Speaking of Paris, our first dart lands more or less on… France.

 

1. French Taste or Le Gout Francois

     110 N 3rd St, Grand Forks, ND 58203

Don’t let the weird hours fool you. The French have always struck a good work/life balance. This downtown creperie used to only be open after 10 p.m. on a weekend, but now you can score a crepe for lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. My own memories of Paris include massive jars of Nutella, so I would recommend starting with a Nutella dessert crepe. If you have been patronizing any one of our fine downtown watering holes, I recommend a savory crepe to prevent the inevitable morning head pain. The French Taste is also open on Sunday mornings if you want to bring grandma.

 

Our next dart lands on… Africa.

 

2. Safari Restaurant

     1305 Stanford Rd, Grand Forks, ND 58203

We have plenty of African cuisine in the Forks. Safari specializes in East African and Somali dishes, including seasoned basmati rice, beef or chicken suqaar, and hilib arii goat meat. If you have children who you want to introduce to African cuisine, it’s easier than you think. As a father of three, five-and-under, they only act like “picky eaters” if I am going out of my way to persuade them to try something new. But they’ll eat anything I do, especially if I act like it’s totally normal. African cuisine is delicious, and if you’ve never tried it, you’ve been missing out. And don’t forget to bring the kids!

 

Alrighty, another dart lands on… Canada?

 

3. The Spud Jr.

     302 Demers Ave, East Grand Forks, MN 56721

This was bound to happen. Canada is an extremely large country (bigger than Australia) made absolutely massive by my Mercator projection map. We’re getting poutine at the Spud Jr and you’ll have to forgive that this is actually in East Grand Forks. (Honestly though… what could feel more authentically Canadian than driving for a bit and crossing a border to eat fried potatoes covered in gravy and cheese?) The Spud Jr. serves up all sorts of specialty poutines and if you want to know which kind we were all aboot (read in Canadian voice), click on the link. All I’m going to say is: cheese, gravy, beards.

 

Speaking of large countries… we just hit India.

 

4. House of Punjab

     3000 32nd Ave S, Grand Forks, ND 58201

The history of Indian cuisine is fascinating. The coastal regions to the south differ from the mountainous regions of the north in all kinds of ways. Peppers have different spice levels. Certain meats are more popular than others. And “curry” isn’t just a powder sold by McCormick, but refers to a whole class of spice blends. House of Punjab rewards numerous visits but make sure to order the tikka masala on your first trip. Branch out to lamb boti kabab or chicken tandoori on your second. Vegetarian? No problem. House of Punjab offers no fewer than nine vegetarian entrees for your enjoyment.

 

Our next dart heads towards the Bay of Bengal, then hooks a right to land on… Thailand.

 

5. Thai Hot III

     414 Demers Ave, Grand Forks, ND 58201

I was terrified when a friend told me Thai Hot had closed. As I was writing this article, I was pleased to find that they are open for business and that my precious Drunken Noodle dish was still available. Thai Hot is the perfect place to incorporate spice into your diet. They will prepare the dishes with different levels of “heat” based on your request. This means that in a Drunken Noodle, you can taste the sweetness of the basil with the saltiness of the sauce while the spice blends with and enhances those flavors. More spice doesn’t just mean more heat, it means that different parts of the other flavors are enhanced as well. The peanuts in pad Thai are amazing with the heat fully loaded. And if you’re ready to really have your mind blown: Green Curry. You’re welcome.

 

Another dart takes us to… Illinois?

 

6. “A” Town Food Truck

How legit is “A” Town Food Truck? My friend Gene, a Chicago native, told me about it when I wouldn’t shut up about Italian Beef. If you’ve never been to Chicago, the Italian beef is to the Windy City what the cheesesteak is to the City of Brotherly Love… except the Italian beef is better. The only way to find the truck is to look for the bright yellow paint and sniff the aroma of sausage and onions on the flat top. Even if I’ve already eaten, I’ll stop and get a beef or sausage if I see “A” Town set up downtown. You should too.

 

One more throw lands on… the Sea of Japan, close enough: Japan it is.

 

7. Sakura

     3250 32nd Ave S, Grand Forks, ND 58201

Of all the foods and restaurants on this list, I most regularly crave the phoenix roll from Sakura. (And, full disclosure, the game-winning play is to get a double deluxe burger from Culvers, pick up the phoenix roll from Sakura, and eat both side-by-side with your favorite bottle of red wine from Happy Harry’s, but I digress.) Sakura offers more traditional sushi and sashimi options. Pro-tip: use chopsticks and go easy on the soy sauce and wasabi. The fish tastes lovely by itself. And of course, there are several sushi rolls with less-traditional ingredients to suit American palates like mine. For an appetizer, try the shrimp shumai. For the soup, go with onion.