2009 Best of: Pasta

For some odd reason Minneapolis seems to have an impeccable pasta scene. I'm not sure what factors contribute to that but there is not shortage of really good, fresh pasta, both traditional and inventive.

The Winner: Broders' Tagliarini di Locanda de Lupo

It's typically pretty easy to hand this distinction off to them, but this year they had some very stiff competition. They've been doing there thing for years and it really shows. Their pasta has always been spot on in my numerous visits over the years. They make killer fresh pasta and adorn it with only the utmost care, and incredible and lavish ingredients. The tagliarini isn't always on the menu, but I'll always want to eat there when it is. An incredibly luxurious combination of prosciutto de parma, truffle pesto and cream is the back bone of this killer presentation and the sauce simply smothers the fresh pasta. It's truly an incredible dish that needs to be tasted, not read about.

Runner Up: Trattoria Tosca's fettuccini

Newcomer Tosca kills it in the pasta department, too. This Linden Hills gift serves a very limited and very seasonal menu, but when what you serve is so good, there really is no reason to complicate. The fettuccinni is rich beyond compare. A combination of rich and nutty grana padano, salty and robust fischer bacon and three, yes three egg yolks make a perfect silken sauce. A sprinkle of fresh herbs and some nice carmel notes from a bit of roasted cauliflower and you've got a really solid dish.

Runner Up #2: Bar La Grassa's Orecchiette with Braised Rabbit

Becker's newest offering is no slouch in the pasta department either, offering an array of inspiring new spins and traditional takes on old pasta favorites. If I'm at a pasta joint and there is rabbit or boar on the menu I am usually sold and Becker's menu was no different the little orecchiette had an amazing texture and held little cupfuls of delicious and delicate braised rabbit, herbs and tomato. This was a truly rustic and comforting dish that is not to be missed, either.

It was a great year for pasta!

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Trattoria Tosca's Ultimate Comfort Pasta

I might have just consumed the most decadent pasta of my life at Trattoria Tosca.

I'd been awaiting the development of something in the under-utilized Turtle Bread space in Linden Hills for quite some time, and thankfully, that wish came true a few months ago. Trattoria Tosca specializes in seasonal fare, and this gloomy spell had me craving something warm and comforting, which lands squarely in the pasta category.

I didn't hold much hope for the actual space, since Turtle Bread seems to be a jumbled bi-polar mess that almost resembles a retail area. They crank out some nice breads and baked goods, but it's not exactly an area I'd like to spend a lot of time in. Tosca is quite different. Dark wood meets sponge painted earth tone walls with little to no adoration. The space is incredibly simple, but at least it has focus. The restaurant was at about 60% capacity, but the sound level was near uncomfortable.

Tosca's menu is relatively limited, but I found several options that made the ultimate decision very difficult. I narrowed it down to the pheasant, the bucatini with rosemary, tomato, breadcrumbs and chili flakes, and what sounded like the ultimate fettuccini. The menu description included roasted cauliflower, Fischer bacon, herbs, grana padano and egg yolk. It sounded like the definition of comfort, and the perfect meal to consume in preparation for hibernation. It was a done deal.

Tosca offers their primi courses in two sizes and I ordered the large as an entree, because I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with just a few bites. When the fettuccini arrived, I was blown away by the execution. The delicately cooked pasta enjoyed little bits of roasted cauliflower and big meaty chunks of bacon intermixed throughout the base of the dish, while the crown of the fettuccini was lightly adorned with fine herbs, rustic grana padano, and three perfectly separated decadent egg yolks. A quick mix with my fork produced a silken and incredibly lush sauce.

This dish is not for the light eater, or health obsessed - it's full on gluttony. The roasted cauliflower had a nice caramelized exterior that provided a bit of crunch and a gentle sweetness to the dish. The thick lardon-like bacon supported an intense amount of salt and smoke that proved a perfect companion for the robust and nutty grana padano. Lastly, those three perfect yolks provided a superb richness to the dish that just could not be surpassed with cream and/or butter alone. Taking on this dish is no small order, and like any good pain killer, I wouldn't encourage operating heavy machinery soon after. My only wish was that maybe they dialed it back to just two yolks, because the dish is so rich that it becomes a little daunting and starts to lose some of its balance.

This was the sort of meal that will keep me warm as we climb deep into the winter months, and if the dish stays on the menu (which any one dish outside of the bucatini rarely does) it may almost make the deep chill of February tolerable.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Trattoria Tosca

I couldn't help but notice a bit of buzz around the Turtle Bread building in Linden Hills last night. Thinking with my stomach, as always, I decided to slow down to take in the commotion. At first I just thought it was for the emergence of outdoor seating, but then I realized that most of the traffic was near the Trattoria Tosca side of the building. I think I had stumbled upon a soft launch. There were several folks near the door and I could see others sitting at set tables complete with wine glasses and everything. There is even a sign up, so I figured they must be getting close. I decided to lob a call in to Turtle Bread to see if the menu was posted and to just be a little nosey and the worker I spoke with mentioned that their first official night would be tomorrow night! A second call to the Chicago Ave. location confirmed the opening tomorrow. I've been excited to check this place out ever since the word first started floating around a few months ago and will get there asap - though due to all the launch delays, I remain cautiously optimistic. My guess is the neighborhood will flock to it, much like some of the other recently opened establishments in the area. Stay tuned for more information to come!

Happy Eating,

-Teddy