Each Friday afternoon, 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.
Pho from Lotus
When it’s -9˚F, what you need is a bowl of Minnesota’s unofficial state soup. And it helps if it’s served by the sweetest, warmest family in the Twin Cities. They’ve been around for 25 years, and the brothers who were raised in the restaurant are now running it and raising their kids there, while Grandma makes the spring rolls and hand rolls the tapioca for bubble tea (in the summer) in the back.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Contributed by Tricia Cornell]
Duck taco from The Harriet Brasserie
Served with salsa diablo and pickled vegetables, this simple taco packs a kick — piquant flavor, delicate texture, and real depth. We tried ours at last night’s North Coast Nosh (above), and we got hooked.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Contributed by James Norton]
Medium-rare hamburger and a Chocolate Shake at Ike’s Food and Cocktail
When we found ourselves at the airport this week, the steakhouse comfort of Ike’s called to us most strongly, even amid the bevy of new places to eat near the tarmac. The burger was simple as they come, but correctly cooked, tender, and rich, with a high-quality bakery bun. And an accompanying chocolate milkshake made with Sebastian Joe’s ice cream was arguably too good. “I’ll just have a few sips …” turned into, “Oh, Lord, please let me stop!” in a matter of seconds.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Contributed by James Norton]
18-Hour Porketta sandwich at Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub
This is Iron Range soul food at its best: slow roasted pork with sauteed onion, topped with melted Swiss, and sandwiched in an egg bun. The pork is piled high and fall-off-the-bone tender, and the cheese and sweet onions know their place as supporting characters. Northbound adds no extraneous ingredients to detract from their excellent porketta.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #2 | Contributed by Ted Held]
Fennel Sausage Link from Black Sheep Pizza on Nicollet Ave
Black Sheep Pizza’s new location boasts a gorgeous grill operated by a bold metal wheel that brings food closer to or further away from the heat that pours up from below. We tried and loved the fennel sausage link starter — disarmingly light in texture and bright in flavor, but fire-charred and satisfying, complemented by pickled veggies and a scrap of bread.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #4 | Contributed by James Norton]