Restaurant recommendations from MnMo food critics Jason DeRusha and Joy Summers.
Jason’s Picks
Most of summer, I’m drinking rosé and Indeed Shenanigans, but as the red-hot weather winds down, I find myself savoring cocktails that help me hang on to the season, one sip at a time.
Paradisi at Tattersall: I drink a lot of gin and there’s no better version than the one made by the uber-popular Minneapolis distillery Tattersall. Theirs is cucumber-infused with a grapefruit–pink peppercorn tonic. (Northeast Minneapolis)
Cobra Kai at Strip Club Meat & Fish: Rum is having a moment, as they say. And the Cobra Kai is one of my all-time favorite cocktails: Its blend of spiced rum, habanero bitters, and lemon/lime housemade sour creates perfection. (Dayton’s Bluff, St. Paul)
Tattersall’s Paradisi
Photo by TJ Turner
Joy’s Picks
Is there anything as sexy as an ice-filled, clouded glass, slowly sweating in the summer heat? There is no better way to beat the hottest days.
Horchata at Sandcastle: I didn’t know how much I loved horchata until just a couple of years ago. Now I count the days until Lake Nokomis’s seasonal cafe concession starts pouring this creamy, cold rice-milk drink with just a hint of cinnamon. I love to spike it with a little Peace Coffee. (Lake Nokomis)
Gimlet at Nightingale: This sweet Lyndale eatery has been consistently pouring some of my favorite cocktails since opening their doors nearly four years ago. August is the perfect time to dive into a tall glass of Old Tom gin laced with sweet, tart lemongrass-ginger syrup. It tastes like a cool summer breeze. (Lyn-Lake)
