From ice cream to bagels, here are the highlights that popped out while I paged through my barely legible dining diary (I'll leave my thoughts on the Minnesota State Fair to this story, and this story). What were your top eats of the week? Share the details in the comments section.

Sweet corn ice cream at Sonny's Ice Cream

When August rolls around, Sonny's Ice Cream co-owner Ron Siron hits up sweet corn vendors at the Kingfield Farmers Market and the Mill City Farmers Market and crafts an annual treat: sweet corn ice cream. Using a recipe he's been following for 20-plus years, he cuts the kernels off the cob, nurtures them on the stove in butter and a pinch of salt and then incorporates that golden late-summer bounty into his rich sweet cream base. Siron told me that the results are "almost like you're eating corn on the cob," and he's absolutely right; this sweet corn fanatic finds Siron's handiwork utterly irresistible. It won't occupy a berth in the shop's scoop case for much longer, so hurry in. $4.95 single scoop, $8.95 double scoop. Sonny's Ice Cream, 3403 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-824-3868.

Lox and bagel at Common Roots Cafe

One benefit to point-of-sale technology is that it can easily track mountains of data. Here's an example: since owner Danny Schwartzman opened his Common Roots Cafe in 2007, the restaurant's kitchen has boiled and baked an astonishing 769,582 bagels. In this instance, practice does indeed mean perfect, because these handmade beauties are some of the state's best bagels, wonderfully dense, chewy and dimpled. My idea of a perfect quick-service breakfast is a Common Roots bagel, split and generously embellished with a cream cheese schmear, ribbons of tender lox fashioned from wild Alaskan salmon, shards of sharp red onion, salty capers and a handful of crunchy sprouts. $9. Common Roots Cafe, 2558 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-871-2360.

Rice bowl at Ngon Bistro

What better place to detox from the Minnesota State Fair than Ngon Bistro? When visiting this Vietnamese-French restaurant off the clock – as a civilian, and not a restaurant critic – I have a silly ritual. I'll peruse the menu and, for a moment anyway, pretend that I'm going to order a new-to-me dish or two. Maybe lamb bacon in puff pastry, or sweet potato ravioli. But then the server arrives at the table, and I invariably revert to my non-pho favorite: an uncomplicated rice bowl filled with grilled chicken, shredded carrots, pickled cucumbers and a few juiced-up tomato slices. For me, it's a favorite don't-feel-like-cooking comfort food, and every time I order it, I'm reminded of what chef/owner Hai Truong told me about it, years ago. "That's the way I grew up eating," he said. "A protein, rice and something vinegary and crunchy." Why didn't my Betty Crocker-era parents think of that? $13. 799 University Av. W., St. Paul, 651-222-3301.

Tartine at the Kenwood

I'll admit it: I'm a brunchophile. What's not to love about a meal that places eggs in the spotlight? At the Kenwood, chef Don Saunders and his crew – including sous chef Kainalu Loa -- perform minor miracles with eggs, scrambling them with a watchful eye (and a bit of butter and chives) until they're impossibly creamy. They become a key component in a doozy of a tartine that starts with a slice of sturdy, lightly toasted rye sourdough (from Baker's Field Flour & Bread) that's smeared with a dill-infused cream cheese spread. Other components include a coriander- and juniper-scented gravlax (cured with grated beets, a color-boosting trick) crafted from farm-raised Skuna Bay salmon, delicate, coral-tinted steelhead trout roe and a smattering of what feels like half the herb selection from the produce department of my friendly neighborhood natural foods co-op. Another plus: it's shareable, which means you can also order the spot-on pancakes, served with black walnut-infused butter. What a way to greet the day, and not just weekends; Saunders & Co. serve brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. $16. 2115 W. 21st St., Mpls., 612-377-3695.

Brown Butter Rice Krispies Bar at the Bakery

It's true: browned butter really improves everything it touches. Including, yes, Rice Krispies Treats. The effect isn't overwhelming – each hefty square remains a gooey, nostalgia-filled goodie – but the brown butter contributes a subtle hint of nuttiness and seems to dial down the usual over-the-top sweetness. Find them at the Bakery, a Linden Hills Farmers Market stand that does ingenious things with nut- and gluten-free baked goods. There are a few dairy-free items, too. Wouldn't it be great if this stand matriculated into a brick-and-mortar operation? $2. The Bakery, thebakerympls.com. Linden Hills Farmers Market, 2813 W. 43rd St., Mpls., 612-867-0854. Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.