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

Sometimes spring just doesn't happen in the time frame that suits a Minnesotan. A false spring filled with warm promise and shrinking snowbanks can quickly transform back into a wasteland of frozen ice. Those are the days when an intrepid soul must force spring. Not unlike a crocus pushing its way through a season's worth of debris, the weather-weary must strongarm a new season into being.

The French Hen Cafe, in St. Paul's Cathedral Hill, is the perfect spot to soak up some sun and take in a brightly flavored brunch. The little neighborhood cafe is located on a charming stretch of Selby Avenue. The entrance is through the neighboring Ergo flower shop, and the swinging door opens to a waft of green and floral aromas. Just a few steps inside is the cafe, an integral part of the neighborhood since opening in 2012, with a chalkboard filled with seasonal specials.

My go-to breakfast is the bánh mì Benedict ($17.50). A split baguette is topped with juicy, crusty soy-glazed pork and poached eggs that are like little white purses stuffed with gold. The entire plate is filled with snappy, pickled diced vegetables, and the Sriracha-spiked hollandaise has just enough spice to properly kick in jean-jacket season. (Joy Summers)

518 Selby Av., 651-222-6201, frenchhencafe.com. Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

The best thing about having lunch at Rustica is that you can have the best of both worlds.

First, the breads. Take advantage of all they have to offer in that department with avocado toast ($10). Creamy avocados are mixed with mustard vinaigrette and a hint of lime and spread on two slabs of that fantastic multigrain bread and dotted with cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds. People poke fun at avocado toast, but there's a reason it's so popular — it's delicious.

Then, the sweets. You can't go wrong here, but the grapefruit/cream-cheese danish ($4.25) is an eye-catcher with a bright dollop of grapefruit curd atop layers of sweet, flaky dough and a dusting of powdered sugar. Those afraid of too much pucker, worry not. The sweetness of the pastry is the perfect foil for the tart grapefruit/cream-cheese topping. It's a delightfully zingy and springy way to end — or begin — your lunch. (Nicole Hvidsten)

3220 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-822-1119, open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; 200 Southdale Center, Suite A, Edina, 952-417-6199, open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; rusticabakery.com.

In the four years since a Quad Cities native opened a pizzeria in Mahtomedi, Dennis Schneekloth has been shaking up what, exactly, can be a pizza. "I like to have fun with food," he said.

Case in point: His signature pie is the Kinda Big Dill, inspired by good-old Midwestern sushi, the pickle roll-up. It even ships nationally. Another favorite, chicken wild rice, turns soup into something you can eat with your hands.

This week, I tried variations of both. The Kinda Big Dill is available on a cauliflower crust, which gives gluten-free eaters a chance to try the salty-smoky-sour combination of creamy dill sauce, thinly sliced pickles and house-smoked Canadian bacon ($18).

But if you can have gluten, I say, do it. Quad Cities' style crusts are sweetened with malt syrup instead of sugar, and fermented for 48 hours. It has a substantial chew that's almost bagel-like, thanks to the malt. And it stands up to heavy, hefty toppings on some of the specials, like a sausage version of that wild rice pie that contains nearly a pound of finely ground house-made pork-fennel sausage crumbles, spread out over a cream cheese base. Just a slice, which are cut into strips, is a meal ($22).

Last summer, a second location of QC Pizza opened in south Minneapolis with a similar menu, except when Schneekloth or his business partner decide to get creative with limited-time specials. Just this week, he was experimenting with a bologna and mustard sandwich-inspired pizza. Both locations stock frozen pies, from the classics to some of the wacky pizza inventions like eggs Benedict — proving once again that anything can be a pizza. (Sharyn Jackson)

3150 N. Century Av., Mahtomedi, 651-777-1200. Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 5501 34th Av. S., Mpls., 612-259-7132. Open 4-8 p.m. Mon.-Tue., noon-8 p.m. Wed.-Thu., noon-9 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. qc.pizza.

Bar maven Trish Gavin has created a cocktail inspired by the late, great local chef Jack Riebel at Boxcar Bar inside the Market and Malcolm Yards. The rum tonic ($15) is available for the month of March and a portion of the proceeds from the drink will benefit a St. Paul College culinary scholarship that was set up in Riebel's name.

"Even though I think he was more of a gin guy, I think he would have liked this," said Gavin, beverage director for Kâhluna, Lat14 and Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine. The flavor notes take their cues from Hawaii, where Riebel and his wife had deep connections. Kola and macadamia nuts give the drink a rounded mouthfeel, while the sharp lemongrass tonic and smooth rum do a dance battle to balance on the palate. Garnished with glittery citrus, it's a dose of warm-weather fun and a hearty reward for traversing the someday-to-be-paved parking lot outside the popular food hall. (J.S.)

The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Av. SE., Mpls., malcolmyards.market. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. and Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Coming home from a beach vacation to find a 3-foot snowbank in front of my house called for the kind of food that could send me right back to the sun and sand. Pimento delivered.

Tomme Beevas' deeply spiced Kingston-style jerk chicken, in combination with his slow-roasted jerk pork and a big batch of coconut rice and beans, was a flavor trip to the tropics. The meal ($16) comes with two fried plantains, but I'd suggest getting another batch on the side ($5.50). They're glazed with a spiced vanilla syrup for a sweet treat. (S.J.)

902 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-808-1628. Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-7 p.m. Sun. 2524 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-345-5637. Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.-Wed., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Thu.-Sat. pimento.com