Sue Z Says

Want to dine out with your baby? If your sweetie is literally an infant, try the Birchwood Café (3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., 612-722-4474), where you’ll find Sweet Cheeks baby food, made by Lori Karis from all-natural, locally grown, organic ingredients. It can also be found frozen at local co-ops.

This summer, at the Stout’s Island Lodge in Birchwood, Wisconsin (715-354-3646), I sampled executive chef Don Saunders’s delicious pea soup, with almonds, chèvre, and white truffle oil, and a whole-roasted rainbow trout. I can’t wait to see what Saunders creates this winter for John Rupp’s Commodore Hotel (79 Western Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-1751).

Have you tried the caraway rye bread at Mort’s Deli (525 Winnetka Ave., Golden Valley, 763-544-2900)? It’s the perfect match for both the corned beef and the pastrami. But leave room for dessert: The new red-velvet cake and pecan brownies are plenty special, too.

Halloween tastes better with orange-frosted cookies—or any of the nine other varieties, including snickerdoodles, made by the kids at the Cookie Cart (1119 W. Broadway, Mpls., 612-521-0855). Order by the dozen for your spooky parties.

I recently lunched at the new Normandy Kitchen (405 S. Eighth St., Mpls., 612-455-1204), where the Henry VIII burgers are as good as the ones I remember.

Sue Zelickson is host of WCCO Radio’s Food for Thought.

Sue Zelickson (Sue Z.) is a James Beard Award-winning food media personality, philanthropist, and longtime contributor to Minnesota Monthly and WCCO radio. She has founded the Charlie Awards, the Women Who Really Cook networking organization for women in the local food industry, and the Kids Cafe at Perspectives, Inc., which improves access to nutritious meals for families in need. You can find her buzzing around from event to event throughout the Twin Cities, helping to raise funds for charitable organizations, including some she has had a hand in building.