Several North Loop Dishes Make Star Tribune’s “Most Iconic” List
It should come as no surprise that when the Star Tribune set out to name the 40 most iconic dishes in the Twin Cities–true originals that have made Minneapolis-St. Paul a food destination, the North Loop was well-represented.
The feature, which you can read here, notes that it was tough narrowing it down to 40. We could certainly add a few other favorites from around here. But listed alongside the Jucy Lucy and Silver Butter Knife Steak, they chose:
Vanilla Crêpe Cake at Bellecour Bakery: “Ten ethereal layers of alternating crêpes and cloudlike vanilla cream from Diane Moua, one of Minnesota’s best pastry chefs.”
Chicken wings at Monte Carlo: “Massive wings are dredged and fried before being tossed with a mystery seasoning that’s a mix of savory and sweet — and unlike anything else.”
Hmong Sausage from Union Hmong Kitchen: “Chef Yia Vang’s father taught him to coarsely chop pork belly and shoulder with two knives, blending the mix with ginger, shallots, lemongrass and Thai chiles, and stuffing everything into casings using the top of a Coke bottle as a funnel. At his North Loop food hall stand, the sausage is served with his signature purple sticky rice.”
Soft Eggs and Lobster Bruschetta from Bar la Grassa: “Griddled bread rubbed with garlic is topped with a mountain of silky scrambled eggs that have been cooked with butter, cream cheese and chopped fresh lobster meat, and finished with a drizzle of white truffle oil.”
The Shredder from Wrecktangle Pizza: “The pillowy crust is wedged into a rectangle-shaped tin and, in the case of the Shredder, is layered with bright tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni disks and slices of jalapeños. When it bubbles up inside the oven, a glorious lace of fried crunchy cheese materializes. The pizza is then drizzled with hot honey and cut into fat squares.”
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer