Lakes area becoming
culinary kaleidoscope BY JEREMY MILLSOP
32oz Tomahawk Ribeye at Grand View Lodge’s Char Craft Steaks
MAKE RISOTTO AT HOME! Head chef Casey Bryant has been delivering memorable, mouthwatering dishes in northern Crow Wing County for a decade. He started at Breezy Point Resort before a stint at Mission Tavern and now he’s positioned himself, whether intentional or not, as the voice of lakes area cuisine at Manhattan Beach. Chef Casey is not afraid to share his dining secrets whether it’s through wine pairing parties or this crazy easy risotto recipe.
28 | 2023 LAKES AREA DINING GUIDE
Hope you’re enjoying the 2023 Brainerd Dispatch Dining Guide. What started as a collection of restaurant menus printed in the Echo Journal, then transitioned to advertisements with pretty pictures of food in a standalone newsprint section has evolved into a highly regarded and awardwinning magazine. The Dispatch Dining Guide was voted the best magazine of 2022 by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. The staff felt there was more we could do to bring the fantastic dining options the lakes area has to offer into your homes, to elevate these options in your mind when trying to decide where to enjoy that romantic night, where to find the best prime rib or where to find a place that has that one unique dish you’ve always wanted to try but didn’t know where to find it. This year we decided to incorporate videos along with our featured dishes. As a first-year idea and program, we chose to keep the execution of these videos casual and up to the dining establishments. You’ll find some of the videos include chefs describing their dishes, members of the marketing teams talking about exciting things happening at their establishments and even owners showing their passion for what they do. Other videos will just have me talking to myself and trying the food. There will be a lot of chewing and talking with my mouth full so I apologize now. We hope the videos give our readers a sense of ambiance each restaurant provides. Find these videos by using the QR code next to each featured dish or by visiting the Brainerd Dispatch YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLnO5YJw6IJxUQyhlGdtCBM2RRJtAHJav2. There were two chefs who took the video to heights we didn’t even imagine. Chef Casey at Manhattan Beach decided to give us a tutorial on how to make a quick risotto. It’s a technique he uses in his kitchen and for those who enjoy a good risotto, it should be a fun way to learn how to make it at home.