The Hautest Place Around

For the past two years, it seems every time I read a “Best of Minneapolis” round-up in local newspapers or magazines, the restaurant Haute Dish is receiving another batch of accolades.

In 2010, a Minnesota Monthly writer wasn’t afraid to show early love: “Food and drink aside, I’m especially looking forward to: Oh, just everything.” Heavy Table, a Minnesota food blog, wrote, “But have no fear, cow, pig, duck, chicken, fish, mollusk, and crustacean eaters, there’s plenty of choice and you will be well fed.” This place was awarded Twin Cities Metro’s 2010 Best Restaurant and Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine’s 2011 Best Restaurant of the Year. And Food and Wine Magazine named head chef Landon Schoenfeld one of the Best New Midwest Chefs of 2012! Reviews seem overwhelmingly positive, if not downright glowing.

I was especially interested in Haute Dish after reading that Schoenfeld characterizes the restaurant as a modern twist on Midwestern cuisine. While I’m not afraid of a little spice, I myself happen to love downhome cooking (for evidence, check out the March post about my favorite recipe in the whole, wide world – Chicken Divan). I figured a restaurant named Haute Dish was bound to satiate my taste buds. So, Tom and I decided Twin Cities Restaurant Week would be an excellent time to check it out.

Over the past couple years, we’ve watched carefully for announcements about this week-long seasonal event, which features lengthy lists of participating restaurants and fantastic tasting menus. Restaurant Week has been a great way to food hop around Minneapolis and get a good feel for a wide variety of dining scenes. (Side note: for those of you in the Twin Cities, there’s still time to enjoy Restaurant Week! It’s going on through Friday).

Now back to Haute Dish:

Tucked into a renovated warehouse in Minneapolis’s North Loop, it gives off a simultaneously swanky and relaxed-dining vibe.

After perusing the Restaurant Week menu, I started off with the Char-Cuts, which included three charcuterie. Fun word, but what does it mean? Luckily our waitress gave helpful explanations. So when my beautiful wood platter arrived, I wasn’t surprised to find three mounds of cured meats: head cheese served with a spicy jelly, and two ham patés – one wrapped in bacon, smothered in mustard and topped with a pickle, the other with a dab of sweet jam.

Tom’s Steak & Eggs was equally excellent. The dish featured a tartare, a brioche egg and toast, and a Bloody Mary oyster shooter. Tangy, sweet, and savory – this appetizer won the best-tasting award.

Next up was our main course. Tom went the classic Midwestern route: a burger. Some might say this is the “boring” choice (not me, certainly!) but the spicy slaw and vinegar-brushed fries gave it a fun twist. I HAD to choose the Tater Tot HauteDish (what kind of Midwestern gal would I be if I didn’t give it a shot?). Imagine this: a tender slab of short rib covered in gravy, two croquettes (the “tots”) which tasted both mashed potato-y and sweet, and a pile of lightly salted green beans.

Dessert gave us the opportunity to try the Pop Tart (raspberry, thyme, lemon, and mascarpone) and the Ice Cream Sandwich (marshmallow, mango, espresso, chicory, and dark chocolate). Both were beyond delicious.

So we went, we saw, we conquered. We left with full stomachs and felt like we finally, FINALLY experienced what everyone’s been talking about. Try Haute Dish. You won’t regret it.

And for those of you who don’t live in the Twin Cities, don’t despair. Whip together your grandma’s famous tater tot hotdish and you’re at least halfway there.

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