Debra Keefer Ramage

Debra Keefer Ramage began writing freelance for Southside Pride in 2012, shortly after returning from a 13-year sojourn in England. She covers progressive politics, education, co-ops and neighborhoods. In 2017 she started doing Southside Pride’s restaurant review column, The Dish.


There’s power in a teachers union

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Way too many people don’t take teachers seriously. Teachers have massive educational requirements, several hundred years of history as one of the major recognized professions, and they provide a service so valuable to the health of society and the needs of the economy that even in…

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THE DISH: Swedish lunch

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Fika Cafe American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. 612-871-4907 fikacafe.net Fika (the name means coffee break in Sweden) is the hypermodern, innovative and esthetic cafe, bakery and cocktail bar of the American Swedish Institute, which has won accolades under all three of its chefs since its…

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A brief history of the heart

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. This day can be a boon to restaurants offering date night specials, confectioners and bakers due to the association with sweet things, florists, obviously, and greeting card makers and sellers. The last category will find new ways to depict…

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A brief history of the heart

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. This day can be a boon to restaurants offering date night specials, confectioners and bakers due to the association with sweet things, florists, obviously, and greeting card makers and sellers. The last category will find new ways to depict…

Continue reading

A brief history of the heart

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. This day can be a boon to restaurants offering date night specials, confectioners and bakers due to the association with sweet things, florists, obviously, and greeting card makers and sellers. The last category will find new ways to depict…

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THE DISH: Eating for England

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The George and Dragon 813 W. 50th St., Mpls. 55419 612-208-1047 http://www.ganddpub.com/ This isn’t really eating for England. This is eating in a vain attempt to assuage my mounting “homesickness” for British food, which is the presenting symptom of my general homesickness for England. Now don’t…

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A visit from some solstice ghosts

The Red Queen running with Alice

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Kristi was dead, there was no doubt about that. Her passing was sudden and cruel, and it was also 35 years ago. But I only say there was no doubt that I wasn’t seeing a living but long-lost sister in the struggle to make it clear…

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Dehn steps into Modern Times

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE If you’re reading this after Nov. 7, either our choice for mayor, Raymond Dehn, is the new mayor-elect (and this will give you an insight into why), or, he isn’t (in which case this is just a nostalgia piece). If you’re reading this on the 6th…

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How to be jolly

polarized

DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE OK, so admittedly this has not been such a celebratory year. This time a year ago we were stunned (most of us) by the election results and dreading the year to come. It could have been worse, but it was still pretty hard. The hurricanes and earthquakes…

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THE DISH: Viva Mexico, la Primera Parte

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The Dish visited two casual but popular Mexican restaurants for Part One (la Primera Parte) of our Mexican food exploration and rating report. The first, Dominguez Family Restaurant, is in South Minneapolis and is a full-service restaurant with beer and wine. The second, Andale Taqueria y…

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Stan-Eric’s Main Street

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Last year we suggested that there is a virtual small town called Stan-Eric, taken from the identifier of the e-democracy email list for Standish-Ericsson neighborhood. And 28th Avenue is that town’s main street. For most of this town’s virtual life, the commercial corner at East 42nd…

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Twin Cities DSA’s short, hot summer

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The amazing growth and emerging political relevance of Democratic Socialists of America has been covered by much of the mainstream media, including publications like LA Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Rolling Stone; networks like CNN and CBS; and online media like HuffPost…

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