Jackpot When has such a small gamble yielded such a tremendous payout? Piccolo chef/co-owner Doug Flicker described his gently scrambled eggs, topped with lardon-shaped pops of pillowy, intensely porky meat ($9), as a prime example of his restaurant's "risk and reward" philosophy, where diners risk a venture out of their comfort zone, and the chef rewards them with an unforgettable dish. Sign me up.

4300 Bryant Av. S., Mpls., 612-827-8111, www.piccolompls.com

No bones about it A handsome new bar at Meritage is inspiring a dazzling new bar menu, rolled out in stages as chef/co-owner Russell Klein oversees his kitchen's much-needed renovation and expansion. First up: beef bone marrow ($10.50), which looks like a delicacy out of "The Flintstones," but is anything but cartoonish. The long bones, split lengthwise for easy access and then roasted, dance with hints of parsley and preserved lemon, and the ultra-rich marrow is designed to be spread, like the world's fattest marmalade, over grilled bread brushed with clarified butter ("because you need more fat with the marrow," Klein said with a laugh). Order it with one of the bar's wicked absinthe cocktails.

410 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-222-5670, www.meritage-stpaul.com

A salad to love Leave it to Mike Brown and James Winberg, co-owners of Travail Kitchen & Amusements, to make the ubiquitous beet salad look -- and taste -- brand new. Their recipe for success started by utilizing every cooking technique at their considerable disposal (roasting, pickling, dehydrating, frying, juicing and infusing), before dialing up the flavor profile (judicious shots of jalapeño and preserved lemon) and then pulling all the colors of the beet rainbow (pinks, golds and reds) into play. Edible root vegetable art, and all for just $5.

4154 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale, 763-535-1131

Star Tribune, Star Tribune
Blueberry pancakes and coffee at Al's Breakfast.

Figlio reborn After one taste of the cured swordfish ($11) at Il Gatto, diners could come to only one conclusion: Tim McKee is in the house. The La Belle Vie chef (along with longtime acolyte Jim Christiansen, who heads the kitchen on a daily basis) upped the ante at the former Figlio by producing an array of rustic Italian wonders. First up: a hefty wedge of this deluxe version of canned tuna, dressed with sweet basil and juicy wedges of heirloom tomatoes that more than hint at their faraway peak-season flavor. "Tim McKee food at Calhoun Square prices," declared a friend of mine as his fork triumphantly nabbed the last morsel of swordfish. Right on.

3001 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-822-1688, www.ilgattominneapolis.com

Temporary contemporary For a too-brief stretch in late summer and early fall, my ideal grab-and-go lunch was just about anything on the menu at World Street Kitchen. The tacos were exceptional -- particularly when washed down with a thirst-quenching gulp of the roasted-lemon lemonade -- but what kept luring me back were chef Sameh Wadi's banh mi ($5.50), a multi-culti cross between Wadi's Middle Eastern heritage and his passion for Vietnamese sandwiches. Most unforgettable was the pulled chicken version, the tender bird braised in a heady brew of coconut milk, chiles, lemongrass and one of Wadi's trademark curry blends, then topped with handfuls of fresh Thai basil, cilantro, carrots and tangy pickled Daikon radishes. The only downside? The bright red truck is in cold storage until warm weather returns.

www.eatwsk.com. Saffron is located at 123 N. 3rd St., Mpls., 612-746-5533, www.saffronmpls.com

Step aside, KFC What happens when a rising-star chef -- Landon Schoenefeld -- hooks up with a well-pedigreed chicken (from Wild Acres in Pequot Lakes, Minn.)? Pure magic, that's what. An overnight buttermilk-tarragon brine, a gentle poach, a quick spin in sizzling lard until the skin was tantalizingly crisp and, presto-chango, it was fried chicken ($17) like no other, just one of many retooled American classics that have made HauteDish such an exciting and satisfying place to eat.

119 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 612-338-8484, www.haute-dish.com

Soup's on Because the menu changes daily at the hyper-seasonal Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market, diners never know what chef/co-owner Lenny Russo and his crew will be serving. But here's one constant: Whatever the formula, the complex, soul-satisfying soups ($10 to $12) are complete meals in a bowl, whether it was the pitch-perfect combination of a mushroom broth brimming with poblano chiles and tender pieces of Duroc pork, or a robust chowder of northern pike, lamb bacon and cuts of Russet potatoes, or a pool of puréed golden beets, kissed with curry and topped with spicy crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds.

289 E. 5th St., St. Paul, 651-699-3536, www.heartlandrestaurant.com

Never, ever skip dessert My evil sweet tooth found plenty of satisfaction in 2010, but nothing tops the simple and sublime butterscotch panna cotta ($7) at Parma 8200. Pastry chef Leah Henderson fills a lowball with the most luscious custard imaginable, then caps it with a bewitching caramel sauce and a plop of rich mascarpone. A pair of crisp, chocolatey cookies rounded out the decadence. Heaven.

5600 W. 83rd St., Bloomington, 952-896-8888, www.parma8200.com

Oldie but goodie, Part 1 If the pot roast ($11 lunch, $16.75 dinner) at the Modern Cafe were a Broadway musical, it would have surpassed "The Phantom of the Opera" as the Street's longest-running show. There's a reason, beyond value, why Phillip Becht has been selling 500-plus pounds of the stuff every week for years: It's a comfort-food pinnacle, a softball-sized slab of succulent, fork-tender braised beef, served with onion-scented pan juices, carrots that have been caramelized to maximum sweetness, a mountain of ultra-creamy mashed potatoes and an unapologetically feisty dollop of horseradish-laced sour cream. Talk about a standard-setter; no wonder owner Jim Grell can't take it off the menu, ever.

337 13th Av. NE., Mpls., 612-378-9882, www.moderncafeminneapolis.com

Oldie but goodie, Part 2 Is it the griddle, seasoned over decades-long use? Or the freshly prepared batter? Or the practiced, spatula-wielding wrists of co-owners Doug Grina and Jim Brandes? Whatever the alchemy, the tender, tangy buttermilk pancakes ($1.40 to $6.10) at pint-sized Al's Breakfast are nothing less than a state treasure. Order them with blueberries and walnuts ("Wally blues" in Al's-speak), splurge on the genuine maple syrup and don't skimp on the butter. An Al's short stack was my No. 1 way to greet the day in 2010, and, unfortunately, I now have the waistline to prove it.

413 14th Av. SE., Mpls., 612-331-9991

Rick Nelson • 612-673-4757