Brrr, it’s time for Meatloaf Dinner served with mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw and toast.
…
Desserts
Chocolate Layer Cake Carrot Cake Chocolate cream pie
…
Craft Cocktails
Espresso Martini- with vanilla vodka Winter style Old Fashioned – with Four Roses Bourbon
…
Specialty Appetizer
Bang Bang Cauliflower (battered and fried cauliflower topped with a homemade bang bang sauce- definitely a fan favorite!)
…
Homemade Soup
Spicy Beer Cheese served with caramel corn.
…
…
About
Tootie herself tended bar many afternoons up until she was 80 years old. She loved spending her time talking with customers and coming up with fun games to play with the bar customers. She even played the guitar and sang.
Nick and Lili have now owned Tooties for 33 years, serving homemade specials everyday, and creating the best wings and burgers around!
Tuesday-Saturday you will find Chef Nick in the kitchen cooking up the best food around.
Nick & Lili’s daughter Krissy has been managing the restaurant for the past 8 years, most days you can find her serving tables or helping out Chef Nick.
Meet Minneapolis: The food scene is always evolving in Minneapolis. These new food halls, delis, and cultural fusion restaurants with innovative flavors have opened within the past six months and need to go on your “to-try” list ASAP.
Beloved Minneapolis chef, Daniel del Prado recently opened an Argentinian woodfire steakhouse in the North Loop. The menu features all prime beef, but includes options at a variety of price points and American cuts as well as Argentinian. Outside of steaks, diners can expect to find a variety of pastas, small plates, vegetables, and seafood. After dinner, be sure to swing into the basement bar, Flora Room, for an expertly made cocktail in a gorgeous setting.
James Beard award-winning Chef Ann Kim’s new Korean American restaurant in Uptown is a walk-in only spot and serves plates that are perfect for sharing. Bring a group of friends or come extra hungry so you can try a lot of different things on the menu. On our list to try are the sakura pork belly, kimchi fried rice, rice cakes and cheese, and the hotteok. Beneath Kim’s, is Bronto Bar, casual cocktail bar serving up fun cocktails and delicious snacks.
With a kitchen that stays open until 1 a.m., Zhora Darling is serving up everything from small snackable plates to larger entrees and brunch in Northeast Minneapolis. In addition to a great dinner menu, Zhora Darling also serves brunch until 4 p.m. on the weekends.
Craving the flavors of Paris? Good news — you won’t have to shell out money for a plane ticket. Visit Maison Margaux in the North Loop for authentic Parisian cuisine. The menu is lined with dishes like duck confit, short ribs bourguignon, pommes frites, and more. Dine in the brassiere, or check out the vibey underground bar and cellar for drinks. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert. The crème brulee is delicious.
Kruse Markit, a new curated shopping mart in the Kingfield neighborhood features products that taste good, are responsibly made, and reflect the diverse community in Minneapolis. The market also features a seasonal chef driven fresh food menu – including breakfast bowls, tartines, grab and go deli items, charcuterie boards, salads, hand crafted coffee, and a handpicked wine and beer menu.
Gai Noi is chef An Ahmed’s latest restaurant adventure, and you can find it on the edge of Loring Park. Gai Noi, short for khao gai noi, is a type of short grain glutinous rice emblematic of the northern Xieng Khouang regions of Laos, where chef Ann and her family are from. Gai Noi is walk-in only, and built around a communal dining model. Order small plates to share as a group, and settle into the lush dining room or rooftop patio. Try the watermelon and shrimp salad, habanero wings, panang spaghetti, and the black sesame mochi bar for dessert.
An outpost of the popular Bolé Ethiopian Cuisine, Bolé Express, has opened in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. Here, chef Rekik Abaineh is serving up Ethiopian staples in a fast casual setting. Perfect for lunch or takeout, be sure to grab an order of doro wot (chicken stew), or a vegetarian platter, and plenty of injera.
Known for smoked meats and an extensive bourbon menu, Butcher and the Boar re-opened in the North Loop neighborhood under new ownership in early 2023. While the smoked meats are the shining star of the menu, the line of of snacks does not disappoint – pickle plates, grilled oysters, pimento cheese, blue crab beignets. And of course, don’t forget to check out their incredible cocktail menu – each cocktail is also available in a nonalcoholic version.
This sibling-run restaurant is a tribute to their father’s — or baba’s — creamy and bold hummus. The café is covered in colorful murals and textiles, and the interior is as bold as their hummus flavors. Here, hummus has a Palestinian-American twist. You can order hummus bowls with base flavors like ranch, truffle, and dill pickle and toppings like olive oil, pickled onions, falafel, and more. Or, try the coal-fired mana’eesh, a flatbread that’s popular in the Levant region of Asia.
Rochester Public Transit (RPT) will again be offering free rides to diners on their way to participating restaurants. Download the RPT fare voucher on rochesterrestaurantweek, present the voucher to the driver on any RPT bus route during Rochester Restaurant Week, January 15th – 21st, and no fare will be charged for the trip to and from participating restaurants.
Exploring Autumn’s Delicious Trends with Corporate Chef, Barry Greenberg
…
You can expect Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cider, Spicy Maple Syrup, Ube & Savory Grains on this fall/winter menu, according to Chef Barry Greenberg, culinary team lead at Hormel Foods.
…
Chef Barry Greenberg is an award-winning culinarian and is the Culinary Team Lead at Hormel Foods. But more to the point, he’s a lover of all things autumn. We asked Chef Barry to weigh in on this year’s fall food trends. Read what he had to say about this season’s trending flavors.
“Since I began cooking, I have always felt that fall is the best time to be in the kitchen. Things start to settle down into a rhythm, whether kids are back in school or off to college. Everyone has their own pace,” said Greenberg. “Luckily, we’re again in a position to allow friends and family to easily gather to share food and good times together.”
Greenberg continues, “If you’re into cooking fall vegetables, your time has come. Stews, soups and warm broths are making their way back into your repertoire. Apples, pears, pumpkins and all the squash take a lead role in my baking during fall. Maybe you’re learning some new bread-baking techniques like sourdough, pretzel dough or croissants. Long, slow braises with aromatics, legumes and meat kick off a cooler-weather cooking season at my house.”
“Here are some of the trends and flavors I’m looking forward to this fall.”
…
Pumpkin Spice
“Of course, it wouldn’t be fall without pumpkin spice everything. It’s everywhere, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon, either.”
Portable protein balls with Skippy® peanut butter are easy to customize and great to bring along with you for a full day of fun fall activities.
In large bowl, combine peanut butter, rolled oats, pumpkin, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and vanilla.
Shape into 24 balls.
Store in refrigerator.
For the Garnish
Roll balls in desired garnish.
…
Apple Cider
“Another fan favorite this time of year is apple cider. I really love a cider that is apple specific instead of a generic ‘everything in the masher’ type of cider. When you can find a specific flavor profile, the apple flavor really comes through and the appropriate sugar content for the apple is present. Whether it’s hot or cold, fall is cider season.”
This apple cider snack mix is like having autumn in the palm of your hand. Great for entertaining or snacking on the go, this mix is easy and bursts with the taste of fall.
Heat oven to 250°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In large bowl, combine cereal and cashews.
In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
Pour mixture over cereal and cashews. Toss to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Stir in dried apple chips.
…
Spicy Maple Syrup
“Hot or spicy maple syrup is something that I hope to see more of in restaurants. I spent a lot of time in Vermont and love a very dark, robust syrup. Spicy maple is usually seasoned with some type of chili pod. Maple syrup is really a spring harvest item, but I always think of it as part of a fall breakfast. It goes great with bacon, sausage and obviously pancakes.”
This SPAM® waffle musubi is a clever way to spice up your breakfast with a fiery blend of savory and sweet.
…
…
SPAM® Classic and Waffle Musubi with Spicy Maple Syrup
Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow dishes. Dredge SPAM® Classic slices in flour, dip in eggs and roll in breadcrumbs.
In large skillet, pour enough vegetable oil to cover bottom by 1-inch. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add breaded SPAM® Classic slices to skillet and fry 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Remove from skillet.
With moist hands, mold rice into eight blocks with same dimensions as SPAM® slices. Place rice blocks on halved waffles. Top with breaded SPAM® Classic slice. Wrap individual nori strips around each middle, moistening edge of nori to fasten it.
In small bowl, combine maple syrup and hot sauce. Serve on side or drizzle on.
…
Ube
“I have been thinking a lot about ube lately. It’s is a beautiful deep purple yam that has some nutty-flavor undertones and can be used for baking, as a mashed side dish and even in ice cream. Yes, ice cream (when used in its powdered form). It’s a beautiful color and a somewhat familiar flavor that is going to keep gaining popularity.”
This skillet roll brings the subtle sweetness of ube to the familiar flavor of a cinnamon roll put together with slices of savory Hormel® Black Label®bacon and baked in a skillet.
slices Hormel® Black Label® bacon, plus more for garnish if desired
1
(10-ounce) jar ube paste or jam
ICING
1
cup powdered sugar
2
tablespoons tablespoons ube paste or jam
2
tablespoons milk, or more to thin
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or glass pie plate.
Prepare bacon by placing slices on paper-towel-lined microwaveable plate. Cover with paper towel. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked, but pliable.
Roll dough out into a large, symmetrical rectangle, approximately 18-inch by 8-inch. Spread ube paste evenly over dough. Using a pizza cutter, make four horizontal strips, 2-inches wide. Place bacon end to end on strips and start tightly rolling dough and bacon strips into one large roll.
Place in center of prepared pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until it’s deep golden brown and springs back to touch. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. Let cool 10 minutes before icing.
For the Icing
Whisk together icing ingredients and drizzle over the roll. Sprinkle with additional bacon bits if desired.
…
Savory Granola
“Savory granola is another ingredient I’ve been watching. Think of the granola that you put on your fruit and yogurt, but it’s not sweet. Savory granola can be used as a complement to a sweet dish, or as a crunchy element to a side dish, pilaf or entrée. I’m envisioning a dish of roasted kabocha squash with coconut curry granola, or a sweet potato soup with a sesame-quinoa granola.”
Savory granola gives this kabocha squash dish a hearty crunch, with this particular mix featuring the savory goodness of Planters® rosemary and sea salt cashews.
Heat oven to 400°F. Place squash and onions on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with seasonings. Toss together. Roast 30 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Test for doneness with a fork.
Arrange squash on serving platter. Top with savory granola and goat cheese. Drizzle with additional olive oil , if desired.
For the Savory Rosemary Sea Salt Granola with a Curry Twist
Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In small bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup, and egg white.
In separate bowl, combine oats, nuts, and seasonings.
Poor oil mixture over oats and nut mixture. Stir to coat well. Spread onto baking sheet.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until fragrant and golden in color. Cool on pan, then break up and store in an airtight container.
Another way to enjoy savory grains is with a hearty oatmeal. Incorporating bacon, eggs and your favorite toppings brings an extra warmth to your bowl.
Suggested Toppings: fried eggs, crumbled Hormel® Black Label® Bacon, Wholly® Guacamole, chopped green onions and pico de gallo
Directions
Combine oats, water, milk and salt in a heavy, medium sized saucepan. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Continue to cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese. Add black pepper if desired.
Serve with suggested toppings.
From the familiar comfort of pumpkin spice to the innovative fusion of unexpected ingredients like ube, this season’s flavor trends offer something for everyone. As we bid farewell to the scorching days of summer, we welcome the arrival of autumn with open arms and eager palates. So, whether you’re sipping on a spiced latte, savoring a hearty bowl of oatmeal or indulging in a warm and cozy treat, this year’s fall-flavor trends remind us that there’s always something new and exciting to explore in the world of food.
If there’s one word that sums up the Twin Cities restaurant scene in 2023, it’s bloom. This was a year that seeds planted during (or even before) the early pandemic came to life: Pop-ups went permanent, dreams took shape as markets and cafes, and takeout operations flourished into full-service restaurants. If, in 2024, the restaurant world looks poised to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity and buzz, we owe that to those who tended their gardens amid highly imperfect conditions, contending with inflation and a bumpy labor market but still forging ahead. Here are some of the Cities’ best and brightest new restaurants, bars, pop-ups, and more, from an opening time frame between roughly October 2022 and October 2023.
Oro by Nixta: Restaurant of the Year
Chefs Gustavo and Kate Romero have radically changed the meaning of corn in the Cities’ restaurant scene, transcending hybridized sweet yellow cobs and industrial harina and serving corn that is earthy, fibrous, even ferric, its kernels big as gold coins. If expanding their tortilleria and takeout operation Nixta into full-service restaurant Oro was a leap of faith, they took it because they’re the greatest corn evangelists around, and their mission — helping to preserve Mexico’s 59 remaining heirloom corn varieties, threatened by cheap U.S. imports and industrial masa production — was too important to allow otherwise. Nationally, Oro is part of a wave of restaurants making heirloom corn the star of their menus (and yes, it’s making a difference), and locally, it’s serving masa dishes that rarely grace Twin Cities tables elsewhere: tlayudas as broad as a sun hat; blue corn chochoyotes; crispy soft-shell crab folded up in Nixta’s thick, springy tortillas.Those moles, velvety and dark and laced with cinnamon, bind the menu into one seamless whole.
Marty’s Deli: Best Damn Sandwich
Marty’s Deli made its name on its focaccia, the hand-baked, salt-flecked, soft-as-a-cloud bread that fueled Martha Polacek’s sandwich pop-up for two years during the early pandemic. But moving into a sunny storefront in Northeast gave her the space to create the New York-style deli Marty’s was always destined to be, one stocked with capers and egg salad and giardiniera. Polacek’s egg-meat-cheese-hashbrown-collards combo rocked the breakfast scene this year, and her classic sandwiches, with their expert layers of briny meats, bright pickled vegetables, and creamy aiolis, have remained as popular as ever. But Marty’s has also proved to have one of Minneapolis’s most dexterous seasonal menus, featuring sandwich specials stuffed with fried chicken of the woods mushrooms or late-summer heirloom tomatoes; serving sides of corn chowder and polenta cake with rhubarb; and doing frequent local collaborations (like an Animales pastrami egg-and-cheese). Those chocolate olive oil cookies, the weeks that they appear, steal the entire show.
Lito’s Burritos: Best New Pop-Up
Lito’s, the new Chicano kitchen nestled in Richfield’s El Tejaban restaurant, started a small breakfast revolution with its hefty, LA-style burritos. Miguel Hernandez road-tripped around Orange County to craft his menu, gathering intel and inspiration from roadside restaurants he found along the way. The resulting burritos, whipped up in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant, are stuffed with beef birria and queso blanco; chorizo and potatoes crisped in chile de arbol; and, in a true moment of Califorcana, steak with guacamole and French fries. (They’re wrapped in a crunchy cheese crust upon request, a nod to famed LA pop-up Lowkey Burritos.) Hernandez serves a number of other Chicano dishes too, from asada fries to birria tortas, all accompanied by his sister Diana Hernandez’s nutty mazapan frappuccinos, horchata cold brews, and mochas laced with Oaxacan chocolate. These burritos are one-of-a-kind in the Cities — and Hernandez keeps building on the concept, smoking whole briskets for weekend brunches and pouring mimosas.
Diana and Miguel Hernandez with their mother, Rosa Zambrano.
Hi Flora: Best New Bar
Many bars around town have gotten serious about mocktails in recent years, but Hi Flora took a bold leap on a no-proof menu andmerged it with the nascent THC trend, creating a bar program that’s truly unique in the Cities. Chef Heather Klein explores what euphoria there is to be found in new-agey bottled nonalcoholic spirits, but also in plants: the limb-loosening effects of kava root in a tart, punchy lemonade; smoked juniper THC tinctures; electrifying caffeine elixirs; and woody chaga nightcaps laced with tree sap. There’s something wild and enthralling about her vegan food menu too, which is built on nuts, grains, vegetables, and foraged mushrooms and augmented by masterful dupes of nacho cheese (cashews), fried chicken (maitakes), and chocolate mousse (avocado). Plus, she’s the only local chef throwing down a whole Lion’s Mane mushroom steak, big as a ribeye and marinated in a tangy beet brine. And Hi Flora’s fun, offbeat events — from drag brunch to pizza and blunt nights — are infusing new life into the corner of Lyndale and 26th.
Indigenous Food Lab: The Visionary
It’s no secret that North American Indigenous food has emerged as one of the Cities’ defining cuisines in recent years, and Indigenous Food Lab — led by chef Sean Sherman of Owamni and the staff of the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) — made huge gains for accessibility when it opened at Midtown Global Market this year. The cafe menu is simple and quick-serve, but it’s almost revolutionary when you consider the rarity of slow-cooked bison birria, maple-glazed smoked whitefish, and the full assemblage of the Three Sisters (corn, tepary beans, and squash) in your paper to-go dish; iced chaga lattes or brewed cacao in your cup. Revolution is part of the idea: NATIFS has its sights set far beyond the Lake Street location, with intentions to expand to other cities and replicate its model to advance Indigenous food sovereignty across the country. In the meantime, Indigenous Food Lab is chugging away here, hosting visiting chefs like Freddie Bitsoie in the test kitchen and offering classes on everything from seed saving to ethnobotany — moving the dial from hegemony to sovereignty one čhoǧíŋyapi sandwich at a time.