Curiouser Foods

Curiouser Foods Now serving coffee, soup, and sandwiches in addition to our flavorful array of Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars, and so much more!

Our award winning olive oils and vinegar come from all over the world. Our single source supplier sources the best available and also owns their own certified organic grove. In addition, we specialize in many local and regional products such as pickled veggies, soup mixes, jams, jellies, olive spreads, specialty pastas & more. Locally blended organic spice mixes and an array of sea salts from around the world. http://blog.annonagourmet.com/

10/12/2026

Berbere is a chile-forward Ethiopian blend, warm and a little exotic, built on fenugreek, cardamom, ginger, and a backbone of chile. Here it turns a simple sheet pan into something special. Roast squash and vegetables in our robust olive oil to give them a head start, then nestle in a berbere-rubbed pork tenderloin and finish it all in the oven. While the pork rests, build a quick pan sauce from the drippings: chicken stock, a splash of sherry vinegar, a pinch more berbere, and butter whisked in a little at a time until it thickens. One blend, one pan, dinner that tastes like you tried harder than you did. The blend is on the shelf and the recipe is on the blog. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

Meet Paul, one of the newest faces behind the counter at Curiouser. If you have stopped in lately you may have already m...
10/11/2026

Meet Paul, one of the newest faces behind the counter at Curiouser. If you have stopped in lately you may have already met him, he is the one happy to steer you toward the mushroom latte or talk you through anything on the shelf. We are a community shop first, and Paul fits right in. Come say hi next time you are in. We are in northeast Minneapolis. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/09/2026

First up in our staff picks: Paul's go-to, the mushroom latte blend. It is a warm, earthy mix of turkey tail, cordyceps, reishi, lion's mane, chaga, and ashwagandha root, made for anyone looking for an alternative to the usual morning cup of coffee. Lately we have been stirring in a little pumpkin spice for the season, which gives it a cozy, almost sweet edge Paul swears by. Sip one at the cafe, or take the blend home to make your own. Come get a cup in northeast Minneapolis. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/09/2026

Not all paprika is the same jar with a different label. Sweet does not mean sugar, it means mild: the seeds and ribs are removed so you get deep color and flavor without the heat. Leave those parts in and you have hot paprika. Smoked paprika is not a heat level, it is a place, the Spanish tradition of drying peppers slowly over oak before grinding. Hungarian paprika is air dried with no smoke, and it comes in about eight grades, from delicate to hot, which is where Hungarian cooking gets its depth. We carry both styles, Spanish and Hungarian, so you can pick the one that fits what is in the pot. Come find yours in northeast Minneapolis. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

What's your favorite taco?Birria: dried guajillo, ancho, and morita chiles, cumin, cinnamon, and clove, in a long red br...
10/07/2026

What's your favorite taco?

Birria: dried guajillo, ancho, and morita chiles, cumin, cinnamon, and clove, in a long red braise.

Carnitas: cumin, oregano, bay leaf, orange, and garlic, simmered low and slow.

Al pastor: guajillo and ancho, achiote, pineapple, and clove, with a little smoke.

Barbacoa: guajillo, ancho, cumin, clove, and bay leaf, wrapped until it falls apart.

Four tacos, four completely different spice stories. And if tonight is just homemade ground beef tacos, our House Chili Seasoning already has the chile, cumin, and depth built in. Tell us your favorite in the comments.

10/06/2026

The fall menu is here, and the Scarecrow Spritzer is the one to try first. It starts with our seasonal Cranberry Pear and Green Apple white vinegars, three quarters of an ounce each, topped with sparkling water. That is the whole drink. Bright, a little tart, and every single taster landed on the same word: candy apple. It reads like fall in a glass without tipping too sweet. Come try one at the cafe, or take the vinegars home and make it yourself.

Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/05/2026

The best chili does not have to mean an afternoon of toasting and grinding spices. Alma's version starts with pork butt instead of beef, seared in chunks for deep flavor, then onions softened down with a little anchovy mashed in. Do not let that scare you, it melts away completely and leaves nothing but savory depth, no fishiness. The seared pork and soaked beans go back in, and it simmers low for about two hours until the pork is tender. The shortcut to all of it is our Cocoa Coffee Chili blend, on the shelf now, so the spice work is done for you. The full recipe is on the blog, sign up and we will send it straight to you. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/02/2026

There are more varieties of chile than you could cook through in a lifetime, so we did the sorting for you and blended a few of our favorites into our Cocoa Coffee Chili blend, on the shelf now. One bag, four dinners. It is made for a classic chili, and this month's recipe slow simmers a pork butt right in it. From there, stir it into a chicken tortilla soup, work it into ground pork for homemade chorizo, or season ground beef for a fast weeknight taco. The recipes are on the blog, and you can sign up to get each one sent to you. Come pick up a bag in northeast Minneapolis. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/02/2026

October 1st is National Coffee Day, and around here that is a holiday worth marking. Paul and Chef Albert pulled shots of Curioso's Grunge espresso, the dark, bold roast from our roaster Curioso that anchors the bar. Rich, a little smoky, exactly what a cool fall morning calls for. Come pull up a seat and celebrate with us at the cafe. We are in St. Anthony, Minnesota. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

10/01/2026

About Curiouser Foods.

I grew up a few blocks from this shop, at 27th and Taylor Street NE, where I learned to love cooking in my grandpa's kitchen. Northeast is full of little family-owned gems built by the immigrants who made it home, and a lifetime of discovering places like those is what drew me to build a business in this neighborhood.

I studied cultural anthropology at UMass Boston, then cooked for years in New York, Boston, and New Orleans, including James Beard Award winning kitchens. Watching them turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary made me want to understand where flavor comes from, and how to bring those techniques home. I later opened a small café in Norfolk, then brought my daughter back to Minnesota to be near family.

In 2022 I bought this shop from Jean Rarick, who spent fifteen years running it as Annona Gourmet, the first bulk olive oil and vinegar shop in the state. I dropped the word gourmet on purpose. It makes good cooking sound exclusive, and I do not believe that. Good food belongs in everyday kitchens.

I renamed it Curiouser Foods after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, for the habit of questioning assumptions and letting curiosity lead. That is the spirit of the whole shop. Not dietary rules or trends, just slowing down, learning technique, and finding joy in making food from scratch. Food is never only food. It is tradition, technique, and the stories a kitchen carries.

Whatever stage of cooking you are at, beginners included, this is your place. Come in curious. Leave inspired.

Address

2900 Pentagon Drive
Minneapolis, MN
55418

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(612) 354-2927

Website

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