The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

The tough economy has diners looking for ways to cut costs, and restaurateurs looking for ways to keep customer coming, especially on slower nights of the week.

Today only, the Dakota is offering its own version of a Black Friday special: if you buy a $100 gift certificate, instead of giving you one $20 bonus card, you'll get two. Check their website for details, or call 612-332-JAZZ.

If you have $125 left in your 401k, I can think of at least three good reasons why you should splurge on a ticket to the Caux Culinary Challenge, a gastronomic extravaganza next Tuesday evening (November 18) from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Minneapolis Club, 729 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Some guys—and gals—get all the ink. If you are a devoted Twin Cities foodie, you know all about Tim (and Josh), Vincent, Alex, Stewart and Heidi, Lucia, Doug, J.P., Lenny, and Brenda—and you can pair them with their restaurants. Odds are pretty good that you have also heard of Tanya Siebenaler, Don Saunders, Scott Pampuch, Mike Phillips, and J.D. Fratzke.*

I've spent the day researching the life of Michael Dorris: reading him, reading about him. And the dark, frantic moral of his story seems to be simply that some lives are unlivable. This is not a comforting thought.

I don’t do ten best lists, but looking back over the last year, I can recall some memorable dining experiences. For now, at least, I am going to limit myself to the new places – the list will just get too long if I try to work in more than just a mention of old favorites like the Grand Café Vincent, and Atlas Grill.

Let us consider this waiter in the cafe. His movement is quick and forward, a little too precise, a little too rapid. He bends forward a little too eagerly; his voice, his eyes express an interest a little too solicitous for the order of the customer. He is playing, he is amusing himself. But what is he playing? We need not watch long before we can explain it: he is playing at being a waiter in a cafe. There is nothing there to surprise us."