Taste 50 2006
1. Waves of grain
It's tough to think of a better use for Minnesota-grown wheat than super-premium Shakers Original American Vodka, distilled in Benson, Minn. Get a taste of it at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, which shakes up a "Minnesota Martini," made with Shakers Wheat and a splash of ice wine from Hastings-based Alexis Bailly Vineyards.
www.shakersvodka.com, www.dakotacooks.com, www.abvwines.com
2. Use your noodle
With its gigantic selection of fresh, packaged and frozen foods and cooking tools -- and a swell new deli -- United Noodles in south Minneapolis is the St. Louis Park Byerly's of Asian supermarkets.
3. Get your fish and meat
Clancey's Meats & Fish proprietors Greg Westersteen and Kristin Tombers not only source premium beef, lamb and poultry from Midwestern family farms, but the couple also craft extraordinary products in their cheery Minneapolis shop, from sausages to stocks. Non-cooks have plenty of draws, starting with made-to-order sandwiches. Parking hassles in Linden Hills? These .are definitely worth risking the cost of a parking ticket.
4 Let the countdown begin
It's only about 10 more weeks until Minnesota-grown sweet corn, one of summer's unbridled glories, makes its first appearance in farmers markets and roadside stands.
5. Chat-o-rama
The local airwaves got a much-needed jolt when Andrew Zimmern launched his mile-a-minute foodie radio show, "Chowhounds," in 2004. Now Zimmern, a Mpls. St. Paul magazine and KMSP-TV vet, is an ascending star in the cable television firmament. He just started shooting his prime-time series "Bizarre Foods" for the Travel Channel. The first episodes debut this fall.
2010 update: "Chowhounds" is no longer on the air. Top-rated "Bizarre Foods" continues on the Travel Channel. www.andrewzimmern.com
6. Raise your glass
Isaac Mizrahi, Todd Oldham and Thomas O'Brien aren't the only marquee names now appearing at Target. Riedel, the legendary Austrian glassmaker, is selling a lower-priced line at the Bulls-eye at about $10 per glass, roughly half the price of its familiar Vinum line. Cheers.
7. Busy, busy, busy
Brenda Langton is one busy woman. If she's still standing by the end of the summer, the feat just might be a tribute to the organic, healthful eating she has been advocating at Cafe Brenda all these years. Her new restaurant, Spoonriver, is set to quietly open in early June in a piece of prime real estate across the street from the new Guthrie Theater. And on June 10, Langton will welcome shoppers to the Mill City Farmers Market, the organic-focused enterprise she is spearheading with a whole host of partners, including 35 local farmers and her new neighbor, the Mill City Museum.
2010 update: Cafe Brenda closed in 2009. www.spoonriver.com, www.millcityfarmersmarket.org, www.millcitymuseum.org
8 and 9. Sibling synergy
Brothers Larry and Richard D'Amico christened their flagship D'Amico Cucina in 1987, and in the intervening 19 years their innovative culinary empire has played a significant role in elevating local dining and catering standards. But their influence stretches beyond their own Campiello, D'Amico & Sons, Cafe Lurcat and Masa properties. The D'Amico name appears prominently on the resumes of the talents behind La Belle Vie, Cosmos, 112 Eatery, jP American Bistro and other high-profile Twin Cities restaurants.
2010 update: D'Amico Cucina closed -- and D'Amico Kitchen opened -- in 2009 (www.damico.com).
10. All in a pan
NordicWare of St. Louis Park may be responsible for the state's most lasting culinary legacy: the Bundt pan, with 60 million sold since its introduction in 1950. An anniversary edition ($35) of the company's first aluminum-cast pan might be the top gift of this wedding shower season.
11. Bless them, Lord
It's tough to think of buttoned-down Lutherans as being capable of launching a culinary revolution. But that's what they did. By 1975, more than 275 Minnesota Lutheran congregations -- many via the auspices of Lutheran Social Service -- had sponsored Vietnamese families in search of a new life in the United States. Some of those immigrants went on to build restaurants and markets that brought a welcome new sensibility to our meat-and-potatoes state. Starting with bahn mi, the cheap, delicious and ubiquitous beats-Subway-any-day Vietnamese sandwich.
12. Local, local, local
Thanks to the University of Minnesota Press, readers can continue to be inspired by the words and recipes of Minnesota cookbook authors -- including Beatrice Ojakangas, Brenda Langton, Lucia Watson and Beth Dooley -- in inexpensive paperback reprints of their original, out-of-print books.
13. Free-range grapes
Zipp's Liquors biker-chick surroundings don't have the touchy-feely aura often associated with the organics movement. But wine buyer Mike Dombrow presides over an impressive inventory of organic, biodynamic and sustainably farmed wines, more than 80 such labels, sold at competitive prices. "We haven't gone out of our way to buy organic," said Dombrow. "It's just that when a good organic wine comes along, I'm not shy about bringing it on board."
14. Gold medal signage
High atop an abandoned grain elevator, the twin signs illuminate the night sky in a blinking three-part, orange-neon salutation: Gold. Medal. Flour. But these landmarks, restored in 2000 after sitting dormant for three decades, are much more than an advertisement for one of the nation's most durable supermarket brand names. Along with the perky pink neon glow of the Pillsbury's Best Flour sign on the opposite riverbank, they also remind anyone within eyeshot that the Minneapolis riverfront was once the world's flour-milling epicenter.
15. Making book
As if anyone needs a reason to check out the spectacular new Minneapolis Central Library, here are 7,361. That's the number of cookbooks in the library system's collection, one of the largest in the country.
2010 update: The city's library system merged with Hennepin County's library system in 2008 (www.hclib.org).
16 .That's VON-gehr-ICK-ten
Another hotly anticipated restaurant opening: Globetrotting chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's still unnamed place in the slick Chambers Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, aiming for a September debut.
2010 update: Chambers Kitchen closed in 2009 and was replaced by D'Amico Kitchen (www.damico-kitchen.com).
17. Market smarts
Baking entrepreneurs Brett Laidlaw and Mary Eckmeier take full advantage of the "not subject to state inspection" rule for homemade products sold at farmers markets. Perhaps their success will inspire others to follow the example. Their Real Bread stand at the Midtown Public Market in south Minneapolis is a Saturday morning hot spot, where shoppers face a happy conundrum: What to buy? The Francophilian selection, baked in the couple's St. Paul kitchen, changes weekly, but could include Provencal-style flatbreads, sourdough wheat and rye loaves, orange-poppyseed brioche, shortbread-style cookies and other skillfully prepared items. Their eye-catching wares have a taste of Minnesota, too, incorporating organic whole grain flours from Whole Grain Milling Co. of Welcome, Minn., cream from Cedar Summit Farm in New Prague, butter from the Hope Butter folks and herbs harvested from the couple's back-yard garden. Word of advice: Arrive early, then sign up for the Real Bread e-mail alert to order in advance.
18 -- 27: Ten ways to feed your summer sweet tooth
18 .The delicate sugar buns at My-T-Fine Bakery/Cafe, an unassuming circle of glazed puff pastry with a surprise lemon curd filling.
2010 update: My-T-Fine Bakery/Cafe closed in 2007.
19. Minnesota- grown watermelon, when it debuts in farmers markets come August.
20. The brownie-like bouchon at Lucia's Take Home & Bakery, which are sturdy enough to survive a 100-mile trek in a bike bag yet still cause swoons of pleasure.
21. The effervescent tickle of Pepin Heights sparkling cider, made with Minnesota-grown apples and bottled in Lake City, Minn.
22. Any one of Heidi Woodman's ingenious, constantly changing "Ode to the Crisp" variations at Five Restaurant & Street Lounge.
2010 update: Five closed in 2007.
23. A cool, creamy slice of Key lime pie from the Birchwood Cafe.
24. Joe's Brrr Bars, Sebastian Joe's Ph.D.-level version of Dairy Queen's trashy-addictive Buster Bar.
25. Wuollet Bakery's always-in-stock devil's food layer cake with fudge icing, the perfect up-to-the-cabin provision.
26. A Pumphouse Creamery root beer float, made with the shop's mellow vanilla ice cream splashed with old-style Iron Horse root beer, brewed in Cold Spring, Minn.
27. The zesty sweet-tart fresh-squeezed lemonade at Wilde Roast Cafe.
28. Adaptive re-use
Sure, Steve and Vicki Uhr could have opened their frozen custard business in a placeless strip mall. Instead, they enlisted KKE Architects to take a dreary south Minneapolis service station back to its gleaming Eisenhower-era roots. Now Liberty Frozen Custard is a singularly nostalgic destination that's tailor-made to showcase the Uhrs' yesteryear-quality frozen treats.
29. Forty-five pinot noirs
These days, it seems like you can't swing a bottle of Three Buck Chuck without hitting a wine bar. The genre's gold standard is Cesare's Wine Bar: urbane Stillwater setting, thoughtfully selected and exhaustive (450-plus labels) wine list, knowledgeable service and a skilled kitchen turning out a something-for-every- taste menu.
2010 update: Cesare's is now Domacin, www.domacinwinebar.com.
30. Kitsch on a stick
The 2005 Minnesota State Fair featured 49 foods on a stick, possibly a 4,800 percent increase over 1947, the year of the first Pronto Pup. Will the fair's 2006 outing (opening Aug. 24) be the first to top 50 skewered foods?
31. Page turner
Is there a more enticing local food freebie than the Mix? The bimonthly publication, created by and for 10 Twin Cities-area natural foods co-ops, carefully and colorfully covers food and nutrition trends, profiles local growers, reviews area restaurants and prints tasty recipes. Pick it up at any local co-op; members get it dropped in their mailbox as a benefit of membership.
www.themix.coop
32. Good grazing
The grass-fed movement is one trend worthy of universal enthusiasm. Gopher State farmers and food entrepreneurs are at the forefront of these top-quality, nutrition-packed and environmentally prudent foods, including the savvy producers behind Cedar Summit Farm dairy products, Thousand Hills Cattle Co. beef and Pastureland butter and cheese.
www.cedarsummit.com, www.thousandhillscattleco.com and www.pastureland.coop
33. Three hours to Joel Robuchon at the Mansion
Worry-Free Vacations, TransGlobal Vacations and other charter travel companies have made weekend getaways affordable for Twin Cities culinary thrillseekers, booking tables in the nation's new restaurant hub, Las Vegas.
34. Drive in for dinner
Fried chicken, a giant third-pound "Burger-ette," a meatball sandwich, onion rings, a BLT with coleslaw and fries, creme de mint malts. All delivered to your Chevy by a perky teenage carhop at St. Paul's fabulous Dari-ette Drive-In, now in its 55th year. Even dogs love it.
1440 E. Minnehaha Av., St. Paul, 651-776-3470
35. "Try our kitty menu"
It's an often juvenile, frequently vulgar, but ultimately refreshing change of pace from the tame world of restaurant marketing: "We also ban blow guns, machetes and nunchucks," "Tio Pepe's Tacos: Runs south of the border" and "PuPu parties till the Wee Wee hours." Yep, three cheers for the punny, in-your-face billboard campaign that Chino Latino has been foisting upon the Twin Cities since the restaurant opened six years ago.
36. Liftoff
Minnesota has long been a food entrepreneur's launching pad, from milling innovator Charles Pillsbury to frozen-foods giant Jeno Paulucci. The next name in the limelight might be Joe Heron. His Airforce Nutrisoda, a line of fresh-tasting carbonated energy drinks (love the apple-black cherry and pink grapefruit-guava combos) produced in Cold Spring, Minn., could very well become the next national beverage craze.
2010 update: Now called NutriSoda, www.nutrisoda.com
37. One-stop eating
"Many tastes. One place." is the slogan for the Midtown Global Market, and for once, the marketeers aren't exaggerating. When fully rented, the food hall in the former, magnificently restored Sears store on E. Lake Street will offer shoppers fresh meats, seafood, produce and a host of around-the-world food products -- fresh seafood, East African breads and pastries, Indian spices, locally raised meats and poultry and Nepali, Caribbean and Vietnamese prepared foods. All are from independent, owner-operated stands. Plus three full-service restaurants, all under one roof. The whole shebang formally debuts June 3.
38 -- 41. Four chefs to watch
Just like Twins fanatics, who spend the better part of spring sorting out the rookie pool, a favorite armchair sport among culinistas is talent-watching among the metro area's newest chefs. Saul Chavez spent seven years immersed in Italian at Campiello, but now his D'Amico bosses wisely have him cooking the flavors of his native Mexico at colorful Masa. At duplex in Minneapolis, Michael Hart uses the cafe's intimate setting as a canvas for an array of lovely small plates, from potato-crab croquettes to smoked catfish spring rolls. At the Town Talk Diner, David Vlach, who shined as sous chef at Levain during its Stewart Woodman period, is putting a contemporary spin on short-order classics with the city's most talked-about onion rings, French fries, pancakes and a pulled-pork sandwich fit for a blue-collar king. Cafe Barbette has always had a easygoing allure, but the five-year-old Uptowner sports an even richer patina now that Peter Botcher is running the kitchen; see for yourself on Mondays, when Botcher offers a bargain ($32) four-course dinner.
2010 update: All four chefs have moved on from these restaurants.
42. Pre-show snack
Most movie theater concession stands are content to serve Raisinettes or nachos topped with a Pennzoil-esque hot "cheese" glop. Not the Heights Theatre, where owner and history buff Tom Letness encourages patrons to buy Mister Misty floats, Peanut Buster Parfaits and Brownie Batter Blizzards from his adjacent (and wonderfully retro) Dairy Queen and to enjoy them inside his lovingly restored 80-year-old movie house in Columbia Heights.
43. Refrigerator magnetism
Quick: Use "Bordeaux," "insouciant" and "quaff" in a sentence. With the "Food" and "Wine" kits from Minneapolis-based Magnetic Poetry, what's on the refrigerator becomes as creatively stimulating as what's in it.
44. Doctor by day, cyberchef by night
Where does this guy find the time? When he's not caring for patients, Dr. Robert Mackie is cooking up a storm. Then the Plymouth gastroenterologist heads to the keyboard, telling tales and sharing recipes on his entertaining, user-friendly food blog, www.aperfectpear. typepad.com.
2010 update: The URL is no longer in use.
45. Curtain up
When "The Great Gatsby" inaugurates the new Guthrie Theater in July, F. Scott Fitzgerald just might be upstaged by a fellow St. Paulite, chef Lenny Russo, and the theater's ambitious new dining initiative. Cue, the theater's more formal ground-floor restaurant, opens for lunch and dinner on June 27, with a patio boasting show-stopping views of the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge. Russo will also oversee a raw bar on architect Jean Nouvel's dramatic "endless bridge" and an informal lunch-and-dinner cafe on the balcony level of the building's thrust and proscenium stages. It promises to be quite a show. "People didn't go the [old] Guthrie for a bite to eat," said Russo. "That's going to change."
2010 update: Cue closed in 2009 and was replaced by Sea Change (www.seachangempls.com). Chef Lenny Russo returned to Heartland, and is moving his restaurant to expanded quarters in St. Paul's Lowertown in July.
46. Berries delight
Poet Robert Frost said it best: "Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, real-sky blue, and heavy, and ready to drum, in the cavernous pail of the first one to come!" Look for glorious, locally grown blueberries by mid-July.
47. Street smarts
Next time you're enjoying a pleasant summer meal on a sidewalk cafe in Minneapolis, raise your glass for a silent toast to Gary Schiff. After the Ninth Ward City Council member put his political muscle into dragging the city's antiquated sidewalk cafe regulations into the 21st century, City of Lakes al fresco dining took off like a rocket.
48. A better butter
Hope Butter, a go-to ingredient for Twin Cities bakers and chefs, is made in a time-honored way: By hand, in small quantities. "We're thumbing our noses at the whole corporate thing," said co-owner Victor Mrotz. "You know, the one that says the only way to produce food is in million-pound batches." Mrotz and his spouse, Kellie, bought the business in 2001, rescuing a vintage farmer-owned co-op from extinction. Gene Kruckeberg, the creamery's butter maker since 1964, merges his skills and cream from Hastings-area farmers into a tangy, ultra-creamy butter that in five short years has become a dairy case superstar. About 5,000 pounds of butter-- waxed paper-wrapped, in single-pound bars of either salted or unsalted -leave tiny Hope, Minn., (south of Owatonna) every week.
Hope Butter is widely available in Twin Cities supermarkets and natural foods co-ops.
49. The home kitchen
When the Minneapolis Institute of Arts opens the doors June 11 on its new wing, the museum will have a brand new period room. Not some haughty 18th-century Parisian salon, but a completely outfitted 1926 Bauhaus kitchen, designed by Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky for a home in Frankfurt, Germany, the first such room to be installed in an American museum.
50. Low-fat treat
When the spoon hits the bottom of a pint of Gelati-Da, the guilt factor is far lower than with a carton of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby. That's because this Minnesota-made heat-buster has just a skinny 2.5 grams of fat per half-cup serving (compared with B&J's 20 grams). But with tempting varieties such as almond biscotti and coffee fudge latte, there's no skimping on flavor.
