As you settle on the new year’s dietary resolutions (that is, if you’re into that kind of thing), bear this in mind: the cold-turkey leap from warm holiday feasts to stark, light eats is difficult to make, and the harsh dead of winter is no time to deprive ourselves of comfort. Fortunately, local restaurants offer plenty of options to usher us back into mindful eating while subtly satisfying those lingering aches for bubbling Crock-Pots, platters and pies. So go healthier, go lighter and go easy on yourself; it’s January, after all.
Tuna Poke
Craft Beer & Kitchen
Poke, meaning “chunk” or “small piece,” is a staple across the Hawaiian Islands, but we have easy access to this seafood salad right here in the snowy North. And thank goodness, too, because nothing cleans the slate like raw fish and a bit of heat. At Craft Beer & Kitchen, fresh-cut ahi tuna marinates in a spicy ginger-soy scallion sauce; after a good soak, the pungent, meaty cubes hit the plate with crunchy pickled fennel, cucumber relish and a punch of wasabi cream sauce. $12.95.
White Bean & Braised Tuna Salad
The Tavern Grill
For many of us, tuna is most recognizable when shredded and mashed up with mayo. Unfortunately, such preparation robs tuna of its fresh, bright taste and dazzling, jewel-like hue. The Tavern Grill celebrates these inherent attributes with a cut of braised tuna, chilled and meaty, atop a mound of sumptuous white beans and spicy arugula. Bell peppers and heirloom tomatoes bring a bit of sweet while capers and Kalamata olives add a crack of salt. A spritz of lemon pulls everything together for a clean, light salad that’s wholesome and filling from start to finish. $13.50.
Blackened Walleye
Angelina’s Kitchen
During a season in which we tend to wrap ourselves up in carbs, it’s important to give those tired taste buds a tropical getaway or two. Angela Verrastro of Angelina’s Kitchen has the ticket with her pan-blackened walleye, a tender and simply prepared fillet served with fresh mango-jalapeño salsa and a heaping side of grilled asparagus and risotto. It’s a burst of color next to the snow-washed windows, not to mention a welcome break from all those steaming starches. $24.
No. 9 Maki Roll
Akita Sushi and Hibachi
There’s no need to write off fried foods, especially when they come in the form of shrimp tempura. At Akita Sushi and Hibachi, protein-rich shrimp is encased in a light, crispy shell and joined by cool cucumber in the No. 9 maki roll. Draped over the top are luscious salmon and avocado—both bursting with vitamins, minerals and beneficial fatty acids—and a slip of spicy mayo for that creamy kick. $12.99 (8 pieces).
Coconut Curry with Vegetables
Duc’s Vietnamese & Chinese
A perfect antidote to winter’s bitter chill, the vegetarian selections at Duc’s pack a rainbow of fresh vegetables and flavor-absorbing tofu while their steaming sauces of garlic, hot pepper and curry persuasion warm diners from the inside out. Fortify both belly and soul with perfectly cooked vegetables and a dose of bright lemongrass, all wrapped up in a curry of toasted spices, savory peanuts and sweet coconut milk. After a meal like this, all one can do is give in to the sleepy stupor of well-fed warmth. $10.95–$12.95; various protein options.
Pork Lettuce Wraps
Red Rock at the Sheraton St. Paul Woodbury
If you’re among the many who’ve sworn off bread until spring’s first thaw, head over to the Sheraton’s Red Rock Restaurant, where shredded pork shoulder comes wrapped in cool, crisp Bibb lettuce. Accompanied by the sour crunch of pickled cucumbers and ginger, this juicy, bunless appetizer is dressed with a finger-licking sriracha soy sauce. The pork and lettuce come straight from local farms and that, to us, is healthy practice. $10.
Grains & Greens
Lakes Tavern & Grill
We all love to play the reverse-health-nut and turn up our noses at salads, deeming them too feeble to tame our raging appetites. First, ditch the image of salad as a pile of wilted greens and a few sad grape tomatoes. Replace it with a hearty base of mixed greens, couscous, red quinoa and savory roasted vegetables; then top with creamy fresh mozzarella and juicy grilled chicken breast. With a spike of red wine vinaigrette, this protein-packed and ultra tasty salad will satisfy any appetite. $13.
Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Marinated Shrimp
Thanh Truc
At Thanh Truc, the peaceful, soothing ambience alone makes for a purifying dining experience. Order a traditional Vietnamese salad, or bún, and you’re bound to feel refreshed inside and out. Cool, clean flavors and textures comprise this noodle salad, from the rice vermicelli and crisp lettuce to the crunchy cucumber and bean sprouts. With your choice of grilled, marinated meat—we recommend the lemongrass-spiked shrimp—and a touch of mint, this cleansing salad goes down like a day at the spa. $8.50.
