Cheng: 7 reasons why I’m thankful for Minnesota’s food scene

When I arrived in the Twin Cities three years ago, I gave myself a year. Though I spent my formative childhood years in Singapore, my family hailed from Hong Kong. And after leaving my “home” country to attend college, I’ve spent no more than a few years in each city: Boston, London, the Bay Area and New York, where I was for five. “Where are you from?” is a question that often stumped me.

And although the Twin Cities didn’t promise the cultural diversity of these cities, I’ve found something more universal that spoke more loudly: a thriving food scene.

I’m thankful for the restaurateurs and chefs who find ways — novel and long-forgotten — to represent the foodways born of a diverse population. Who work tirelessly to bring rich, emergent cuisines, like Hmong American, to the fore. And who prove that great cooking crosses borders.

As we enter the season of reflection, here are seven things I’ve been thankful for this year.

It takes a leap of faith to leave a great institution to start another. Some of the best restaurants that opened this year were created by the lieutenants of Gavin Kaysen. They’ve given us an excellent restaurant built on the tenets of Parisian bistronomy and Midwestern comfort (Bûcheron, by Adam and Jeanie Ritter); and an already-storied institution that has made brunch — and soon dinner — intensely craveable and exciting again (Diane’s Place, by Diane Moua). Also (fondly) on my mind: Jo Seddon’s Gia and Eric Pham’s ready-for-prime-time Khue’s Kitchen.

Being invited to a Minnesotan’s home is an achievement that I unlocked after months of passive aggressive campaigning, but there are occasions when restaurants are more appropriate for festive get-togethers. I recently celebrated (then mourned) the last gasps of my early 30s within the confines of Mara’s high-ceilinged private dining room, which gave beautiful throne vibes and an opportunity to savor peerless large-format cooking from Kaysen and Thony Yang; I’ve also organized Friendsgiving in the dining room at Alma, where the duck and flan will always be as good as you remember it. Plenty of other restaurants offer similar experiences: Khâluna, 112 Eatery and Manny’s Steakhouse, to name a few.

No shade against the restaurants that don’t change — Bar La Grassa doesn’t need to, and it’s a place I still frequent — but I’m thankful for restaurants that continually prune and evolve their menus. One of my favorite dishes at Bûcheron — and perhaps one of the greatest pasta dishes in the Twin Cities — was a silky, bright sweet corn and taleggio agnolotti, and it was a new dish that replaced another (celery root tortellini) that I had praised to abandon until that season ended. Adam Ritter changes the menu often, in keeping with the theme of his restaurant, and the payoffs have resulted in repeat visits from yours truly. I’ve been seeing welcome churn at other favorites like Oro (a suckling pig terrine and squid ink sope were among recent standout new dishes), All Saints and Myriel, as well — restaurants that have gotten even better with time.

Yes, I cook. Not well, but enough to sate my desires of the foods I crave. Being island-born, seafood is a must. And being of Chinese descent, I must have rice intermittently. Despite being landlocked, the Twin Cities has a great purveyor in Coastal Seafoods (with locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul), where pristine oysters, whole fish and other sea creatures dwell, rather photogenically, on ice. And the welcome array of Asian grocery stores means that I have no reason not to replicate the dishes that remind me fondly of home. United Noodles is a notable favorite.

Socializing can take its toll. There are only so many ways to talk about the weather, and I know the most recent winter wasn’t a true reflection of Minnesota’s frost — a fact that was repeatedly drilled into me during an ice fishing trip, where small talk with quasi-strangers felt like a scene out of “Fargo,” except without the suspense. But in my quest to learn wine better, I’ve met a group of people who I can reliably call friends, who only judge empathetically during the times I’ve crossed my Burgundy and Bordeaux wines. I now know how great wines can be. And in time, I’ll come to appreciate the beauty of Beaujolais.

This isn’t a ruse to get my MVP of an editor, Nicole, to finally invite me over to Thanksgiving. I’ve left many Brownie points on the table, and it’ll take time to consider inviting someone who’s known to yap and grumble over un-moist turkey — my least favorite aspect of Thanksgiving. But I digress. The Taste team has been a pillar of support and intelligence, and there’s much I have yet to learn from them. I will consider mastery to be achieved when I’ve become a core member of the roving State Fair reporting team. New Scenic Cafe’s lobster roll will still be my favorite food item there, though.

I consider my criticisms to be fair, but I continue to ruffle feathers even though many of you have begun to warm up to my style of reviewing restaurants. Most chefs have taken it in stride, too. While I don’t intend to change my approach, I will continue to hone my understanding of the Twin Cities — and the people who comprise it — as I cross the four-year mark.

Thank you for having me.

Jon Cheng is the Star Tribune’s restaurant critic. Reach him at jon.cheng@startribune.com or follow him on Instagram at @intrepid_glutton.