I originally was critical (no pun intended) of the new Star Tribune food critic, Jon Cheng. Then he went on Niver’s podcast (above) and wrote a lot more (both formal reviews and other things like Q and A columns and first looks) and now I’m a fan. Since the Strib’s online search and staff bio pages are not the greatest, I decided to go find all of his reviews and put them in one spot. Here are all the ones I’ve found, sorted by rating and date published:
Three and a Half Stars *** ½
- Owamni, December 2, 2021 review
- Mara, September 22, 2022 review
- Oro by Nixta, July 20, 2023 review
- Bûcheron, March 29, 2024 review
Three Stars ***
- Myriel, November 18, 2021 review
- Khâluna, March 3, 2022 review
- Petite León, May 19, 2022 review
- Churchill Street, August 18, 2022 review
- Blondette, May 18, 2023 review
- Maison Margaux, August 17, 2023 review
- Crasqui, November 2, 2023 review
- Porzana, November 24, 2023 review
Two and a Half Stars ** ½
- Vann (closed October 2023), February 18, 2022 review
- Mr. Paul’s Supper Club, March 17, 2022 review
- All Saints, June 2, 2022 review
- Sooki & Mimi (now Kim’s), July 7, 2022 review
- The Kenwood, February 16, 2023 review
- Chelas, April 27, 2023 review
- Gai Noi, September 7, 2023 review
- Herbst, September 28, 2023 review
- Kim’s, February 15, 2024 review
- Dario, April 24, 2024 review
Two Stars**
- Cardamom, November 5, 2021 review (Jon’s first with Star Tribune)
- Creekside Supper Club, May 5, 2022 review
- Guacaya Bistreaux, October 20, 2022 review
One Star *
- Macanda, November 17, 2022 review
- Butcher & the Boar, June 22, 2023 review
Notes:
- His star scale has always been listed as 1 star = satisfactory, 2 stars = recommended, 3 stars = highly recommended and 4 stars = exceptional. Some reviews list the stars, then have words, others just the stars.
- No four star reviews (so far). His story about why Minnesota should have a Michelin Guide is a must read, though (as are all the full reviews now).
- Jealous that he’s been to Demi ten times over the past two years, while I have not yet gone once.
- Seems weird that Cheng is hardly ever a part of the weekly “5 Best Things” stories, no?
- Favorite shared trait: we both love large clown fries, hot and fresh with no ketchup. 🍟
