A fairly amazing-sounding Better Beer Society brown bag series event at Butcher & the Boar, some revised menus at local restaurants, a local foodie’s epic Mother’s Day feast, tasting notes for Summit Pilsner and Steel Toe’s Provider, the Star Tribune’s Taste 50, and a new urban farm in Minneapolis.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Corner Table Chef Scott Pampuch and I got into it on Twitter about whether to his new Sunday breakfast would better be described as “brunch.” It seems to me that if you’re serving rich, celebratory breakfast food until 2pm on a Sunday and playing yacht rock over the sound system, “brunch” is the only word that does the experience justice. But in deference to the chef (pictured above), let’s call it “lunfast” and move past linguistic squabbles.
Whatever you call it exactly, the stuff Pampuch is serving up at Corner Table on Sunday mornings makes for a hell of a nice beginning of the end of the weekend. We tried (clockwise, below, from top left) the cinnamon toast with caramelized apples and maple syrup, the postmodern braised beef hash (a tribute to Pampuch’s days at the Modern with Jim Grell), a daily special mushroom scramble, and duck fat-fried potatoes. All good, all the mains under $10 (the potatoes were $4.50), and the combined impact of this sort of an order was glorious — bits of potato, egg, apples, beef, and bread were being passed hither and yon over the table, snarfed down with good coffee. At the end of whatever-you’d-call-the-meal, every plate was clean.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
by Tricia Cornell on October 18, 2010
Lars Swanson / Heavy Table
A little more than a week after Subo closed its doors, the bamboo is coming down off the walls. The Asian-inspired paintings are getting crated up and the satin throw pillows are finding a new home.
What’s left behind are brick walls, barnwood accents, a hefty wooden bar, and interior window sashes in a long, dim space that looks an awful lot like an old-school tavern.
And that’s exactly what Tim Niver (above) saw in his mind’s eye when Subo’s owner, New York-based businessman Jim Hays, approached him about taking over the space when the one-year-old Filipino-fusion eatery in downtown Minneapolis wasn’t living up to expectations.
Nothing’s set in stone, but look for The Inn, the newest project from Niver and his Town Talk Diner and Strip Club business partner Aaron Johnson, to open sometime in mid-November.
“Envision, back in the day, you walk into an inn and there are other travelers there and you raise a glass and tap it in the air and there’s beer coming down — that’s what I want,” Niver says. “That’s what an inn is. You walk in after getting off your horse and pull open this heavy wooden door and are immediately welcomed.”
Lars Swanson / Heavy Table
Niver, who still tends bar at The Strip Club and plans to remain deeply involved there, knows more than a thing or two about elevating comfort food. This time he says he’s hoping to put a European edge on it, with crocks filled with hearty stews, fish and chips, and steamed English puddings for dessert. (Spotted dick? Maybe.) Continue reading The Inn: Tim Niver and Aaron Johnson’s Newest Project »
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The Minneapolis corner of 46th St. and Grand now contains an embarrassment of food related riches: the uneven but sometimes excellent Cafe Ena, the charismatic and intriguing Kings Wine Bar, and now Patisserie 46, a high-end bakery that opened yesterday morning.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The creation of John Kraus (named one of Pastry Art & Design Magazine’s “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America” 2005 and 2006), Patisserie 46 specializes in cunningly crafted small bites that you’ve probably never quite tasted before. Small cakes are miniature works of art, and offerings of coffee and gelato help round out the shop’s appeal — the only thing missing is a more robust savory option, although a) they’ve only been open a day, and b) the quiche looked quite good. Continue reading Patisserie 46 in Kingfield, Minneapolis: a First Look »
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
When last we talked to Landon Schoenefeld about HauteDish, he told us that his plan, in essence, was to deconstruct the homey food of his childhood — elevated hot dish, he said. He filled our ears with tales of tater tots turned croquette, Bloody Mary oyster shooters, duck in a can, and smoked pork bellies sous vide. “This is my idea,” he said, “and I hope people like it.”
With all this promise tucked in our collective salivary glands, we went to HauteDish on opening night this week, fairly well prepared to be delighted, our enthusiasm only slightly restrained by opening night jitters. And, if what we ate that night is any indication, there is every reason to be excited.
It would be a rare restaurant indeed that could out-twinkle the bright lights of Sex World, but when we pulled up to HauteDish the lights were so very dim we thought it might not be open. On closer inspection, a child’s smiling face peering out the window told us otherwise. Inside, the light was actually quite welcoming as it reflected off newly earth-toned walls, a warm complement to the space’s vaulted ceilings and tile floor. Schoenefeld and company have maintained the original bar in all its wood-and-mirror glory and, had we not been laboring under thoughts of braised beef and gravy, it would have been tempting to sit for a while.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
A leisurely stay was perhaps even more tempting after we settled into our booth and perused the extensive drink menu. Our dining companion gasped at the ambitious bourbon list, which he compared to a bourbon bar he had visited recently in Brooklyn. He then ordered a nicely mellow Mint Julep ($10), featuring Maker’s Mark and served in an appropriately frosty stainless-steel julep cup. Also notable, a Sazerec ($10) — Old Overholt, lemon, Le Torment Vert Absinthe — which has a couple things on the Craftsman’s recipe: a soft start and, ultimately, a hint of sweetness make it easier on the palate. A Moscow Mule, which combined Prairie Organic Vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer, did not fail to please, but proved to be a bit summery for a gusty spring evening.
We could not hope to scratch the surface of the drink menu, which (along with a swell cocktail list) also includes something like 36 beers — 16 on tap — and a varied yet not overwhelming wine list, ranging from a $6 glass of La Fiera Pinot Grigio to a $95 bottle of Heidsieck Monopole Champagne.
The HauteDish dinner menu — mounted on a light piece of wood reminiscent of those retro balsam postcards — presented somewhat fewer options. If you are a vegetarian, you might find this a hardship since you’d really only have one option, a Med Plate ($11) combining veggies, legumes, olives, and cheese. But have no fear, cow, pig, duck, chicken, fish, mollusk, and crustacean eaters, there’s plenty of choice and you will be well fed.
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
There were no vegetarians at our table, so we started things off with the Char-Cuts ($13), a sampling of three charcuterie with traditional garnishes. We were unanimously struck with the spicy head cheese — served with a brilliant red hot jelly — and rustic paté that was at once firm and light and clean in flavor. A chunk of mortadella divided the table between those who found it too bologna-like and those who delighted in its delicate texture and subtle smoke. Continue reading You Say Hot Dish, I Say HauteDish »
Jill Lewis / Heavy Table
If you’ve driven past the popular Golden Valley breakfast spot Good Day Cafe recently, you might have noticed an addition to its illuminated sign: the words “Bad Day Bar” below the logo. The addition of a full bar to the restaurant’s main dining room signals the beginning of dinner service, but the drinks aren’t the real reason to stop by after work. The wide-ranging menu of comfort food — a step up in quality from your traditional diner — should be the main draw.
Vegetarians, consider yourselves warned: The menu offers limited options beyond a veggie sandwich and a few salads. But if you eat meat, you’ll find that the blue plates, burgers, and sandwiches cover the gamut from beef stroganoff and pork chops to Reubens, Rachels, and hot dogs. And for the most part, the meals deliver. A turkey pot pie ($11.25) blends hearty chunks of meat with tender vegetables in a creamy sauce that slowly leaks out the bottom of its pastry crust. Though its size didn’t seem intimidating, a half-portion was more than enough to fill the stomach. The Reuben ($11), made with Kobe corned beef, proved to be a worthy tweak to the traditional sandwich by appearing on a rye pretzel roll instead of bread and with its horseradish-spiked dressing on the side. The rotisserie chicken ($13.50) featured a deliciously spicy crust, but the meat underneath was a tad dry. The kicky cole slaw and crisp fries saved the plate from being a lost cause, however.
Regardless of what you order for your entree, be sure to start your meal with a basket of warm popovers ($4.25) served with pistachio butter and homemade strawberry jam. The feathery light rolls could be in contention for the best bread basket in town. Other appetizers are fine options, too, such as the expertly battered onion rings ($5.25) and spicy black bean fritters ($4.50), but it’s hard to argue with steaming hot popovers.
The biggest revelation about dinner at Good Day Cafe isn’t the menu, however — it’s the peaceful atmosphere. Anyone who’s ever been to the restaurant for weekend brunch or weekday lunch is familiar with long wait times and a noisy dining room. Dinner service is almost serene by comparison, with maybe 10 tables full of mostly adults seeking a glass of wine, good food, and quiet conversation. Perhaps most fans aren’t aware of the new dinner hours (4-8:30pm daily, though the kitchen may shut down early or stay open later, depending on traffic) or they get their fill in the daylight hours. But since you’ll find a few breakfast favorites on the dinner menu, too, the evening may be the best time to get cozy in a booth — regardless if it’s been a good day or bad.
BEST BET: The warm, jam-accompanied popovers.
Good Day Cafe
Diner / cafe in Golden Valley
5410 Wayzata Blvd
Minneapolis, MN 55416
763.544.0205
OWNER: David Webb
HOURS:
Mon-Sat 6:30-11am (breakfast), 11am-3pm (lunch), 4-8:30pm (dinner)
Sun 6:30am-3pm (breakfast), 4-8:30pm (dinner)
BAR: Full
RESERVATIONS: No, but guests can call ahead before arriving to get on the waiting list
VEGETARIAN / VEGAN: Yes, though limited at dinner / No
ENTREE RANGE: $9-18 for dinner
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
The Parasole restaurant group’s newest eatery (built on the final resting place of the long-doddering Figlio) is proudly describing itself as “Uptown Italian,” a designation that makes an experienced diner worry a bit. Uptown’s a charming place, but not something that necessarily makes a good adjective for a new restaurant. After all: What does “Uptown” mean in this sort of a context? Overpriced? Too cute by half? Watered down for the cheechakos? An Italian menu that manages to work steaks, hamburgers, and french fries into the mix also sets off quiet alarm bells.
It’s not, however, possible to ignore Parasole’s impact on the local scene, so we went, and entrusted our meal selection to the advice of our opinionated waitress. This turned out to be a wise decision.
Here then, are five observations from the meal:
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
1. Get the Sausage Sandwich
Our actively helpful waitress (see “The Staff’s Terrific,” below) pushed a sausage grinder on me as a staff favorite. Lo and behold, it’s the kind of thing you’d expect restaurant staffers to dig: rich in punchy flavor, simple to make, and easy to eat. A thoroughly toasted bun contains a house-made sausage that’s rich in spice and heat, topped with a spreadable Italian cheese called stracchino that packs its own pepper and herbal kick. Asparagus gives the sandwich a bit of vegetal balance and a pleasant textural snap. The overall package is great — balanced, flavorful, filling, and a mere $10 — including about a pound of decent fries covered in herbs and grated parm.
2. Some Boorish Branding Choices Were Made
The humor that pervades the staff T-shirts and overall branding of the restaurant never gets beyond wordplay alluding to whores and whorish behavior, which, har har, gets old after you spot the second or third reference to “cheap” wine and rooms being rented by the hour. Yes, slutty women are funny. Yep. Got it. Prostitution. Har. The “Ah, Phuket” T-shirts at Chino Latino are Thurberesque by comparison.
A menu reference to non-alcoholic drinks as “spayed” was a particularly fratty touch. Having thoughtful non-alcoholic options for designated drivers, the underage, and the habitually sober is a nice gesture, but it loses some of its charm when you imply that the person who skips alcohol is having a partial experience drained of pleasure.
3. The Bomboloni Are As Much Fun As They Sound
A paper sack full of house-made spiced doughnuts (“bomboloni” on the menu, $7) is a bit of an odd way to end a meal that might normally be followed by panna cotta or spumoni, but it’s also really entertaining. The bomboloni come out with three dipping sauces including a decent caramel, a somewhat underpowered chocolate, and a strawberry coulis. Best of the three was the strawberry option, which popped with bright flavor and proved to be the liveliest counterpoint to the warm spicy doughnuts.
4. Wine is Central
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Visually, wine bottles dominate the room and set the mood for your meal — good luck staying away from the wine list, particularly after a basket of the adequately crusty bread arrives along with a saucer of herbed olive oil. Il Gatto works on a carafe-served “glass and a half” system for its house wines, which is a charming way to do business (and a fine deal at $5 per serving.) Its other wines are priced at $7, $9, and $11 per glass — and neatly organized by price on the menu. Italian wines dominate, not surprisingly, but choices from Australia, California, Argentina, and Germany also make appearances.
5. The Staff’s Terrific
Before we headed out to Il Gatto, we’d heard from other Heavy Table staffers that the staff was really on its game. This turned out to be true. From the hostess to our waitress to the busboy who boxed up our food, the Il Gatto team was cheerful, focused, competent, and, in a word, welcoming. Whatever training or hiring program that’s in place seems to be working; kudos to the team for a job well done.
Il Gatto
Italian in Uptown
3001 Hennepin Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612.822.1688
OWNER / CHEF: Parasole / Matt Kempf
HOURS:
Sun-Thu 4:30pm-1am
Fri-Sat 4:30pm-2am
BAR: Full
RESERVATIONS: Yes
VEGETARIAN / VEGAN: Yes / No
ENTREE RANGE: $9-23
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