Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.
The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.
Barrel-Aged Silhouette Imperial Stout from Lift Bridge Brewery
It was a surprise to encounter one of the world’s best fruitcakes in liquid form, but that’s exactly what happened when we tried this year’s edition of the bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout known as Silhouette. The monks of the Holy Transfiguration Skete on Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula make a confection called Abbey Cake, a dense, molasses-based, bourbon-soaked, dried-fruit-studded wonder that lasts just about forever when wrapped in cheesecloth and sealed in plastic, and it always tastes like a rich, funky dream. Silhouette takes many of those flavors (notably the molasses and dried fruit, plus the pleasantly boozy kick of bourbon) and translates them into a drinkable, 10 percent ABV dream. Best served approaching room temperature so all those lovely cocoa and spice notes express themselves fully.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Pizza Verde at Bricks Neapolitan Pizza
The Pizza Verde at Hudson’s Bricks Pizza is a great combination of salty prosciutto, peppery arugula, a bright tomato sauce, and a slightly sweet cheese, all atop a crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside crust.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]
The Sundae at Milkjam Creamery
At Milkjam Creamery, newly opened by Sameh Wadi and team next to World Street Kitchen, you could have a scoop of mezcal and fig ice cream. Or black (“nothing but 100 percent cocoa in there”) or caramelized breakfast cereal. Or you could stop guessing what you want and let the chef behind the counter do it for you. Our chef’s choice sundae started with a scoop of Milkjam’s signature flavor (containing caramelized goat cheese and condensed milk) on a lemon bar, with a sweet-savory coulis and curried peanuts.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | Submitted by Tricia Cornell]
Macarons at A l’Epi de Blé
The North Kildonan neighborhood of Winnipeg is home to one of the most authentic French bakeries in the entire province, A l’Epi de Blé. Try the Parisian-style macarons in flavors ranging from the familiar green pistache, to the unusual, such as poire (pear). As a bonus, the owner will happily chat in French if cued, and staff is keenly knowledgeable.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Paige Latham]
Citrus Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cookie From the Seward Co-op Friendship Store
This was not a typical vegan lemon poppy seed cookie. Its interior was moist and chewy, the edges had a lovely crunch, and the delicate lemony flavor with a slight crunch of poppyseed was followed by a subtle slickness (from the olive oil) that made me yearn for more after each bite.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Brenda Johnson]
After reading about a French bakery in Winnipeg, I have a quick question of the foodie territory Heavy Table covers. I assumed (probably incorrectly) that this site focused on local fare but then there were multiple posts about food destinations in Madison, WI (and now Winnipeg?). This website describes it as “Upper Midwest” but what does that mean? If you can include Winnipeg, why not Chicago, which is about 50 miles closer and does not require going through border patrol. Or even the Quad Cities, or the Great River Road (LaCross south to the Quad cities), or Iowa? Or Milwaukee, which is basically as far north (or south) as Madison and only 90 miles north of Chicago? Posts about the great Quad Cities pizza, Iowa’s pork tenderloin sandwiches and Maid-Rite loose meats, Milwaukee’s burgers, and the Great River Road’s taverns would be great to read as many people do travel there from the TC area. A food-centric weekend in Chicago would be a great read as well. Just some more “food” for thought…
Great question – thanks for asking it and thinking about it.
Winnipeg is definitely out of our territory as we normally define it … but the Hot Five is less formal than most of our blog posts, in that it’s a collection of the best stuff our contributors have been eating anywhere – at home, on the road, at local restaurants, etc. Sometimes we like to mix it up with some more cosmopolitan stuff. (I think we’ve had bites from Toronto and Europe appear in the Hot Five in the past.) Speaking formally: I see the Heavy Table’s core territory as the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Secondary: all of Minnesota and Wisconsin, up to Thunder Bay just over the border in Canada. On a tertiary basis – having the odd story from Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, the Dakotas is totally cool with me, but those locales will never be the core of what we do. And as to Chicago – I’ve thought it would be fun to do a one-off Heavy Table gastro-tour there, but we can’t even begin to scratch the surface there without a major adjustment of our business and editorial plans.