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

It’s been said that Babe the Blue Ox ate 30 bales of hay a day. I didn’t find any hay on the menu at Thirty Bales, a scratch kitchen on Hopkins’ Mainstreet. But I did find plenty of dishes that are as Minnesotan as Paul Bunyan’s bovine sidekick.

On a lovely patio evening, our server guided us to the most popular order, the Bol du Nord ($29). It’s a wholesome crock of wild rice in roasted mushroom cream sauce, packed full of veggies and topped with two breaded walleye fillets. While I wouldn’t have minded more seasoning, this hearty entree is a good starting place for those who are salt-sensitive.

We sampled more of their comfort food with local flair, and especially liked the fried cauliflower tacos ($15), a substantial vegetarian main served on hand-pressed masa and Minnesota wild rice tortillas. There’s lots more on the menu to explore, including an intriguing “purple ribbon” carrot cake, a 4-H grand champion recipe. (Sharyn Jackson)

1106 Mainstreet, Hopkins, thirtybales.com

Ever end up at the wrong place, yet it feels so right? That recently happened when punching an incorrect address into the GPS led me to this south Minneapolis score. It was lunchtime, and those from the neighborhood as well as construction workers conversing in Spanish started trickling into Taqueria El Patron, and I followed suit.

Turns out the spot on Xerxes Avenue near 50th Street, across from Hunt and Gather, quietly opened last November with offerings similar to its sibling restaurant on Lake Street and food truck by the same name. Nadia Rosales and Victor Herrera took over the quaint space in the Fulton neighborhood that was previously home to chef Hector Ruiz’s El Travieso and, before that, Don Raul.

The spot reminded me of the taquerias in Mexico, down to the vibrant murals and casual menu of dishes like burritos, tacos, tamales and tortas. Tacos served on two corn tortillas ($4 each, $2.50 on Tuesdays) have more than a dozen fillings to choose from, including chicken tinga, tripe, shrimp and vegetarian options. My picks of carne asada steak and, the favorite, al pastor, an achiote- and cumin-forward marinated pork that packed earthy, nutty and sweet flavors, made me one happy customer. (Nancy Ngo)

4953 Xerxes Av. S., Mpls., taqueriaelpatronmn.com

North Minneapolis doesn’t usually see a lot of restaurant action, but lately things have been picking up. Houston White’s Get Down Coffee Co., Gerard and Brittney Klass, et al’s Camden Social, the recently opened Tap In are all transforming a district that still has far too many vacant storefronts. Add Marcus and Kelsey Brandt to the mix.

Their Sandwich Club food truck has been feeding the Victory neighborhood since June as the sole truck on the parkway. They’re stationed there every week, Wednesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. It’s uber-convenient, since they live only six blocks away, and they have no plans of departing the neighborhood, even as interest in their hoagies rises. Marcus Brandt is the chef behind the always-changing menu, and he has some serious restaurant credits, including the Kenwood, Pizzeria Lola and Wayzata’s short-lived Dough Room.

Brandt switches up the menu every week, but one sandwich he won’t touch is the Bodega Buddy ($15), a New York-style chopped cheese. If you haven’t had a chopped cheese yet, it’s like a cheesesteak but with hamburger that’s been cleaved on the griddle. Brandt infuses his with sautéed onions and two kinds of cheese that ooze all over. Top with some finely diced accoutrements (romaine, tomato, pickle, jalapeños) and some mayo in a big crusty roll and you’ve got a meaty and tangy crowd-pleaser. (Get the housemade potato salad while you’re at it.)

“I could build a restaurant off of the Bodega Buddy,” Brandt said from his sunny yellow truck. And he plans to. The Brandts are checking out real estate in the neighborhood and are excited to put down more permanent roots. (They also have a second longer-term food project in the works in partnership with White, in the nearby Camden neighborhood.) Brandt can’t reveal the concept yet, but expect his rich restaurant experiences to influence the menu. (S.J.)

Victory Memorial Parkway near 45th Avenue N., Mpls., sandwichclubmpls.com

Each triangle of fried joy from Sambusa Express contains multitudes: family history, realized dreams and the chance to take a deep breath and live every day out in the world.

None of it would have happened without the pandemic. In the depths of its darkest days, when people were hospitalized and isolated from family, Abdi Ahmed was there, helping those patients breathe.

“I’m a registered respiratory therapist by trade,” said Ahmed. “I spent two and a half years battling the excruciating ills of COVID with the front-line team. A happy, joyous, optimistic dude at baseline, I started to burn out.” While he still has his day job, Ahmed started a dream business as therapy to hang onto his natural joyous state.

Ahmed recruited his family to help open a food trailer and, using his grandmother’s recipe, they lovingly build each sambusa they serve. His wife, Hawo, painstakingly wraps them, Abdi runs the fryer, and the kids run the register and engage folks outside. Each bite is like being invited into their home for a family dinner. Ground meat is tender, seasoned with soft onions and wrapped in that blistered-crisp shell. Served alongside a tamarind dipping sauce, they’re delicious and filling. A boat of five ($15) was enough to feed my family of four for lunch with one leftover, and it tasted almost as good cold from the fridge.

“In the truck, I’m a kid again — joyful, optimistic, and loving people!” said Abdi. After a little time at the truck, I know the feeling. (Joy Summers)

Follow @Sambusa_Express on Instagram or on Facebook for its next location.

Every time I make it to Nouvelle Brewing, there’s something new going on. Hence, the name. Right now, the big change is the addition of a lunchtime pizza buffet, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A wallet-friendly $20 entry gets you slices from a selection of pies from their Pig Ate My Pizza heyday, their signature sweet and savory pork nugs (can’t stop, won’t stop), and salad. You can only order off the regular Nouvelle menu at lunch on Fridays, and that’s the perfect time to try one of their previous innovations, the paffuto.

Think of the paffuto as a pizza bread bowl for dip and salad. At least, that’s how I experienced the Big Fat Greek Wedding Paffuto, which uses pizza dough as a vessel for artichoke dip, feta, olives and peppers, topping the whole thing with a cucumber salad and more cheese. It feels both healthy (salad!) and not (dip!), and if you’re enjoying it solo, it checks both appetizer and entree off the list for $13. There are two more iterations, filled with jalapeño pesto and ricotta or with chicken Caesar salad.

Of course, that’s not all Nouvelle is up to. Besides plenty of new beers to sample and a couple of new sandwiches on the menu, Travail is also looking at opening a Pig Ate My Pizza soon in Bloomington. For now, though, downtown Robbinsdale gets all that pizza to itself. (S.J.)

4124 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale, nouvellebrewing.com