Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl Presents “The Essential Dear Dara”

Zenith Bookstore presents Minneapolis food writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, who will discuss and read from her new book The Essential Dear Dara: Writings on Local Characters and Memorable Places.

For 25 years, Moskowitz Grumdahl has been a fixture of Twin Cities life, telling the stories of local people, places and (sometimes delicious) things.

Her book revisits stories from the past 25 years, including columns, profiles and restaurant reviews from City Pages, Minnesota Monthly, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Gourmet, and Saveur. Each piece includes a brief introduction putting the piece in context and explaining why Moskowitz Grumdahl considers it among her quintessential contributions to Minnesota life and culture.

Moskowitz Grumdahl is one of the most awarded magazine writers in the country, with six James Beard Award wins, and 15 nominations. She grew up in New York City, little aware of her destiny: to write about the quirks and passions, the foods and cocktails, the people and places of Minnesota. She started her work life as a 13-year-old restaurant dishwasher and, after coming to Minnesota to attend Carleton College, became City Pages’ restaurant critic in 1997. Since then she has worked as a staff writer, columnist and critic at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Delta Sky, Minnesota Monthly, Gourmet, Saveur, Food & Wine, Experience Life, Bon Appétit and other publications. For eight years she hosted a radio show on WCCO called Off the Menu, and she is a regular guest on Minnesota Public Radio. She lives in south Minneapolis with a dog the size of a cat, a cat the size of a cat, and two children who are much bigger than cats and want to be left out of it. She would like everyone to know that Minneapolis is one of the best places in the world, as long as you have a lot of pairs of boots and love snow, which she does.