A Spicy Chicken Tour and Deep Dive
A Spicy Chicken Tour and Deep Dive
The Tap for Friday, October 25, 2024
Welcome to the Tap, Heavy Table’s biweekly guide to restaurants and culinary industry news for Minnesota and beyond. This newsletter is available in full to all of our $10/month subscribers. We’re here doing this work only because of your support - thank you for your support of this independent journalistic enterprise.
WHAT’S IN A SANDWICH?
By James Norton
There’s a reason that sandwich making sometimes gets described as an “art” (and why Subway, its mediocre quality notwithstanding, coined the term “Sandwich Artist” to describe their employees.) A great sandwich is somehow much more than the sum of its parts: You can have exactly the right ingredients, weighed out to exactly the right proportions, and still dial in a world-class or a really good or a mediocre result based on how layer your toppings, how you chop your vegetables, how you spread and distribute your condiments, and how (or whether) you toast your bread. [1]
Sandwiches are on my mind this week because of our feature story, an epic tour of spicy chicken sandwiches by contributing writer Eli Radtke. One of Heavy Table’s leading qualities - and we owe thanks to all of you subscribers for making this possible - is that we’re willing to spend whatever it takes to consume truly obscene amounts of food in order to make meaningful statements about quality, quantity, ambiance, and value. Sometimes it’s hundreds of dollars (like this feature) and sometimes it’s five figures (like our ongoing and apparently infinite Checklist series), but the purpose is the same: Learn the truth by gathering the data, tasting the data, being overwhelmed by the data, and finally sorting and classifying the data.
If you eat a good sandwich, you’ve eaten a good sandwich. If you eat ten good sandwiches and ten bad ones at 20 different shops, you’re starting to get a pretty good idea of what those sandwiches are about. Eat 100 and you might be ready to produce a pretty decent one if left to your own devices. Everything matters: the crumb of the bread, the heat of the spice, the cut and quality of the meat, the way the thing is stacked up and served. Radtke knows this; it’s what makes his piece such entertaining (and edifying) reading.
Thinking along similar lines this week is Jason DeRusha’s sprawling sandwich guide, over on Minnesota Monthly - there’s a lot to like about it, and a lot of strong picks. And if you’re a history buff, you might remember Heavy Table writers and photographers once created a book about Minnesota’s most resonant and important sandwiches (and other lunch-time foods) called Minnesota Lunch. Researching that thing was a job-and-a-half, but as always, we were proud to put in the work. It’s all a laugh until you see a dozen stacks of meat, cheese, and bread staring you down, and then you realize that while sandwich making looks casual and easy, it’s legitimately serious business. Now: Off to the fabled land of hot chicken by way of Minneapolis-St. Paul!
THE TAP
The Tap is the Heavy Table’s ongoing biweekly account of noteworthy Minnesota restaurant openings, closings, and future openings. Please send any tips to editor@heavytable.com. All dates are approximate based on best information available; opening dates, in particular, tend to shift around a lot.
NOW OPEN (Up to 3 Months)
Grackle, 11852 Elm Creek Boulevard North, Maple Grove, Minn. ■ Hot on the heels of Starling, another suburban bird-themed restaurant is shooting for “neighborhood, but upscale”: Grackle, from the team behind Margie's Kitchen & Cocktails in Andover. Opened October 18, 2024.
Aster House, 25 SE Main St., Minneapolis ■ New-school supper club with a local food edge by the team behind Aster Cafe and Jefe Urban Cantina, helmed by Chef Josh Jones with Myriel’s Karyn Tomlinson acting as menu consultant and mentor. Opened October 16, 2024.
Eloise, 332 Broadway Ave S, Wayzaya, Minn. ■ A new sister restaurant to the existing and popular Grocer’s Table, Eloise is focused on evening gatherings, “elevated food,” and cocktails. Opened October 14, 2024.
Lagniappe, 2700 East Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ The Du Nord cocktail room has returned to Longfellow along with a New Orleans-inspired restaurant called Lagniappe. Opened October 11, 2024. Previewed by Eli Radtke in the October 11, 2024 edition of the Tap.
Momo Korean Egg Drop, 405 14th Ave. SE, Minneapolis ■ A franchise of the international Momo Korean Egg Drop chain has opened in Dinkytown, serving specialty egg sandwiches on milk bread. Opened September 25, 2024.
Small Hours, 2201 NE 2nd St., Minneapolis ■ A new bar built for wine drinkers and music lovers, operated by a sommelier and a songwriter. Small plates and conservas round out the menu. Opened September 21, 2024.
Hey Bear Cafe, 791 Raymond Ave., St. Paul ■ The former Foxy Falafel spot on Raymond will become a biscuit-driven breakfast and lunch spot. Opened September 18, 2024.
Kinzo Udon, 802 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis ■ A self-service Japanese-inspired cafeteria focused on hand-crafted udon noodles made by a Kagawa, Japan-trained chef. Opened September 14, 2024.
Dexter’s, 3717 W. 50th St., Minneapolis ■ The latest Daniel del Prado restaurant has arrived at 50th and France, offering a “casual yet refined” concept including burgers and wings. Opened August 19, 2024.
Forepaughs, 276 Exchange St., St. Paul ■ The venerable Saint Paul institution has returned this summer after five years of hibernation. Jeremy Wessing (Pau Hana, Baldamar, Sea Change) will run the culinary side of things. Opened August 19, 2024.
Tender Lovin’ Chix, 2700 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis ■ We didn’t dig Fire and Nice Ale House when we visited it on our Lyndale Avenue Checklist; it has since shuttered its doors, to be replaced by the bricks and mortar location of a popular local fried chicken truck with support from Billy Tserenbat of Billy Sushi. Opened August 19, 2024. Reviewed briefly in our hot chicken roundup from the October 25, 2024 edition of the Tap.
Cross Bridge Noodle Restaurant, 2 E 26th Street, Minneapolis ■ The former Bad Waitress on Nicollet has become a new spot from Sushi Train co-owner Kevin Ni, serving crossing-the-bridge-noodles, a pho variant native to China's Yunnan province. Opened August 18, 2024.
Lynette, 3751 42nd Ave S., Minneapolis ■ Ben Siers-Rients, a mainstay of the well-regarded Lyn65 restaurant, has opened a new spot in the former Riverview Cafe and Winebar in South Minneapolis with partner Travis Serbus. Opened August 16, 2024. We checked out one of their soft openings.
Vinai, 1300 NE 2nd St., Minneapolis ■ After years of anticipation, Yia Vang’s Hmong restaurant will make its debut in the former Dangerous Man taproom in Northeast. Opened July 28, 2024.
Restaurants at North Loop Green (Hope Breakfast Bar, Salt & Flour, Bassett Hound), 350 North 5th Street, Minneapolis ■ A new partnership between restaurateur Brian Ingram and the upcoming North Loop Green development features three new restaurants, including a new location of Ingram’s Hope Breakfast Bar and his new Italian classics concept Salt & Flour, and the North Loop Green-operated bar and casual restaurant Bassett Hound (named for nearby Bassett Creek). Bassett Hound opened July 5, 2024; Salt & Flour and Hope to open this fall.
CLOSED AND CLOSING (Up to 3 Months)
Tattersall Distilling, Minneapolis ■ After a controversial rent dispute / possible scam, this foundational craft distilling company is shutting down its Minnesota location at the end of the year. Its River Falls, Wisc. location remains open. Closing December 2024.
Chicago’s Taste Authority ■ Rent increases doomed one of the metro’s leading Chicago dog meccas. Closed September 21, 2024.
Vellee Deli (Northeast location) ■ The Northeast Minneapolis location of this local Asian-Mexican chain has shut down; the downtown location is set to reopen. The fate of its Brooklyn Park location is unclear. Closed September 10, 2024.
Barrio (Lowertown, Saint Paul) ■ The once popular outpost of a local Mexican-inspired chain has called it quits amid a general struggle for foot traffic and life in downtown Saint Paul. Closed September 6, 2024.
Kim’s ■ Uptown’s retooled Sooki & Mimi closed shortly after employees voted to unionize. We wrote about the closure in the Aug 30, 2024 edition of the Tap. Closed August 30, 2024.
Cafe Pizzaria ■ A low-key mainstay in Bloomington for 70 years, Cafe Pizzaria shut abruptly to “retire and have more time to focus on family.” Closed August 28, 2024.
UPCOMING (Most Imminent to Furthest Out)
Caphin, 4503 France Avenue South, Minneapolis ■ A hip Vietnamese coffee truck is getting bricks-and-mortar space in the former Jinx Tea and Folly Coffee spot in South Minneapolis. Opening Fall 2024.
Razava Bread Company, 685 Grand Avenue, St. Paul ■ This upcoming bakery is a partnership between Steve Baldinger (whose family ran Baldinger Bakery in St. Paul) and Omri Zin-Tamir of the Bakery on 22nd St. Will feature challah, bagels, pita and more. Read our interview with Omri Zin-Tamir in the May 13, 2022 edition of the Tap. Opening Fall 2024.
Jade Dynasty, 600 West Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ A former owner of the well-regarded Hong Kong Noodles restaurant is teaming up with a former Mystic Lake Casino restaurant manager to open a dim sum, hot pot, and Cantonese restaurant in the former Fuji Ya space on Lake Street. Opening Fall 2024.
Minari, 323 13th Ave. NE., Minneapolis ■ The former Erté & the Peacock Lounge space will become a Korean-inspired temple of noodles, dumplings, and dim sum controlled by the burgeoning Daniel del Prado group and headed by Chef Jeff Watson. Seating capacity is large, 220 guests in total. Opening November 15, 2024.
La Madre, 205 Park Ave., Minneapolis ■ The floor level of The Vicinity apartments will soon offer “a chef-curated menu providing a modern take on traditional Mexican entrees, small plates, and shareables with plenty of seafood and exotic Mexican cuisine options” operated by Abe Ponce of La Tapatia in Roseville. Opening Fall 2024.
Khue’s Kitchen, 799 University Ave. W, St. Paul ■ The former Ngon Bistro will see life again as pop-up restaurant Khue’s Kitchen, formerly at Bar Brava, takes over the space. Chef Eric Pham is the grandson of Lung Tran, who opened the locally legendary Quang on Nicollet Avenue. Opening delayed by fire.
Saturday Dumpling Company, 519 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis ■ The popular subscription-based dumpling company will be moving its production operation to a space with 45 indoor and 10 outdoor seats, in the former Glam Dolls Donut shop space. The restaurant will serve dumplings in three styles (steamed, pan fried, and deep fried) with pork, beef, chicken, and vegetarian fillings, plus a filling of the month. The menu will also feature scallion pancake burritos and rice bowls. MSP Mag is following their opening process in detail. Opening Fall 2024.
Francis Burger Joint (second location), 3900 East Lake Street, Minneapolis ■ Northeast’s popular vegan burger and chicken sandwich spot is set to open a second location in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis in the former home of Peppers and Fries. Opening Fall 2024.
Pearl & the Thief and Big E, 250 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis ■ A reboot of Justin Sutherland’s Stillwater-based restaurant, Pearl & the Thief, was slated to go into the O2 Luxury Tower along with another location for the chef’s egg-based sandwich shop, Big E. The initial press release promised “an exceptional culinary experience” plus “a high-end whiskey bar, craft cocktails, and approximately 2,000 SF of outdoor patio space.” After Sutherland was charged with threatening violence against his girlfriend in July, O2 developer Sherman Associates has refused on multiple occasions to comment on the future of the project. Stacy Brooks reported on this story in the September 27, 2024 edition of the Tap. Opening Delayed.
Le Burger 4304, 4304 Upton Av. S., Minneapolis ■ Roast chicken, soft-serve ice cream, and most of all carefully turned-out burgers will be the heart of the menu for this new spot by two Bachelor Farmer alums in partnership with John Gross of Kado no Mise and Sanjusan. Opening Fall 2024.
Cafe Yoto, 548 North Washington Ave., Minneapolis ■ A casual, counter service-driven Kado No Mise spinoff by Chef Yo Hasegawa, riffing on that restaurant’s internal pop-up concept Yo Monday Cafe. Opening October 2024.
Russell's Bar and Grill, 656 Grand Ave., St. Paul ■ The former Tavern on Grand space will reopen as a restaurant with contemporary American classics and some supper club favorites. Opening November 2024.
Burnt Chicken, 858 Payne Ave., St. Paul ■ A popular if poorly named fried chicken pop-up is going bricks and mortar in the former East Side Bar space. Opening November 2024.
Ate Ate Ate, 1178 Burnsville Center, Burnsville, Minn. ■ Yet another Asian-focused food hall is coming to the metro, anchored by the Asian food store Ensom Market. The spot is giving some Market at Malcolm Yards vibes. As per the press release: “The 13,320 square foot location will be home to a diverse roster of nine food vendors, plus a bar and beer pull wall, an event space, and regular entertainment offerings.” The project is spearheaded by Akhtar Nawab, a Michelin-awarded chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. Opening delayed, likely 2024.
Tim McKee Restaurants at The West Hotel, 167 N. First St., Minneapolis ■ A basque-inspired charcoal-driven restaurant and a Mediterranean bakery will be part of a new North Loop hotel in the former [Commutator Building](https://northloop.org/history-of-the-commutator-building/) operated by Salt Hotels. Opening 2024.
The Rabbit Hole (no relation to The Rabbit Hole at Midtown Global Market), 411 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis ■ A “high-energy sports bar with an eclectic comfort food menu” will be opening in the former Axebridge Wine Co. space, with 40 TV screens and live DJs. (Axebridge closed June 30, 2024; Mike Norton profiled it in the Tulip and Schooner for November 10, 2023.)
Animales BBQ and Burger Co., 241 Fremont Ave. North, Minneapolis ■ The two well-regarded Jon Wipfli food trucks, Animales BBQ and Animales Burger Co., will unite in a bricks-and-mortar effort located in the former Royal Foundry Distillery in the Harrison neighborhood of Minneapolis. Opening early 2025.
FIVE-COURSE SNACK
Notes from the Snack Bar Fall Menu Preview Dinner
By Jeanne Lakso
Isaac Becker doesn’t like tasting menus. I’m right there with you, Chef, and yet, there we were together at Snack Bar on a warm autumn evening. You running the kitchen, Nancy St. Pierre skillfully orchestrating the front of house from her podium, all brought together by this five-course prix fixe dinner ($65 per person). And I’m happy to have been there. Becker and St. Pierre’s restaurants are well known for exceptional food, wine, and hospitality, and $65 is a small price to pay for seeing them in action in this intimate space across the hall from their flagship Bar la Grassa.
The evening began with a lovely, lively salad: thin shreds of radicchio, fried fennel, and apple dressed in a pesto of whole lemons and ground Marcona almonds. Slices of fried garlic brought a mysterious funk to the acidity. The salad was accompanied by slices of potato and Gruyere focaccia, light in spite of the carb-on-carb nature of potatoes on bread, satisfying without being stodgy.
Next up was Mushroom Carpaccio with Artichokes and Taleggio, an amuse-bouche of king oyster mushrooms mandolined nearly to transparency and strewn with melty ripe cheese, chopped artichokes, and shreds of fried onion. Each slice folded up into a perfect bite.
Snack Bar was inspired by a slice of New York pizza, so the pizza course followed. Olivada Pizza with Speck and Raisins substituted finely-chopped fried speck and golden raisins instead of olives for the main topping, with fresh mozzarella and lots of chopped chives. The crust was masterful: thin crispy bottom, yeasty chewy edges. The pasta that followed was a twist on classic spaghetti and meatballs with a tomato, cream and butter sauce. Tiny meatballs (our server told us that “Palottine” means “little bullets”) turned out to be zippy beefy little nuggets, and the shreds of basil echoed the anise-y notes of the fennel salad.
By half-past six, the room was bustling and it felt a bit like a “friends and family” soft-open. The soundtrack rambled from ‘20s jazz to Exile on Main Street to punk gems. An ultra-distorted version of Link Wray’s “Rumble” was the score for the somewhat discordant main course. A thin filet of John Dory was savory but just a bit dry and overcooked, and came on a bed of intensely sweet red cabbage. Served as a side, roasted kabocha squash chunks with pumpkin seeds and Basque cheese were salty enough to make me think they were cooked in a bed of rock salt, and the chili and cheese seemed there to mask the mealiness of the squash.
Dessert, the eponymous Snack Bar, was a pair of millionaire’s shortbread bars enrobed in chocolate and destined to be taken home. Dinner for two before tip and tax, with a Sip Smith gin martini ($15) and a couple of glasses of wine ($12-$13), came to just under $200. Service was warm and knowledgeable, and the menu showcased Snack Bar’s new fall offerings while mostly avoiding tasting menu pitfalls of too much/too little food or a confusing plethora of ingredients and cooking styles. Dishes were thoughtfully curated and sequenced. Snack Bar exemplifies how relaxed and pleasant an evening out can feel surrounded by skilled, well-trained, thoughtful people. I’d be delighted to come back for a slice of pizza, that salad, and another expertly-made martini very soon.
Additional fall menu preview dinners take place on October 29, November 12, and November 19. Book reservations through the Snack Bar website.
CLUCK ‘EM UP
A quasi-scientific assessment of six of the area’s boldest, spiciest chicken sandwich establishments.
By Eli Radtke
There is a lot of talk these days about chicken sandwiches. It seems like everyone and their mother is putting a crispy this or a crunchy that on their menu. Hot chicken, though, is a rarer commodity. In a state known for its spice avoidance, we took a look around to find some of the top hot and spicy chicken sandwiches around the Twin Cities, and compared them beak to tail, bun to breading.
TENDER LOVIN’ CHIX
Chicken Sammie, Make it Spicy | $16 + $1 to make it spicy
The corner of 27th and Lyndale has seen a lot of businesses come and go. Most recently Fire and Nice pizza closed, and cheery red signs with a sign just different enough from Chick-fil-a to dodge copyright started teasing the neighborhood.
On their website, Tender Lovin Chix claims the moniker TLC, “where Southern and Asian flavors combine (Blackanese!)” This is apparent on their menu, where Tofu Fried Rice sits comfortably next to fried chicken, chips and salsa, and onion rings. The space itself lost the wood accents of Fire and Nice, instead opting for white and red. When we arrived, there was a sizable crowd ready to watch Monday Night Football, making this Asian-Southern fusion place also…a sports bar? The top-shelf liquor lit up behind the bar further confused the vibe, but we were here to eat chicken, not give interior decorating tips.
Amid the cutesy verbiage of “sammie, drinkie, and tendie” was the Chicken Sammie. It arrived peeking out from a pale-looking bun and surrounded by crispy golden fries and a side of ketchup. This chicken was breaded in the “cornflake” style, presenting a gravely-looking exterior glimmering with sauce. We dug in.
First thing I have to say about this sandwich: It’s not spicy. That is OK, we live in a low-spice world up here in Minnesota, but if I am paying an extra dollar, I better get the heat! Beyond that, I think that the chicken itself presented a sweeter profile, showing off Tender Lovin Chix unique Southern and Asian flavor combo quite well. It had a pleasant onion-garlic savory note plus the sweetness of a teriyaki-like sauce. The bread was pretty weak, and was easily squashed/overpowered by the yum-yum sauce on the bun. There was a small attempt at slaw on the chicken, but the only real flavor that came through was the fried chicken itself. I thought the cornflake-breading provided a crispy texture that wasn’t crunchy, and avoided getting too soggy with sauce. The chicken itself was moist and delicious.
I thought that this sandwich had a fairly small portion of chicken comparatively to the rest of the burgers on this list, and for $16 it’s not a lot of bang for your cluck. That being said, the flavors of the sandwich really worked, and I would eat this again. And the fries were some of the best I can remember having in recent memory. This is a sit-down establishment! While I do think there are some kinks to be worked out in a new rotation of employees, give yourself some time - it took us 30 minutes to get our sammies.
Chicken: 3 / 5
Toppings: 0 / 5
Spiciness: .5 / 5
Bang for your cluck: 2.5 / 5
BEBE ZITO
Spicy Chicken Sammie | $12
Bebe Zito is not a new name when it comes to food in the Twin Cities. Their ice cream is renowned, and their burgers have made splashes in all the right places. With three locations active, and a fourth coming to Woodbury, the empire is growing, and we had to test if the bird was worth the word.
We chose to go to Bebe Zito’s original location on 22nd, where it all began. The staff member there looked like the grown-up and bearded version of the tattooed baby from the shop’s logo. Colorful concoctions jumped out of the display and the screens, while a gaggle of early-fall enjoyers relaxed at the picnic tables outside. This was one of the few times I haven’t seen a line or at least another patron in the store as I was ordering, so we took the opportunity to spread out and enjoy the pastel-colors paired with the Metallica on the speakers.