Seafood

CRAB CAKES

The blue crab is one of America’s indigenous seafood gifts from God, but great crabmeat used to be hard to find outside Chesapeake Bay. In 2008, however, this proved to be a category where ten winners could have been crowned. We suspect that the steak house revolution and the widespread availability of top-quality crabmeat have combined to make that trip to Maryland unnecessary. But let’s be clear, the best crab cakes contain primarily jumbo blue crab lump meat. Dungeness, king, or any other Pacific crab just won’t cut it. And the less you do to the crabmeat, the better. Overmix, and it’s the texture of baby food. Pack it with aggressive seasoning and bits of vegetables, and you can’t taste the crab. Here are our three favorites and a bunch of nearly as superb runners-up.

Good Day Cafe
We have never seen so much jumbo lump meat (two tuna-can-sized cakes) for $12.50! They are not as austere as some, and not everyone will cotton to the spicy binder and funky look of the things, but the chefs have wisely chosen not to overmix these beauties so the binder’s not always well integrated. Some days they’re much better than others. 5410 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, 763-544-0205

Morton’s
The pan-crisped cakes are supersimple as crab cakes go, and it’s hard to tell how they hold all that crabmeat together because the binder’s barely detectable. Still, they are as good as crab cakes get on the prairie. The mustard mayo on the side is the perfect complement. Gaviidae Common, 555 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-673-9700

Oceanaire Seafood Room
Oceanaire’s moister broiled crab cake, still packed with jumbo lump chunks, probably tastes the best overall by a hair, but has a touch less crabby flavor than Morton’s. Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-333-2277

» Honorable Mention: M&S Grill, McCormick & Schmick’s, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, St. Paul Grill, Zelo

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

This American classic has become a trademark in steak and seafood houses, but its roots are in New Orleans at Antoine’s. Jules Alciatore (Antoine’s son) came up with the recipe in 1899. Oysters were substituted for escargot during a snail shortage and have been the baseline version ever since. Named for John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in the world at the time, this rich dish of oysters broiled with a butter and herb sauce, parsley or spinach, and Parmesan is copied, but arguably never duplicated, thousands of times a day across the country.

Manny’s Steak House
This fairly wet version makes the grade with good flavor, freshness, and careful cooking. The brine has a hint of Pernod in the classic style, and the spinach is fresh. A bit too moist for our taste, but the overall quality is all there. W Hotel Minneapolis, 821 Marquette Ave., Mpls., 612-339-9900

Oceanaire Seafood Room
Chef Rick Kimmes and general manager Steve Uhl take pride in every aspect of their restaurant. Was there any doubt that the town’s seafood temple would offer spot-on oysters Rockefeller: big, juicy oysters, fresh rich flavors, hot all the way through—a rarity in the world of Rock. Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-333-2277

Pittsburgh Blue
Big oysters, fresh, hot, and full of flavor in a brine that’s clean and not too salty. The kitchen has a heavy hand with the bread crumbs, but just brush some off. Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, Maple Grove, 763-416-2663

WALLEYE

Walleye, so named for its pearlescent eye, is a member of the perch family (it ain’t pike) and beloved for its firm, flaky, sweet-tasting flesh. Excluding sport catch, most of what we eat comes from Canada because commercial walleye fishing is illegal in Minnesota. Earlier this year, though, the Red Lake Band revived its dormant commercial fishery with a “hook and line” model to avoid the mistakes of the past, namely poaching and overfishing with gill nets. Over time, the band hopes to sell prized Red Lake walleye to grocery stores and restaurants. The market couldn’t be readier to embrace a locally sourced version of our favorite spiny-finned fish.

Chambers Kitchen
Leave it to Alsatian–born megachef Jean–Georges Vongerichten to expand our walleye universe with a light tempura batter, jalapeños, basil, and lime. The mere thought of it makes us ravenous. Chambers Hotel, 901 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-767-6999

FireLake Grill House
Chef Paul Lynch doesn’t mess around. His nearly perfect pan-fried fillet has a crust of subtle, herbaceous cornmeal and is served with fries and a springy lemon-tarragon remoulade (an inspired alternative to often cloying and artificial-tasting tartar sauce). Lynch’s walleye sliders and cakes also deserve high marks. 31 S. 7th St., Mpls., 612-216-3473

Lord Fletcher’s
An unfussy walleye amandine to rival your best secret family recipe—fresh fish, a Ritz crust, lots of butter, and slivered almonds. The menu rightly touts this true-blue Minnesota treat. 3746 Sunset Dr., Spring Park, 952-471-8513