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.
Fatty BBQ Brisket at StormKing Barbecue
The new Black Sheep Pizza barbecue spinoff called StormKing is doing Texas-inspired food, and brisket plays a central role. We had a choice between lean or fatty (AKA “moist” or “marbled”), and we went with the recommendation: fatty. Good choice. It had a beautiful, lightly crunchy and flavorful exterior bark. It was tender and moist and lacking in the two big downfalls of the brisket: fatty toughness and desert dryness. This is the real deal.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]
Foreign Extra Stout at Pryes Brewing Company
The outstanding beer at the newly opened Pryes Brewing Company taproom is the oddball: the Foreign Extra Stout. This uncommon style is a classic variation on stout. It was brewed, beginning in the 18th century, with a robust profile that would withstand transport to other countries. Foreign extra stouts are known for an intense roasted flavor and moderate dryness. The Pryes version is rich but not heavy, with strong chocolate and sweetened coffee notes. It’s enjoyable, even in the heat, though it’s on the sweet side for the style (in contrast to the other beers on the menu).
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from a story by Paige Didora]
Strawberries and Cream Frozen Pops from JonnyPops
Minneapolis-based JonnyPops sent over a mess of frozen treats to remind us that they’ll be slinging them at the State Fair again this year, and this post is our official acknowledgement that they’re still delicious. Strawberries and Cream stands at the top of the heap of flavors — qualities of sweetness, tartness, creaminess are in perfect balance. They’re good now, and they’ll be doubly good at the end of August under the hot, end-of-summer sun. And if you buy a $10 wristband, you can get unlimited junior pops for the day, which is kind of maybe too many pops, but then again maybe not.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Sour Cream-Raisin Pie at the Cedarwood Restaurant in Onamia
After a long day trip to the Iron Range, my 94-year-old father and I needed some supper and stopped at the Cedarwood Restaurant in Onamia. The counter had a whiteboard with a lengthy list of pies, and I pointed out one in particular to Dad: sour cream-raisin pie. Neither of us has had a piece of sour cream-raisin pie in more than four years, since my mother died; she was a stellar pie maker, and sour cream-raisin was her specialty. Dad had to think about it for a few moments, but agreed that maybe it was OK to try it. When the slice arrived, I let him go first. He took a bite, frowning, then said: “That’s pretty good. Not as good as your mother’s, of course, but pretty good.” He took another bite. “You know, that’s really good. I just don’t think there’s anything more elegant than sour cream-raisin pie.” I tried a bite and had to agree: The joy of sour cream-raisin pie is in its tangy-sweet creamy filling, which Cedarwood provided in near perfection. Poking at the crust, I posited the idea that not only was it homemade, it might have involved lard. Dad poked at the crust too, marveling at its flakiness: “Just like your mother used to make.” It was a great way to transition out of the sour-cream-raisin-pie-less stage of mourning.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #2 | Submitted by Amy Rea]
The NY Strip Loin at The Lexington
Our review this week of The Lexington was warts and all, but the best part of the “and all” half of that equation in certainly the restaurant’s 16-ounce New York Strip Loin. Bone marrow butter drizzled over the top added a richness to the perfectly cooked, beautifully crusted meat.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from a review by Ted Held]