The Heavy Table Hot Five: Dec. 18-24

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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 - oneSpicy Pork Eggrolls at Domo Gastro
Here’s the question that really matters this week: Are the spicy pork eggrolls at Domo Gastro merely the best eggrolls of the moment? Or the best eggrolls of the year? Domo Gastro’s spicy pork eggrolls are thin, brilliantly crisp little affairs, with just the right ratio of crunchy exterior to rich, fatty sausage interior. There’s also a lingering kick of heat that complements the savory flavor of the meat without overwhelming it. Dipped in the nuoc cham, these things are unimpeachably tasty.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | From an upcoming review by James Norton]

Paige Latham / Heavy Table
Paige Latham / Heavy Table

2-new - twoMadame Tartine from St. Genevieve
The Madame tartine from St. Genevieve is an elevated version of the French open-face classic. Showcasing ingredients of the highest quality — Red Table Jambon Royal, Raclette cheese, and a sunny-side up egg — it is jaw-droppingly simple, yet refined.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Paige Latham]

Amy Rea / Heavy Table
Amy Rea / Heavy Table

3-new - three Teishoku at Masu
If you’ve about had it with holiday office potlucks or the indignities of mall food courts while trying to finish your holiday shopping, there’s a respite for you at Masu, and it’s the teishoku on the lunch menu: your choice of 3 robata along with rice, salad, and miso soup. A recent visit found the pork belly to practically melt in the mouth, while the chicken thigh with spicy red miso was pleasantly zippy, and the bacon-wrapped quail eggs a wonderful mixture of silky egg yolk and crispy bacon. Bonus if you go to the Minneapolis location: It’s just down the street from Surdyk’s. Whatever holiday you celebrate, and however you celebrate it, it will be improved by a visit there.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | Submitted by Amy Rea]

Tricia Cornell / Heavy Table
Tricia Cornell / Heavy Table

4-new fourFalafel at Naf Naf Grill
Certain foods are magnets for arguments about authenticity. Sushi. Ramen. Bagels. And for anyone who has ever set foot in the Middle East, falafel. And that’s falafel in the broader sense: not just the balls themselves (should be light and full of green herbs) but the whole surrounding experience, from the pita to the salad to the bread to the tahini sauce. We have it on good authority (homesick Israelis) that Naf Naf — from the cloud-soft pita to the sour pickles — is the most authentic experience in town. We’ll let anyone who disagrees with them battle it out, because we think it’s delicious.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #4 | Submitted by Tricia Cornell]

Liz Scholz / Heavy Table
Liz Scholz / Heavy Table

5-new -fiveSweetness Stout from Omni Brewing
Omni Brewing’s dark and chocolaty Sweetness stout is the perfect evening companion to the now finally chilling weather. One of the five beers on the recently rebuilt lineup (which has evolved from two since we first visited Omni a few months ago), this nitro-poured beer is creamy but on the drier side for a stout, with a light hazelnut finish, and it builds Belgian lace as you drink it. Vital stats: 5.5 percent ABV and 29 IBU.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Liz Scholz]