The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services will award $193 million to the Minnesota Department of Health to be used on bolstering rural health care, the state agency announced Tuesday.

It’s the state’s first year of funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year funding program that President Donald Trump signed into law in July.

MDH applied for the funding in November, asking for $1 billion over five years.

“With rural Minnesota facing unprecedented access and funding challenges, this award comes at a crucial time,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “It is an important investment in our rural communities, and we are excited to begin working with our partners to advance access to high-quality care, improve outcomes and ensure sustainable services in Greater Minnesota for years to come.”

The funding “will support strategic investments” in technology-enabled care delivery, growing the rural health care workforce and improving outcomes for those who have or are at risk of diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, MDH said in a news release.

“Minnesota’s approved plan,” MDH said, “was built on extensive collaboration with rural community stakeholders, hospitals and health systems, safety net clinics, Tribes and local public health agencies.”

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It’s hard to believe that 2025 is over.

Before we move on, we thought we’d take one more look back at the year that was. Here, in no particular order, are our favorite bites and sips from last year.

RELATED: 2025 restaurant openings and closings (and coming soon)

Our 10 favorite dishes

Sticky Jicama Ribs from Khue’s Kitchen

Sticky jicama ribs at Khue’s Kitchen on St. Paul’s Raymond Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

If you haven’t been to this Vietnamese-American gem on Raymond Avenue, I can’t recommend it highly enough. While everything on the menu is awesome, it’s these sticky jicama ribs that I can’t get out of my brain.

They are not ribs at all, but a combo of jicama and tofu that is so texturally perfect and punch-you-in-the-mouth flavorful that I’d eat them over a plate of real ribs any day.

Chef Eric Pham, whose family owns Minneapolis Vietnamese restaurant Quang, took his own path to owning a restaurant, cutting his teeth in the Spoon and Stable kitchen. Pham has created something special here, with the quality, beauty and cravability of his food transcending the less-than-perfect atmosphere of Mid City Kitchen, a commissary kitchen that operates in the space during the day.

Khue’s Kitchen: 693 Raymond Ave., St. Paul; 612-600-9139; khueskitchen.com

— J.F.

Dark Horse cheeseburger

The Dark Horse Burger at Dark Horse Bar & Eatery in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I passed the baton for our annual burger story to Jared this year — a 50-something woman simply cannot eat that many burgers — but that doesn’t mean I don’t love a good one.

And this one was good enough that I ate it twice this year. Chef Shane Oporto, who has brought one of our favorite bars back from the dead with a brand-new and better-than-ever menu, is grinding brisket, sirloin and chuck fresh every day for this stunner. It’s a smash burger so it has those crispy edges, but it’s still incredibly juicy. And the cheese! It’s a slow-melted combo of Taleggio and two-year Vermont cheddar that envelops the patty in the very best way. There are caramelized onions for a little sweetness and tasty burger sauce, all on a pillowy brioche bun.

It’s a don’t-miss dish, for sure.

Dark Horse Bar & Eatery: 250 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-313-7960; darkhorsestp.com

— J.F.

Tortelloni bolognese at DeGidio’s

Tortelloni bolognese at DeGidio’s on St. Paul’s West Seventh Street. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

For many years, I tended to stick to anything with red sauce at this fantastic, old-school Italian-American restaurant.

That all changed this year when I ordered the tortelloni bolognese on a whim.

What a smart whim that was! The tortelloni are house-made, with the tender pasta giving way to a creamy, cheesy inside, and the bolognese is silky, meaty, tomatoey perfection.

Now I’m on a mission to try more of the menu.

DeGidio’s: 425 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-360-1905; degidios.com

— J.F.

Wild rice porridge at Demi

Wild rice porridge is served at Demi, a tasting-counter restaurant from chef Gavin Kaysen in Minneapolis, on March 26, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

For my birthday dinner this year, we shelled out for a meal at Demi, chef Gavin Kaysen’s tasting-counter spot in downtown Minneapolis. Several of the nine courses had a Japanese twist, which was fun, but the springtime menu was at its most interesting when the restaurant’s talented chefs played with up-north ingredients like venison, black walnut and wild rice.

Along these lines, the highlight of the evening was a wild rice porridge with crispy duck confit and charred broccolini all atop an airy, nutty, oniony parmesan soubisse sauce. The dish may not have been the evening’s sexiest-looking offering, but it was certainly the most texturally marvellous. Every bite was a discovery. (But watch out where you park: A trip to retrieve a towed car was unexpectedly also on the evening’s menu.)

Demi: 212 N. Second St., Minneapolis; demimpls.com

— J.K.

Gyro at Skyway Grill

If you don’t work downtown nor regularly wander the skyways, Skyway Grill might not be on your radar — and that’s too bad. Scott Johnson makes an Italian beef sandwich that’s a meat-lover’s dream and nearly a dozen burgers named for St. Paul spots, but my go-to is the gyro. The meat is ground and griddle-fried, rather than shaved from a rotisserie, so it stays juicy as all get-out. Most of the toppings are classic (tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, onion) and the “feisty feta” spread is a kicky topper to a great lunch.

Skyway Grill: 401 Robert St. N. No. 223; 651-243-4578; skywaygrillanddeli.com

— J.K.

Fawaffle at Baba’s

The Fawaffle at Baba’s, a new food at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

As an avowed scholar of Minnesota State Fair food, I notice some clear formulas that vendors use to concoct their new foods at each year’s Get-Together. One classic route is to smash two seemingly unrelated items together; sometimes it works (the much-missed Tot Dog) and sometimes it doesn’t (the Uncrustaburger). A similar emerging strategy involves putting a cultural twist on a recognizable favorite, as Yia Vang does so well at Union Hmong Kitchen.

At the 2025 Fair, we got a masterclass on nailing both these strategies from Baba’s, the hummus shop in Minneapolis that slings Palestinian food from an Airstream on the Fairgrounds. Sweeter than classic Middle Eastern falafel and more herbaceously hearty than a waffle, the Fawaffle made for an unexpectedly perfect breakfast or lunch or snack or dessert. Although the Fawaffle is a State Fair exclusive, the rest of Baba’s year-round menu makes the Minneapolis cafe a worthwhile drive.

Baba’s: year-round at 2220 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-254-8884; lovebabas.com

— J.K.

Ahi tuna from Meritage

Ahi tuna ribbons at Meritage in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

My husband and I had a perfect pre-concert meal on the lovely terrace at this French restaurant downtown this summer.

While everything we ate (as usual) was fantastic, I can’t stop thinking about this beautiful dish, which consisted of ribbons of fantastic ahi tuna, bathed in a spicy Thai vinaigrette and topped with a beautiful, tasty peanut tuille. It took raw fish to a whole new level, and it’s the kind of thing I’ve come to expect from chef Russell Klein and his best-in-class staff. We are so lucky to have Meritage.

Meritage: 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

— J.F.

Lao smash burger at Soul Lao

The Lao Smash Burger, served by Soul Lao on Oct. 16, 2025, is inspired by a spicy Lao sausage that contains lemongrass, galangal and fish sauce. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

While researching this year’s burger guide, I ate an ungodly amount of ground beef between buns. This is not a complaint, of course — meatiness is next to godliness, as they say — but the most transcendent was the Lao Smash Burger at Highland Park strip mall spot Soul Lao. The all-beef patties are inspired by sai oua, a classic spicy Lao sausage containing lemongrass, ginger-like galangal and fish sauce, and the whole thing is topped with caramelized onions and sticky American cheese that cuts through the spice a bit. The result is a super-umami bite that pushes the boundary of what a burger can be.

Soul Lao: 2465 W. Seventh St.; 651-363-3469; soullao.com

— J.K.

Johnny Cake at Altera

Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. This cornbread/pancake is browned and crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. It’s good with regular maple syrup, but if you enjoy spice, the jalapeno maple syrup is definitely the move. It adds heat, but also subtle vegetal goodness.

I went to the restaurant twice this spring, and both times, my dining companions and I devoured the entire plate, swooning the entire time.

Altera: 721 S. Cleveland Ave., St. Paul; 651-788-7009; alterarestaurant.com

— J.F.

Fish fry from St. Paul Brewing

The perch and sunfish fish fry at Saint Paul Brewing. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

If you’ve been around these parts for a while, you know how much I love a perch fish fry. And you also know how hard it is to find in Minnesota — land of 10,000 lakes! I have never understood it.

Anyway, St. Paul Brewing added a perch and sunfish fish fry this year, and I could not be more pleased. It’s breaded, not battered, which means the fish are super crisp, unlike the beer-battered fish that is so popular at restaurants here. Just writing this makes me look forward to Lent.

St. Paul Brewing: 688 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul; 651-698-1945; stpaulbrewing.com

— J.F.

Five favorite drinks

Wondrous Punch at Dark Horse Bar & Eatery

Wondrous Punch at Dark Horse Bar & Eatery in St. Paul’s Lowertown. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Friends and I sampled our way through a bunch of drinks on the menu at this Lowertown gem, and they are all seriously delicious.

But the one that really lands the cocktail program at Dark Horse among our favorites is this reimagination of the noxious drink from Red Dragon in Minneapolis. Chef Shane Oporto told us that he’s pretty sure the restaurant used a commercial tropical punch as the base for the drink, but Dark Horse makes the drink upscale and delicious while still bringing back all the memories.

The drink contains several rums, tropical juices and banana oleo, a kind of sweetener made by macerating banana peels in sugar. It’s served in a recycled soy sauce bottle — you pour it yourself over a giant ice cube. And surprise! The drink also comes with a mini-order of delicate cream-cheese wontons.

Dark Horse Bar & Eatery: 250 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-313-7960; darkhorsestp.com

Pink Pony Club at Emerald Lounge

The Pink Pony Club at Emerald Lounge in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

My Gen X friends and I very much enjoy the Gen Z stylings of Chappell Roan, and particularly this sweet sing-along-friendly song, so when I saw that Emerald Lounge had a drink named for it, we had to go try it.

And though creamy, sweet drinks are usually not my jam, this pretty, pale pink concoction is a happy exception. It’s fruity, smooth and not too sweet at all. The base liquor is trakal, a Patagonian spirit made from crab apples and pears. It’s married with framboise raspberry beer, dry vermouth, lemon and a touch of cream. My friend said it reminded her of sherbet, and that is totally the vibe, but with a little herbaceous backbone.

Emerald Lounge: 455 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-410-1650; emeraldstpaul.com

Le Gimlet at The Commodore

There was a time in my 20s when I was obsessed with gimlets — made with Rose’s Lime Juice. Listen, it was a different time.

Anyway, the classic gimlet at this newly reopened Art Deco bar on Cathedral Hill employs Dampfwerk London Dry Gin, freshly squeezed lime juice and a dash of absinthe to make a simple, perfect drink. It goes great with the beautiful atmosphere at The Commodore, too. We’re so happy the space is open again.

The Commodore: 79 N. Western Ave., St. Paul; 651-842-9098; thecommodorebar.com

Black Duck Old Fashioned at Black Duck Spirits and Hearth

The Black Duck Old Fashioned cocktail is served at Black Duck Spirits and Hearth in Minneapolis on Oct. 8, 2025. The drink contains duck fat-infused rye whiskey and Mexican Nixta corn liqueur. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Old-fashioned might not be the best name for the Black Duck Old Fashioned, a standout beverage at Black Duck Spirits and Hearth in Minneapolis. Sure, it’s modeled after that classic cocktail, but this version is completely newfangled in the best way.

Foremost, infusing the rye whiskey with duck fat gives the whole thing a silky, roasty-earthy richness that’s accentuated by the complex Mexican Nixta liqueur. The sweet/smoky edge from burnt agave syrup is slight but welcome. It’s as if a Corn Nut dreamed of becoming a cocktail, which is right up my alley.

Black Duck Spirits and Hearth: 2900 Johnson St. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-331-1421; blackduckmpls.com

— J.K.

Devil’s Egg at CrowBar

CrowBar, the new lounge at the Voliere Spirits distillery in the Hamm’s Brewing complex on the East Side, is quickly becoming one of my favorite cocktail spots. Although both businesses just opened after Thanksgiving, vintage touches give the bar a lived-in, nostalgic vibe, and, like other old-school Midwestern dives, there’s a deviled egg on the menu — sort of.

The Devil’s Egg, a tropical coconut and passion fruit Jell-O shot, is served at CrowBar on the East Side on Dec. 19, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

The Devil’s Egg, despite its deceptive look, is not a real deviled egg. It’s a Jell-O shot, and one of the most creative bar snacks I’ve tasted all year. The “egg white” is basically a firm coconut and white rum panna cotta, the “yolk” is a passion fruit creme and the “herbs” on top are made from sun-dried black Persian lime. The lime seasoning gives it a tart and almost vegetal depth, but at its core, it’s an adult dessert, sweet and tropical and unmistakably spiked.

CrowBar: 704 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul; 651-571-9276; crowbarstp.com

— J.K.

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Potter’s Pasties opens inside Beer Dabbler Depot liquor store on St. Paul’s West Seventh

It’s been a disappointing 16 months for community organizers and transit advocates along West Seventh Street, where a potential streetcar was taken off the table in September 2024, a new trash truck maintenance facility opened around April 1 over neighborhood objections, long-sought road improvements failed to gain funding in October, and the Keg and Case market at the Schmidt Brewery gradually lost all major tenants amidst bankruptcy proceedings.

Could 2026 bring some badly-needed planning energy back to the corridor?

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation suggested as much in a letter to key elected officials earlier this week, followed by a written release on Tuesday announcing they have “some exciting news to share … in partnership with Ramsey County, the city of St. Paul and Metro Transit” who have all “reached an agreement on a shared commitment to advance needed repairs and improvements on Hwy 5/West Seventh Street.”

Details remain sparse. A project website describes, in general terms, the aim of making a “generational investment” toward those goals.

With the new four-way agreement in place, according to MnDOT’s written release, the partnership will “now work collaboratively to identify and pursue additional funding” to invest in a “longer-term repair” of West Seventh between Wabasha Street in downtown St. Paul and Munster Avenue, which is located by the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling.

The end game, according to MnDOT, is to boost safety, traffic, sidewalks, accessibility, transit and stormwater drainage on all sections of West Seventh within those limits. The improvements likely would make West Seventh ripe for a future bus rapid transit corridor from downtown St. Paul to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to MnDOT.

“This broader commitment to investment in West Seventh Street will allow Metro Transit to recommend this corridor for arterial Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) to the Metropolitan Council in January 2026,” reads the letter from a MnDOT district engineer to key lawmakers.

Both the letter and the public announcement are otherwise short on specifics, but they promise future updates.

Potential West Seventh bus corridor scores in top three

Meanwhile, Metro Transit has released its public scorecard evaluating 11 potential bus rapid transit corridors, and so far, a West Seventh route lands in the top three based on quantifiable metrics such as potential ridership, costs, “equity” and land use. A spokesperson for Metro Transit noted this month that the scoring isn’t the final word on what routes will be funded, as other considerations will be taken into account by transit planners and the Met Council, the metro’s regional planning agency, which will begin reviewing the three recommendations on Jan. 21.

The 17-member Met Council may choose to adopt or reject the three bus rapid transit recommendations in February or March, and one of several variables that the Met Council is likely to take into account is the timing of future roadwork. The lines would roll out between 2030-2035, according to Metro Transit’s website.

With their latest written releases, MnDOT has not publicly committed to — or rejected — a full reconstruction of West Seventh, and Metro Transit has not officially declared that the business corridor will soon host a bus rapid transit service akin to the A Line or the B Line, which traverse St. Paul with pay-before-boarding fare options at heated bus shelters, among other amenities. A spokesperson for Ramsey County on Tuesday referred all questions back to the state.

Still, MnDOT’s project website notes that if funding comes together, construction of the still unspecified improvements along West Seventh Street could begin in 2029. The site invites members of the public to sign up for project email updates.

A MnDOT spokesperson was not available for comment earlier this week, but the letter dated Dec. 29 from Khani Sahebjam, a MnDOT metro district engineer, to Ramsey County Board Chair Rafael Ortega, St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker, House and Senate lawmakers representing the corridor and other elected officials spells out some of the general parameters behind the new collaboration.

“The extent of project improvements will continue to evolve; however, all agencies will have a stake in the near-term and long-term vision for the corridor,” reads the letter. “The city of St. Paul will update and improve underground city utilities in targeted areas, and Ramsey County will contribute to multimodal improvements on West Seventh Street. Infrastructure ownership is a part of this partnership conversation.”

The partners will collaborate, according to MnDOT, to identify potential funding sources, such as state and federal grants, bonding, state general fund appropriations “and other opportunities.”

“With this clear path forward, we will continue working together to refine the project scope and costs,” the letter reads. “All partners will have financial contributions to the various project elements; however, there is an expected gap in funding that partners will work to close.”

Road work on hold

Noecker and other advocates for West Seventh Street have long chafed at how basic road improvements — including the replacement of ash trees removed during the city’s Emerald Ash Borer crisis — have been put on hold for years while waiting to be scheduled around the $2 billion Riverview Corridor streetcar project and its associated road reconstruction, which never came together.

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Metro Transit, for instance, had once envisioned rolling out a bus rapid transit corridor along West Seventh by 2016. That, too, was put on hold in favor of Riverview Corridor planning.

Facing opposition over mode and alignment, Ramsey County announced in September 2024 that after more than a decade of serious effort, it would no longer coordinate planning for the proposed streetcar from downtown St. Paul to MSP. In June, the Ramsey County Board voted to redirect $730 million in future county funding from the project to other roadwork, most of it not associated with the corridor.

Today is Thursday, Jan. 1, the first day of 2026. There are 364 days left in the year. This is New Year’s Day.

Today in history:

On Jan. 1, 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York formally opened, processing nearly 700 immigrants on its first day; nearly 12 million immigrants would ultimately pass through the station before its closure in 1954.

Also on this date:

In 1804, Haiti declared itself independent from France, becoming the world’s first Black-majority republic.

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In 1808, the federal law prohibiting the importation of enslaved people to the United States took effect.

In 1818, Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” was first published in London, when Shelley was 20 years old.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, declaring that all enslaved people in rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

In 1959, Fulgencio Batista resigned as Cuban president and fled the country, marking victory for Fidel Castro’s rebel troops and the Cuban Revolution.

In 2000, an anxious world held its breath as computers silently switched to the year 2000, but the dreaded “Y2K bug” caused few serious issues.

In 2013, thousands were trampled leaving a New Year’s fireworks display at a stadium in Ivory Coast, leaving at least 64 people dead amid the chaos.

In 2024, an earthquake rocked the west coast of Japan, collapsing homes, killing at least 260 people and forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 others.

In 2025, a man driving a pickup truck that bore the flag of the Islamic State group slammed into revelers during New Orleans’ raucous New Year’s celebration, killing 15 people. The man was shot dead by police and the attack was subsequently investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism.

Today’s Birthdays:

Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman is 96.
Actor Frank Langella is 88.
Musician Country Joe McDonald is 84.
Actor-comedian Don Novello is 83.
DJ Grandmaster Flash is 68.
Actor Dedee Pfeiffer is 62.
Actor Morris Chestnut is 57.
Olympic gold medalist ice dancer Meryl Davis is 39.
Rapper Ice Spice is 26.