The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week

When El Cubano’s co-owner Gladys Pagan says, “I’m just a cook. I love feeding people,” know that “just” is an understatement. It takes skill to render some of the humblest ingredients into cuisine people will travel near and far to experience, and that’s exactly what she’s serving at this cozy restaurant.

The restaurant began as a food trailer before they found this space six years ago. Her husband and co-owner Rene Benitez works in construction and built the gorgeous patio that surrounds this small eatery nestled on a triangular patch of land. Pagan makes the food by hand with no recipes. She’s Dominican and he’s Cuban, which is why the restaurant serves dishes from both countries. Their daughter mans the phone and front counter while Benitez often chats with guests and checks on tables.

But it’s in Pagan’s kitchen that the magic happens. By all appearances, the rice is a small side of simple grains, but the flavor of being cooked just the right amount — with what I’m guessing is a bit of butter — is transcendent. The black beans impart all the beauty that can be coaxed from something that once appeared dry and devoid of life. And then there are the empanadas. Pagan braises chicken into a rich and saucy stew of concentrated poultry flavor with just enough seasoning and spice. It’s tucked into a wrapper and fried until the crust blisters to an irresistibly crackling exterior. Served alongside a proprietary dipping sauce, it’s a bargain of a snack for just $3.25.

El Cubano has been a best-kept secret for too long, with food that has been known to draw bold-name chefs from around the Twin Cities. “I’m just a mom who likes to cook,” Pagan insists. But one taste and it’s hard to believe such a humble claim. (Joy Summers)

870 Dodd Road, West St. Paul, elcubanorestaurante.com

A new breakfast and brunch (and broth!) spot has opened in south Minneapolis. Stonegarden takes up the ground floor of the Pearl apartments, and comes from Andrew Novak, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, and his wife, Bailey Novak, who handles the hospitality side. The broth part was inspired by a health-focused restaurant in New York where Novak worked. Here, a simple bowl of it — no spoon, you sip it — comes in three variations: beef, chicken or vegetable ($7).

The broth is a warm way to start a meal on a nippy day. But if you want to follow that with something more, well, solid, there’s a long list of egg dishes, Benedicts and open-faced sandwiches. I went for the gravlax tartine ($18), which comes topped with a generous amount of lemon mascarpone and ruby red slivers of salmon that has been cured in-house, plus little flavor pops from capers, shaved red onion, petite rounds of cherry tomato and a sprinkling of herbs. The sourdough toast at its base comes from Patisserie 46, if you needed any more proof that this place is all about high-quality ingredients handled with care. There’s a nice lineup of coffees and cocktails, too. Stonegarden is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sharyn Jackson)

5401 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., stonegardenmpls.com

It’s been two weeks since we turned the clocks back, and I’m still adjusting to the darker evening commute. But there are bright spots, specifically at 90th and Penn in Bloomington, where the newly expanded Gyropolis stands. Both the inside and outside of the neighborhood staple, which recently reopened after a major expansion, are a beacon on these short days.

Plus, there are gyros — lots of gyros. Traditional beef and lamb, pork or chicken form the base of a variety of wraps, platters, pies and salads. Tailor your order to your mood and tastes. Want seasoned fries tucked in your pita? Order the Athenian. Need greens? Have my favorite, the Gyroworks. Watching carbs? Get a salad. Meatless? There’s falafel and spanakopita. And save room for the housemade baklava ($3.95), and dips and spreads (from $5.95).

I stuck with the namesake dish and ordered the Gyroworks ($10.50) with beef and lamb. Pitas are stuffed with ultra-flavorful meat fresh from the rotisserie and topped with crispy romaine, red onions, tomatoes, salty feta and creamy tzatziki sauce. Pure Greek bliss. Another $4.95 made it a combo, with a beverage and choice of salad, fries, potatoes or rice. We split the roasted potatoes (well-seasoned and tender) and fries (nearly perfect).

We aren’t the only ones smitten with fast-casual Gyropolis 2.0 — the line didn’t stop during our weeknight dine-in visit. (Nicole Hvidsten)

2325 W. 90th St., Bloomington, gyropolis.com

Where have all the happy hours gone? There was a time when discount menus were de rigueur for tempting the downtown after-work crowd. Now only a select few really deliver big flavors on a budget.

801 Chophouse has one of the best happy hours in downtown Minneapolis. The menu, available only from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, is a fantastic bargain. (Tuck this tip away for theater nights.) In the bar of the massive restaurant, beefy delights include a burger with beef tallow fries ($18), prime filet sliders (two for $10), $2 oysters and $5 off a selection of incredible wines by the glass.

The sliders are all one could ask for in casual steakhouse dining, with toasty buns, caramelized onions and just enough horseradish sauce for a little zing. The meat is exceptional: tender, cooked until just pink and seasoned like they know exactly what they’re doing. Paired with one of the juicy red wines, it all goes down like a meal fit for fat cats on a working bee’s budget. (J.S.)

801 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 801chophouse.com/minneapolis

I’m a big fan of the New York-style slices at Joey Nova’s in Tonka Bay, but last weekend I was craving comfort food of the highest order, dairy sensitivity be damned. I went with the chicken Parmesan pasta ($14.50). You can practically hear the splatter of wide noodles being slurped from this big old bowl of cream sauce. It’s a buttery fettuccine Alfredo, and if that wasn’t enough, it’s topped with two pieces of crispy chicken that have been smothered in housemade marinara and mozzarella cheese. Yes, there’s also a big hunk of garlic bread, and shavings of aged Parm. Digging in, the breading on the chicken shatters and red sauce falls into the rest of the bowl, mixing up into a nice pink hue. Every bite has cream and acid and crunch and coziness. Comfort food: achieved. (S.J.)

5655 Manitou Road, Tonka Bay, joeynovas.com