Heavy Table Hot Five: Oct. 28-Nov. 3

Hot Five by James Norton

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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 - oneBanh Mi at the Campus Club in the Coffman Memorial Union
Chef Beth Jones of the Campus Club came up with a killer custom menu for our recent Green Line Checklist finale event. It riffed off some of the cultures found up and down University Avenue, including East African (mind-blowingly crisp and delicate sambusas), Russian (one of the best borschts we’ve tried to date), and Middle Eastern (spot-on falafel). Our favorite taste of the four might have been the banh mi, which was an ideal textural blend of slightly crispy baguette, pickled veg, and some of the richest, creamiest pate we’ve had on a sandwich — ever.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]

Amy Rea / Heavy Table
Amy Rea / Heavy Table

2-new - twoBreakfast Pizza at Rose Street Patisserie
Rose Street Patisserie has added an all-day breakfast pizza to its seasonal lineup. It’s sized for sharing, and it’s a decadent start to the day: crisp flatbread covered with a generous coating of mozzarella, topped with soft eggs and crisp, smoky bacon. Rich (but full of protein!), and will make any day start off better.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted Amy Rea]

Ted Held / Heavy Table
Ted Held / Heavy Table

3-new - three

Brisket Sandwich at Breaking Bread Cafe
We’re fans of Breaking Bread Cafe for the great food, the inviting space, and the mission behind it all. On a recent trip, the brisket sandwich proved an impressive alternative to their popular shrimp and grits. While it’s not necessarily the best brisket in town, the blueberry barbecue sauce added a new, Minnesota-focused twist to a soul food classic. The classic barbecue spices stood up front, but there was a distinct blueberry flavor that was complimentary in that seasonally appropriate, Thanksgiving-leftovers kind of way. The side of spicy vinegar-dressed slaw was also worth raving about.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Ted Held]
Ruthie Young / Heavy Table
Ruthie Young / Heavy Table

4-new fourLobster Mac Totchos at Blue Door Pub (all locations)
“Tots of Time” is a catchy enough title to make us want to order tots every time we are at one of the Blue Door Pubs, but when we saw that “Lobster Mac Totchos” were the current feature, we just couldn’t say no. A hearty layer of Cajun tots is topped with an equal amount of cheesy macaroni laden with lobster meat, herbed bread crumbs, and scallions. We would have preferred the dish to be mixed rather than layered, but we soon perfected the fork stab needed to achieve an ideal ratio. The lobster is the perfect ingredient to lighten up an otherwise heavy dish — we just wish there had been more of it! The Lobster Mac Totchos will be available at all three locations for a few more weeks.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Ruthie Young]

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

5-new -fiveGreen River Highball from Lawless Distilling
Lawless Distilling is serving up the Green River Highball, a perfect combination of citrus-infused vodka, lime cordial, orange bitters, and seltzer. Not too sour, not too sweet, and the dried lime is like a little piece of art. Lawless continues to reflect its “Local. Craft. Small Batch” motto. So many artistic cocktails to try. Too little time.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted Brenda Johnson]