In Bizarre Foods Minnesota, part of the Delicious Destinations series featuring Andrew Zimmern, the host and his crew visited numerous restaurants in the city, showcasing a variety of unique and delicious dishes. Here is a convenient list of all the addresses and dishes highlighted in this exciting exploration of Minnesota’s food scene.
ANDREW ZIMMERN MINNESOTA DISH – Jucy Lucy
WHAT IS IT?
The Jucy Lucy burger is a juicy delight, featuring a hidden pocket of molten cheese inside the fresh ground beef. The key to its success is consistency, with every patty being the same size. Two patties and a piece of cheese are folded together, ensuring the edges are sealed to keep the cheese inside. The chef makes 672 of these burgers before the restaurant even opens, and more are made on demand. The tiny flat top on which they are cooked adds extra flavor due to the seasoning accumulated over decades of burger flipping, topped off with a secret sprinkle.
WHERE IS IT?
Matt’s Bar and Grill
3500 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Matt Bristol’s bar has remained largely unchanged since he took over in 1954. He originally aimed to open a burger joint, which unexpectedly gave birth to an icon after he fulfilled a customer’s unusual request over 60 years ago.
ANDREW ZIMMERN MINNESOTA DISH – Tater Tot Hot Dish
WHAT IS IT?
This dish, known as tater tot hot dish, features a thick white cheese sauce mixed with gelatin, rice potatoes, and beef short ribs that have been marinated and braised in red wine, vegetables, and spices. The dish is topped with hand-punched tater tots coated in potato powder, flakes, and egg wash. After air drying, the tots are fried and served alongside the short ribs, sautéed green beans, mushroom salad, and Parmesan cheese. The meat is finished with a mushroom sauce and red wine reduction for added flavor.
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WHERE IS IT?
Haute Dish
119 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
In Minnesota, casseroles are dishes where all the ingredients are mixed together before baking, while hot dish is a layered dish, both being ultimate Northern prairie comfort food born on the farm where meals had to be hearty and easy to assemble. These dishes are often served at church suppers, potlucks, and mom’s Tuesday night dinners.
Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed its doors.
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ANDREW ZIMMERN MINNESOTA DISH – Wild Rice Soup
WHAT IS IT?
Wild rice soup features grade A wild rice cooked in homemade chicken stock with added chicken gloss for flavor intensity. Vegetables are sauteed with butter and combined with the wild rice and stock. The soup is thickened with a light roux and finished with milk, cream, and seasoning of salt and pepper. Sherry wine is added for nuttiness and sweetness, and the soup is cooled and reheated to order.
WHERE IS IT?
The St. Paul Grill
350 N Market St, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Wild rice is the seed head of a wild reed that grows in shallow, slow-moving waters. While technically not rice, it is traditionally harvested by Native Americans in Minnesota who push their canoes into the grass and carefully bend the grass heads over the side to rush the grains off with sticks and canoes. Today, much of the wild rice is cultivated on farms, but traditional harvesting methods are still used.
ANDREW ZIMMERN MINNESOTA DISH – Walleye
WHAT IS IT?
The walleye, known for its mild, sweet flavor and buttery, flaky texture, is grilled in a mixture of butter and oil and seasoned with a balanced blend of spices. A secret seasoning mix is then added to enhance the delicate flavors of the fish. Served alongside the walleye is wild rice that has been sauteed with garlic, mushrooms, and dill peppers, providing a perfect complement to the dish.
WHERE IS IT?
Tavern on Grand
656 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Currently, walleye fishing in Minnesota is only for recreational purposes to promote sustainability. The Tavern sources its walleye from across the state lines in Canada where it is filleted and the skin is removed.
DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Sweet Martha’s Cookies
WHAT IS IT?
Sweet Martha’s Cookies are freshly baked chocolate chip cookies sold at the fair, with a secret of minimizing the time between baking and serving. Each year, around 12 million cookies are made on-site and sold quickly. The mixing process begins by adding the dry mix including flour, sugar, and eggs. The dough is made by adding shortening and water, and the cookies are formed into balls and baked in convection ovens. The two stands produce about a million cookies each day. Jennifer Olson, Martha’s daughter, helps run the operation.
WHERE IS IT?
Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar
1702 Carnes Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
In 1979 Martha Rossini Olson opened one small cookie stand with one oven. Today, two giant booths making sweet Martha’s cookies the number 1 food vendor in food fair. Bringing 2.4 million dollars in sales in just 12 days but at the heart of this cookie juggernaut, is still a mom baking cookies for her kids.
DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Pronto Pup
WHAT IS IT?
Pronto Pup, a hot dog breaded and served on a stick, is a popular fair treat. The commissary kitchen at the heart of the fairgrounds produces and delivers them to 8 different stands, each cooking them to order in fryers specifically designed for the fair. The cooking process takes only two minutes, and condiments are traditionally applied by the vendor.
WHERE IS IT?
Prontos
1 Valley Fair Dr, Shakopee, MN 55379, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
These hot dogs on a stick are called Pronto Pups, and they are distinct from corndogs. The batter, made with a proprietary blend of five flours, has remained the same since their inception. They are cooked at the fairgrounds in fryers specially designed for the occasion and delivered to eight different stands, where they are cooked to order and served on the same day.
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DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Mini Donuts
WHAT IS IT?
Mini donuts are freshly made treats at the fair that are coated in cinnamon sugar. The batter is prepared by adding water to the dry ingredients, including a secret recipe from 1950 that is premixed off site. The mini donut machines, which have been part of the fair since 1948, do the rest. During the 12-day event, these machines process around 10 tons of flour and 6 tons of sugar to produce mini donuts.
WHERE IS IT?
Tom Thumb
2402 E 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Bobby has worked with the original owners Charlie and Janet Hanson, who began making mini donuts in 1951, since he was a teenager.
DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Smorrebrod
WHAT IS IT?
Smorrebrod is a Danish open-faced sandwich that includes cured meats, cheese, pickles, nuts, fish, and vegetables. It is served in two ways, either build your own with toasted bread and assorted toppings, or order the brunch smorrebrod which is built by a master. The brunch smorrebrod includes smoked trout which is first cured overnight in salt, then smoked using their chips for a sweet, subtle flavor. The trout is then mixed with housemade creme fresh and served on freshly sliced sourdough bread with roasted zucchini, stewed onion, and fennel bulb relish.
WHERE IS IT?
The Bachelor Farmer Cafe
200 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Scandinavians migrated to Minnesota in the mid-1800s, attracted by the mining and lumber industries, as well as the fertile farmland and severe winters, which resembled their native land. They adapted their simple yet hearty cuisine to the state’s abundant agricultural resources. Today, Nordic cuisine is one of the world’s most popular food trends, and the Bachelor Farmer has put its spin on it.
Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed its doors.
BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Sausage And Sticky Rice
WHAT IS IT?
Sausage and sticky rice is a Hmong pork product that is uniquely spiced and served with fragrant purple rice. The dish is made by coarsely grinding fresh pork shoulder, pork skin, and aromatic vegetables. The chef adds Thai chilis to make the sausage spicy, and salt, MSG, and oyster sauce are also part of the recipe. The sausage is stuffed into natural casings, twisted by hand, and deep-fried at Mama’s Fusion Food Stand in the fair’s food court. The dish is served with purple sticky rice, which the chef makes by cooking American purple rice and then cooking the sticky rice in the resulting purple water. The chef also prepares a special dipping sauce of red chili, garlic, cilantro, and fish sauce to accompany the dish.
WHERE IS IT?
Mama’s Fusion Food Stand (Inside HmongTown Marketplace)
217 Como Ave, St Paul, MN 55103, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
Toua recreated his favorite sausage recipe from his homeland since it was not available where he currently lived.
BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – The Commercial
WHAT IS IT?
Bump’s offers hot commercial sandwiches made with locally sourced aged top round from cattle that is hand trimmed and seasoned with pepper and garlic salt. The beef is roasted in the oven for four hours until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. The beef juice is used to make the gravy, which is made with beef paste and leftover bits of the roast. The mashed potatoes are made with hand-peeled Idaho russets and mixed with melted butter and milk. The sandwich is assembled with two slices of bread, half of the beef, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and homemade gravy. Bump’s offers beef, turkey, and pork commercials, but the beef commercial is the most popular.
WHERE IS IT?
Bump’s Family Restaurant
737 Morningside Dr, Glencoe, MN 55336, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
The name “The Commercial” originated from the era of commercial travelers, who were salespeople on the road. The sandwich was invented in farming towns like Glencoe as a fast, hot meal for salespeople who were in a rush to catch their next train.
BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA DISH – Nut Goodie
WHAT IS IT?
The Nut Goodie is a delectable candy composed of maple, peanuts, and chocolate with a nougat center as its base. The fondant is made from a mixture of corn and sugar syrups which are whipped with sugar, corn syrup, and maple flavoring before being shaped and cooled in molds filled with cornstarch. After being released from the molds, the centers are dusted and sorted before being coated with liquid chocolate that arrives in tanker trucks, stored in liquid form, and tempered in a kettle. The candy bars are formed with a precise thickness of chocolate, crowned with a chocolate-peanut mixture, and shaped by hand before being chilled in a cooling tunnel.
WHERE IS IT?
Sugar Sugar Candy
3803 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – ANDREW ZIMMERN BIZARRE FOODS MINNESOTA
This regional candy company is one of the few that still thrives in the US, and their salted nut roll is sold nationwide, while the nut goodie is only available in the Midwest and is a favorite in Minnesota.
Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed its doors.
ANDREW ZIMMERN BIZARRE FOODS MINNESOTA DISH – Bundt Cake
WHAT IS IT?
A Bundt cake is a moist cake with a distinct donut shape. It is made by creaming butter with sugar, eggs, and powdered sugar. Flour and cocoa are whisked together and folded into the butter mixture to form a stiff batter. The batter is poured into a Bundt pan, which has fluted sides and a tube through the center that allows for even heat distribution. The cake is baked for 45 minutes, and cooling for an hour allows the fudgy center to solidify.
WHERE IS IT?
Mill City Farmers Market
750 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, United States
Minnesota, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS MINNESOTA
The bundt cake is a variation of European “gugelhupf” cakes traditionally baked in cast iron or ceramic pans. Nordic Ware company, based in a Minneapolis suburb, created the distinctive fluted pan used for bundt cakes in 1950. After Ella Rita Helfrich won second place in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off with her “tunnel of fudge” bundt cake, the cake’s popularity soared and the recipe received over 200,000 requests overnight.
