I recently had the pleasure of dining at a new-to-me establishment by the name of Olive Garden. I was intrigued to go there because I’ve heard that when you’re there, you’re family. And I do love a good old family dinner. I also love fettucine alfredo. Olive Garden is housed in a gargantuan building sporting authentic Tuscan villa architecture. This monstrosity rises abruptly out of a suburban wasteland of strip malls and nondescript business parks in Bloomington, Minnesota,

We recently visited Myriel, a new-ish restaurant by Chef Karyn Tomlinson in St. Paul. Myriel is mostly a ticketed tasting menu with one seating per night, but they also have a few spots for a la carte diners. We did the tasting menu with a drink pairing. Chef Tomlinson was the Chef at Corner Table (RIP) and also worked at Faviken (also RIP) and Meritage (thankfully not RIP). She describes Myriel as "old peasant French meets new Nordic." The team at Myriel works closely with l