Andrew Zimmern: Escape from the Bizarre

In cold, wintery Minneapolis, an airy, sunny oasis is a godsend. Masa, a D’Amico creation, hums along even when busy, which it often is, and for good reason. I am a stickler for authenticity and the recipes here, despite the glitzy surroundings, are the real deal. Freshness and honest flavors are reflected in every dish. The salsas alone make it a favorite, but the taco platters, ceviches, salads, and carnitas sandwich are must-eat dishes. Mole poblano is arguably the best in town, and the snapper Veracruzana shouldn’t be missed. I adore the flan, but most of my guests simply order another margarita.

Morton’s is my favorite restaurant for steak, but it also has a superb crab cake, luxurious appetizers (check out the shrimp or smoked salmon), and the Morton’s salad is one of my regular lunches. But the steaks are what you come for, and they deliver. The strip is the best of its kind, the porterhouse for two is ideal for couples who agree on temperature, and the lamb chops are melting. Creamed spinach and the various potato sides are second to none. Order molten chocolate cake when you sit down so you don’t talk yourself out of it later.

There’s really only one must-eat Indian restaurant in town, NalaPak, which offers nuanced and complex regional fare, cooked with a respect for authentic regional styles. It serves the most varied menu of fully flavored Indian vegetarian and vegan cuisine in the Twin Cities, but its emphasis is on Southern Indian cuisine so the dosai are as good as these paper-thin curled lentil-and-rice crepes get. At the $10 lunch buffet, choose from more than two dozen items, all made in small batches. The samosas, chutneys, chat papri (small wafers with vegetables and herbs), and uthappam (open-faced Indian crepes) are great starters. The paneer dishes with homemade farmer’s cheese are superb, and the bread selection is deep—I love the paratha and the chappati, both perfect for sopping up every last bit of curry,of which the eggplant version is the tartest and spiciest in town.

112 Eatery is special. Three years after it opened, it still has the buzz and vibe, the energy in the small room is still fun, owners Isaac Becker and his wife, Nancy St. Pierre, are still there most nights, and the food is fantastic. The sides (cauliflower fritters, escarole with anchovy, fries) are justifiably famous, but several dishes are as good as food gets in this town, from brick-pressed chicken to sweetbreads with clams to handmade pastas. Several dishes, such as the fried-egg–harissa sandwich, are not only big hits with the late-night crowd, but are indicative of the casual food revolution in town. Though small plates are now cliché, Becker was the first locally to reject the wagon wheel portions synonymous with Minnesota dining.

Perched across the street from the Guthrie is Spoonriver, Brenda Langton’s newest restaurant. Spoonriver is self-described as serving natural cuisine, but I think of it as modern American. Who doesn’t want to eat simple, healthy, well-prepared food? Chef Lisa Carlson and pastry chef Carrie Summer are turning out some of the best grub in town. In summer, there are market delights such as watermelon-and-heirloom-tomato salad, in winter, a divine pâté and a glorious duck confit en salade. The lamb burger and beet ravioli are pretty darn good too, but it’s sitting in the restaurant gazing out on the street scene that makes you think Minneapolis is exactly where you want to be at that moment.

Teahouse offers what I think is the best Sichuan food in the state. The spicy cold noodles rival the best sold by the street hawkers in the central market in Chongqing. The first thing you do is ask for the Sichuan menu, a separate short primer to the best the restaurant has to offer. I love Dan Dan noodles simply dressed with chili oil, the spicy and mouth-numbing Chong King chicken gan bian–style (dry-tossed in a wok with sweet and hot chilies), and the bamboo shoot tips, served cool in a tart sauce with an intense chili finish. The dishes I can’t shake are sautéed fish fillets with pickled vegetables and the awesome shredded pork in garlic sauce—a mellow sweet-hot dish, salty and slippery, with the dragon’s-breath smoke of the wok’s heat still clinging to it. And the whole family can eat here for $40.