbor, Able Seedhouse + Brewery giving me the perfect opportunity!
The “Not Justa” family has been growing over the years. Starting with Not Justa Cafe in Bayport almost 20 years ago, NJ’s has been a staple for weekend brunch with lines out the door. They’ve since expanded with locations in Somerset, New Richmond, and opened up “Not Justa Bar” next to the original NJ Cafe in Bayport…naturally this location is my favorite, because they serve liquor and I live for a brunch cocktail!
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Tamarack Tap Room used to be one of the defunct Champps Americana locations when I was growing up well into my adulthood. My family used to frequent this location pretty often and when I got older I used to go with friends to play “Bucks” and hang with CA the DJ. When they closed, I wasn’t surprised, because let’s be honest, they weren’t exactly “impressive” (although I still daydream about that club sandwich), but I am so glad that Tamarack Tap Room opened in it’s place a few years ago. This was the restaurant that Woodbury needed: good food, innovative food that takes risks yet not TOO risky for the ‘burbs, and has an AMAZING beer list.
Over the last couple years I’ve finally developed an appreciation for seafood (except shrimp… reason 1 is the texture and reason 2 is because I was told that shrimp are a chromosome away from a cockroach and therefore literally the cockroach of the sea. Vomit). Therefore, when my friend Mikayla invited me along to a group dinner at 4 Bells, I instantly agreed.
4 Bells is known for their extremely fresh seafood and while they utilize local fish when possible, the bulk of their seafood is overnighted directly from the coasts.
Their name, according to their website, comes from the tradition of ringing a bell 4 times to signal to sailors that it’s time for a break.
Hipster Hack 