In 2013 — my first full year writing about restaurants at the Pioneer Press — I ate lots of memorable meals. Thankfully, there were more good meals than bad and more unforgettably delicious than inedible. Here, in no particular order, are 10 dishes I won’t forget. They’re all from newish restaurants, because a big part of my job is trying out new places:
BISCUITS AND GRAVY AT BUTTERED TIN ($9.95)
I waffled on which dish to choose at this sweet bakery/cafe in Lowertown, but this is what I order most. The flaky, fluffy, buttery herb biscuits are made in-house, as is the fantastic sage sausage in the gravy. The pork for the sausage comes from Fischer Family farms. Topped off with a quivering poached egg, some pickled onions and pretty greens, and you have my idea of the perfect comfort food.
The Buttered Tin: 237 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-224-2300; thebutteredtin.com
CIOPPINO AT LOUIS ($39)
The price on this dish might scare some diners away, but it shouldn’t. Make a trip to the third-floor fine-dining restaurant in the Cossetta complex for it, but be sure to take a friend who likes seafood, too, because the bowl is big enough to share. A fresh, bright, tomatoey broth, which is absolutely drinkable, is studded with seared scallops, cod, squid, shrimp and grilled lobster. It’s a feast worthy of a special occasion.
Louis: 211 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-222-3476; cossettas.com/louis
OCTOPUS AT BOROUGH ($16)
I first ate this dish almost a year ago, and I’m still thinking about it. Octopus tentacles are braised until meltingly tender, then crisped beautifully on the outside, glazed with soy, sprinkled with peanuts and accompanied by perfect polka dots of pureed yams. At the time, I wrote that I was less than pleased about sharing the dish, which pretty much summed it up.
Borough: 730 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-354-3135; boroughMPLS.com
LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE AT SMACK SHACK ($11)
It’s listed as a side dish on the menu, but it’s filling enough for a meal and delicious enough to make my Top 10. Decadent, stinky (in a good way), creamy and comforting, this bowl of mac and cheese could stand among my favorites in the Cities on its own, but the guys at Smack Shack make it truly unforgettable by piling tender lobster meat on top.
Smack Shack: 603 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-259-7288, smack-shack.com
REUBEN AT WARD 6 ($11)
House-made corned beef, fresh sauerkraut and a zippy dressing in the right proportions make this the perfect bar sandwich. Everyone loves this Reuben, with good reason.
Ward 6: 858 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-348-8181; ward6stpaul.com
LAMB INDURRITO AT HOT INDIAN FOODS ($10)
My favorite new food truck knocked it out of the park from day one, appealing to vegetarians, Indian-food lovers and foodies with its burrito-like ethnic food mash-up. Lamb is the filling I crave most — rich, earthy, spicy lamb curry is paired with the truck’s amazing Indian slaw and basmati rice and swaddled in thin roti bread. It’s hard to resist adding an order of Hot Indian’s addictive, spiced Indi Frites on the side. They were good enough to win a Charlie Award this year.
Hot Indian Foods: hotindianfoods.com; twitter.com/hotindianfoods
MINNESOTA NICE COOKIE AT GROUNDSWELL ($2.85)
Adding wild rice to a cookie is a stroke of genius. This gigantic cookie’s chewy texture and slightly bitter, nutty flavor come from it. Paired with a super-sweet orange icing, the cookie makes for a treat that’s unforgettably nice.
Groundswell: 1340 Thomas Ave., St. Paul; 651-645-6466; groundswellmn.com
HOUSE-SMOKED SALMON AT SEVENTH STREET SOCIAL ($10)
I was raised eating in backwoods supper clubs, and this dish is the perfect example of what a good supper club does best: It lets good ingredients speak for themselves. Skuna Bay salmon is lightly smoked in-house and served with plenty of chopped hard-boiled egg, red onion, capers and creme fraiche that you can pile on a toasted baguette.
Seventh Street Social: 2176 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-330-4688; seventhstreetsocial.com
PATATAS BRAVAS AT RINCON 38 ($5)
This little dish at the unassuming new tapas bar in Minneapolis’ Kingfield neighborhood is the base of a lot of the plates we tried there. Colorful vegetables and spicy Spanish chorizo are drizzled with a rich, saffron aioli that’s lick-your-plate good.
Rincon 38: 3801 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-824-4052; rincon38.com
LOX POTATO SALAD AT LAKE AND IRVING ($7)
A late entry from super-new Lake and Irving, this dish is simple and perfect. Fingerlings are made into a dilly smashed potato salad and draped with salty, slightly chewy, bright pink lox. If the brothers who run this new Uptown restaurant can keep churning out dishes like this, they’ll do just fine.
Lake and Irving: 1513 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-354-2453; lakeandirving.com
Jess Fleming can be reached at 651-228-5435. Follow her at twitter.com/jessflem.
