Rick Nelson

Yeah, @churchillstmn turns out magnificent blueberry pancakes (greasing the griddle with bacon fat is a genius move). Remind me to run more errands in this part of town. #pancake #pancakes #flapjack #flapjacks #blueberry #blueberries #blueberrypancakes #breakfast #goodmorning #shoreview. Less

My breakfast sandwich obsession continues, this time via the new @blackduckmpls brunch menu. This bliss-inducing iteration evolved during chef/owner Jason Sawicki’s days of cooking in his pre-Black Duck food truck, @faregamene. Long story short: He had hired a transplanted New Yorker to help him out, and she often talked about how much she missed the bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches that were an a.m. staple at her neighborhood bodega. In Sawicki’s version, all of the necessary components from that classic NYC framework are present and accounted for, and selected with obvious discernment. The bread, a toasted focaccia, is terrific, which comes as no surprise, as its baked by the skilled folks from @patisserie46. The dreamy and decadent bacon hails from @petersoncraftmeats. A special shout-out to the egg soufflé, notable for its impressive height, airy texture and richly eggy flavor; too many egg sandwiches that go the soufflé route register “vacuous” on the taste buds, but not this one. Kudos also to the prodigious amount of American cheese, so gooey that it almost comes off as a sauce. And yes, there’s a sauce, a souped-up mayonnaise. The whole shebang has a @neimanmarcus-goes-Northeast aura until you get to the @kohls-like price tag: $10. The only possible downside is its limited availability: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Another absolute brunch must are the pancakes, fashioned from an extraordinary heirloom blue corn flour that Sawicki sources from @farmandsparrow in North Carolina. They’re four bucks a pop, and, truly, they’re not to be missed). #breakfastsandwich #breakfastsandwiches #eggsandwich #baconeggandcheese #focaccia #bacon #northeastmpls #nempls #brunch #weekendbrunch #obsession. Less

For this dessert obsessive, cold weather is synonymous with apple cake, and the one I enjoyed this weekend on the @lovechildrestaurant menu definitely falls into the Standard-Setter category. It’s a go-to cake for French home cooks, one of those classic recipes that easily transforms familiar ingredients into something memorable and delicious. The baker at Lovechild really gets it, packing the tender, not-too-sweet cake with tart-ish apples that retain a bit of their snappy crunch. Crowning touches include a pool of rum sauce — fragrant, not boozy — and cinnamon-infused whipped cream, a gesture for those who equate “apple” with “cinnamon.” The dreamy results are reminiscent of what I would have encountered on the dessert tray at Lucia’s Restaurant, a compliment that ranks pretty high in my Kind Words arsenal. My next baking goal is to replicate this cake. I was also delighted to encounter persimmon. The fruit doesn’t appear on a lot of Midwestern menus, so when it does, I’m all in. There’s a great backstory to this particular salad: the kitchen staffer who prepares Lovechild’s (excellent) pasta has a relative in southern California with a persimmon tree in their yard; that thoughtful, generous soul ships the fruit to the restaurant. Such beauties! They radiate the rich orange-reds of an intense sunset, with a firm, slightly juicy texture and a mellow sweetness. Chef Jay Sparks wisely pairs them with a luscious mozzarella and vividly peppery arugula, finishing with bright pops of mint and crunchy candied pine nuts. Such a lovely winter homage to the summertime tomato/mozzarella/basil salad. #lovechildrestaurant #lacrossewi #greatriverroad #driftless #driftlesswisconsin #applecake #dessert #persimmon Less