Heavy Table Hot Five: June 3-9

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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.

shepherd-song-banner-ad-horiz-3The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.

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Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

1-new - oneKimchi Ramen at Spoon and Stable
We don’t dine out late nearly often enough, it seems. Spoon and Stable’s kimchi ramen with chashu pork, spring onion, toasted nori, and a soft poached egg — an after 10:30 p.m., bar-and-lounge-only treat — hinted at a whole magical world of late-night treats that needs exploration. We found this to be one of the best ramens we’ve tried in town. The broth in particular had an almost saucelike richness and depth that made everything swimming within it taste a little bit better.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]

Ruthie Young / Heavy Table
Ruthie Young / Heavy Table

2-new - twoChilaquiles Nachos at Bar Luchador
The menu’s claim that these are the “actual best nachos in the world” may not be too far from the truth. Each ingredient, from the fried-to-order tortilla chips to the tomatillo sauce they’re doused in, is executed with precision. I’d say the authentic queso fresco next to the pickled jalapeño and Fresno peppers is a call for a battle between old school and new, but one bite in, you’ll see these nachos are truly a winning composition.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Ruthie Young]

Amy Rea / Heavy Table
Amy Rea / Heavy Table

3-new - threeSmolder Tea by Mrs. Kelly’s Tea
Mrs. Kelly’s Tea has some new flavors this year, including Smolder, an intriguing blend of bergamot, vanilla, and Ceylon and lapsang souchong teas. The result is a bright citrus flavor at first taste, and a dark, smoky flavor that rises in the throat after swallowing, almost a blend of campfire and a good cigar. It may not be everyone’s — well — cup of tea, but those who like it, as we did, will sip it slowly and savor the complex flavors.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]

Nick Fay / Heavy Table
Nick Fay / Heavy Table

4-new fourDaisy Chain Saison from Tin Whiskers Brewing
Three rounds of public testing and voting — on three base malt choices, two hop varieties, and three yeast strains — led to the creation of this Daisy Chain Saison by Tin Whiskers. It’s a true-to-style saison with excellent phenolic (meaning yeast-derived flavors, like pepper and clove) character. Strong citrus, black pepper, and spearmint flavors abound, with a lemongrass note on warming. The dry, subtle bitterness appropriately accentuates the mildly hoppy finish. Though brewed with ginger and orange peel, the entire bouquet doesn’t scream ginger.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | From a Toast column by Paige Latham]

Jane Rosemarin / Heavy Table
Jane Rosemarin / Heavy Table

5-new -fivePasta Ingredients From the Mill City Farmers Market
What to do with bags of fresh produce from an early-spring farmers market? Make fresh tagliatelle with morels and hazelnuts. Our ingredient list included eggs from Sunshine Harvest, morels from Prairie Hollow, green garlic from Stone’s Throw, toasted hazelnuts from Hazelnut Valley, Burr Oak sheep cheese from Shepherd’s Way (and also foraged ramps and tarragon from our herb garden … and, we sheepishly admit, a little creme fraiche from Vermont).
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #5 | Submitted by Jane Rosemarin]