The 5 best things our food writers ate this week

Two seasonings from different countries, cultures and a favorite American bar snack seem like an unlikely combination, until that first bite of the mole- and jerk-seasoned wings ($15) at chef Jorge Guzman’s Chilango proves otherwise. The idea came from the creativity that comes from a good pantry challenge.

“When we had our mole poblano on the menu for our enchiladas enmoladas this winter, we would purée it to get it smooth,” said Guzman. After straining the sauce to achieve that smooth consistency, there was a leftover pulp. “I hated throwing it out. So, I started dehydrating it and using it as a spice powder. It had such an amazing flavor profile that I wanted to use it with something. I love jerk seasoning; it’s always so tasty and has a lot of similarities to the mole flavor profile.” Mixing that new powder with ginger, allspice and habanero powder, the mole jerk was born.

If only we all could have a little bit of that tucked in the spice drawer. The warming spices zing in concert with peppery, wood-perfumed juicy chicken wings. Guzman says they also give the wings a buttermilk brine with charred garlic and Frank’s RedHot — so the flavor permeates every bite. It’s an ideal pairing with a cocktail from the bar while sitting on that gorgeous patio. (Joy Summers)

2730 W. Lake St., Mpls., chilangomn.com

The golden beet salad ($14) on the current menu at Gus Gus in St. Paul is a glory of vegetal delights. These slices of pale jewels are topped with orange citrus kisses, a lively crumble of crusty Chinese sausage, and fresh herbs that sit on a bed of a creamy dressing. It was a delicious revelation.

Until I embarked on this taste adventure, I would have sworn beets were the one vegetable that I would never enjoy. I’ve long harbored a belief they are the vegetable equivalent to my nemesis, showing up when my defenses are down and thwarting my good time. Hidden under the guise of pickles or goat cheese, they were just lurking around ready to bum me out. But this dish has brought on somewhat of an identity crisis. If I’m not the person who hates beets, what else have I been wrong about?

I’ll be contemplating this and more on the sunny sidewalk patio at Gus Gus, chomping through this gorgeous dish and savoring every bite. (J.S.)

128 N. Cleveland Av., St. Paul, gusgusmn.com

When a place in Richfield rolled out earlier this month, we guessed just by the name that we would love both the traditional and gourmet tacos. You can choose from various fillings, including pork al pastor and carne asada, which didn’t disappoint. But the sleeper hit, the birria tostada ($10), also deserves its day in the sun.

Corn tortillas that chef Oscar Ramos makes in-house are purposely made thicker than traditional street tacos for sturdiness. When used for tostadas, the tortillas are deep-fried to a wonderful crisp and hold the heft of ingredients piled on top. Staples such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes get amped up with Oaxaca cheese, a very well seasoned birria shredded beef and smoky-sweet guajillo salsa.

For hard shell taco lovers like me, this open-faced variation is a great alternative. (Nancy Ngo)

2208 W. 66th St., Richfield, eltacoreal.com

Cinco de Mayo. Mother’s Day. The beginning of May is a time of celebrations. And for green thumbs and enthusiasts, that includes the start of plant sale season. And the gigantic Friends School Plant Sale at the State Fairgrounds has become a perennial favorite. So when it rolled around this past Mother’s Day weekend, the shopping list for the garden was made, as were plans to head there with friends.

Grabbing brunch near the fairgrounds and catching up has also become part of the Friends plant sale tradition. This time, we landed at Colossal Cafe, the scratch-kitchen breakfast and lunch spot on Como Avenue. It was bustling on a Saturday morning, but lines and diners moved in and out at a steady pace and we were able to snag a seat.

The egg sandwiches with housemade buttermilk biscuits were calling, and it was a matter of choosing among five varieties starting with the standard egg and cheese and adding proteins or vegetables from there. The egg, provolone and sausage biscuit sandwich ($11) is not your everyday egg sandwich, with the biscuit having scone-like qualities — structured with crispy edges and a dense middle that crumbles when you bite into it. The herb-laced breakfast sausage also leaves an impression for a truly unique egg sandwich. What’s more, the handheld was the perfect bite to fuel up for the serious herb, vegetable and flower shopping ahead. (N.N.)

Two St. Paul locations, 2315 Como Av. and 1340 Grand Av., colossalcafe.com

Give us the first truly sun-baked weekend and we’re going to spend it doing one of the Twin Cities’ favorite summer activities: road-tripping around Lake Pepin.

While it was too early in the season for berry picking (despite the 90-degree weather tricking us into thinking it was mid-July), many of the lake’s greatest hits on the Wisconsin side were in full swing. Naturally, we zoomed down to the Nelson Cheese Factory, where $2-and-up scoops of cold and creamy ice cream were calling. We weren’t the only ones with that idea, and the line, though fast, wove through and around the store. No matter, we took that time to shop for all kinds of cheese, honey and French sea salt.

Out on the grotto-like back patio, the kids cheered for the nearby train whistle, investigated the local patio cat and did all they could to lap up the ice cream before it puddled on their fists, while the adults enjoyed ham-and-Brie baguettes, and snuck the occasional spoonful of ice cream. Peak summer, and it’s only May. (Sharyn Jackson)

S237 State Road 35, Nelson, Wis., nelsoncheesefactory.com