Food Network
No one is a stranger for long at Bernie’s, the café, restaurant and marketplace that Molly Yeh just opened in East Grand Forks, MN. The Girl Meets Farm host named the spot after her first daughter, and she put her whole heart into every detail. “My dream was to celebrate the food of the Midwest, which I love so much, and create a place where everyone — farmers, construction workers, families, friends — would feel comfortable,” she says. On the menu: regional specialties like hotdish and cheese curds; foods that reflect the local German and Scandinavian heritage, such as knoephla soup (dumpling and potato soup) and a lefse dog; and baloney and cheese from local purveyors. “The last great bread bakery in town closed years ago,” says Molly, so she put 10-plus types of bread on the café menu. She also worked hard to preserve the details of the historic building, including the distinctive horseshoe bar — the first of its kind in America. “Opening a restaurant is a big deal. It took a village to get this up and running.” If all goes well, she jokes, next up will be Ira’s Bagels, named after Bernie’s baby sister. Try a recipe from the menu!
