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.
The Red Lake Walleye Melt at Gatherings Cafe
Hidden quietly away in the Minneapolis American Indian Center at Franklin and Bloomington is Gatherings Cafe, a breakfast-lunch deli featuring Native-American-inspired healthy foods on weekdays. My first taste was the Red Lake Walleye Melt, a wonderfully cooked fillet of walleye dressed with lemon, capers, and dill, and served on a chewy, grilled wild rice bread. Fruit-infused (and sugar-free) water was perfect with lunch in the sunny great room.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Bjorn Christianson]
Surly Fest by Surly
Although Surly Fest is a beer rich with caramel and spice, it manages to tread surprisingly lightly. Unlike many Belgian-style beers with similarly strong malty backbones, this doesn’t taste like liquid cake. This lovely (and atypically complex) Märzen boasts a heavy hit of rye flavor and palpable hops (intensified through the dry hopping process) that linger as you finish each sip.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Pancetta and Onion Pizza from Northern Fires
Northern Fires pizza, found at several farmers markets and at occasional events at the Food Building, can make eating pizza for breakfast the truly conscionable thing to do. Sure, they have a breakfast pizza, but feel free to indulge in the pancetta and onion pizza, with crispy pancetta and sweet sauteed onions nestled into creamy mozzarella, then topped with an arugula salad tossed with lemon juice and shaved Parmesan. The crust gets a great char from the wood-fired oven, and the overall experience is a wonder of textures and flavors.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]
The Americana Burger from The Lowbrow
Hopping on the already crowded bandwagon, The Lowbrow now offers the Americana Burger ($10.75), its version of the fast-food-style double cheeseburger. The patties were not quite as sizzled as I like, but the cheese was high-quality American, and the addition of fried pickles, with their lightly breaded crunch, was a stroke of genius. I’ve always wondered “Why breaded pickles?” This burger is the answer. As we’ve said before, if the wait is too long across the street at Revival, there are other options in the neighborhood. Lowbrow’s burger will substitute nicely.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Ted Held]
Eclairs from Lucia’s to Go
Every Tuesday at Lucia’s To Go, a tray of fat, gnarled pastries covered in thick chocolate ganache appear at the bottom of the deli case. They are The Eclairs, and you’re crazy if you can resist them. Each giant eclair is a delight of airy, crisp pastry oozing a chilled vanilla-bean-spiked filling. But unlike many eclairs stuffed with pastry cream, Lucia’s version is filled with a fresh, slightly sweet concoction that is more like loose whipping cream. Just one of these pastries is enough to make a meal, although you’ll probably wish for a whole tray for yourself.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Emily Schnobrich]