Minneapolis Chefs Pushing Past Scandinavian Stereotypes (The Feed Podcast)

Growing up in the Upper Midwest, you get used to cold weather dishes – lots of casseroles and pot roasts and hot dish. The Twin Cities has the largest Scandinavian population in the U.S., which may be why Marcus Samuelsson opened an Aquavit there over a decade ago. Scandinavian traditions run deep, and a nascent movement is underway – at least at one restaurant – to try to label the region, and its food, as the “North.”

As a Minnesota native, I returned to Minneapolis to talk to a couple of chefs, as well as the city’s long-time restaurant critic, about how the new generation of talent in the kitchen is simultaneously adapting traditional Swedish techniques, but also breaking new ground.