Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews

by Marilyn Hagerty

  Kitty laughs about it now. The 2010 flood is over. This year, only nine days did she have to sleep in makeshift surroundings. A year ago, right after she took over the cafe, she was marooned in Oslo for 16 nights with only a mattress to sleep on.

  Kitty lives in Argyle, Minn., and commutes to work. She was asked to run the restaurant in this town of 274 by businessmen who want to be sure there is a place to eat. So far, things have gone well. Kitty knows how to serve meat and potatoes. She does an especially good job of making potato salad. And she has kitchen help who know how to bake. She calls Krista Marciniak a “lifesaver.”

  The coffee is always hot and ready. People serve themselves and take a seat at the counter or in one of the booths. Some go into the side room, where there’s a big fireplace, tables and chairs. Kitty and her staff—which includes two dependable waitresses, Jean Corradi and Shannon Bakken—keep folks happy.

  The midday special was a pork chop dinner ($6.95) when I dropped in recently with a friend, Sue Huus (SH). We sat in a booth near the counter and looked over the menu. I ordered a cup of ham and bean soup and a hamburger. SH had a BLT sandwich with macaroni salad.

  The soup was great—nice and hot. The serving of macaroni salad was ample. My burger was for real, although I would have liked it better if the bun was toasted. We took home some potato salad, made with red spuds that stay nice and firm and a nice sharp-tasting dressing.

  When the lunch rush slowed, we visited with Kitty, who’s been working in restaurants since she was in high school—first in Kennedy, Minn., then in Argyle. But she finds it is far different running a restaurant than just being an employee. Before, she would just forget about work when she got through with a shift. Now she must think of the cost and profit margin, a challenge that keeps her hopping.

  She feels good about business. In the morning, one group of men comes in early. Later, another group from Dahlstrom’s car dealership shows up. They all have coffee. Some have pastries. They shake dice to see who pays. If someone is getting a car serviced at the dealership and has to wait, it is a good omen for Kitty. The customers get a coupon for a meal at the cafe.

  The place is the heartbeat of the town. A bulletin board has notices and messages to let people know what’s going on. The news of the day is exchanged over coffee. Daily specials with mashed potatoes and gravy go over well. For people in a hurry, the cafe handles takeouts.

  Kitty’s is rather plain, but inviting. The counter has five comfortable seats with backs. Walls are light, and windows to the street large. Carpeting is dark green with a pattern. The side room is comfortable.

  Reach Oslo by going north on Interstate 29 about 16 miles and then east on state Highway 54. Or take state Highway 220 north of East Grand Forks until you hit Highway 1. It’s an easy and worthwhile drive.

  Kitty’s continues to operate in Oslo, Minnesota.

  Fosston, Minn., Cafe Serves Unique German Hamburger

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  MAY 12, 2010

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  FOSSTON, Minn.—If you want to find the best restaurant in town, just stop one of the local people on the street and ask them where to go. That’s what we did when four of us were in this gateway to the Minnesota lake country a week or so ago. We asked a woman who was shopping for flowers. She pointed out Maple Ridge Cafe on Johnson Street. And away we went to a place where we found unusual taste combinations and wholesome homemade food.

  This is an ordinary-looking cafe in an older building at the corner of Johnson and U.S. Highway 2 in the business district. It’s a cafe where there are people peeling potatoes and mashing them in the kitchen, and where they roast their own beef and make their own soup.

  We arrived before noon and found a table near the back of the restaurant, not far from the kitchen. The specials for the day included tortilla chip taco salad with homemade salsa and sour cream ($6.29). The soup of the day was smoked sausage and cheddar. There was an Asian noodle salad with bread ($5.99). And, of course, there was a hot beef sandwich ($5.99). “That is what we stick by,” owner Linda Nelson told me later.

  We were especially interested in the promotion for German hamburgers. What on Earth could that be? So a couple of us ordered them and found it to be a burger topped with sauerkraut. It was served on a very good bun that had been toasted. It was close to perfection, one of the best hamburgers I have eaten in ages. It was served with a garnish of parsley atop dill pickle rings. It was grade AA in my book.

  On another trip, I will plan my day to eat breakfast or lunch, which is known here as dinner, at Maple Ridge Cafe.

  Lunch companions that day were Laurie L. Bakke (LLB), Merrilee Brown (MB), and their mother, Donna McEnroe (DM). We tasted the biscuits and gravy that chef Bob Pawlitschek brought out from the kitchen. He was wearing a white jacket and chef hat. Then, we decided we could not leave without tasting the lime pie. This version was white and creamy with a sharp, inviting dimension to it.

  Nelson, who owns and operates the cafe, is proud of the chef, who has attended culinary school. On weekends, she said the cooking duties often go to her husband, Bruce Nelson. He actually is an engineer, a UND graduate, who supervises the Team Industries plant in Bagley, Minn. They have two sons, Justin, 14, and Jack, 11, who help out in the cafe.

  There are five part-time waitresses. One of the crew, Joyce Olson, has worked under four owners in the cafe. “When they sell it, I go along as a fixture,” she said. Before leaving, we checked out the ladies’ room, which is important when you’re on the road, concluding it was small, but clean and adequate.

  Maple Ridge Cafe continues to operate in Fosston, Minnesota.

  Mexican Fare Draws Crowd to Forest River on Wednesdays

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  SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

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  FOREST RIVER, N.D.—Walk into Tom’s Lounge here on a Wednesday evening and you don’t have to ask if this is where you find the action. You know it is because the slightly dark, slightly musty bar is alive with people from all over the area.

  This is Mexican Food Night, and it’s served by a crew called Jeanette’s Kitchen, who also serve fish fries Friday evenings.

  Jeanette Irwin is a local woman who is a whiz at cooking Mexican and other food. Lately, she has been drawing a full house. She’s been in the cooking mode since 1985.

  I went to Forest River on a Wednesday evening in August with a friend, Bernie Goodman (BG), to meet another friend, Rhonda Tibert (RT), who lives in the area, and her sister, Robin Feltman (RF) of Warsaw, N.D. The tables were so crowded that it didn’t matter who you were meeting. You were just one in the crowd. Everyone was talking to everyone else, eating the Mexican fare and having a good time.

  Some Wednesdays, Jeanette draws 150 to 160 from 5:30 to 9:30 P.M. But her repertoire goes far beyond Mexican food. She cooks lunch every weekday at Cliff’s Lounge in nearby Gilby, N.D., with the help of Linda Paschke. And she caters parties and weddings. This time of the year, she cooks for the Forest River Bean Plant, and she bakes cookies and bars for Forest River Elevator.

  Jeanette is a middle-aged woman who wears diamond earrings and a cap to hold her hair back. She was born in Ardoch, N.D., and has a son, Chris Irwin, who lives near Gilby. She also has three grandchildren.

  We also met Jill Nelson, who helps out on Mexican night at Forest River, and her sister, Sara Nelson, who was in training. On their advice, before RT and RF arrived, I decided to order the combination plate, which is $7.50 for a small one and $9 for the large. I got a deluxe burrito, a side of beans and rice and a homemade corn taco.

  My order was enough to hold a person for a couple of days. It was good. I brought some of it home, though. BG was more restrained in her order. She had a deluxe tostada without the beans.

  We talked about summer food and harvest food with Jeanette. She makes a salsa and cheese sauce that is pleasantly hot. Her helpers said that Jeanette’s sauce is what attracts people. It is nice, warm and mild—not hot. And it is velvety smooth.

  Jeanette has a way wi
th salads and beans. She uses eggs, celery, pickles, relish and a little sugar along with mustard in her potato salad. She uses a bit of whipping cream in the dressing.

  Her Mexican Food Menu is complete with chicken, salads, nachos, tostadas, burritos, tacos and more. And then, just to top things off, the reverse side of the menu says in part: “Hello and welcome to our kitchen. Sit down, shut up, and quit your bitchin. What’s on the menu is all we’ve got. Stop with the questions so you get it while it’s hot. We serve chicken, beef, and seafood. A few bucks in the jar puts us in a good mood. Snowcats, farmers, bikers—we serve ’em all. Once the dishes are done we have a ball. Just place your order and take a seat. Cause you know our tacos can’t be beat.”

  Jeanette’s Kitchen continues to serve Mexican food on Wednesdays at Tom’s Lounge.

  Del’s Ushers In Holidays with Lutefisk, Lefse, Dumplings

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  DECEMBER 15, 2010

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  When Del Kresl occasionally comes back to town, he stops at his former restaurant every day. He loves to “chew the fat” with old friends.

  Meanwhile, Laura Hanson, one of the new owners, is in the kitchen looking at what she needs to cook next from the wheel where waitresses place orders. She keeps turning out good, plain food for which the small cafe in the Grand Cities Mall is noted.

  Laura used to run the Third Street Cafe downtown before she went to work as a cook for Kresl. She asked him one day if he was thinking of selling the cafe. Del said yes, and when he told her how much he wanted, she said it was too much.

  He then said, “Well, don’t buy it.” She said, “I will buy it.”

  That was two years ago, and these days she is wearing a happy smile as she cooks and manages the restaurant with help from her sister, Becky, who also teaches at Winship Elementary School.

  Del’s is one of the few restaurants still serving lutefisk and lefse, the traditional holiday fare for people of Norwegian descent and other people with curiosity. People can order plates of the codfish soaked in lye and then boiled and served on a plate with drawn butter, lefse and potatoes for $9.29. Del’s also is serving potato dumplings and side pork ($6.49).

  When Laura isn’t serving all of Del’s specialties, she is turning out his ever-popular burgers made from meat that is ground and hand-pattied daily. She has a Monday–Friday breakfast special of two eggs, toast or cakes and hash browns for $2.29 that includes a small glass of orange juice or coffee.

  Del’s is noted for old-fashioned food such as liver and onions ($6.69) and meatloaf ($6.79). The menu still lists the Winnipeg Gas Station Special among its sandwiches. It is a toasted, triple-decker sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried egg, baked ham and American cheese ($7.79).

  The food is good, not fancy. The service is very friendly, and nobody comes around repeatedly asking if everything is all right. The place is small enough so you can catch the attention of the waitress.

  Laura has a background in business here. She started working at age 15 at Miller’s Cafe on South Washington Street and 17th Avenue South. She sold cars at Eide’s for 10 years. She and her sister own the Kegs Drive-In and run it from April through September.

  Del’s Coffee Shop continues to operate in Grand Forks.

  Little Bangkok Strikes Chord with Sushi, Traditional Thai

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  FEBRUARY 9, 2011

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  A new Asian restaurant in East Grand Forks has come up with a dish called “DeMers Avenue.” It’s made of spicy tuna, salmon, shrimp, tomato, asparagus and avocado.

  It was one of many Asian foods we sampled when I spent 2½ hours over lunch on a Friday afternoon at Little Bangkok. The restaurant, with its sushi and traditional Thai foods, has struck a chord with many area residents. Since opening in November, it has drawn customers who occasionally have to wait to be served. The menu is the same for lunch or dinner, and there is a tendency for people to linger over their meals.

  Owner Keng Deckawuth is in a partnership with other family members who operate three sushi places in Fargo. He is the chef and relies on a Thai chef he calls Sheng to run the sushi bar with Dan Olson, whom they’ve trained.

  The sushi bar is a popular place where people sit along a low counter with a full view of items that vary but are listed on the a la carte menu, including shrimp, egg, flying fish roe, octopus, red snapper, salmon, scallops, seared tuna, squid, super white tuna, surf clam, tuna, cooked eel and albacore.

  Joel Elvrum (JE), who operates the Ranch House and has interest in the Cove restaurant in Devils Lake, was waiting for a table with his daughter, Maddy (ME), when Katie David (KD) and I were also in line. We shared a table for four and had a delightful experience because JE is knowledgeable and loves Asian food. He said he would travel to Winnipeg or Fargo to find sushi but now seems pleased to have found a place in East Grand Forks.

  JE ordered a Large Boat ($40), an amazing array of sushi served on a wooden boat and decorated with tiny parasols. There was eel, red tuna, salmon, green cucumber pickles and red snapper.

  I chose a mixed seafood curry dish ($15). That in itself is a more than adequate meal. We started with a salad that had a thin, nicely flavored dressing. The red curried rice was recommended by our waitress, Dom. She said it was not too spicy. This was tasty and just right.

  I also enjoyed the steamed edamame (soybeans) we had as an appetizer. The shells were covered with sea salt, and the inside of the beans were tender and tasty.

  The decor of the restaurant is inviting with tones of gray and black and red and gold accents. There is Asian art. The floor is gray. Keng plans to work with Kimberly Hess, Halstad, Minn., to develop prairie flowers that can be used on the tables in East Grand Forks as well as the Fargo locations.

  Little Bangkok continues to operate in East Grand Forks.

  Winnipeg Woman Finds Loss of Whitey’s Devastating

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  MARCH 9, 2011

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  When Pam, a businesswoman from Winnipeg, comes to Grand Forks, she wonders where to go now that Whitey’s is closed.

  She sent me an e-mail saying:

  I am a Winnipeger, who is a longtime frequent visitor to both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. I spent my childhood visiting all the time. I just found out that Whitey’s has closed and am devastated!!!!! After many years I tried the lobster bisque soup there and fell in love with it, of course.

  While planning my visit this year, I was checking out old and new restaurants around Grand Forks. I was checking out restaurants to visit and the hours of business and menus. I decided to check on the price of lobster bisque from Whitey’s. I was planning to take some soup back home with me, only to find it closed.

  So, I am still in shock, to say the least. However, I did see a lack of patrons over the years. Our visits will never be the same.

  In closing, Pam said, “I am e-mailing you in a desperate hope to find a comparable restaurant that makes lobster bisque, at least close to Whitey’s. Can you help?”

  Well, I thought about it for a while. Then, I told Pam that I have had pretty good lobster bisque at Red Lobster on 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road.

  As I considered her question later, I decided I should tell her about the new restaurants that have opened here in the past year. These include Little Bangkok, the Thai restaurant in East Grand Forks, and Babylon in downtown Grand Forks.

  I should remind her there is a cluster of restaurants around the theaters in East Grand Forks. Mamma Maria’s in the theater mall has very good Italian food, and the Blue Moose across the way is a full-service restaurant with plenty of incentives.

  The Boardwalk, Mike’s Pizza and Applebee’s add to the variety of food on the east side of the Red River. I thought, of course, of Sanders fine restaurant in the heart of downtown Grand Forks and the Toasted Frog, also on North Third Street. Bonzer’s is noted for its soups.

  When I posed the question to some bridge players of where Pam should go, there was a variety of suggestion
s. We agreed that Texas Roadhouse is a great place for steaks, and lots of people still prefer the Bronze Boot on U.S. Highway 81.

  On a recent visit to Qdoba Mexican Grill, I noticed a bus from Canada pull up. We talked with the driver, and he said they were returning from a trip to Fargo and that they stopped there because they don’t have Qdoba in Winnipeg.

  We know Canadians are attracted to the English pub and the Bistro in the Canad Inn.

  Now, I am wondering what readers would suggest to Pam from Winnipeg. For one thing, she wonders if she could find a good old-fashioned milkshake in Grand Forks.

  Oh yes, and I am wondering where Pam likes to eat in Winnipeg. You can scout Winnipeg for places to eat. You can consult the guidebooks and go online for clues. But nothing beats getting advice from someone who lives there and goes out to eat often.

  That person is Pam. She doesn’t want me to use her last name, but she is a businesswoman.

  Babylon Offers a Chance to Experience Old World Cuisine

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  MARCH 23, 2011

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  Presentation is everything, and I was delighted when Thamir Khadim placed an entree called Gyro (Shawirma) Beef before me at Babylon.

  The Middle Eastern restaurant that opened at Christmastime in downtown Grand Forks is doing well, according to the owner. And it offers a chance to eat a different style of food. You find lamb and falafel on the menu, as well as stuffed grape leaves called dolma, which are made with rice and meat.