Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

2 months ago | mspmag.com | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

I lifted a piece of gimbap at Minari, then kept lifting it, till it was far too high in the air. Open since November, Minari is our new world of rich burgundy paint and high soaring arches, of gold accents and small golden lights, of servers pushing carts and rushing with large trays—taken at a glance, it feels like if terrifically sexy, wine-loving 1920s art deco vampires all took a cruise together. Minari! And then there’s me, in the midst of it all, holding a gimbap roll over my head.

2 months ago | mspmag.com | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Grab your coffee and/or champagne, Minnesota, it’s a dishy day—the James Beard Award finalists are out! As the Oscar nominees are to the Oscars, so are the Beard finalists to the Beards. This is it, the biggest of big deals, this day goes down on all our permanent records. Let’s get into it.

Mar 26, 2025 | mspmag.com | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

One of the core dishes of Thai restaurant cuisine, tom kha soup is creamy and tangy. The best in town? It’s at On’s Kitchen, one of our foundational modern Thai restaurants. On Khumchaya, the original founder and chef, found fame helping her sister at family restaurant Bangkok Thai Deli before creating On’s. She retired a few years ago and passed On’s to her daughter and son-in-law, Sa and Joel Krupinski. They’ve added a full cocktail program and recently debuted On’s Thai Express in Highland Park.

Mar 16, 2025 | mspmag.com | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Brown as chestnuts, sparkling with salt, tied in pious and festive loops, clustered on a custom-built pegboard—are these the most beautiful pretzels in the world? Walk in the door to Aki’s BreadHaus and WunderBar, now in its new location on Marshall in Nordeast near the river, and see for yourself. Get one, warm and fresh from the oven or warmed to order, and it’s everything a pretzel ever could be: a tender bloom of soft dough in parts, crisp and taut in parts—just right.

Mar 10, 2025 | mspmag.com | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

The cafeteria line at Kramarczuk’s is one of the happiest places in town, where we old-timers thump our tummies to decide how many varenyky dumplings we have room for and newcomers say, “The cabbage rolls are enormous! Are they always that big?” They have been for decades! Founded by Ukrainian refugees Wasyl and Anna Kramarczuk in 1954, and located at the same spot since 1967, Kramarczuk’s is among Minnesota’s most iconic food landmarks.