When Shaunie Grigsby set out to open University and Dale's newest coffee shop and cafe, her mission was more than serving lattes and sandwiches. It was to also serve a deeper community purpose: to offer career-readiness and personal development programs for young women of color and gender expansive youth.
Flava Cafe anchors the new Frogtown Crossroads commercial-residential development, where Big Daddy Barbecue once stood. During my recent visit, the colorful mural was getting a few final touches by a local artist. Customers chatted casually about news, coffee and the neighborhood. Someone was working on a laptop, while another raved to the workers about the quality of the coffee.
On the menu, drinks are named for innovators and trailblazers, like the bell hooks ($6), a brown sugar-sweetened latte, and the Nina Simone ($5-$7), which is laced with dark chocolate.
The food menu includes breakfast and midday staples that are similarly named. Just like its namesake, the Badu wrap ($12) was a strong beauty, filled with purpose. Toasty sweet potatoes are combined with kale, sautéed red onion and a substantial mix of ancient grains, all tucked into a grilled tortilla and served with a pickle and chips. There's room to dine at a few tables inside or out on the patio. (Joy Summers)
623 W. University Av., St. Paul, 651-348-7472, flavacafe.org
On my fourth and final visit to the State Fair, I made a beeline to the back end of the International Bazaar. The Midtown Global Market booth switches vendors halfway through the fair, and I didn't want to miss the debut of chef Soleil Ramirez's Arepa Bar.
You can't go wrong with arepas, traditionally pan-fried white corn cakes filled with your choice of protein, one of the many Venezuelan dishes Ramirez serves at her full-time Minneapolis restaurant. Naturally, the fair menu was streamlined. And naturally, it didn't disappoint. The pulled pork arepa ($12) was stuffed with the slow-roasted meat, cheese and a pile of cabbage, carrots and green onions — a carnival of tastes and textures that was delicious, satisfying and not too heavy, even on a hot day. Washing it down with papelon de limon, a traditional Venezuelan lime drink, is a must. (Bonus: Arepas are naturally gluten-free, and vegan fillings are available, too.)
While the fair is now a memory, the arepas don't have to be. It was a good reminder to stop by Midtown Global Market to take in the other flavors of Ramirez's homeland. But with any luck, the talented chef will follow the path of other MGM vendors and have her own booth at the fair, which opens in 348 days. (Nicole Hvidsten)
920 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-353-4885, arepabarmpls.com
How can a crust so thick be as light as air? It's one of the mysteries of a Sicilian pie that I could never crack working the counter of a New Jersey pizzeria in high school. Though it specialized in the absurdly large circles that New York-style pizzerias are known for, we also carried New York's often-overlooked creation, a rectangular riff on Sicily's homegrown focaccia slabs with toppings. One pie would usually last all day, and part of my job was to reheat slices to order.
It was rare that someone would order a whole pie. It certainly felt like a special occasion when the pizzaiolo had to bake one up, and never in a hurry. Which is why this was such a fortunate find on a recent evening, when I was looking for quick takeout and saw Hello Pizza was still open — and the kitchen staff was still willing to make a Sicilian 15 minutes before closing (thank you!).
Ann Kim's Hello Pizza usually doesn't garner as much buzz as Pizzeria Lola or Young Joni, both with Neapolitan-style pies a hungry diner could polish off on their own. Here, the pies adhere more closely to the style Kim fell in love with as a college student in New York. That means they're heavy on the garlic and oregano and large — up to 16 inches for round pies. And, always, one option for a Sicilian pie.
Mine came with gobs of burstingly bright tomato sauce, chunks of garlic that would keep vampires away, fragrant chopped basil and the addition of housemade fennel sausage (a 12-inch pie with nine slices goes for $22.50, plus more for toppings). A special occasion indeed.
Of course, Minnesotans are not the only people to marvel at Kim's pizza talents. She's also featured on the new pizza-themed season of "Chef's Table" on Netflix, streaming now. (Sharyn Jackson)
3904 Sunnyside Road, Edina, 952-303-4514, hellopizza.com
It's possible I'm obsessed with Frogtown this week because I just moved farther away from the neighborhood. Up until last month I was in the Rondo neighborhood, where there's a wealth of historic culture and restaurants. Now I'm in a much quieter corner of St. Paul. So, to celebrate the move, I followed the lead of Blue Door Pub Longfellow and ordered these wings named for the neighborhood we both edged farther from.
Blue Door Pub originally opened near Selby and Fairview in a tiny space that came with just a few seats and a distinctively colored door. The owners were two industry vets who built a reputation on "blucys," hamburgers stuffed with cheese, among other things. But I've always loved their toasty French fries and their way with a jar of Jif peanut butter.
The Frogtown wings ($14.95) are deep-fried until crispy and then tossed with a salty, savory and spicy peanut sauce that also borrows Thai flavors with a hint of hoisin.
The original location shuttered during the pandemic, so the Longfellow spot — much roomier and just across the river — carries the legacy. The Como Avenue location isn't that far away from the 55104, either. Even though some things shift and change — like ordering via QR code — the good stuff finds a way to carry through. (Joy Summers)
3448 42nd Av. S., Mpls., 612-315-2470, thebdp.com
Mall food is getting better — and it's getting local. An example: Minnesota ramen empire Ichiddo opened one of its newest stores at the Mall of America, bringing made-to-order ramen to weary shoppers.
And it works. Starting with a base of pork bone broth and springy noodles, there are more than 15 toppings to allow you to chart your own ramen course. Or select one of their combos, like the Char Siu ($15.95): roasted pork belly, fish cake, nori, half an egg, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, green onion and garlic in a brothy, soy sauce base. Delicious. It's fast-casual, so order at the counter, get a buzzer and grab a table. Does it seem a little odd to eat quality ramen in a food court? A little. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.
If you're not in the slurping mood, there's a host of appetizers (including bao buns), donburi, fried rice, stir-fried noodles and tea on the menu, too. But ramen's restorative properties will give you the energy you need to take another lap around the mall — or walk to your car. (Nicole Hvidsten)
Several locations, including 322 Central Pkwy., Bloomington, mallofamerica.ichiddo.com
Sharyn Jackson is a features reporter covering the Twin Cities' vibrant food and drink scene.
Joy Summers is a food and drink reporter for the Star Tribune.
Nicole Ploumen Hvidsten is the Star Tribune's Taste editor and senior editor of Star Tribune Magazine. In past journalistic lives she was a reporter, copy editor and designer — sometimes all at once — and has yet to find a cookbook she doesn't like.
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