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

Goat Cheese and Herb Ravioli from Prima

When Jennifer and Eliot King featured a goat cheese herb ravioli ($27) at their quaint south Minneapolis bistro, it was supposed to be temporary.

"It's a light, egg pasta ravioli we put on for the summer. But then it started to have a cult following, so then we decided we can't take it off the menu," Jennifer said, adding that her chef husband recently modified it to roll with the seasons. "For the fall and winter, it's infused with spinach."

After trying it ourselves, we were sold. It's a lighter pasta option, yet layered enough to satiate. That starts with a handmade ravioli stuffed with decadent, creamy goat cheese. The ravioli then gets an added boost with marinara, baby arugula, artichoke, a citrusy agrumato of lemon and crushed olives and Marcona almonds. They created the dish after brainstorming ways to highlight one of their favorite local products, goat's milk cheese from Donnay Dairy out of Kimball, Minn. "I just love it," she said. "In addition to a salad or a smear of bread, we wanted to show how you can use it in multiple applications." (Nancy Ngo)

5325 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., primampls.com

Pyre Panini with Pickleback Pasta from Herban Wolf Deli

The inside of Herban Wolf Deli feels like Thor's cabin up north, if the Norse god ever got into sandwiches and needed time to unwind. The restaurant that opened in September 2023 just off the main drag in downtown Anoka is the work of Lindsey and Brad Belanger, who started their journey with a food truck. The space has rough-hewn wood accents, a small grab-and-go retail area next to an open dining room with a little electric fireplace. It's cozy with a purposefully small menu of sandwiches, a soup and one rotating hot dog special, all sporting names inspired by mythology.

The Pyre ($12) panini is one of those divine sandwiches that's just as good eating hot off the grill or cold from the fridge the next day. Slices of smoked turkey are layered with bacon, smoked gouda, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and a made-in-house smoky aioli on a rosemary schiacciata loaf. It's oozy, crunchy — and toasty like the best kind of campfire.

The next day, all those flavors meld into that bread and it is flavor alchemy. While ordering a sandwich just for the privilege of leftovers might seem like a strange technique, it was easy to accomplish with a side of the pickleback pasta ($6 for 8 oz.). Apparently, it's reached cult status; cravers will travel surprising lengths for tubs of this mix that's billed as pasta shells, "pickles, dill, smoked gouda, magic." It's required ordering for dilly fans. (Joy Summers)

1918 1st Av., Anoka; herbanwolfdeli.com

Moroccan Salad at Fhima's Minneapolis

There are salads and then there are salads. This is a salad.

Part of a menu refresh at Fhima's in downtown Minneapolis, the Moroccan Salad ($19) is a bed of tender greens topped with red quinoa, pistachios and crisp vegetables. Dried figs give the salad a fruity surprise, and a tangy housemade balsamic vinaigrette, made with honey, paprika, cumin, coriander "and deliciousness," holds everything together. Roasted chickpeas, a stellar and addicting snack on their own, provide a crouton-like crunch. As served, it's vegan and gluten-free. But the option to add merguez ($8), a traditional North African spicy lamb sausage, is absolutely the right move. I've been craving the salad, and its celebration of flavors and textures, since I took the last bite. It's a generous portion; two of us split the salad and the Moroccan Sampler ($23), an array of spreads, for a pre-theater meal and left feeling just the right amount of full.

The menu update was accompanied by a Shea-led design refresh, and both lean into chef David Fhima's Moroccan, Spanish and Italian roots. It's still the same stunning Art Deco room, but the fabrics and furniture are lighter, the wallpaper brighter, and Moroccan rugs make the room a little softer. Service remains top-notch, and we were in and out in plenty of time to walk to the theater. If you're able to sneak in for social hour, from 4 to 6 p.m., this beaut of a salad drops to $14. Use the savings to splurge on the hand-cut pomme frites. You won't be sorry. (Nicole Hvidsten)

40 S. 7th St., Mpls., fhimasmpls.com

Hornado from Lisbeth's

Have you ever dined somewhere so delicious you returned within the same week? That happened after trying the breakfast/brunch menu at this unassuming New Brighton cafe. The French toast ($12), three thick, wonderfully griddled baguette slices topped with refreshing blackberry compote, was among the dishes worth ordering on repeat.

When we asked our server for his favorite menu pick, he did not hesitate to recommend the hornado platter ($13.95), available at lunch and dinner. So we headed back a few days later to order the traditional Ecuadorian slow-cooked pork dish and are glad we didn't miss out. Pork shoulder marinated overnight and braised in the oven for six hours yields well-seasoned, juicy bites. The platter comes with another delicious Ecuadorian delight, llapingachos, or fried cheese-stuffed potato patties, as well as your choice of hominy or rice. A house salsa with tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and a lemon vinaigrette rounds out those rich flavors.

Restaurant veteran Segundo Chaguan, whose resume includes Red Stag Supper Club, opened the north suburban eatery named after his daughter less than a year ago. The chef, who runs the kitchen with his wife, sister-in-law and brother, said that in addition to American homestyle fare, he wanted to feature dishes that pay tribute to his Ecuadorian roots. (N.N.)

788 Cleveland Av. SW., New Brighton, lisbethsrestaurant.com

Lion's Head Meatball at Khue's Kitchen pop-up

"Everyone else in here has a Michelin star. We don't even have a restaurant," Eric Pham said at his Spoon and Stable pop-up last week, which he described as beyond surreal. As a young chef, he learned his way around the kitchen at Gavin Kaysen's landmark Minneapolis restaurant. It was a formative time, especially on the rare nights Kaysen invited celebrity chefs to cook alongside his team as part of the Synergy Series. Last week marked the first time the restaurant featured a small maker, giving Pham the opportunity to serve his food.

It was an unusual arc, but that's how Pham's story has unfolded. The son of a restaurant dynasty family — his mom and siblings own Quang — he wasn't in the kitchen much as a child. He went to college, but couldn't resist the urge to feed people. He began studying the craft at the bottom of the ladder at Spoon and Stable. Eventually, he launched a ghost kitchen and was on the precipice of opening his own restaurant, Khue's Kitchen — named for his mom. But shortly before opening, a fire severely damaged the would-be restaurant, plunging its future into uncertainty.

The local hospitality industry wasn't ready to let his dream go just yet. Instead, invitations for pop-ups started, next came cash donations and equipment. But nothing compared to the opportunity for what he called "more than a homecoming." Last week, a limited menu of Pham's dishes were served at the Spoon and Stable bar. One was a massive lion's head meatball ($18) with his signature chili crisp in a bowl of savory-sweet sauce served with bread, like an invitation to DIY a sub sandwich. Making for one gloriously untidy dish made all the better by the fine-dining setting.

While Pham hasn't yet solidified his plans for what's next, we do know there will be more pop-ups and chances to enjoy this fun-to-eat food in more unexpected places. (J.S.)

Follow Khue's Kitchen on Instagram for pop-up information.