Namaste Café is an underrated treasure. Each curry is made with precision and depth, and is served with rice and naan that only a lifetime of learning will yield. Appetizers are fun little fried things—beloved street food treats you’ll find all over South Asia. Put it all outside on a charming patio on a summer day and you’ve got yourself an event. A complaint: they tend to short pour glasses of wine, so get yourself a bottle and make an evening out of the thing.



Rinata serves possibly the best spaghetti and meatballs you’ve ever eaten. Handmade noodles are delicate yet dense, meatballs are so tender they seem to envelop pockets of air, and it should go without saying that the red sauce is a study in marinara. I crave this dish like none other in the Twin Cities. A tip: try and visit when chef Jon Hunt is in house—he’s got the Midas touch.



La Sirena Gorda in the Midtown Global Market is one of the city’s hidden gems—this all-seafood stand somehow puts out some of the freshest-tasting simple wonders on a plate I’ve had around here. Don’t miss the ceviches. I haven’t had it any better in Mexico.



Cheese is still, and will always be, my favorite food. What you’re looking at is a recurring meal at my house. Do yourself a favor and make good friends with a cheesemonger. (My favorite, Premier Cheesemarket is now defunct, but Surdyk’s or France 44 will do just fine.) If you’re unsure about wine pairings as I often am, just toss in a drinkable bottle of Prosecco, Cava or Champagne if you’re particularly flush. There’s nothing better in the world than this.



The veal and tuna carpaccio with preserved lemon and brown butter at Saffron was one of the ten best dishes last year, and this year it continues to be. Sometimes, it feels good to be right.

 Next time: simple pleasures, "deconstruction" isn't as stupid as it sounds, and who's lived up to the hype.