Best Dishes of 2007

My visit to Heidi's re-taught me two things: One, Stewart Woodman is an amazing chef; and two, there is a point at which complications in seating can pretty much ruin a meal. (And no, don't ask me why I'm always surprised when I go to a just-opened restaurant and it acts like a just-opened restaurant.) In any event, if you don't know, Heidi's is the tiny, long-anticipated south Minneapolis restaurant by Stewart and Heidi Woodman. Stewart was once the opening sous chef at New York City's Essex House by Alain Ducasse, and later the opening chef of Restaurant Levain and Five. His own little jewel-box of a restaurant opened in November, and the food is nothing short of spectacular. There was a poached pheasant breast in a clove-touched pheasant jus paired with cauliflower and arugula ($19), which was like nothing I've ever had, and that's saying a lot. The pheasant itself was as tender as flower petals, the jus smoky and rich, the cauliflower and arugula contributing unexpected notes of acid and flint. Amazing stuff. I can't wait to try more. Heidi's, 819 W. 50th St., Minneapolis, 612.354.3512; www.heidismpls.com.

2) Tasting menu at Mission

My meals at Mission this past fall were all over the map (see full review in CP 11/07/07). Yet, when I look back in my little mind, the tasting meal of one Saturday night shines and beckons to me: If you could relive one meal of the year, wouldn't this be the one? Yes, Mind, I answer, and since I've got you on the line, where exactly is the spare set of house keys? But then I find my Mind is unresponsive, again dwelling on that magical Saturday: a king crab souffle like some kind of cream-salt vapor reaching up from the ocean depths; squab as scarlet as berries, as deep and winy as Port made flesh; spaghetti with a pigeon Bolognese as earthy and rich as a whole forest; foie gras thrumming with the freshest, most elemental notes of iron and butter—what a night, what a night! Mission American Kitchen, 77 S. Seventh St., Minneapolis, 612.339.1000; www.missionamericankitchen.com.

3) Scallops at Grand Café Minneapolis

High on my list of restaurants to watch is the Grand Café Minneapolis (the former Bakery on Grand.) This is because chef Jon Radle, formerly a cook at Auriga, La Belle Vie, Corner Table, and many others, took over in August and has been slowly rolling out his own menus, replacing ones I found decidedly ho-hum. Radle tells me he'll consider the restaurant truly ready for prime time in late January, when his sideman comes back from paternity leave, and frankly, I can't wait, as one dinner I had there has haunted me with its excellence. The highlight was four diver-caught scallops perfectly seared, presented on a bed of saffron-and-tomato risotto that was as evocative and bewitching as a melody heard over water. Grand Café Minneapolis, 3804 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612.822.8260; www.grandcafempls.com.

4) So much at La Belle Vie

I field a lot of reader requests looking for the best restaurant in town for an engagement, major birthday, anniversary, gift certificate for the parents, and whatnot, and lately my answer feels like a skipping broken record: La Belle Vie, La Belle Vie, La Belle Vie. What can I say? It seems like the only place in town these days that has service to match the food. In my experience, servers there roll about on silent wheels, meeting your needs before you even know you have them. I love that. Does it sound like I'm damning the food by praising the service? I don't mean to—the food remains nothing short of spectacular. And here's a hot tip: Did you know the lounge offers a $40-per-person tasting menu? It's true. They've been doing it all year now, and when I dropped in to try it, I was blown away. There was a gorgeously clear and dark pheasant consommé with foie gras agnolotti and a darling poached quail egg; sautéed skate with roasted beets, blood orange, and black olive; a grilled beef fillet with Jerusalem artichokes, porcini mushrooms, and a beautifully gelatinous and silky oxtail marmalade; and, for dessert, lemon-scented financier (a light French pastry) with blood-orange curd, mascarpone sorbet, and candied kumquats. Add a supplemental wine flight for $25. This is just the sort of opulent but not bank-breaking splurge that these days of constant mortgage crisis call for. La Belle Vie, 510 Groveland Ave., Minneapolis, 612.874.6440; www.labellevie.us.