Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis

Katie Cannon / Heavy Table

Standing outside Butcher & The Boar, waiting for our dining companion and a table, we had some time to consider the name. It sounds like a sequel to one of Hemingway’s novels, substituting a noble and tusked wild pig for the old marlin. If it were, burned out English majors would only have to wander down Hennepin Avenue to find out how the epic battle ended. There the scent of roasted pork, sweet and smoky, lingers outside the restaurant’s doors — clearly, the butcher has triumphed.

If we hadn’t already been planning to eat there, we would not have been able to resist the smell, no matter the wait. If you go — and you should — it’s easy enough to get a reservation, which we recommend lest you end up on the sidewalk outside this much-lauded restaurant making up stories rather than inside drinking whiskey and eating all kinds of tasty, tasty meat.

Hemingway probably would have approved of the Butcher & The Boar on the whiskey alone. As previously mentioned, we counted 63 different bourbons, ranging in price from $3 to $14 for a one-ounce shot or $12 to $15 for a flight. At 5:30 on a weeknight the bar is packed with fellows with one hand thrown back over the chair and the other cradling a bourbon, talking work and enjoying the restaurant’s comfortable yet industrial vibe. The bar seating is all white leather dimly lit by broad steel beams set with bare incandescent bulbs, filaments aglow; the dining area is open and airy, with wood tables and a view into the shiny, stainless steel kitchen. They may be enjoying it too much, as one fellow was heard to say, “I gotta go. I haven’t seen my kid for a week; I need to go home and tuck him in.”

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

If you don’t favor bourbon, there’s also wine and an impressive list of some 58 or so local, national, and imported beers on tap and in the bottle. We do, and so ordered a Hennepin Avenue Manhattan ($10), which combined Makers Mark with elderflower liqueur, sweet and dry vermouth, bitters, and three macerated cherries to create a nicely balanced drink; smooth, flavorful, just sweet enough — and rather deadly. (We recently learned that the secret to macerating cherries is soaking dried cherries, not fresh, in a simple syrup and spice concoction overnight before you put them in the brandy.)

On the fruitier side, the Juicy Basil ($10) layers Basil Hayden and Triple Sec in a tall, summery glass with orange and cranberry juices. It was so refreshing and tasty that a dining companion, who decided she did not love her Manhattan as well, stole mine.

On another night, we enjoyed the Negroni ($9), a concoction of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. We had tried a similar drink at Marvel Bar, which tasted delightfully like a super-fortified Campari and very nearly put us under the table. Although still aperitif forward, the Negroni was smoother and less like an herbal remedy — just right before dinner.

Butcher and the Boar Beef Rib

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

Then there was the meat. Chef Jack Riebel (formerly of the Dakota) has created a menu that mimics the formula of classic steakhouses with a la carte meat and giant, shareable sides, but not the flavors. Instead, his dishes feature aggressive notes of acid, smoke, and heat. It makes sense: if you are going to emphasize bourbon, you need all those big flavors to stand up to it.

Only once did this prove an issue: The Green Salad ($9) came dressed in a sweet vinegar and, seemingly, nothing else. It curled our tongues, which was a shame because, between beautiful spring greens, giant chunks of bacon, and sweet cornbread croutons, this simple salad should have been a winner. On the other hand, The Petite Wedges ($10) were a universally beloved. Here the chefs managed to balance a handful flavors and textures — blue cheese, candied nuts, sweet tomato syrup, vinegar, and pepper — and create a highly successful update of the classic. Without bacon!

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

We also sampled the charcuterie with the plate called For The Table ($18). The Wild Boar Headcheese was out of this world: a bit like sushi, it paired layers of meat, soft creamy bits, and aspic with a bitter-sweet mustard that popped. Thin, tender slices of lightly Pickled Heart Marcella tasted, in a good way, like leftover steak. The Wild Boar Ham had a great pepper kick, and was so pleasant on its own we preferred to pair its molasses bread with the headcheese. Although a bit light next to its companions, the Venison Summer Sausage was appropriately mild and tangy — we wouldn’t kick it off a camping trip.

If we had to compare the charcuterie to plates around town, Butcher & The Boar is on par with Haute Dish and Craftsman, but the latter is better value. Still, two people could potentially make a meal of the charcuterie plate if they combined it with the wedge salad and a side of Texas Toast ($3 hot, buttered, awesome).

Charcuterie isn’t the only thing that unites Butcher & The Boar with its local contemporaries — the restaurant is firmly on trend with the likes of HauteDish, The Strip Club, and The Sample Room, serving up manly, gutsy food that has one foot planted firmly in the land of meat and potatoes and another squarely in the world of contemporary gastronomy. Call it a reinvented steakhouse if you must, where tradition takes a firm modern twist without losing sight of what made un-reconstructed steakhouses so popular in the first place.

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Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

It’s almost summer and what do we want? Ice cream dripping down our arms, hot dogs in our hands, and all kinds of crap fried on sticks. Yeah, we want to hold our food in our hands. Lucky for us, the list of portable snack spots just keeps on growing. A new restaurant, called Pupuseria La Palmera, is now serving that snack without a season, the El Salvadoran pupusa. Similar to the Mexican gordita and the South American arepa, a pupusa is a thick corn tortilla filled with goodies and fried in a pan.

California native Mauricio Prieto opened La Palmera just two weeks ago, in the old Stabby’s Cafe spot across from the Colossal Cafe in Minneapolis. And while his is a sit-down restaurant, the pupusas his El Salvadoran mother, Ana, makes are perfectly palm-sized, and almost cheaper than a pack of gum.

The restaurant’s full menu offers just three varieties of pupusas: bean and cheese ($1.75, top); a combination of pork, cheese, garlic, onion, and peppers called revueltas ($1.75, bottom); and the classic cheese and loroco ($2). Loroco is a green, tropical flower specific to Salvadoran cooking. It gives the pupusa a unique pungency, something like spinach mixed with okra mixed with parmesan cheese. La Palmera’s loroco pupusa is thick, oozing, and earthy. The revueltas is slightly sweet and never too salty, and the bean and cheese version is highly seasoned and would make a satisfying breakfast (which La Palmera serves every day). The restaurant’s accompanying curtido de repollo, a fermented slaw of cabbage and carrots typically served with pupusas, adds a welcome heat and contrasting crunch to the soft masa cakes.

Then there’s the sun-filled dining room in which you’ll enjoy your pupusas. I guess that’s why they call it “the palm tree.”

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

Pupuseria La Palmera
El Salvadoran food in South Minneapolis

4157 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612.729.2025
HOURS:
Closed Mon
Tues-Thurs 8am-9pm
Fri 8am-9:30pm
Sat 7am-9:30pm
Sun 8am-7:30pm
CHEF / OWNER: Ana Prieto / Mauricio Prieto
RESERVATIONS / RECOMMENDED: No / No
BAR: None
VEGETARIAN / VEGAN: Yes / Limited
ENTREE RANGE: $1.75-$11

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table


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John Garland / Heavy Table

Sassy Spoon Truck — @SassySpoonTruck

Clad in an unmistakable shade of pink, the Sassy Spoon Truck is dishing out “wholesome food with attitude.” Owner Tamara Brown is a dietitian. She’s dedicating her truck to high-quality meals that won’t put you in a food coma upon returning to the office.

“I wanted, instead of just teaching about healthy food, to serve it,” Brown says. “So, I’ve got a lot of good vegetable carbs – the idea is balancing blood sugar. Also, everything is gluten free, there’s no bread on the truck, and, as much as possible, we source locally and organic.”

On the streets for less than a month, she’s offering two or three combos for lunch each day. An absolute knockout is the Pig-Pen ($10) – a sizeable heap of miso-braised pulled pork accompanied by an equally huge pile of lightly ginger-dressed cabbage slaw. The pork picks up strands of delectable char from a quick stint on the flat-top grill. It’s slightly sweet and a little nutty from the miso. And notice how it’s not drowned in barbecue sauce and served on a bun? If this meal were reimagined at many other trucks, you’d probably get about half the amount of pork and slaw in two little sliders. We applaud the idea to ditch the bread and charge a little extra for more of the good stuff.

John Garland / Heavy Table

Marie Antoinette Crepes — @thatcrepetruck

Molly Miller began scraping out sweet and savory crepes in the Marie Antoinette Crepe truck last August. “I grew up eating them; my grandma made them, so I’m using her recipe,” says Miller. “Also, I went to France in 2003 and learned how they did it over there.”

Patrons get lunch and a show at the crepe truck – the iron is right on the counter for you to watch Miller expertly drag batter back and forth. The Croque Monsieur ($7) is among her most popular so far. It’s a wonderful collection of ham, swiss, Mornay sauce, and a mustard made with Stella Artois. It’s a little tough to cut with the plastic forks provided.  Luckily, the crepe is substantial enough to handle being rolled into a mini burrito. Our next visit will be for the egg, cheddar, and bacon jam breakfast crepe.

You can often find the truck at farmers markets – a savvy business move for a product that may be a little light for many people’s idea of lunch, but would make for a perfect walking-around snack while perusing produce. Make sure to seek her out when berries are in season. For now, raspberry preserves with white chocolate ($6) is a more than able substitute.

John Garland / Heavy Table

R.A. MacSammy’s — @RAMacsammys

Kevin Huyck debuted R.A. MacSammy’s at the St. Paul Winter Carnival in January. “I wanted a concept that would bring in a broad audience, and who doesn’t like mac and cheese?” he says. “We also have sandwiches, and as the weather warms up here, we’ll be adding either a salad or wrap. I’ve been playing with the idea of doing stuffed tomatoes, as a lighter cold entree. We’re trying to be an everyman’s food truck – not necessarily courting the gourmet crowd.”

Patrons can expect a weekly featured mac as well as the option build their own with a dozen or so ingredients added in for $0.50 each. Bacon has been, unsurprisingly, the most frequent add-in, but Brussels sprouts and broccoli have taken off as well.

We tried the Kentucky Hot Brown Mac ($8) – with bacon, sautéed mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, and cubes of turkey. The mac itself is pleasantly gooey with a good doneness to the noodles, though it’s not exactly distinguishable from any other competent restaurant mac you’ve had lately. A full order is a large undertaking – especially with bacon and turkey thrown into the mix. Light eaters can easily make do with a mini order ($4).

John Garland / Heavy Table

A Cupcake Social — @ACupcakeSocial

A Cupcake Social has been open in truck form for less than two months, though owners Jess Stone and Suzette Herr have been in the cupcake business for over a year. “We catered – brought our cupcakes to weddings and other events,” says Stone. “We looked into opening a location, but decided we wanted to be more mobile.”

This “gourmet mobile bakery,” as they call it, cycles through roughly 30 different flavors, and they do a lot of the baking on board. By far the most popular flavor has been Raspberry Burst – raspberry filling with raspberry-white chocolate buttercream, over vanilla and chocolate cake. “When we say ‘gourmet,’ I know that’s kind of a pseudo-term now, but they truly are,” Stone continues. “We use a lot of fresh fruits and we don’t use any shortening in our buttercream.” Continue reading New Food Truck Roundup 2012: St. Paul Edition »

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Readers: Win Heavy Table pint glasses

The Tap loves restaurant tips from readers, so we’re awarding a Heavy Table pint glass to the best tipster each month. The Tap is the metro area’s comprehensive restaurant buzz roundup, so if you see a new or newly shuttered restaurant, or anything that’s “coming soon,” email Tap editor Jason Walker at

April’s winner: Dana Murdoch of St. Paul

George & the Dragon (now open)

813 W 50th St, Minneapolis | 612.355.9114

After talking to owner Fred Navarro, it sounds like George & the Dragon opened right amid its key demographic.

“Eighty-five percent of the guests that have come in the first couple weeks have been from a four- to five-block radius of the restaurant,” Navarro said. “Of those guests I would say 40 percent, maybe a much higher percentage, have come in at least several times since we opened.”

Not surprising, as George & the Dragon occupies the rebuilt corner that famously burned while housing Heidi’s and Blackbird. For two years, the Malt Shop diner was the only option for blocks; now, though, area diners can explore Navarro’s varied menu. Most popular item so far?

“The fish and chips,” Navarro said. “For our beer batter, we are using the Fulton Lonely Blonde; the response that we have received is that the beer batter is nice and crisp, but not greasy.

“All of the burgers have had great feedback I think due to the bun, baked fresh daily by New French, and that we use arugula instead of just a leaf lettuce for the burgers. It adds a different flavor profile.”

The pub has nine beers on tap, including three poured on nitrogen: Old Speckled Hen, Boulder Mojo IPA, and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. With locals like Harriet, Brau Brothers, Summit, and Fulton thrown in, G&D sticks to the approach I’ve noticed at other new local restaurants like Blackbird, Sparks, and Mona: Use our wealth of available beer to craft a small but rock-solid tap list that appeals to beer nerds and casual drinkers alike.

George & the Dragon now has Sunday brunch, too, and Navarro said he was eager for summer ingredients to start popping into his menu, especially the daily curry.

Wait times have been long since George & the Dragon opened, and Navarro said to call ahead because a limited number of reservations are available each night.

Ashley Laflin / Heavy Table

Mill City Cafe (closing May 27; planning to open in new location)

2205 California St NE, Minneapolis | 612.788.6188

The Mill City Cafe, a bit of a well-kept secret in the local brunch-goer world, has announced it’s closing while it prepares to move into an undisclosed new space in Northeast Minneapolis.

OK, Mill City Cafe is such a well-kept secret that I had never heard of it until a friend tipped me off, saying, “That place has the best brunch for your buck in the city. Nothing over $10 and all really good stuff. And a great patio doesn’t hurt, as well as good bloodys, and even beer if you want it.” Amen!

So, you’ve got a week to get your Mill City awesome veggie burger fix before they take a relocation break.

World Street Kitchen (opens late 2012)

2743 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis

This is a good trend: First, Smack Shack announced plans to open a restaurant offshoot of its popular food truck. Now, Sameh and Saed Wadi told Rick Nelson that they’re opening a permanent location of their World Street Kitchen. The Wadis, locally famous as the proprietors of Saffron, will continue to sell their twist on street food like rice bowls, tacos, and sandwiches at the new outpost, which Rick says will open later this year.

In a similar vein, it’s been rumored that Chef Shack plans to open a permanent restaurant in the just-closed Jack’s at 46th and Bryant.

Prairie Kitchen & Bar (opens May 25)

1300 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.596.4640

It lost two of Minneapolis’ most high-profile restaurants, Manny’s and Oceanaire, so the Hyatt Regency is fighting back with Prairie Kitchen & Bar, opening May 25.

According to a press release, chef Aaron Hagerdorn’s menu is influenced by the Scandinavian and farming heritage of Minnesota. “Our new menu is a tribute to Minnesota’s unique cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh regional produce, meat, grains, and dairy products,” Hagerdorn said. Quite a broad emphasis.

Since it’s serving a hotel, the kitchen will be open all day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night, and it will serve all sorts of stuff, from a smoked trout cake benedict to a salmon BLT to garlic and veal meatballs. There’s even waterzooi, a traditional Flemish chicken-and-vegetable stew that I had to Google.

That little section of Nicollet needs something to liven it up, so, what the heck, let’s root for Prairie Kitchen. Otherwise, it’s going to be awfully barren from Brit’s down to Eat Street.

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Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

A man cannot live on food and writing alone, which is why I also play a regular game of poker. And thanks to the ancient affinity between cards and booze, our group has turned into an informal beer club. We bring beers from across the state, country, and world to each game in bombers, bottles, cans, and growlers.

Last week we gathered together a group of players (including Heavy Table contributors John Garland and Jason Walker) to put Summit Brewing’s two newest offerings through their paces.

The first was Summer Ale, a summer seasonal with 4.9% ABV and 32 IBU that the brewery described as a “new take on a classic German Kölsch: a crisp, refreshing brew offering elegant fruity and flora aromas and toasted malt qualities.” It replaces Summit’s Hefe Weizen as the brewery’s summer seasonal.

The second was Saga IPA, a year-round release that clocks in at 6.4% ABV with 80 IBU. The brewery calls it “an assertive brew with a pronounced hop flavor and tropical fruit aromas.” [CORRECTION: We erroneously stated that Saga had replaced the Hefe Weizen.]

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

KARSTEN: Let’s start out with Texas Hold ‘Em. Simple.

JAMES: Ante? Blinds?

KARSTEN: We might want to do blinds, with this many people.

JAMES: OK, blinds. Once we get the flop we’ll pour some samples and talk some beer.

DAVE [raising before the flop]: I’m gonna raise.

JAMES: COME ON.

DAVE: Come on what?

JAMES: You’re allowed to raise, I’m allowed to give you [guff]. OK, anyway, let’s pour the Summer Ale.

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

[samples go around the table]

JOHN: I’m bored. This beer bores me.

JAMES: What bores you about it?

JOHN: It’s too light — there’s not enough body, it’s not as substantial as the rest of their beers. I know it’s a Summer Ale, but it tastes like carbonation is the main driving flavor component.

KEVIN: It’s pretty weak. I taste carrot undertones from the carrot I ate five minutes ago…

JASON: I’m not hateful. It feels like on a hot day it’d be nice. I like it when breweries do beers like this that aren’t trying to hit you over the head with something. That said, I’m not sure I’d buy this and feel like I’d gotten value.

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

JAMES: I would worry about the value prospect, but I like the balance, and I’m tasting a little bit of astringency … I really feel like if I’d just mowed the lawn I could pound one of these and really enjoy it.

I know that sounds like faint praise, but there’s really a place for that kind of beer. This is not my new favorite beer, but also I respect it and I understand it.

KARSTEN: In the context of it being a Summer Ale, it’s OK, but it’s probably not much more than that. I agree that it’d be good to pound after mowing the lawn, but it’s not a craving that a PBR couldn’t satisfy. And the value proposition is probably not there …

DAVE: I’m with all that. The first thing I tasted was that drinkability, but there’s a bitter edge that feels a little out of place if you’re going to be chugging something. Which I love to do.

JOHN: I feel like there are brands I know and look for when I’m looking for a sessionable beer, and Summit’s not one of them.

JAMES: So it’s kind of out of character for the brewery.

JOHN: I’d say so.

KARSTEN: The bitter quality wasn’t really an issue for me, because of the European palate for this kind of beer … it reminds me of a European-style Pilsner. But it doesn’t have the body that a European-style Pilsner would have.

JAMES: Well, let’s try the Saga IPA and see how that goes down. Continue reading Around the Poker Table: Summit Summer Ale and Saga IPA »

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Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

Kim Ode asserts that rhubarb is having its moment.

While this might be a convenient position for a person with a newly released book called Rhubarb Renaissance (MNHS Press, $16.95), it’s also one that sustains scrutiny — not only is rhubarb gloriously in season at the moment, it’s having a resurgence on the menus of Upper Midwestern restaurants that are scanning their own backyards for ingredients with a connection to the local landscape.

Just two examples: On a recent visit to The Bachelor Farmer, we enjoyed the bright bite of pickled rhubarb in a dish of roasted pork belly, sunny side up pheasant egg, and pea shoots; and The Black Forest Inn is featuring an asparagus and rhubarb strudel as part of its Spargelfest menu [PDF].

“Chefs are looking across the horizon and asking, ‘What aren’t we using?’” says Ode, who is also the author of Baking With the St. Paul Bread Club and a features writer for the Star Tribune. “And local local, of course — there are things we’ve discarded here, in Minnesota, as too homely and corny.” “Bebop-a-rebop, rhubarb pie,” she adds, a convenient musical shorthand for the tart vegetable’s humble status.

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

We recently joined Ode and her husband, woodworker and photographer John Danicic,  in their Morningside home for a five-course meal of rhubarb. A rhubarb feast may sound at first hearing like an awful lot of the fibrous red stuff, but it really wasn’t — the meal had a sense of flow, progress, and even drama. And therein lies the story.

We kicked off our meal in the kitchen, with a prosecco cocktail spiked with a sweet / tart rhubarb base, and noshed upon rows of gorgeous crostini with goat cheese, prosciutto, and rhubarb chutney.

“Rhubarb is just such a good foundation for a chutney,” Ode says. “With a lot of chutneys, there’s so much going on that it just becomes … a chutney. You can’t identify it as a, say, blueberry chutney. So the first time I did it, I completely lost the rhubarb. So I bumped it up.”

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

The result is a talented supporting player on a stage filled with stars: “There are your chutney flavors, a little goat cheese and cream cheese combined to take a bit of the edge off the goat, and then prosciutto because… it’s prosciutto,” Ode says. (She then points out that the stuff she’s using is made in Iowa, by La Quercia.)

Like the rest of the elegant-with-a-twist recipes in Rhubarb Renaissance, the crostini were simple to assemble, and had an admirable sense of balance. They were creamy and crunchy, bright and salty — flavors and textures pulling at one another but ultimately in harmony. That rhubarb can be both savory and multidimensional may come as a surprise to some readers, but that idea is really at the heart of Ode’s book; while Rhubarb Renaissance features dessert recipes (including one of the best sweet-tart crisps we’ve tried in years), desserts are somewhat beside the point.

Ode recalls: “When [Minnesota Historical Society Press] said: ‘Can you do rhubarb?’ I said ‘I know rhubarb.’ Then they said: ‘Well, what we’d really like to do is explore the savory side.’ And I said: ‘What savory side?’ That’s where it took my out of the church cookbook upbringing and caused me to ask: “Well, what can you do with it?’” Continue reading Kim Ode, Author of Rhubarb Renaissance »

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