The 5 best things our food writers ate this week

Rio 1854, opened in the former Dock Cafe space, pays homage to its riverfront location and the year Stillwater was incorporated while billing itself as a Latin Craft Kitchen. The new owners, also behind Taco Libre with several locations across the metro, have refreshed the space with powder blue upholstery and other bright touches.

A breakfast/lunch menu is available featuring egg and pancake dishes, salads and handhelds. During the evening hours, a dinner menu rolls out with offerings such as ceviche, pasta, steak and seafood. During a recent lunch visit we gravitated toward the “breakfast across the Americas” section with items such as chilaquiles, Colombian and Venezuelan breakfast plates with arepas (which by the way, come out wonderfully golden crisp).

When here, it would be a shame not to place an order of the tres leches French toast ($15) to share at the table or hog for yourself. It’s that delicious. The kitchen takes key components of the beloved Mexican cake — evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream — and incorporates it into the French toast batter. The result is a spongy coat of tres leches that wonderfully oozes out of the thick, golden toast the moment you cut into it. Sweet and indulgent, it’s like eating dessert for breakfast. Nothing wrong with that. (Nancy Ngo)

425 Nelson St. E., Stillwater, rio1854.com

A good way to start a fight with a South St. Paul food aficionado is to ask whether the unmissable order at the Coop is a Coney or fried chicken dinner. Lucky for us, both are food bargains, and in the interest of sharing all we love, my husband and I ordered one of each.

Open since 1963, the Coop is a cherished institution for its comfort food, serving generations saucy ribs, meat sauce-ladled Coney dogs and the crisp and juicy fried chicken. Pressure-fried, all those juices stay inside the meat, and the exterior has a lightly breaded coating that’s crisp and simply seasoned. The two-piece chicken dinner, just $10.25 with a choice of sides (potato wedges are nonnegotiable in my world) and a roll, is a hefty meal. For just a couple of bucks more ($13), a four-piece dinner is a whole feast. (Joy Summers)

157 3rd Av. S., South St. Paul, 651-455-7566

The standout is the traditional obleas ($6). The dessert begins with two thin wafers sandwiching a cool filling of whipped cream, shredded mozzarella and arequipe, a glossy caramel spread made from sweetened milk that’s beloved in Colombia. “Eat it like a burger,” Moraru told me — and she was right. The delightfully messy mix of salty cheese, sweet cream and rich caramel hits some of the same notes as a dessert cheese plate, but more fun.

In Colombia, obleas are a Sunday treat, something families share after lunch while out for a stroll, Moraru said. In Bucaramanga, where she’s from, obleas can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients, including hormiga culona. The large ant, toasted like peanuts, is a regional specialty playfully reflected in the cafe’s wall of tiny ant sculptures, though not on the menu itself. Here, you’ll find fillings like strawberry sauce, diced peaches or chocolate spread — but that super-thick caramel is essential.

Soon, Trópico will have company: Càphin, a Vietnamese coffee shop, is opening its second Minneapolis location in the Kickernick by December, turning the building into a quiet downtown hub for global sweets and caffeine breaks. (Sharyn Jackson)

430 1st Av. N., Mpls., vivetropico.com

Hand-pulled noodles are having a moment in the Twin Cities, and at Meet Up Noodle, the new restaurant focusing on northwest regional Chinese dishes on Minneapolis’ Eat Street, it’s a choose your own noodle adventure situation.

Co-owner Jolene Lin said the broth is made from slow-simmered beef bones combined with spices, including tsaoko (black cardamom), star anise, sand ginger, cassia twig, long pepper and roasted sesame seeds. And then they increase the heat level. “We add our house made pork chili mix” that includes several types of Sichuan chiles and seasonings, Lin explained.

There are seven kinds of hand-pulled noodles at Meet Up: regular, extra thin, thick, flat, wide, extra wide and hand-shaved, as well as a store-bought rice noodle option. As to which is best with a particular broth, that’s up to you to decide. When asked, Lin prefers the Chongqing Spicy Noodles with the regular hand-pulled noodles. “Perfect for soaking up all that spicy goodness,” she said. (Raphael Brion)

2 E. 26th St., Mpls., meetupnoodle.com

Red Cow in the North Loop is all grown up. To mark the restaurant’s 10th birthday — and cater to the changing needs of the neighborhood — owner Luke Shimp has given the space a makeover. After a brief closure, Red Cow 2.0 is now up and running with a whole new attitude.

The space is a more grown-up version of its former self, sporting quartz countertops, stylish fixtures and other refined finishes. Meanwhile, the casual nature of the bar area remains (the game of the day continues to play on screens) and the popular cocktails and burger menu is intact. At the same time, beverage director Ian Lowther has expanded the offerings, including a new martini section with seven different takes on the classic. Chef Adam Lerner has also broadened the menu with new items such as tacos, fish and chips, ribs and more.

208 1st Av. N., Mpls., redcowmn.com