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

Liberté, égalité, fraternité ... and crêpes. That’s how I celebrate Bastille Day, anyway.

The past couple of years, I stood in a meandering line at Alliance Française’s annual Bastille Day party to wait for one of the outstanding crêpes from Breizh Crêperie’s Claire Corvaisier. The wait was always worth it. But this year, that line is not necessary (though I still won’t miss the party).

Corvaisier, who hails from France’s crêpe-central, Brittany, recently opened Oh Crêpe! in Edina. The narrow shop, what used to be the world’s first Caribou Coffee, is an all-day-every-day crêpe party. Corvaisier’s deep-brown buckwheat galettes (savory crêpes) hit the lunch spot, while sweet crêpes are an anytime treat. What’s more, there’s a spectacular crêpe cake in rotating flavors ($12 a slice).

The labor-intensive construction involves 25 paper-thin pancakes layered with cream and house-made chocolate ganache and, when I stopped by, just a touch of coffee; the flavor was tiramisu. It’s a head-turner, literally. My table neighbors couldn’t stop talking about it.

Oh Crêpe! will be back at Bastille Day 2024 on July 14. Bonne fête! (Sharyn Jackson)

4408 France Av. S., Edina, 612-440-8998, ohcrepemn.com

Greenery and florals drape from the ceiling, moving gently as customers pass in and out of the newest location of Ruam Mit, bringing a welcome rush of cool air.

After moving through four decades, three addresses and different owners, the Thai and Lao restaurant is now under the stewardship of Nia Rasavong and Mark Khaopraseuth in what was once downtown St. Paul’s Dunn Brothers. With floor-to-ceiling glass in the dining room and a new shady-in-the-evening patio out front, it’s a tempting evening draw.

While much has been refreshed, the menu still has classics for longtime fans. That evening we ordered dish after dish of spicy, citrusy and herb-heady dishes, but the standout had to be the pha ram long song with massive shrimp ($19). The curry is a longstanding Ruam Mit staple, a red curry with coconut milk so rich and deep it’s a nutty and smooth sauce, and the barely wilted spinach makes a delicious blanket to wrap the shrimp. It can be ordered with chicken, mock duck or other options, but this classic is my classic for a reason. (Joy Summers)

367 Wabasha St., St. Paul, 651-222-7871, ruammitmn.com

The Star Tribune Taste team was meeting and greeting readers at the Taste of Minnesota in downtown Minneapolis last weekend, and I couldn’t not break away for a few minutes to sample the food. Scenic 61, the food truck version of Duluth’s renowned New Scenic Cafe, was on the scene with a lineup of éclairs with both sweet and savory fillings. I had a hunch that such a culinary mash-up would be a natural for their State Fair 2024 menu, and that hunch was correct. I’ve now got a one-bite head start on our State Fair opening day eating expedition.

I selected the bánh mì éclair, a puffy-yet-sturdy choux pastry swiped with chicken liver pâté before being loaded up with savory pork confit, cucumbers and pickled carrot and daikon to cut through the saltiness, and a drizzle of Sriracha mayo. I‘m thrilled I’ll get to try their other flavor, “the lobstah,” later this summer at the fair (prices not available). The play on a lobster roll was a popular pick with many who visited our booth. And speaking of those visitors, thanks to everyone who stopped by and gave us restaurant recommendations! (S.J.)

Scenic 61 by New Scenic Cafe will be at the State Fair, east side of Underwood St. between Lee & Randall Avs.

Speaking of Taste of Minnesota, Krewe, Matteo Mackbee’s Creole restaurant in. St. Joseph, has been on my dining bucket list since it opened four years ago. And although I’ve sailed past the I-94 exit plenty of times, the timing has never worked to stop.

So when Krewe came to Minneapolis, courtesy of the downtown Minneapolis festival, I jumped at the chance to try it. Mackbee’s mobile menu was short and sweet: hush puppies, boudin lumpia and classic New Orleans pralines. I’ve long been a fan of hush puppies, and none hold a candle to Krewe’s. A mix that includes (among other ingredients) cornmeal, onion, garlic, parsley and a hint of spice takes a dip in the fryer with delicious results. They are delightfully crunchy on the outside, light and airy on the inside. Served with a side of rémoulade, the supersized serving of five was a steal at $10. The second day we split an order so we could sample the equally delicious lumpia — Creole-braised pork and rice sealed up in a paper-thin lumpia wrapper and fried.

The Taste of Minnesota may be just a memory, but the hush puppies and lumpia can still be a reality — they’re both on the menu at the restaurant, too. Time for a road trip. (Nicole Hvidsten)

24 College Av. N., St. Joseph, Minn., 320-557-0083, krewemn.com

The loon calls bounce off the tree-lined shore and carry across the water on an early morning up north, amplifying the assurance that this is country living. When the wind pushes the waves up along the bank, it sounds like an invitation. It’s hard not to want to make this a daily wakeup call.

Most of us find our way back to the metal, concrete and looming deadlines. Robb and Claudia Peterson decided to take a different path. That’s where I found them last week, at the Two Inlets Country Store. They traded Chattanooga, Tenn., for this tiny township near Itasca State Park. They are living their dream, which in turn fed mine: to find food adventures in all corners of the state.

What was a simple roadside store has become a place to get fantastic Detroit-style pizza and craft cocktails. There are also smash burgers, and Robb tends to fire up the smoker and serve up all kinds of treasures from it. The store still sells paper plates and cinnamon rolls for the cabin, but there’s also a full bar and an outdoor living room that’s popular with snowmobilers in the cold months.

We scooted tables together, dragged in chairs and toasted our gin drinks (lemonade for the kids) in Mason jars. The thick pan-baked crust bubbles up with that familiar focaccia-like chew and charred cheese edges. Buttons of fennel and garlic sausage mingled with zippy pepperoni, and cheese that alternates between fluffy, stretchy and crusty covered the expanse of the large pie ($24.96).

It’s almost enough to make a person succumb to the romance of the wild country life. (J.S.)

55735 County Hwy. 44, Park Rapids, Minn., 218-732-5235. Visit them on Facebook.