Appetites®

Every week, we bring you local and regional food and drink news, trends, reviews, flavors, recipes and advice. Appetites airs every Wednesday on MPR News' All Things Considered with host Tom Crann.

The magic of Rose McGee’s sweet potato comfort pie comes to a children’s book
Minnesotan Rose McGee has served up thousands of her sweet potato comfort pies. Now, she's bringing the magic of that recipe to a younger audience in the form of a new children’s book called “Can’t Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama!”
Appetites: The best Minneapolis restaurants of 2023 and what's opening in 2024
What were the best Minneapolis restaurants of 2023 and what can we look forward to in 2024? MPR News host Tom Crann asked food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl to look into her crystal ball.
Appetites looks back on 2023: Restaurants, Vietnamese meatballs and the secret to entertaining
This year Appetites took a tour of the state, interviewed a writer who’s been keeping close tabs on the Twin Cities food scene for 25 years and tasted dozens of delectable dishes. Here are a few of our favorite conversations.
Appetites: Putting a holiday twist on cocktail classics
The Red Nose Room at the Red Cow in Uptown has ten different drinks to help you celebrate the season. There are classics with a festive spin and some new concoctions. Red Cow’s Beverage Director Ian Lowther shared some tips and ideas for those looking to recreate these drinks at home or for a holiday party.
Recipe: Potato latkes, fried in oil, represent a Hanukkah miracle
In celebration of Hanukkah, Evana Kvasnik, who is from the fourth generation of the Cecil's Deli family in St. Paul, shared her tips and recipe for traditional potato latkes.
'I Am Betty' at History Theater brings Betty Crocker to life
I Am Betty is a new musical at History Theater covering the history and impact of the iconic Betty Crocker figure, one who doesn’t exist and yet is very real to many. Cristina Luzárraga wrote the book and some of the lyrics. She gave us a look at the show on Appetites.
Appetites: 'Corn Dance' cookbook weaves together Indigenous and Southwest traditions
MPR News host Tom Crann talks with Native chef Loretta Barrett Oden and Minnesota food writer Beth Dooley about their new cookbook “Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine”.
Minnesota professor takes sabbatical, finds joy in waiting tables
When a professor takes a sabbatical, they typically don’t end up waiting tables at a local brewery. For Matthew Batt, a University of St. Thomas associate professor of English, that became his reality. He detailed the journey in his book the “Last Supper Club: A Waiters Requiem.”