Over the past few years charcuterie has become an "it" menu item at restaurants around the Twin Cities, and with good reason. Difficult pronunciation and sometimes unidentifiable ingredients aside, this is some tasty stuff. Whether it's a heaping plate of prosciutto as an appetizer, or a delicate paté accent in an entree, these salty, tangy, umami-laden cured meats seem to be here to stay. So, without further ado, we present a handy guide to 15 of the best charcuterie plates to be had in Twin Cities restaurants, featuring everything from roulades to rillettes to salumi, and mapped in roughly geographic order.
Did we miss your favorite charcuterie? Let us know in the comments.
At this intimate Italian wine bar, imported cuts are the only way to go. A whole platter of various kinds of prosciutto awaits those craving something classic. There’s also a salumi board that has less often spotted Italian favorites like lardo (thinly sliced fatty pork), coppa, boar salame, and hand-cut salame.
This Kingfield neighborhood restaurant is known for its charcuterie. The menu changes frequently, but current options include duck liver paté, paté en croute, and the always-popular "charcuterie to share."
This cozy neighborhood joint has some of the tastiest tapas around. Not to be ignored is their charcuterie contribution — the Plato Iberico. The flavors of España are out in full force on this plate of salty serrano ham, basque olives, salchichon (a Spanish summer sausage), and spicy chorizo drizzled with pungent lemon oil and aged balsamic.
From the spot that arguably put Minneapolis on the prepared meats map, Butcher & the Boar has a whole menu section dedicated to its tasty hams, sausages, and more. For the aspiring charcuterie connoisseur, there’s the unusual wild boar head cheese or a bite of everything on the sampling platter.
Rillettes, or shreaded meat spreads are often spread on bread or crostini. At Union Fish, they are given the Scandanavian treatment. Smoked sturgeon rillettes are served with doughy lefse, tart lingonberry sauce, and mustard.
Nestled in the North Loop, Haute Dish pulls off being both upscale and playful. Menu items, usually with some sort of punny title, experiment with flavors of the Midwest in a refined way. The “char cuts" plate available on the bar menu has a chicken liver pate, country pork terrine, and veal tongue.
The chic presentation at Minneapolis’s most hailed new-nordic eatery continues with the house charcuterie. A duck liver pâté with green apple compote and grain mustard is just one example on the ever-changing “toast” section of the menu.
In addition to more common (though still excellent) thinly sliced coppa, prosciutto, and salami, the Cold Meat Plate at Bar La Grassa also goes rustic with hearty chunks of headcheese, paté, and mortadella.
A pioneer in the local food scene, intimate downtown spot Spoonriver stays true to its roots with a local charcuterie plate featuring tons of meaty deliciousness. There’s bison sausage, ham, duck and chicken liver paté, and even some beef tongue all from this great state.
At this meat-focused neighborhood bistro in Northeast, you get a selection of meats and cheeses in the antipasta misto. There are all the Italian favorites, including: bologna, salami, prosciutto, and fontina, parmesan, and romana cheeses.
This Northeast favorite has a whole section of its menu devoted to charcuterie, currently featuring duck carpaccio, pork belly confit, chicken liver mousse, or a full-on charcuterie platter, with the chef's selection of the day.
This casual Robbinsdale pizzeria, best known for its kitchen crew (the boys behind Travail), and wacky pizza toppings (brussel sprouts and mussels anybody?) definitely offers more than your standard za. For a first course, there’s the charcuterie platter that features a rotating selection of rillettes, mortadella, and tartares. Still craving more meat? The “Piggy” is a brioche crust pie topped with bacon, ham, pepperoni, and prosciutto.
The cured meat plate at this gastropub goes all out featuring an extravagant bacon-wrapped pork paté, a pork cheek or “face bacon,” and chicken liver mousse. It also comes with a selection of creative condiments for every palate — a spicy dijon, pickled bacon jam, and sweet apricot mostarda, as well as several pickled vegetables.
The charcuterie plate here is one of the most varied around. It usually features at least five different cuts of meat and several condiments. The house-made selections constantly change, but the plate is usually heavy on duck and pork items.
At this upscale, local-focused St.Paul restaurant, lamb rillettes are served with an intense smoked jalapeño mustard, a brussel sprouts kraut, and grilled house-made french bread for an entree that is equal parts unusual and delicious.
At this intimate Italian wine bar, imported cuts are the only way to go. A whole platter of various kinds of prosciutto awaits those craving something classic. There’s also a salumi board that has less often spotted Italian favorites like lardo (thinly sliced fatty pork), coppa, boar salame, and hand-cut salame.
This Kingfield neighborhood restaurant is known for its charcuterie. The menu changes frequently, but current options include duck liver paté, paté en croute, and the always-popular "charcuterie to share."
This cozy neighborhood joint has some of the tastiest tapas around. Not to be ignored is their charcuterie contribution — the Plato Iberico. The flavors of España are out in full force on this plate of salty serrano ham, basque olives, salchichon (a Spanish summer sausage), and spicy chorizo drizzled with pungent lemon oil and aged balsamic.
From the spot that arguably put Minneapolis on the prepared meats map, Butcher & the Boar has a whole menu section dedicated to its tasty hams, sausages, and more. For the aspiring charcuterie connoisseur, there’s the unusual wild boar head cheese or a bite of everything on the sampling platter.
Rillettes, or shreaded meat spreads are often spread on bread or crostini. At Union Fish, they are given the Scandanavian treatment. Smoked sturgeon rillettes are served with doughy lefse, tart lingonberry sauce, and mustard.
Nestled in the North Loop, Haute Dish pulls off being both upscale and playful. Menu items, usually with some sort of punny title, experiment with flavors of the Midwest in a refined way. The “char cuts" plate available on the bar menu has a chicken liver pate, country pork terrine, and veal tongue.
The chic presentation at Minneapolis’s most hailed new-nordic eatery continues with the house charcuterie. A duck liver pâté with green apple compote and grain mustard is just one example on the ever-changing “toast” section of the menu.
In addition to more common (though still excellent) thinly sliced coppa, prosciutto, and salami, the Cold Meat Plate at Bar La Grassa also goes rustic with hearty chunks of headcheese, paté, and mortadella.
A pioneer in the local food scene, intimate downtown spot Spoonriver stays true to its roots with a local charcuterie plate featuring tons of meaty deliciousness. There’s bison sausage, ham, duck and chicken liver paté, and even some beef tongue all from this great state.
At this meat-focused neighborhood bistro in Northeast, you get a selection of meats and cheeses in the antipasta misto. There are all the Italian favorites, including: bologna, salami, prosciutto, and fontina, parmesan, and romana cheeses.
This Northeast favorite has a whole section of its menu devoted to charcuterie, currently featuring duck carpaccio, pork belly confit, chicken liver mousse, or a full-on charcuterie platter, with the chef's selection of the day.
This casual Robbinsdale pizzeria, best known for its kitchen crew (the boys behind Travail), and wacky pizza toppings (brussel sprouts and mussels anybody?) definitely offers more than your standard za. For a first course, there’s the charcuterie platter that features a rotating selection of rillettes, mortadella, and tartares. Still craving more meat? The “Piggy” is a brioche crust pie topped with bacon, ham, pepperoni, and prosciutto.
The cured meat plate at this gastropub goes all out featuring an extravagant bacon-wrapped pork paté, a pork cheek or “face bacon,” and chicken liver mousse. It also comes with a selection of creative condiments for every palate — a spicy dijon, pickled bacon jam, and sweet apricot mostarda, as well as several pickled vegetables.
The charcuterie plate here is one of the most varied around. It usually features at least five different cuts of meat and several condiments. The house-made selections constantly change, but the plate is usually heavy on duck and pork items.
At this upscale, local-focused St.Paul restaurant, lamb rillettes are served with an intense smoked jalapeño mustard, a brussel sprouts kraut, and grilled house-made french bread for an entree that is equal parts unusual and delicious.
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