Shrimp po'boy at Bar+Cart
As expected, the cocktails at Bar+Cart are phenomenal. That should be a given, considering this cozy bar and restaurant inside the former Khyber Pass is now owned by Ralena Young and Brian Riess. Both are career drink-makers who have poured libations throughout the Twin Cities. Now, the realization of their business ownership dreams has been DIY'd into a thriving neighborhood gathering spot.
What visitors might not expect on first pass is that the food would be just as good as the bar. The menu is a mix of handhelds and snackables, perfect for pairing with drinks. Young began her hospitality career cooking, and immersing herself in the menu planning and tweaking has been an adventure.
My date and I split a shrimp po'boy, passing the giant stuffed sandwich back and forth across the table. The crusty yet squishy bread is loaded with shrimp that pop with salty spice, shredded lettuce and tomatoes, and the whole thing is dressed with dollops of rémoulade spiked with stone-ground mustard. It was fun to eat and, at $14, a reasonably priced date night dinner (something not easy to come by these days). We paired it with a Sidecar and enjoyed our little back corner table for two. Reservations are recommended. (Joy Summers)
1571 Grand Av., St. Paul, follow them on Facebook
Baba's Pita Puffs and Hummus
Good news for those who fell in love with Baba's hummus bowls at the Minnesota State Fair. Well, two pieces of good news. First, Baba's is opening a storefront in Uptown Minneapolis this summer. Second, until then you can make your own at home. Several flavors of the luxuriously creamy hummus have been available in stores, but now the delightfully pillowy pita puffs are, too.
Tucked inside brightly colored packaging that mimics their playful stand at the fair, the puffs can and should be used for dipping into hummus — we loved the kick of Baba's Oh La La Truffle — or any other dip, but taste just as good with a swipe of good olive oil and cracked pepper. They recommend serving them warm; bake them, deep fry them or even use the air fryer. We wrapped a few in a paper towel and popped them in the microwave and they remained fluffy and tender, making a great light lunch and after-school snack (channel your inner fairgoer and serve them on a stick). The puffs are vegan, halal and kosher.
Baba's was founded in 2018 by siblings Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari, based on their Palestinian American family recipes. Their baba, Jamal, first created the hummus at his Mediterranean Cruise Cafe restaurant in Burnsville. Baba's debuted at the fair in 2021 and quickly ascended to the top of many top-food lists.
Prices of both Baba's puffs and hummus vary in stores, but you can order three packs of the puffs (each has 15) for $18 online. Don't be shy about ordering several; they freeze well, too. For now, the nine varieties of hummus, however, are available only in stores. And, of course, at the State Fair. (Nicole Hvidsten)
Shop for pita puffs at lovebabas.com, which also has a store locator for its hummus.
Gnocchi with lobster and arrabbiata sauce from 112 Eatery
Chef Isaac Becker's 112 Eatery has no reason to change its stripes; classics across their vast menu stayed on for years — unbending to seasonality — and for good reason. The marquee dishes, like the steak tartare, continue to thrill, and they are tenured enough to get away with grilling bread until it's scorched and hoping you won't care, as I did not, because it's done so well.
Which makes their recent entree addition, the gnocchi, much more of a revelation. It could pass for a kids meal, if going by the pieces of gnocchi swimming in what looked like something Chef Boyardee had simmering in his kitchen (a red sauce). But the bites speak louder — silky gnocchi, a bright but not puckering velvety sauce, vibrating with shellfish flavor, and generous chunks of lobster that barely hold its chew. I couldn't stop eating it.
Sure, you could gussy it up with texture and some noisy frills, but there's always appeal in feeling like a kid at heart — devouring $41 pasta. (Jon Cheng)
112 N. 3rd St., Mpls., 612-343-7696, 112eatery.com
The signature meatless burger at ALT Burger
"It's been 10 years in the making," chef Derik Moran said at a media preview inside the just-opened ALT Burger. He and restaurant owner Martina Priadka have known each other that long, and spent time working together at the Dakota. The idea behind this new fast-casual restaurant is in the trademarked name: All Love This Burger.
The burger is a proprietary blend of chickpeas, quinoa and secret ingredients they aren't interested in sharing, resulting in a headline for the new restaurant that isn't loudly declaring "We! Are! Vegetarian!" But it is.
The onetime Sheridan Room (and Modern Cafe before that) serves a collection of meat-free dishes, including a lineup of burgers, mac and cheese, hand pies and massive cookies. Ordering is fast-casual style, and there's a full bar.
The signature burger is a tasty affair, served wrapped in paper to contain that smushy-crunchy star of the show. Layered with American cheese, long-cooked tomatoes, onion, shredded lettuce and a tangy house sauce, it's a hearty meal by itself. (Although there are also ranch French fries that should be considered.)
Also good news: There aren't any added fees or add-on costs. The price you see is the price you get. (J.S.)
337 13th Av. NE., Mpls., 612-564-4999, altburgermpls.com
Gluttonous pizza at Pizzeria Social
As a south-of-the-river resident, I'd like to give a big thanks to all the restaurateurs responsible for the influx of great dining options. Among them is Misfits Hospitality Collective, which operates nearly a dozen suburban cocktail rooms and restaurants.
The latest is Pizzeria Social, which is an overhaul of the former Mezcalito Butcher in Apple Valley. It's the same sprawling space, same great patio, and there's still a dizzying cocktail list and a wood-fired grill. But it's lighter, brighter and has a lot more pizza.
Trying to please all kinds of pizza lovers, the kitchen has two options: the thinner crust of the square-cut tavern style, and firewood, with its puffy, charred crust (both are wood-fired). The hit of the night was the Gluttonous ($19 for small, $25 for large), which was chock-full of small pepperoni cups, large crispy discs of soppressata, bacon and meatballs that could have easily been at home in a bowl of spaghetti. A sprinkling of mozzarella held it together, but this was all about the meat. There are several pizza combinations available, but picky eaters can also create their own. Gluten-free crusts are available, too.
Despite the name, the menu goes much deeper than pizza and puts the wood-fired grill to use in appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. A wood-fired skillet chocolate chip cookie ($7)? Count me in. (N.H.)
14889 Florence Trail, Apple Valley, 952-236-8115, pizzeriasocial.com
