Salmon crudo at RÖK Eatery
"It's not fusion," explained co-owner Travis Wycislak, my bartender and server on the evening I dined at RÖK Eatery.
While the restaurant boasts expertise in both Japanese and Nordic cuisines, the two rarely meet. But sampling a few of chef and co-owner Adam Prince's small dishes reveals more similarities than expected, such as a focus on foraged and garden-fresh herbs, delicately handled proteins and a spotlight on veggies.
Though I'd go back for everything I ordered, my first course was a stunner. Shavings of fresh-caught salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska, glistened like rubies underneath even thinner strands of raw fennel. A subtle walnut and maple vinaigrette dressed it with a hint of sweetness; dill and pea shoots lent an earthiness. Pops of pink peppercorn were the exclamation point.
The bright and light appetizer ($20) is a worthy lead-in to any of Prince's entrees — especially the knockout Nordic burger, assembled simply from a dry-aged beef blend from Peterson Craftsman Meats, Swiss raclette, house pickles and a heavy pressing on the grill. It melts in your mouth.
Prince was an executive chef at W.A. Frost before taking over the ground floor of the Schmidt brewery's rathskeller building (previously Rose Street Patisserie's cafe) last year. Like many mid-pandemic openings, the restaurant rolled out slowly. Now it's in full swing with a cocktail menu as pure and exploratory as the food menu (and a healthy sake list), and live music five nights a week. (Sharyn Jackson)
882 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-528-7273, rokeatery.com
Squash Soup from Wise Acre Eatery
At Wise Acre Eatery, farm-to-table aren't buzzwords that are casually tossed around. It's a simple fact that this food came directly from one Minnesota farm. When owners Scott Endres and Dean Engelmann first purchased this space, they were best known as the owners of nearby Tangletown Gardens, where neighbors went for beautiful green and growing things. Now, more than 10 years later, Wise Acre is equally known for its green and grown things, but also as a market for some of the freshest eggs around. A storefront stocked with just-harvested vegetables, it's also a fantastic daytime cafe that serves up the season's bounty in all kinds of delicious ways.
Here the vegetables don't just come from some farms, but from a single farm run by the restaurant's owners. It supplies the butternut and honeynut squashes that are roasted and blended into a velvety gold soup ($8, vegan and gluten-free) and served during this late harvest/onset of sweater weather season. A little bit of five spice adds another layer of warmth. It was the perfect dish to slurp and savor while luxuriating in the cozy, greenery-filled room while catching up with friends. (Joy Summers)
5401 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls. 612-354-2577, wiseacreeatery.com
Potato and kohlrabi gratin from Tullibee
Right or wrong, I've always considered kohlrabi a summer vegetable, plucked out of the garden and eaten as soon as it could be washed and peeled. Its sweet-peppery taste and broccoli-like texture is a snappy addition to vegetable trays. And, it turns out, to gratins.
At Tullibee, the restaurant inside the North Loop's Hewing Hotel, chef Marque Collins' new fall menu alternates thin layers of kohlrabi and potato and fortifies the combination with Good Thunder cheese from Alemar Cheese Co. The gratin ($12) is topped with crispy potato chips and served with dollops of lingonberry sauce on the side — be sure to put it to use. Cooking kohlrabi subdues its bite but doesn't eliminate it, making it the perfect foil for potatoes (the chips are a welcome guilty pleasure). But the lingonberry sauce was a nice surprise, adding a burst of tart that tempered the richness of the gratin and fitting right in with the Scandinavian-inspired cuisine. The end result had me and my dining companion eagerly dissecting it, wondering how to replicate it at home. It would make a great side dish for any meat on the menu — or just make a meal of the sides (the endive and apple salad, with roasted beets, blue cheese and pistachios, was equally tasty).
Don't be surprised if a far-less refined version of this gratin makes an appearance at my Thanksgiving table. And thanks to chef Collins for reminding me that kohlrabi isn't just a summer staple. (Nicole Hvidsten)
300 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 651-468-0600, hewinghotel.com/tullibee
Cachapas Venezolanas from Maria's Cafe
You can get seven varieties of pancakes at Maria's Cafe, the venerable South American cafe and gathering spot on E. Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. I sampled three of them, but my heart is with just one, the cachapa Venezolana (bottom right).
The Venezuelan corn pancake ($4.75 each, $9.25 for two, plus $2.25 for cotija cheese), is comfort food to the max, like leftover holiday corn pudding that's been flattened on a grilled, crispy on the edges with a velvety creamy middle. No syrup is needed to sweeten it, and a few crumbles of cotija cheese sprinkled on top takes it just to the edge of savory territory. That pancake and a bottomless cup of coffee (or the rich Colombian hot chocolate — or both!) are an ace hangover remedy, but no occasion or malady is necessary to happily saunter into a crisp autumn with these pancakes.
Maria Hoyos' sunlit cafe has been in the Ancient Traders Market for more than 20 years, where she turns out Colombian, Venezuelan and other regional Latin dishes, plus American diner fare, every day until 3 p.m. The pancakes are, blessedly, available all day. (S.J.)
1113 E. Franklin Av., Mpls., 612-870-9842, mariascafe.com
Chicken Makhani from India House
I can smell the restaurant before I see it. Wafting out of a storefront on Grand Avenue are the most alluring aromas of toasted mustard seed, warm cardamom, earthy garam masala and stewed tomatoes, all mingled together to create the promise of good things to come.
Inside, the restaurant transports diners (likely somewhere warmer) far from the routine hustle and bustle. Wood beams flank the tall ceilings and light pours in; tables are formally set with starched linens, and the staff is welcoming.
First opened in 2009, India House was founded by Joginder Cheema and serves an array of dishes, including samosas, tandoori and curries.
On a chilly night I ordered the chicken makhani ($15.99) for take-away. Makhani is the Hindi word for butter, and the sauce makes great use of it along with fresh cream, tomatoes and a proprietary house spice blend. The chicken was present, but the dish would be just as good with vegetables or paneer — this is all about the sauce, spooned over fluffy jasmine rice. (J.S.)
758 Grand Av., St. Paul, 651-293-9124, indiahousemn.com
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