Combo poke bowl at Sushi Mix
As the seasons and temperatures shift, so do eating patterns. Cozy soups make way for salads, and our occasional midday skyway splurges lean into lighter fare like sushi, spring rolls and bowls.
Enter Sushi Mix, which opened earlier this year in downtown Minneapolis, pleasantly serving up tried-and-true rolls like spicy tuna to fun specials like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos rolls, all made to order. (There’s also a grab-and-go case if you’re in a hurry.)
I had poke bowls on the mind, so went with the combo: tuna, salmon and kani — shredded imitation crab in a spicy dressing ($13). A bed of seasoned rice is topped with a plentiful portion of the fish combo — the tuna and salmon fresh and melt-in-your-mouth tender; the kani a pleasant, spicy surprise — along with creamy avocado, crunchy cucumbers, shredded carrots, seaweed salad, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallions. Give it a good stir and it’s a light but filling balance of flavors and textures, with more heat than you’re expecting. A warmer-weather lunchtime win. (Nicole Hvidsten)
Canadian Pacific Plaza, skyway level, 120 S. 6th St., Mpls., follow them on Facebook
Juicy Lucy tartare at Tullibee
After months of behind-the-scenes changes at the Hewing Hotel, its beautiful-as-ever ground-floor restaurant Tullibee is back in full swing — with a new culinary director.
Chef Nathan Kim arrived here late last summer by way of Chicago, where he most recently led the kitchen at the acclaimed Obélix. Kim was on the drive to Minneapolis for his tasting, a final audition of sorts, when lightning struck. Tasked with coming up with a refined take on a local dish, he remembered the burger with the molten core from Matt’s Bar.
He came up with one of those “how has no one done this before?” ideas. The result: Juicy Lucy tartare ($18), a pickle-y preparation of raw beef that rings around a cheddar cheese mousse, much lighter and less lethal than the usual surface-of-the-sun cheesy middle of a Juicy Lucy. Kim forgoes the standard-issue burger bun for toasted brioche sticks. It’s still fine dining, after all.
Kim is equally playful with the parade of veggie-forward appetizers I tried, including a personal favorite of rainbow carrots as thick-cut and ruby in color as ahi tuna. It’s served over whipped feta with a sprinkling of dukkah that somehow reads like smoked salmon with cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning. Smoke is, of course, a big part of the menu, with a view into the hearth kitchen. The cocktail program has some fun new updates, too, including the Lao Abuelita with tequila, chile crisp, mandarin, passion fruit and popping boba.
