Customers crave local here in the Upper Midwest.

The first time I came to Minnesota was to be a helper at Bob Briscoe’s site on the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. Every year during Mother’s Day Weekend, over 60 potters at 7 sites showcase and sell their pots. You can buy small pieces for $20 or splurge on masterpieces for over $1000. 

That year I ended up working in the kitchen and I was hooked to the generous spirit of the community of potters I found myself randomly becoming a part of. Over the years, I’ve learned loads about vegetarian cooking from working in the kitchen and amassed quite a few beautiful thrown and hand-built pieces of pottery. I am enamored with using mugs, plates, bowls, and platters built by my friends.

Functional art, such as pottery, brings a liveliness to the dining experience.

It also completes another part of the circle that a holistic local food movement should encompass. If you’re eager to enjoy pottery right now, visit the Northern Clay Center or the Mia in Minneapolis.