The 5 best things our food writers ate this week

It’s not easy to be the first, but that didn’t stop Deb Loch and Jill Pavlak. In 2014, they were the first women to open a microbrewery and the second in the state to add a kitchen. But more than a decade in, the couple have proven that the trail they blazed was one worth following.

So, in honor of International Women’s Day this past Saturday, Urban Growler seemed like an ideal spot to take the family for a little lunch interlude. I devoured the Reuben ($17), a hearty bite with marble rye, a tangy pile of kraut, melty Swiss cheese and a pile of beer-braised corned beef. The meat was juicy, hanging onto those briny spices that mingle with the tangy sauce and kraut. Each bite paired beautifully with a classic Cowbell Cream Ale. It had me thinking about the women who build up communities, extend bridges that make it easier for those to follow and how happy I was to be sharing that lunch with my own daughter and wondering what cool paths she’ll get to choose from when she’s ready to go out on her own. (Joy Summers)

2325 Endicott St., St. Paul, urbangrowlerbrewing.com

On a recent evening at this Minneapolis music bar and cocktail lounge, the ambient live music provided a great backdrop for socializing. Having had dinner at a nearby North Loop establishment beforehand, our stomachs were full when we arrived. But two hours in, we were craving a nosh.

After scanning the menu that included crudo, shrimp cocktail, katsu sandwiches, pizza and pastas, we zeroed in on the dish that best fit our mood for something shareable and sweet. The monkey bread ($13) not only hit that mark, but we soon found out it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill variety. But, then again, it’s what we might come to expect from four-time James Beard nominee chef Jamie Malone. The snack-style menu is concise and curated with the same refinement as the striking, intimate year-old music lounge.

Here, the dish is made with Japanese milk bread, or shokupan. It gets washed with cooked, sweetened milk before baking and is then drizzled with Maldon sea salt and served with changing seasonal butters. During our visit, it was a n’duja butter (an Italian spicy, spreadable salami) and honeycomb spread layered with savory, sweet and heat. The cheffed-up dish reads like a luxe version of a giant pretzel with cheese sauce. And it was easily shareable for our table of four, making it the perfect snack to end our night. (Nancy Ngo)

204 N. 1st St., Mpls., berlinmpls.com

The four-year-old Pangea Halal Market in Coon Rapids showcases groceries from the Middle East, Asia and East Africa. So when it came time late last year to refresh the restaurant inside, it was fitting that the new Mashawi Grill would feature a wide array of cuisines from its coal-fired grill.

“It was a 180-degree change,” said Khaled El Malky, a store manager.

The grill got a new chef, Khari Abu El Hassan (he goes by the nickname Abu Tarek). He’s Lebanese, but he also cooks delicacies from Iraq, India, Egypt, Yemen and more. That’s how I wound up with a huge takeout feast of coal-fired skewers of lamb, kufta, marinated chicken tawooq and chicken and beef shawarma over red and yellow basmati rice (mixed grill, $24.99); falafel rolled up in crepe-like saj bread ($7.99); and beef arayes, a Lebanese snack that stuffs meat into a pita that then gets griddled to a crisp ($8.99).

All that and more is available daily, but stop in for even more variety on the buffet ($20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $13 for kids, and $13/pound to go). The all-you-can-eat meal, including mains, sides, salads and sweets, runs nightly until about 9 p.m. for those breaking the Ramadan fast. The meat is 100% halal. (Sharyn Jackson)

8500 Springbrook Drive NW., Coon Rapids, pangeamarket.com, eatmashawi.com

From the outset it’s clear that Phil’s Tara Hideaway is a destination. Tucked behind a frontage road off Hwy. 36, the little log cabin glows with warm lights visible through the windows against the evening light. It’s a place easy to feel nostalgia for, even on a first visit.

Phil’s Tara Hideaway dates back to the 1930s and has long been home to food and drink establishments. Phil Barbatsis purchased it in 1997 and gave us the combo Greek/steakhouse menu that stands to this day.

As warm as the setting appears, even more inviting is the hospitality. We were welcomed sincerely at the door, chatted easily with the bartender and made spontaneous friends with the couple seated next to us. At their recommendation, we ordered the pastitsio ($20) served with a side salad and warm pita bread. The “Greek lasagna” with layers of rich cheese, sauce, pasta and béchamel arrived hot with a toasty crust from baking. Even at the height of cozy eating, the real comfort we left with was the care paid to our entire experience. That was the height of service and we carried the kindness with us long after the leftovers were devoured. (J.S)

15021 60th St. N., Stillwater, facebook.com/PhilsTaraHideaway

Ever since husband-wife duo Michael and Mai Bui, along with Mai’s brother Peter Do, resurrected Keefer Court Bakery to become the second family to run the beloved local institution, the veteran restaurateurs have brought back classic savory and sweet Chinese baked goods from founders Paulina and Sunny Kwan.

At its location inside Eden Prairie’s Asia Mall, where the Buis also run Pho Mai and a bubble tea place, the couple decided to do more than bring back original recipes such as egg tarts, barbecued pork buns and beef curry puffs. Since opening a year ago, they’ve slowly added desserts such as Vietnamese cassava and honeycomb sponge cakes. And just our luck, their pandan cake – a dish my colleague is a fan of after trying it at their Pho Mai location in Dinkytown – now can be found here.

I could see why the double-layer Southeast Asian dessert is a fan favorite. The extraction from pandan leaves gives the bottom layer a light green hue, making it as pretty as it is tall (4.5 inches). Despite its stature, it’s a light, fluffy, airy cake in which the brilliance of pandan adds terrific nutty, fragrant and floral notes that give off tea cake vibes. The cake is available by the slice ($7) or whole ($60), with a choice of buttercream or, for the more adventurous, durian frosting.

Michael said the family’s pandan cake first made its way onto the menu at MT Noodles, the Brooklyn Park restaurant run by his mom and brother. It’s his mother’s recipe and is now also served at both Pho Mai restaurants. And with the new bakery format, it allows them to serve it more easily to the masses. “We have two dedicated cooks at the bakery that just make those all day,” he said. “That’s how popular those cakes are.” (N.N.)

Keefer Court Bakery at Asia Mall, 12160 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, keefercourt.com