The 5 best things our food writers ate this week

It’s finally fall, but if you came upon the Orange Roaster stand at the Mill City Farmers Market, you might think you were back in State Fair season. Sweet corn and lemonade are the highlights from this new market vendor, whose tent is situated a bit outside the main action, down Chicago Avenue.

The family-owned business, which launched last year, has roots in agriculture in Ukraine, according to the farmers market website. Oleg Peliavskyi had a flower farm there, fled after the start of the war and relocated to Minneapolis.

The Orange Roaster utilizes a custom-built roasting machine, and the tidy menu offers a few different ways to eat that peak golden corn. I got one cob simply roasted and brushed with butter ($5) and another elote-style coated in cotija ($7). You can also order it esquites-style, off the cob in a bowl with cheese; or skip the bowl and have the esquites in a split roasted sweet potato, too. It’s all vegetarian and gluten-free, and keeps that summer feeling going just a little bit longer.

The Orange Roaster will be at the market again on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. (Sharyn Jackson)

Mill City Farmers Market, 750 S. 2nd St., Mpls., millcityfarmersmarket.org

This is a sub so massive that it could have been piloted by Sean Connery. But instead of sailing off in a “Hunt for Red October,” I was fully prepared to sink this massive, meaty beauty into my gullet.

A freshly baked, proper Italian bread (crusty exterior, plush on the inside) houses layers of Italian meats, fat slices of cheese, shreds of lettuce (or as my colleague Sharyn calls it, “shredduce”), thin ribbons of raw onion and just the right amount of basil vinaigrette. The Italiano sandwich at Brianno’s ($9.99 half or $15.99 whole, which measures from my wrist to elbow in length) is rightfully ensconced in the pantheon of great Twin Cities sandwiches.

2280 Cliff Rd., Eagan, briannos.com

Public Domain, the North Loop place where bartenders create cocktails on the spot based on your taste profile, has added a back bar with a set food and drink menu. Vern’s Tiki Bar features Polynesian-themed food and drinks with cocktails that range from rum punches to piña coladas. The food menu is casual and consists mostly of light bites, a hearty “Aloha Burger” the one exception.

We opted for the sampler platter with lumpia, wings, coconut shrimp, crab wontons and sweet potato fries ($36, serves up to four). But perhaps the better strategy is to order individual items to get exactly what you want and more of it. If you choose that route, our table’s favorite were the wings ($16 for 10 pieces). Dipped in batter, the pieces had a nice thick coat, and the bright guava passion barbecue sauce fit well with the tiki theme and backdrop of straw umbrellas and whimsical wallpaper with tropical vibes.

Note that Vern’s is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings. However, while the Vern’s drink menu is limited to that space, the food offerings are available in both the tiki and main cocktail lounges, the latter of which is open daily. (Nancy Ngo)

119 Washington Av. N., Mpls., publicdomainmpls.com

On my first visit, I asked for menu recommendations, and the man behind the counter raved about the carnitas al pastor ($13.99, three tacos). He was not wrong. Braised pork is glazed and shredded, served with pineapple, onions and cilantro. I got some good jiggly, rich, fatty bits in with the meat — unctuous and deeply satisfying. The side of salsa verde brings a welcome heat and the doubling up on tortillas kept all those juicy pieces where they belong. (J.S.)

2929 University Av. SE., Mpls., tacositomn.com

There’s lots of buzz about the forthcoming Minneapolis Cake Picnic, but I like to think of my life as one big cake picnic. And now that there’s a new place to grab a slice close to home, I’ll be having a lot more of it.

The team behind this new bakery and coffee shop, with an elaborate little-kid play space and an adorable sloth logo, is making all their baked goods in house. And the lineup of cakes available by the slice is one to behold. I chose the coconut cake ($6.50) and found the coconut flavor a nice, subtle counterpart to the buttery and fluffy-as-can-be layers, the bittersweet chocolate ganache on top and a not-too-sweet buttercream holding it all together.

The recipe comes from owner Jennifer Auger’s sister, and it’s one of her favorite slices, along with the bakery’s pistachio cake.