Hello to everyone in snow covered Minnesota! Today’s guest is Maria Driscoll of @ParkaMpls, an appropriate Twitter handle for today!

Maria:    Yeah it’s snowy. I can’t tell if it’s Christmas or the worst/best April fools joke ever played.

In addition to handling the Twitter account, what else do you do there Maria?

Maria:    I’ve worked with @DogwoodCoffee for about 3 years and was excited to see them expand with Rustica and @Victory_44

I love coffee so I have been working the AM, meeting new people and preachin’ the good word of coffee.

Not to mention we have just started serving a stellar breakfast at 9!

Share how the concept of Parka came about and when it was that you opened the doors to the public?

Maria:    It is a collaboration with @DogwoodCoffee @Victory_44 #Rustica all of which put a lot of effort and passion into their crafts

creating a space that highlight each one of our strengths and skills.

We had a soft opening for friends and family then got the ball rolling pretty quick about the end of January.

Any thought behind choosing Longfellow neighborhood as the area to open in?

Maria:    Longfellow is such a great up and coming neighborhood where businesses around us share like-minded views

@ForageModern_MN was nice enough to let us be roommates and also helped furnish our dinning room with local designers

having met quit a few people from the area, its safe to say we are all excited to see this neighborhood grow

For people that don’t know, what’s your address and hours of operation?

Maria:    Tuesday-Friday 7-10 and the kitchen is open from 9-3 and 5-10. Weekends 8-10 with the kitchen having the same hours.

the address is 4021 East Lake Street where I will be workin’ the coffee and breakfast crowd!

What element from @DogwoodCoffee @Victory_44 and #Rustica are on the menu?

Maria:    I think @DogwoodCoffee #Rustica and @Victory_44 can all be seen quite well in our desserts.

From Coffee and Doughnuts to Cookies and Bars.

Pastries and bread from our dear #Rustica each day. As well as @DogwoodCoffee used in various meat rubs, mustards etc,

@Victory_44 Chef brings his talent and flare to the trational Midwestern home cookin’

Since you mentioned it earlier, what are some of your most popular breakfast options on the menu?

Maria:    the biscuits and gravy are to die for (I just love gravy). Also the Benedict is amazing with a yuzu kosho Hollandaise

Ants on a log french toast with #Rustica ‘s multigrain bread (delicious)

Oh! and I almost forgot- Breakfast Fries! french fries topped with a couple fried eggs and dressed in delicious gravy

What’s popular at lunch time, or right about now for some people? :)

Maria:    We have a really amazing Kale salad with baked kale, roasted grapes, compressed apples, sprinkled with a bit of chevre

Mom’s Meatloaf Sandwich a great lunchtime meal. It comes with a cute basket of fries and icebox pickles.

My favorite- the Hot Beef. Set on toast, brown butter mashers, melted leeks, topped with gravy and fried leeks. YUM!

or you can take it easy with a bowl of onion soup or a tempura battered shrimpwich.

For your evening crowd, what drink options do you offer to your customers?

Maria:    We have @indeedbrewing on tap with Day Tripper, Midnight Ryder, and the current seasonal Burr Grinder

Burr Grinder is a collaboration with @DogwoodCoffee and @indeedbrewing to create this unique coffee beer

We also have red and white wines some of which are from here in the Midwest. And of course bottled beer.

We have a few larger bottled beers that are great for sharing!

To end today, in the length of 1 Tweet, why should people come and check out your place?

Maria:    One stop Midwest shop, minus Nana’s ugly sweatshirts. Great coffee, bread, and food…the people aren’t so bad either.

Joel:    Thanks Maria for your time and comments today! Have a good weekend.

Maria:    No problem. Thank you! Hope to see you in soon.

Hello everybody! Stay warm and follow today’s #MNMOtv with #DaraCo blogger @FreshTartSteph. Lets roll!

Stephanie:    Ready @JoelECarlson ! We should talk about food or something, ha. Thanks for inviting me!

So @FreshTartSteph. Tell us, where did you grew up, attend school and what did you want to be when you grew up?

Stephanie:    I grew up in freezing cold Grand Forks, ND. College in freezing cold Madison, WI at UW. Now I live…yeah. I wanted to be a chef.

I think it’s called “Cold Country”. :) So when did you start food blogging and what was your intended focus?

Stephanie:    Indeed :) I started food blogging Jan 6, 2006. My birthday!

“I can hardly imagine that anyone would ever want to read what I think about things…” My first blogged sentence. Still true, ha.

My intended focus was moderation. A concept I, um, struggle with. My blog at the time was called Moderate Epicurean – dumb name.

I changed my blog’s name to Fresh Tart a couple of years ago, but really, there’s still an underlying theme of moderation, health…

…eating real, whole food. That’s what I honed in on over time. Eat Real Food. Simply prepared. Cook for your family.

Interesting. What would you say your focus is now and how has being a GF eater effected you and your blogging?

Stephanie:    Being a #glutenfree eater has changed my life and definitely Fresh Tart. The whole food focus hasn’t changed, but I post very few…

…recipes that contain gluten or any grains at all. Recipes focus on vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, little dairy. I’m NOT…

…a fan of packaged #glutenfree food anymore than I am about packaged food in general. I think it’s fair to say that you…

…wouldn’t know that I’m #glutenfree by reading Fresh Tart. It’s just about cooking real food.

Alright. So how and when did your relationship with @MNMOmag start? Do you post for any other Co.?

Stephanie:    I met @DearDara at a wine tasting without knowing who she was. Gave her my blog name. Almost fell over when I actually introduced…

…myself. BIG. FAN. GAH. Anyhow, she read my blog, told me about the #DaraCo idea, I said I’d love to contribute, we launched…

…spring of 2010, I believe. I love how all of our perspectives come together, I’m very proud to participate. I also contribute…

…@ShootTheKitch with @susanpowers. @andrewzimmern’s Kitchen Adventures @fandw. I intend many more recipes for @Stuffed_Pepper…

…which is specificially #glutenfree recipes, great blog. I have a few recipes coming out in cookbooks this year, food photos…

…in other publications, working on a cool book concept, working on a food blog conference idea. How insanely fun, right? Amazing.

Food-socialite! Besides being a food blogger, you’ve also grown as a photographer. When did that interest start?

Stephanie:    I’ve always loved taking pics, millions of pics, I just used to photograph my then-baby, Nathan. And my garden. And my party food…

…which my family thought was weird. I got interested in improving after I saw the horror of what I was first posting on my blog.

To me now, it’s all about the pics. As @susanpowers says, if people don’t want to eat the food in the photo, forget it. No one…

…come back to your blog. Not now. Not now that standards have changed, in the world of @foodgawker & @tastespotting.

How much would you say photographs add in value to a food blog?

Stephanie:    Photographs – GOOD photographs – are imperative. Instant bonding with a reader. Something to chat about. Drives a recipe…

…and its potential into someone’s brain, and stomach, in 1 second. Done.

It makes me sad for chefs/restos when people take bad phone pics & post them. All that hard work, made ugly. Don’t do that :(

So how has your #MNFoodBloggers group been doing, and what other food related projects do you have in the wings?

Stephanie:    The #MNFoodBloggers are on fire as a networking group. Who knew? Our FB page http://on.fb.me/qj8AqA has more than 320 members…

It’s an all-day conversation about food, recipes, photos, job opportunities, on and on. Follow @MNFoodBloggers + #MNFoodBloggers!

The coolest thing #MNFoodBloggers are doing is raising money for local food charities. We’ve only just begun, but more than $2000

…so far, with more ideas in the works. In fact, those are the other food-related projects I’m most excited about. Food + kids!

We have a website, rough, but in process www.mnfoodbloggers.com. So far @GourmetGlee is contributing blogger spotlights. My sis

…@staceymaude manages the rather lengthy blogroll. And @littlepod is publicizing local food events. MUCH to do, redesign, badge…

Recent or long-term FAVORITE: Restaurant, comfort food, cooking tool and seasoning or spice.

Stephanie:    Mmm dude, I am genetically programmed to not pick faves. Did you hear me on @weeklydish? I eat @128cafe @HeidisMpls @CTKitchentable

Also @VincentMpls (twice yesterday, yah), loved @Victory_44 last week. Heading @Solera_mn next week, can’t wait. Lots of cocktails..

…Marvel Bar, yum. Honestly, I don’t even eat out that much bc I cook so much. Comfort food…polenta, I think. W tons of butter.

Tool: Sharp knives. Die without them. Spice: Cardamom obsessed at the moment, it shifts. I’m fickle.

You’ve been on a few radio programs lately. Would you consider your own show or segment on radio or TV?

Stephanie:    Dude! Way to put me on the spot, evil. I…don’t know. Flying by the seat of my pants. I love doing all of it. I’ve had a few chats

…about radio, TV, who knows, could be a blast, could be nothing. Fun to see where it all goes. All signs point toward –> FOOD.

And shoes :) And fun. All signs point toward fun, yes!

Joel:    I’ve got to keep the Twitterview SPICY! (Food pun). Thanks Stephanie for your time and comments today. Great fun!

Stephanie:    Thanks so much @JoelECarlson! Blast!