Q: All this recent warm weather has me itching to head out of town, even if only for an afternoon. Any suggestions?
A: You're right on schedule for a visit to Lake Pepin, because the venerable Harbor View Cafe (314 1st St., Pepin, Wis., 1-715-442-3893, harborviewpepin.com) just reopened for the season, serving lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday. Thursday service starts April 28, and Monday comes online on May 30.
Two other dates to keep in mind, Pepin day-trip-wise: the gotta-visit Smiling Pelican Bakeshop (W3556 Hwy. 35, Maiden Rock, Wis., 1-715-448-3807) revs up its ovens starting April 1, keeping its usual Friday-Sunday calendar, and the charming Chef Shack Bay City (6379 Main St., Bay City, Wis., 1-507-358-4220, chefshackranch.com/bay-city) kicks off its 2016 season on April 29, serving dinner Friday and Saturday and brunch Sunday.
Q: Do you have any ideas for a quick lunch?
A: Right now, I'm a little bit obsessed with the sandwiches at Lowry Hill Meats (1934 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-999-4200, lowryhillmeats.com). For roughly the same amount of time you'd spend in line at Potbelly, owner Erik Sather and his crew will demonstrate what a real sandwich is all about.
Paradoxically — for a butcher shop, anyway — my favorite might be the one with thin, crunchy slices of mild radishes, spicy arugula, tons of butter and a bracing splash of vinegar. So good. Of course, the meats (roast beef with grated horseradish, pork shoulder with pickled mustard seed) are spectacular, and the crisp, chewy baguette is by top-performing Rustica.
Wednesdays mean quarter-pound cheeseburgers, and the weekends are all about English muffins stuffed with an egg and crisped-up, thinly shaved ham.
Q: How about an off-the-beaten-path suggestion for dinner?
A: Consider a reservation at Margaux's Table (4742 Washington Square, White Bear Lake, 651-387-7903, margauxstablewbl.com). Dining at this small cafe — it still bears a resemblance to the gift shop it once was — is roughly akin to scoring a dinner party invitation (Thursday through Saturday only) from chef/owner Margaret Doran.
The brief menu sticks to a handful of starters, four entrees and one dessert. Doran, a solo act in her tiny kitchen, clearly knows what she's doing; witness her skill at sneaking smoke into meaty octopus, expertly grilling tender lamb chops, or tossing pears, walnuts and Gorgonzola with garden-fresh greens.
Service is best described as "ad hoc," so it's best to keep expectations low in that arena. As far as beer and wine go, it's strictly BYOB (Cotroneo's Wine and Spirits is conveniently located across the street).
Before or after dinner, drop in on the grotto-like Alchemist (2222 4th St., White Bear Lake, 651-261-6662, thealchemistwbl.com) and partake in a gorgeous cocktail or two from La Belle Vie veteran barkeep Johnny Michaels.
Q: Are there any food trucks that I should know about?
A: Where to start? Definitely be on the lookout for Bark and the Bite (barkandthebite.com), which specializes in pulled pork, shredded chicken (and BBQ jackfruit for vegetarians), served in sandwiches and platters with a host of sides. It's the work of Sapor Cafe and Bar veterans Toph Heubach and Noah Miller.
Sasquatch Sandwiches (sasquatchsandwiches.com) also deserves to be on your radar. Owner Gil Gaitan caters to meat-eaters and vegetarians with inventive sandwiches that masquerade as bona fide meals between bread slices.
Finally, there's always a huge payoff for tracking down the whereabouts of the Curious Goat (facebook.com/TheCuriousGoatMN/info), chef Ian Gray's eclectic and eternally appealing (hello, grilled goat sausage!) mobile kitchen.
All three work the brewery-distillery circuit, which has developed into one of the liveliest one-two punches on the city's culinary scene.
Q: Have you been to Ramen Kazama? Is it worth the wait?
A: Yes, and yes. It's one of those restaurants (3400 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-353-6160, ramenkazama.com) where a line forms before the doors open at 5 p.m., with good reason: the house specialty is ridiculously good.
The counter-service operation knows how to handle crowds. There were 38 people ahead of us when we arrived at 4:55 p.m., we ordered by 5:15 and we finished — correction, slurped every last drop of beautifully rendered pork-chicken broth, and inhaled every last morsel of pudgy pork belly — by 6. If this is the future of fast food, bring it on. (Note: Don't even think about asking for takeout.)
Q: Are there any soon-to-open restaurants that you're excited about?
A: Plenty. I'm looking forward to getting a taste of chef Heidi Marsh's contemporary comfort food at the slick-looking Hi-Lo Diner (4020 E. Lake St., Mpls., hi-lo-diner.com), a 1957 factory-built structure hauled to Minnesota (after a decades-long run in suburban Pittsburgh) and restored on the foundations of an abandoned Taco Bell outlet. It's opening in a few weeks.
Ann Kim and Conrad Leifur of Pizzeria Lola are launching Young Joni (165 13th Av. NE., Mpls.) this summer, a project that's exciting on many levels, not the least of which is that the restaurant — about twice the size of Lola — will serve pizza, and accept reservations. Anyone who has waited, and waited, for a coveted table at Lola will understand my anticipation.
It's rare when I admit this, but I'm stoked about the impending arrival of a chain: Shake Shack (shakeshack.com), which is coming to the Mall of America's great-looking new Culinary on North food court sometime early this summer.
Q: What happened to Scusi?
A: Owners Stephanie Shimp and David Burley of the Blue Plate Restaurant Co. (Highland Grill, the Lowry, Freehouse) pulled the plug on the five-year-old Italian restaurant (1806 St. Clair Av., St. Paul) last week. They've already started construction on its replacement, which will open in early June. One change to look for: a kitchen counter. "We have them at other stores, and people love them," said Shimp.
They're still hammering out menu details ("We're in the middle of tastings right now," said Shimp), but this much is clear: the bar will have a full liquor license — and three times as many tap beers as its predecessor — and the restaurant ("We're not quite ready to reveal the name yet," said Shimp) will add lunch service, as well as weekend breakfast.
Rick Nelson • @RickNelsonStrib
