The Market pizza at Bear Cave Brewing
There's so much to say about Bear Cave Brewing in Hopkins. That the deceivingly huge complex opened last May in a former Firestone tire center. That you serve yourself beer (or wine, or cocktails) from a card-operated wall of pours. That you must get a crowler of housemade lemonade to take home. That you can wander through four stylish floors of seating until you find your perfect perch (mine was in the "conservatory," a window-walled dining room overlooking the snowy patio). And that there's an ambitious menu by chef Marc Paavola, with a strong emphasis on local products and brick-oven pizzas with less-than-usual topping combinations — and a dog menu, too.
On the human side of things, I was intrigued by the Market pie ($20), which skips sauce and mozzarella completely. Instead, a hearty, whole wheat crust is blanketed with a thick layer of caramelized onions, dotted with chunks of baked apple, then dappled with bits of sharp Gouda. Fresh watercress and crumbles of pecan crisp go on top, and it's finished with truffle honey. Got it all? I loved the coziness of all those flavors together. It reminded me of French onion soup (which, by the way, should definitely be a pizza flavor) and a Thanksgiving side dish, all in one bite.
The weighty six-slicer, along with a couple of fun "Not Pizza" options (a salad, and the cream of mushroom soup special) made for a filling lunch shared with a friend — at the loveliest former tire store in which I've had the pleasure of dining. (Sharyn Jackson)
1201 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-426-3214, bearcavebrewing.com
Torta Ahogada at La Costa
The bartender gave us the once-over after we ordered and warned us that this sandwich is one of the spiciest items on the menu. My companion and I are not built for backing down from a food challenge, said we were ready and then ordered a couple of Negra Modelos.
We were catching up over lunch inside St. Paul's best Mexican sports bar, La Costa. Owner Judy Lopez opened La Costa in 2017. She was born in Guadalajara, where several dishes on the menu originated, including the torta ahogada ($15.99).
Fresh sourdough bread is dunked in a tomato sauce that's laced with potent chile de árbol and stuffed with carnitas, creamy beans, snappy pickled onion and a layer of avocado slices. Each bite brings that glorious squish of bread and a wave of delicious heat. We ate quickly in revered silence because we were clearly in the presence of sandwich greatness. It was over much too soon. The dish is technically big enough to share, but next time we'll get two, and remember to reserve a stack of napkins beforehand.
194 Cesar Chavez St., St. Paul, 651-330-8743, lacostamn.com
Salmon scramble from Edina Grill
Sometimes it doesn't take much to turn a day around. On this particular cold day, four words did the trick: Breakfast served all day.
The Edina Grill has more than a dozen options, ranging from pancakes and a standard American breakfast to chilaquiles, frittata, gnocchi, breakfast burritos and my favorite, the salmon scramble ($15.50). As you might guess, scrambled eggs are combined with chunks of Scottish smoked salmon, red onion, velvety shallot cream cheese and a sprinkling of fresh herbs — pure goodness in every bite. It's served with toast and a choice of hash browns or a breakfast salad, a filling meal at any time of day.
An added bonus: I have a love-hate relationship with eggs; I love them, they hate me (food allergy). But I can tolerate egg whites, and the Edina Grill, part of Blue Plate Restaurant Group, will make an egg-white-only scramble with no upcharge. (That's harder to find than one would think.)
Breakfast isn't even the restaurant's best selling point: That would be the variety on the consistently solid menu. Look for chimichurri short ribs, a short-rib dip, poke bowls, pastas, salads, cocktails and a stellar turkey burger ($15.50) that gets its kick from peanuts, curry spices, pepperjack and poblano peanut pesto aioli. Everybody wins here. (Nicole Hvidsten)
5028 France Av. S., Edina, 952-927-7933, edinagrill.com
Kimchi fried rice at bb.q Chicken
A decade ago, I lived in an apartment above a Bonchon. I ate a lot of Korean fried chicken that year. I never could decide which of the two flavors was my favorite: the exceptionally spicy sauce that coated every nook in the cragged, crunchy exterior, or the sweet and sticky soy garlic. I always wound up ordering half of each.
At the new bb.q Chicken in Uptown, which opened its first Minnesota location last weekend, 10-years-younger me wouldn't have known what to do with the mind-boggling number of flavors on offer. Galbi? Maple crunch? Gangnam style? Cheesling? Decision fatigue led to a couple of hasty selections that were a little too far on the sweet side for my liking, though the chicken beneath those sauces (whole chicken, wings, or boneless, $14 and up) was as satisfyingly, shatteringly crisp as anything I ate out of a carton in my one-bedroom back in the day.
But my favorite dish of the meal was from the "K Food" section all the way at the end of the menu. The kimchi fried rice ($12.95) was like all of those flavors in one heaping bowl of rice, veggies and (non-breaded) chicken. It was spicy, sweet, creamy from a runny egg, crunchy from the vegetables, and funky from the kimchi. In this one dish, decision fatigue met its match. (S.J.)
1500 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-236-4173, bbqchicken.com
Wild Rice Burger at Fitger's Brewhouse
A whirlwind trip to Duluth yielded two unexpected treats: dinner with my daughter and a visit to Fitger's Brewhouse. It was dark, snowy and windy outside, but warm and cozy inside the Brewhouse, one of several food-and-drink options inside the sprawling Fitger's complex.
It had been years since I'd been there, and I vaguely remembered the existence of a wild rice burger, a Fitger's classic. I love a good burger alternative, and I love blue cheese. The Gale Force Wild Rice Burger ($13.99) was the best of both — a wild rice patty (crispy on the outside, tender on the inside) is topped with blue cheese and garlic mayo, along with red onions and field greens (I held the jalapeños). It was the best burger I've had in some time, and also made me determined to perfect a wild rice burger in my own kitchen. There are two other wild rice burger options — the classic (cheddar, tomatoes, sprouts, red onion and garlic mayo) or pub style (sautéed onions, mushrooms, Swiss and chipotle pepper sauce), but you can sub a wild rice patty for any of their burger combos. It also comes with a choice of fries, chips and salsa or vegetables.
We happened to visit on a night when there was live music. Coupled with a glass of Park Point Pilsner, it was the perfect nightcap. (N.H.)
600 E. Superior St., Duluth, 218-279-2739, fitgersbrewhouse.com
