Minneapolis, MN
Steeped in Indigenous foodways, community and corn are key ingredients for one Minneapolis chef
At the Indigenous Food Lab in the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, a group of chefs is busy finishing a batch of fresh tortillas.
“You can smell the nixtamal,” said chef Gustavo Romero of the warm, smoky corn scent.
Together with wife Kate, Gustavo Romero owns a tortilleria in northeast Minneapolis where he and his staff make heirloom tortillas using a process called nixtamalization.
To say chef Romero and the chefs at the food lab employ an Indigenous methodology is an understatement.
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“Sin maíz, no hay país. Without corn, there is no country,” said Romero, repeating a phrase often invoked when talking about the importance of corn to Mexican culture.
For Romero the goal of the work is to revitalize nixtamalization as a cultural practice. In that respect, community itself emerges as the key ingredient for transforming the way people think about corn.
Different varieties of corn are packaged and sold for customers at the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
Sophia Marschall | MPR News
As he passes by the large open kitchen, Romero greets fellow chefs, many of whom are friends.
“That’s the part that I love about living in this place. Like, we pretty much do the same thing. We don’t see each other like competition,” said Romero.
At the Indigenous Food Lab, Romero explains that he doesn’t see what he’s doing as niche, just the opposite.
“We want people to eat good tortillas,” said Romero. “We are changing the standard on what we believe a standard of what a tortilla should be like.”
When the Romeros opened their tortilleria a couple of years back they named it Nixta.
Customers can buy different Indigenous foods such as maple syrup, corn, hot sauce and more at the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Sophia Marschall | MPR News
The name comes, in part, from the Nahuatl word “nixtli,” meaning “ashes.” Nixtamal is added to remove the hulls of corn kernels—thus making the corn digestible and more nutritious. The process is a time-honored method almost lost during “the industrialization of corn” over the past several decades, according to Romero.
The shop got its start during the pandemic when Gustavo began making tortillas and meals at home for delivery to friends. This past year, the Romeros opened Oro by Nixta, an extension of the tortilleria. Oro was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Restaurant in 2024.
Romero says it’s a sense of community he relies on to remain in business. It’s a sense of community that the chef brings when he’s visiting grocers, food trucks, restaurants and local farms.
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Romero makes weekly visits to La Única Market, a store just north of Lake Street near 3rd Street.
Inside the store’s produce cooler, Romero points out ripe chilacayote squash, and fresh prickly pear—the food that grows on cactus pads.
“My favorite is this one… it’s called Xoconostle, it kind of has this sourness. It’s hard to find something very similar to it,” said Romero. The small fruits are small, and come in yellow, green and even pink.
The store also sells a large selection of dried chiles, medicinal herbs and other cooking spices.
“You have friendly people, you have music… you have things I would recognize since I was three years old,” said Romero. “Nowadays, I bring my kid here. He knows exactly where the candy is.”
As he leaves the grocer, Romero mentions another regular stop for him along Lake Street. Parked near the intersection on 16th Street, Romero says La Poblanita food truck is a guilty pleasure.
“They make this sandwich that is too big for one person,” said Romero.
Romero also reflects on a snack food he grew up eating in Mexico as kid – crickets.
Crickets seasoned with lime and salt is a food commonly consumed in Mexican culture, and are served at Oro by Nixta on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Minneapolis. Chef Gustavo Romero fondly recalls eating them during his childhood in Mexico, saying they were one of his favorite snacks to eat after school.
Sophia Marschall | MPR News
And now, crickets are on the menu at Oro. In one respect, serving insects has helped build community. Chef Romero says for those unfamiliar with eating crickets trying them can be a little daunting. He says when a daring eater tastes them, they usually cease being exotic and can become a sort of cultural bridge—a crunchy one.
Romero collaborates with The Three Cricketeers, a local urban farm which packages crickets for snacks.
“We have that connection that we like insects, and we look at them a little different than just bugs,” said Romero.
Romero says he began working with the husband-and-wife team who own the farm to develop flavor profiles.
“I think you can understand people better if you understand what they eat and why they eat it,” said Romero. “At one point all this was necessity.”
And the sense of community begins with understanding the Indigenous foods available locally.
“The idea of using Indigenous product is to show people what they have. The utilization of the things we already have in this place, they are so important, and the carbon [foot]print is less, and it’s naturally better for you.”
WASHINGTON, DC (FOX 9) – The Republic of Somaliland is calling for Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to be extradited after Vice President JD Vance accused her of committing immigration fraud.
Vance accuses Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud
The backstory:
Vance appeared on conservative Benny Johnson’s podcast over the weekend, where he accused the Minnesota lawmaker of fraud.
“Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. She has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters at the center of the Somali community,” Vance told Johnson.
Omar has been at odds with the Trump Administration and the White House multiple times over accusations that she married her brother to obtain U.S. citizenship. FOX 9 looked into those allegations, and found no evidence that can corroborate that.
Omar calls allegations ‘a ridiculous lie’
The other side:
Omar responded to Vance’s allegations on Sunday, via FOX News.
“This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” the statement said. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”
Omar sprayed at town hall
Local perspective:
In late January, Omar held a town hall where after calling for then DHS Sec. Kristi Noem to resign over Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, an attendee stood up and sprayed Omar with a liquid.
The man, later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, was charged with threats of violence and assault for the attack. The Hennepin County complaint alleges that Kazmierczak told Omar that “you should f–king die” during the attack.
Trump on Omar: ‘Throw her the hell out’
Why you should care:
President Trump made an appearance in Pennsylvania last December, where he highlighted Minnesota’s ongoing issues with fraud.
President Trump blasts Ilhan Omar, Gov. Walz at Pennsylvania rally
President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Minnesota lawmaker llhan Omar and Gov. Tim Walz over the fraud taking place in the state as federal agents are in the Twin Cities area targeting the Somali population. Trump made the remarks while speaking about the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania.
Trump said in the appearance she married her brother, and “she should get the hell out.”
“You know, that’s called the Great Big Minnesota scam with one of the dumbest governors ever in history. I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, a little turban. I love her, she comes in, does nothing but bitch. She’s always complaining. She comes from a country where, I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?” Trump said. “They have nothing. She comes to our country and she’s always complaining about the constitution allows me to do this. We ought to get her the hell out, she married her brother in order to get in. Can you imagine if Donald Trump married his sister, if I married my sister to get my citizenship? Do you think I would last about two hours, or would it be less? She married her brother to get in, therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out, throw her the hell out.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A sunny and warm Sunday is in store for the Twin Cities, with even higher temperatures expected on Monday before a chance of rain and cooler air returns later in the week.
Sunday forecast
Local perspective:
Sunday is starting with some cloud cover before sunshine moves in with highs near 70 degrees around the metro and southern parts of the state.
Winds will be much lighter than Saturday, coming from the south at 5 to 10 mph with only occasional gusts up to 15 mph.
The Brainerd Lakes area will see temperatures in the 60s, while the North Shore will be cooler, which is typical for this time of year.
Sunday’s weather is expected to be dry and pleasant.
Overnight, temperatures will drop to the upper 30s and lower 40s, with some clouds moving in ahead of Monday.
Extended forecast
What’s next:
Monday could be the warmest day of the week, with highs in the lower 70s for the Twin Cities and some spots in southern Minnesota possibly reaching close to 80 degrees.
Winds will shift from southerly to southeasterly and then easterly as the day goes on, but should remain light.
After the warm start to the week, a cold front will move through on Tuesday, bringing a chance for a few rain showers in the early morning.
Temperatures will likely drop to the upper 40s by Wednesday and Thursday, with another front possibly bringing showers late Friday into early Saturday.
The rest of the extended forecast calls for temperatures close to or just below average, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Firefighters are investigating the Minneapolis’s second fire fatality of the year after a man died in a house fire Saturday afternoon.
Fatal fire on 28th Avenue South
What we know:
According to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), fire crews arrived shortly after 1:00 p.m. and found smoke coming from the second floor of a single-family home on 28th Avenue South. Bystanders alerted firefighters that someone might be trapped inside.
Crews had to work through heavy debris to reach the upstairs area. It took about 40 minutes to fully put out the fire.
During the primary search, firefighters found a man in his 60s dead on the second floor. No one else was found after searching all the floors.
Minneapolis Animal Care and Control took in a dog found outside the home.
Assistant Chief Wes Van Vickle said, “The department is grateful to the neighbors who alerted fire crews that someone may still have been inside, allowing them to act quickly.”
Fire safety reminders and community response
What they’re saying:
“This afternoon’s tragic loss of life weighs heavily on all of us, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Van Vickle.
He also encourages the public to regularly check and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers at home.
There were no other injuries reported. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is working to confirm the man’s identity.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the man’s name has not been released.
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