Ethnic American

CHOP SUEY

Chop suey is a wok-tossed mélange of bite-sized ground or chopped pork, chicken, or shrimp, stir-fried with celery, onions, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and/or other vegetables and served over/with rice in a corn-starch-thickened, soy sauce–tinged broth. Brought to America by Chinese laborers who emigrated from the region south of Canton to work on the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s, it became more popular here than in Taishan, where it originated. Chinese food was relatively unpopular until Chinese ambassador Li Hung Chang toured North America in 1896, inspiring Americans to check out Chinese restaurants as never before. In our region, it became an exotic treat in the 1950s and is now synonymous with cheap and simple Asian fare.

Cathay Chow Mein
Old-school doesn’t even begin to describe this venerable Minneapolis restaurant, and if the chop suey here doesn’t remind you of the third-grade lunchroom, nothing will. 5457 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-824-3358

Jun Bo
This 600-seat restaurant does many things well, and its chop suey, congeelike in its consistency, boasts the best meat quality of any in town and offers great comfort food vibes. 7717 Nicollet Ave., Richfield, 612-866-6888

Yangtze Restaurant
This institution serves several versions of the classic dish, all excellent avatars of the Cantonese classic. The BBQ pork is our favorite. 5625 Wayzata Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-541-9469

LASAGNA

While there are many versions of lasagna, the American cheesy, baked version is our own, and we eat lots of it. To Italians, lasagne means the pasta, but it’s prepared in a variety of ways and even in a baked form (lasagne al forno ) it remains a refined and balanced dish. Americans have turned lasagna into a huge bubbling staple of ground meat, cheese, and sauce. Italians would blanch, of course, much as they do when confronted with American pizza, but on these shores no one goes home hungry.

Broders’ Cucina Italiana
This neighborhood Italian legend does it right! Its two versions pack a punch—one with tons of fresh spinach and cheese, another with homemade pasta and sausage—both rich, thick, and full of flavor. Broders’ top-notch ingredients don’t disappoint. 5000 Penn Ave. S., Mpls., 612-925-3113

Cossetta’s Italian Market & Pizzeria
Momma Cossetta walks through the store, passing out samples, Dave is up front working the room. We don’t know which we like more, the family feel or the classic lasagna. It’s just what you would expect—a generous slab with a dollop of fresh mozzarella on top, tangy sauce that has a little kick, and a chunk of bread to clean up any sauce you might have missed. 211 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-222-3476

Fat Lorenzo’s
The portion is gigantic and the price is right. But this is big food with quality. There’s lots of cheese and meat—pepperoni, salami, ham, and slices of homemade meatball—served between sheets of pasta in a tomato sauce, with a small loaf of garlic bread along for the ride. 5600 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls., 612-822-2040