Heavy Table Hot Five: July 24-30

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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.

James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table

1-new - oneMake it So ESB from Summit Brewing
This ESB (extra special bitter ale) from brewer Nick Hempfer is a lovely, malt-forward, floral-nosed beer that packs a wallop of honeyed refreshment. The Earl Gray tea it’s brewed with gives it a mildly astringent character and a seriously complex body. It may be our favorite new beer of the summer. It’s also a Jean-Luc Picard tribute.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | From last night’s taping of The Weekend Starts Now at the Du Nord Cocktail Room by James Norton]

Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table
Isabel Subtil / Heavy Table

2-new - twoSt. Vincent Pizza from Big River Pizza
Packing a major flavor punch, this concoction stars thick bacon, fresh garlic, provolone, and a bright, slightly sweet red sauce made from organic crushed tomatoes. This pizza could have been overwhelming, given the combination of high-powered ingredients, but the components complemented one another, producing a well-balanced, unique pizza.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | From a review by Joshua Page]

James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table

3-new - threeDilly Beans from Saint Dinette
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most impressive (see above). While there’s no shortage of things to rave about vis-a-vis the newly opened Saint Dinette, we were truly wowed by the simple pickled dilly beans served as a snack. They had a lovely, tangy, garlicky depth of flavor that made them absurdly addictive.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #3 | Submitted by James Norton]

James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table

4-new fourCardamom Latte from Anelace Coffee
So, here’s a mistake, and it’s 100 percent on us: we tripped upon the perfect late autumn beverage in the middle of summer. The lattes at Anelace are gorgeously smooth and rich without feeling overloaded. Add a whisper of cardamom syrup and you’re left with a comforting hug of a beverage, not at all too sweet and – all in all – unreservedly lovely. Even on a warm summer evening, this ranked among the tastiest coffees we’ve had around here. Once the the temperature drops we’ll back again and again for it.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an upcoming Central Avenue Checklist by James Norton]

Jane Rosemarin / Heavy Table
Jane Rosemarin / Heavy Table

5-new -fiveHazelnuts from Hazelnut Valley Farm at Mill City
Norm and Mary Erickson started growing hazelnuts on their farm in Lake City when they retired, and now they are selling them at the Mill City Farmers Market every other Saturday (they’ll be there tomorrow, July 25). The dry-roasted nuts are fresh, crunchy, and properly hazelnutty, and their skins aren’t bitter. Norm says the majority of people who taste them buy them. The price is $5 for 4 ounces, or $18 a pound.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Jane Rosemarin]