Joy Summers
Food and Drink Reporter
Food and Drink ReporterJoy Summers is a St. Paul-based food reporter who has been covering Twin Cities restaurants since 2010. She joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2021.
Latest from Joy Summers
Minneapolis restaurants step up to help amid ICE presence
Faced with staffing shortages and safety concerns, restaurants hold food drives, fundraisers and serve up hot cocoa to create community.
January 13, 2026
Petite Leon is now Company Bar, and it opens this week
Plus: Farina Rossa returns as a full-time restaurant, new Burger Dive opens at Rosedale, Love Pizza shifts to freezer cases and more food news.
January 13, 2026
3 places to get iconic Minnesota chicken wild rice soup
Our unofficial state soup brims with pride and rich comfort.
January 12, 2026
When the news is too much, find solace in these 10 local spaces
Music, art, nature, beauty all showcase why we live in the Twin Cities.
January 11, 2026
The 5 best things our food writers ate around the Twin Cities this week
Comforting soup, saucy fried chicken sandwiches, paint-your-own cookies, a twist on a sashimi wrap and small-town barbecue are among our favorite bites.
January 9, 2026
Tom Holland’s first Minnesota visit includes a Target stop to hype his NA beer brand
Dry January marks the Spider-Man actor’s sobriety anniversary and a chance to highlight the retailer’s expanding wellness offerings, which include his Bero beer.
January 8, 2026
When one taco stand closes, another opens at Graze Food Hall
Berto’s by Travail will replace Nixta’s taco outpost Tixtli. Plus new pizza at Bauhaus, new lineup for El Sazon’s gas station dinners and more restaurant news.
January 6, 2026
Restaurant openings and closings in the Twin Cities
What's open, what's closed and what's still to come in the Twin Cities and beyond.
January 5, 2026
New year, new restaurants: Here are 16 openings we’re excited about
Indigenous barbecue, Hawaiian and French eateries and more are in the works, offering a glimpse of what’s in store for Twin Cities dining.
January 2, 2026
8 new restaurants that should be on your radar right now
Casual bites ranging from burgers to burritos, plant-based eateries, steaks, seafood and more.
December 29, 2025
It’s hockey tourney time: Best bets for eating near Grand Casino and Mariucci arenas
Here are 24 options for grabbing a bite when Minnesota hosts the World Junior Championships in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
December 26, 2025
The 5 best things our food writers ate in 2025
Popovers from the North Woods, a last meal at Lurcat, vegan ribs, chile cheese fries and seasonal salads make up this year’s favorite dishes.
December 26, 2025
