The July Hit List: Hyacinth, The Copper Cow, Vinai, and More

Chef and owner Alejandro Victoria’s pride in his heritage — his family hails from Michoacán — shows up everywhere on Nico’s menu. It’s in the array of salsas, made from scratch every day using the tomatillos and chiles he knows and loves. It’s in the nopales, a traditional salad of grilled cactus, tomatoes, cotija cheese, and red onions. And now, more than ever, it’s in the 18 or so tacos on offer. Last year, Victoria brought the ancient art of nixtamalization to his kitchen. This process of soaking corn in limestone water, washing and drying it, and grinding it into masa results in more nutritious, flavorful tortillas — and an even stronger connection to the ancestors that Victoria continues to honor.

Order the risotto at this slip of a spot on Grand Avenue and prepare to be surprised — and delighted. The dish comes with a crispy rice pancake top, the result of being fried until deep golden brown. Break into it, though, and you’ll encounter a creamy layer of rice dotted with ingredients such as broccoli, hazelnuts, and robiola cheese. Like the restaurant itself, the menu is compact: a handful of starters, a few pastas, three or four entrées, and a cozy collection of cocktails, ciders, beer, and wine. The one exception is the wide-ranging list of amari, just right to end an evening here.

Thirty-some years ago, Moses Quartey was learning the pitmaster ropes here while working his way through college. This month, he’s celebrating a milestone: two decades of owning the joint. Unlike other restaurateurs, Quartey didn’t have to worry about making a pivot when the pandemic arrived — Ted Cook’s has always been take-out only. That was good news for the legions of barbecue aficionados who swear by the racks of hickory- and cherry wood-smoked pulled pork, chicken, beef and pork ribs, pork rib tips, and deep-fried Jo Jo potato slices.

With at least seven burgers to choose from — including the restaurant’s take on the Twin Cities’ famed Juicy Lucy, theirs stuffed with American cheese and served with a bacon-fat aioli — finding one that fits your mood shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, check out the build-a-burger section, which encourages you to create your own meaty masterpiece by piling a patty high with different cheeses and toppings. It’s not all burgers, though; salads, steak, salmon, and other sandwiches fill out the mains. A boozy shake, like the bourbon-laced Americana — outrageously garnished with a donut, whipped cream, a chocolate chip cookie, and chocolate sauce — will finish you off.

After trouncing his Kickstarter goal, then leaving his stretch goal in the dust, chef Yia Vang was thisclose to opening his first restaurant. Then pow! — pandemic — and he was forced to postpone the launch to 2022. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek with Vinai Feasts, communal-style meals for six to 12 people hosted at MidCity Kitchen (patio? check) or at your home, or nearly any other location. Using banana leaves, guests share in the four elements of a Hmong meal: protein (whole fish, pork sausage, roast chicken), a vegetable, rice, and hot sauce. Also included are dessert and a batch of alcohol-free cocktails for toasting.

Call 612-431-5285 for more info.

“Soul food reimagined” is how Brittney and Gerard Klass describe their fast-casual place in Graze Provisions + Libations food hall. Building blocks like Sean Paul coconut rice & beans, Kobe grilled corn, and Bernie Mack BBQ beef call out for you to design your own dinner. Those feeling less inclined to make their personal mark on their meal can order from the signature selections, like the Summer Bowl — yellow rice, collard greens, and mesquite salmon — or the Southern Hospitality Bowl: mac ‘n’ cheese, collard greens, fried chicken, and candied yams. Or maybe you’re just here for dessert. When one of the choices is a warm doughnut topped with grilled peaches and a scoop of ice cream, no one will blame you.

As you may have guessed by the name, Frankie’s specializes in Chicago-style pizza, both deep-dish and stuffed. Craft your own or put yourself in the hands of the experts by opting for one of the specialty creations. But wait! Tucked away in a corner of the menu is another famed Windy City food: Vienna hot dogs. Purists will say the only real choice is the one with all the classic fixings — yellow mustard, sport peppers, green relish, tomatoes, onions, a pickle spear, and celery salt, hugged by a poppy seed bun — but the staff at Frankie’s won’t judge if you order the Plain Old Dog, simply garnished with ketchup and mustard, or the new chili dog.

What started out as a pair of food trucks (both still wander the Cities, along with the Big Coop) has solidified into this “do one thing and do it well” space on Snelling Avenue. The crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside chicken is poultry perfection, whether you order it in strips, in a butter bun, or on slices of Texas toast. The real adventure comes in choosing your heat level, which runs from a no-worries MN Nice to Cluckin’ Hot, featuring Carolina Reaper peppers — named the hottest chiles by Guinness World Records. You’ve been warned.

Beer! Bowling! Upscale bar food! What more could you need in a night out? The neon signage out front glows like a beacon, inviting anyone and everyone who’s down for a good time to take a seat in the bar/dining room up front or wander back to the lanes, which have been around in one form or another since 1936. The dinner menu is a melting pot of cuisines with dishes like pad Thai, bibimbap, carnitas, a patty melt, burgers, and potstickers. You’ll know the world’s returned to normal when the doors to the side cabaret theater swing open wide. Until then, grab a pair of shoes and hit the lanes.

If you’re headed to the American Swedish Institute this month to catch the last days of Bea Szenfeld’s fascinating wearable paper fashion exhibit, be sure to save time for lunch on the courtyard patio at its New Nordic café. The menu changes to feature seasonal ingredients, but you can usually bet on a soup of the day, salads, open-faced sandwiches (smörgåsar) and the popular juniper-spiced meatballs with potato purée and, of course, lingonberry sauce. Cool off with a glass of iced Swedish coffee, spiced up with cardamom syrup and finished with a swirl of cardamom whipped cream.