Photos: Tara Gazdik
Food blogger Tara Gazdik and her hipster hacks.
Tara Gazdik is a creature of habit—but in 2014, she broke free from her comfort zone to start a food blog, where she would eventually try new restaurants and foods, and meet new people.
“… Once I find something I love, it tends to be my go-to, so I wanted to push myself to get out of my comfort zone,” she says. Her blog, Hipster Hack, started in 2014 when she was living in northeast Minneapolis; it was a way to try new things but also a creative writing outlet for Gazdik, who has a career in marketing. After feeling burnt out creatively from both writing one blog post a week and coming up with creative, innovative campaign ideas as her full-time job, Gazdik decided to step back. “When I started my @hipsterhackblog Instagram account and found the Minnesota foodie and food blogger community, I was completely rejuvenated [from] seeing all the amazing places that other people were attending,” she says. “My passion for writing about food returned.”
Gazdik’s Instagram account has been going strong since 2019, where she’s been immersed into Minnesota’s “foodie” scene. But her passion for good eats started much earlier. Gazdik recalls when her parents would let her and her older sisters, Ashley and Andrea, pick a restaurant to celebrate their birthdays. “That helped instill in me that food is an ‘experience’ and going out to dinner, especially with people you love, is something to be excited about,” she says.
“I actually grew up in Woodbury,” Gazdik says. “My family moved here when I was in third grade, back when there were more corn fields than houses … [I] moved back to Woodbury three years ago for my then-boyfriend, now husband.”
Gazdik now shares her passion with her husband, Tom, and says it’s what bonds them together. “I’m lucky that, like me, my partner’s love language is food and drink, so he never hesitates when I say, ‘Hey, do you want to try this place tonight?’”
Together, they’ve tried many different restaurants and cultural foods around Woodbury and the Twin Cities. In her early 20s, Gazdik says she traveled via food; her group of friends would host monthly “Cultural Cooking” dinners, where one country was chosen, and everyone would bring a dish from that country. “Now, having actually been to some of those countries, it’s obvious that our attempted replicas paled in comparison, but it all ties back to the love of creating an experience with food,” she says. “… I have a list of things I still have yet to try, and it grows every day …”
Tara Gazdik
Gazdik’s Go-Tos Around Town
Burger: Tamarack Tap Room—specifically the Wagyu Mushroom & Swiss …
Pizza: I actually have three favorite spots: Ronnally’s [Pizza] has an amazing taco pizza; Punch Pizza has … amazing Napoli pizza … I also love a Davanni’s calzone! Another great Italian spot is Andiamo Italian Ristorante—great date night spot!
Coffee: I generally brew my coffee at home, but when in need, I love a latte from either Starbucks or Caribou. The coffee at Key’s Cafe is also really good.
Dessert: I’m more of a salty than sweet person, but I’m a sucker for a Dairy Queen Royal New York Cheesecake Blizzard or ice cream cake.
Cocktail: If you want a strong, classic cocktail, I’d definitely recommend O’Malley’s Irish Pub. Acapulco [Mexican Restaurant] has my favorite Mango Margarita (always blended) or Tamarack Tap Room for the best beer list.
hipsterhack.blog
Instagram: @hipsterhackblog
