Grand Forks

A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews

Marilyn Hagerty, The Grand Forks Herald

• Publisher: Anthony Bourdain/Ecco
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9780062228895
• eBook ISBN:
  9780062228901
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Essays
• Index: Literature

"This body of work, these 30 years of reviews of dining in North Dakota, is in a sense a history of dining in America." —Anthony Bourdain
In Grand Forks, North Dakota, a small town where professors moonlight as farmers, farmers moonlight as football coaches, and everyone loves hockey, one woman covered the culinary scene for more than twenty-five years: Marilyn Hagerty. In her weekly Eatbeat column in the local paper, Marilyn gave the denizens of Grand Forks the straight scoop on everything from the best blue-plate specials—beef stroganoff at the Pantry—to the choicest truck stops—the Big Sioux (and its lutefisk lunch special)—to the ambience of the town's first Taco Bell. Her verdict? "A cool pastel oasis on a hot day."
No-nonsense but wry, earnest but self-aware, Eatbeat also encouraged the best in its readers—reminding them to tip well and why—and served as its own kind of down-home social register, peopled with stories of ex-postal workers turned café owners and prom queen waitresses. Filled with reviews of the mom-and-pop diners that eventually gave way to fast-food joints and the Norwegian specialties that finally faded away in the face of the Olive Garden's endless breadsticks,  Grand Forks is more than just a loving look at the shifts in American dining in the last years of the twentieth century—it is also a surprisingly moving and hilarious portrait of the quintessential American town, one we all recognize in our hearts regardless of where we're from.
"A fascinating picture of dining in America, a gradual, cumulative overview of how we got from there . . . to here." — NPR
"A book of no-nonsense restaurant reviews." — The Washington Post

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• If Food Isn’t Right, Diner Should Speak Up—Softly
• Neon Lights, Burgers, Malts Are Topper’s Trademarks
• Mr. Steak Aims to Be the Gathering Place for Birthdays
• Krumkake Served with Scones at High Tea in Bismarck
• The Pantry Brings Blue Plate Back to Grand Forks
• Gramma Butterwicks Has Soup, Pot Pies Waiting
• Pear Tree Is Place in the Pink for Leisurely Dining
• Chuck House Is Good Place to Be “Out to Lunch”
• Sonja’s Hus Has Cheery Blue and Red Norwegian Décor
• At the Tomahawk, They Roast the Whole Turkey. People Go to the Highway Cafe for the Kind of Meals They Used to Eat at Home: Meat, Potatoes, Pie.
• Shore Lunch Adds Another Dimension to Food in Mall
• Andrew’s Steakhouse Is Gem Along U.S. Highway 2
• Royal Fork Serves Sunday Dinners Every Day
• Frenchy’s Cabaret Has New Menu with Combo Options
• Downtown Explorers Discover Dinner in Pantry
• Dinner and Theater Make “Fantastick” Evening
• Gordy’s Cafe Specializes in Home-Style Cooking
• Gramma Butterwicks Has a Healthy Heart Menu
• Norma’s House of Goodies Is Filling Station in the Mall
• Bronze Boot Expands Its Dining Area, Shrinks Lounge
• Taco Bell Is Like a Cool Pastel Oasis on a Hot Day
• East Side Dairy Queen Offers Soup to Blizzards. Flow of Customers Begins with Early Breakfasts, Ends with Late Evening Snacks.
• Two Subway Stations Running on Washington Street
• If It’s Thursday, It’s German Cuisine at Sanders 1907
• Crisp Fruit Pizza Pies Call You Back to Happy Joe’s
• Big Sioux Is Surrounded by Trucks with Engines Idling
• VFW Diner Offers Publike Ambience and Basic Menu
• Dacotah Passes the Poached Egg Test with Flying Colors
• Luncheon Buffet Sports Nifty Spaghetti Sauce at Shakey’s
• Palace Casino Offers Excitement with Burgers and Salads
• Whitey’s Offers Eclectic Menu with Art Deco Ambience
• No One Goes Away Hungry from New Players Bar & Grill
• From Pâté to Pears, Dinner at Sanders 1907 Is Unique
• Lumpy’s Offers Yet Another Version of the Sub
• Ronald McDonald Is Now at Home in East Grand Forks
• Royal Fork in Columbia Mall Has Mammoth Array of Food
• With Lights Down Low, Pantry Turns into Le Pantre for Dinner
• Señor Howard’s Menu Features Pizza and Mexican Foods
• Steak, Lobster Combo Stars in Bronze Boot Repertoire
• Inge’s Bavarian Cuisine Offers German Specialties
• Beaver’s Brings Potatoes and Gravy to East Grand Forks
• Tortellini Is Soft, Warm and Like Soul Food at Big Al’s
• Bit of Norway in City Center Mall Builds a Followi
• Gramma Butterwicks Serves Good Food, Nothing Fancy
• Whitey’s of East Grand Forks Thrives on Keeping Status Quo
• County Coffee Court to Feature Soup du Jury, Statute Stew
• Red Lobster Offers Seafood in Landlocked North Dakota
• GF Goodribs Is Warm, Cozy Haven on Cold Winter Night
• John Barleycorn Bakes Up Mean Lavosh in Columbia Mall
• Bonzer’s on Fourth Still Excites Taste Buds After 10 Years
• Open Kitchen at Sanders 1907 Gives Diners Front-Row Seat
• Windmill’s Sunday Brunch Just About Takes the Cake
• Even Without Quiche, Lunch at Passages Is Grade A
• Noel’s Spices Up Legion with Indian-Pakistani Fare
• Mexican Village Buffet Is an Adventure in Cuisine
• Diners Shouldn’t Tarry If Going Out to Applebee’s
• Halstad’s Kaffe Huset Epitomizes Small-Town Cafes
• Al’s Grill Awaits Discovery in Corner of Parrot’s Cay
• Sanders 1907 Never Lets Its Customers Down
• Arby’s Adds Another Dimension to Fast-Food Scene
• Noel’s Brings the Sweet Smell of Curry to Downtown
• “Ruth and Cherie Show” Goes On Daily at Dacotah
• It’s No Bologna—Minto’s 10th Annual Sausage-Making Extravaganza That Is Held Each January Is Not Your Average Cooking Contest
• Red Lobster Reels ’Em In with Seafood, Biscuits
• Bit of Norway Fits the Bill for Syttende Mai Meal
• Blarney Mill Would Make Any Irishman Smile
• Cozy Millennium Cafe Pays Extra Attention to Presentation
• Red River Cafe Rightly Claims Spot in New Downtown
• Specials Pull In Customers at the 42nd Street Eatery
• Lutefisk, Lefse Greet Holiday Diners at the 2-29 Cafe
• The Blue Moose Bar and Grill—Little to Criticize, Lots to Love at EGF Restaurant
• Royal Fork’s a Homey Delight—You’ll Find Plenty of Old-Fashioned Meat and Potatoes
• Twilight Dinners Are a Draw at Ramada—Walleye Is Most Popular Choice off the Menu
• If It’s Monday, It’s Chicken Wings at Players
• Lola’s Captures Flavor of Italy
• Sanders Is Cream of Crop
• Classics Keep Customers Coming Back to Quizno’s
• Late-Night Grazing Enhances Sanders 1907 Repertoire
• Touch of Magic Caters to Lovers of Cheesecake, Fine Dining
• Diners Can Tee Off on Good Food at Eagle’s Crest Grill
• Dinner at Lola’s: Everything from Polenta to Fried Leeks
• Take In Dinner, Play at Starlites
• Sachi Serves Sushi at Kon Nechi Wa’s in Grand Cities Mall
• Irishman’s Shanty—Far More than a Supper Club
• Stormy Sledster’s Makes a Lively Addition to the Downtown Scene
• Flashy Cooks, 13 Sauces Await Mongolian Grill Diners
• “Expect Something Different” When You Go to Mamaz
• Sarello’s Calls with Curried Sea Scallops, Lobster Ravioli
• Whitey’s Continues to Offer a Fine Dining Experience
• City’s Only Japanese Restaurant Doubles Size in New Site
• Great Wall Offers More than 100 Choices on a Vast Buffet
• Paradiso Completes Expansion, Almost Doubling in Size
• 3rd Street Slowly Builds Up Clientele
• Panda Buffet Features Unique Mongolian Stir-Fry
• Suite 49 Establishes Itself as a Force in Less than a Year
• Boot Marches Through 52 Years of Business in Grand Forks
• Capone’s Puts the G in G-Man
• Sirloin Tips Top Menu at Al’s Grill
• Toasted Frog Takes Its Place in Downtown
• Dinner at Capone’s: A Rare Seven-Course Production
• Golden Corral Buffet and Grill Offers Endless Selections
• North Side Cafe Features More than Everyday Cooking
• Blue Moose’s Creative Menu Changes with the Seasons
• New Bowl Meals Prove to Be Very Popular at KFC
• Tavern United Would Make an English Pub Proud
• Greater Grand Forks Offers Diners a Variety of Restaurants
• Tasty Smoked Salmon Salad Draws People to Suite 49
• People Know Their Dumplings at Viking, Minn., Restaurant
• Pumpkin Figures Into Fall Menu at ’l Bistro Canad Inn
• Toasted Frog Brings High Energy to Downtown Scene
• Eclectic Menu Keeps EGF Applebee’s Up with the Times
• Pear Tree Menu Takes On an Appealing Italian Flavor
• Wendy’s Shows Low-Cost Fast Food Is More than Burgers
• Mashed Potatoes, Gravy Go Over Well at Kitty’s Cafe
• Fosston, Minn., Cafe Serves Unique German Hamburger
• Mexican Fare Draws Crowd to Forest River on Wednesdays
• Del’s Ushers In Holidays with Lutefisk, Lefse, Dumplings
• Little Bangkok Strikes Chord with Sushi, Traditional Thai
• Winnipeg Woman Finds Loss of Whitey’s Devastating
• Babylon Offers a Chance to Experience Old World Cuisine
• Kon Nechi Wa’s Japanese Cuisine Goes Well Beyond Sushi
• Cajun Cooking, Hot Wings Draw Diners to Parrot’s Cay
• Diners Find the New and Old Appealing at Mexican Village
• Ruby Tuesday’s Vast Menu Offers Many Healthy Choices
• Positive Vibes Permeate in Newly Refurbished Whitey’s
• Southgate Serves Up Tasty Food, Fun at Bargain Prices
• Creativity Helps Blue Moose Stay Ahead of the Game
• Long-Awaited Olive Garden Receives a Warm Welcome
• Elegant Food, Impeccable Service Define Le Bernardin
• Sleek, Large New Fuji Offers Japanese Cuisine with Flair
• About the Author
• Credits
• Copyright
• About the Publisher