Eat The Menu: Down-Under Darling

Earth to Zhora: “You and your pet snake, Darling: Wanna pop in for dinner? I’m naming my new restaurant after you.” Signed, Blade Runner (aka Harrison Ford—or at least, his local wannabe).

Well, why not? The Runner-be who took over the space of the former Red Stag in Northeast may be new to Minneapolis, but not to dive bars: He’s operated several in Brooklyn, so how hard can it be? Especially when the owner of one—Five Leaves—gives him permission to duplicate its Aussie-flavored menu. So he hires a former sous chef from Young Joni and turns on the neon.    

The place is dive-y dark and beige—no big rehab, no need to trade your puffer jacket for a slick black leather one. It sports occasional music nights, and—best yet—stays open until 2 (A.M., not P. M., Minnesota: Believe it.) And our accomplished server was Minnesota Nice.

So was my cocktail, the NE Old Fashioned ($15), smoothed with a subtle touch of maple syrup. There’s a small but serviceable wine list ($9-23 BTG) and ten rotating (and interesting) draft beers and seltzers, plus Hamms/Miller/Coors at a comfortable Nordeast $5.

Seven starters ($9-14 plus mussels, $25) head the short, well-curated menu, ranging from a classic French onion soup to Devils on Horseback (does Mom still have her recipe?), house-made ricotta, and our choice, green pea falafel—sturdy nuggets within their crisp-deep-fried skin, conveying a slight (hunt for it) sweet pea aura. It’s abetted by a brisk, citrusy yogurt and a salad garnish composed of sumac, mint, spicy (swell!) carrot threads and sweet, blond sultana raisins. Next time I’ll also add the fried artichokes dressed in green tahini, fennel and lemon.

We next shared our choice from the trio of salads on offer ($12-14). Large enough to fulfill the MDR of husky greens for the entire zip code, the black kale number came dressed for success with shreds of creamy aged Gouda, a toss of toasted hazelnuts, crunchy garlic croutons, and a nicely-spicy, wake-up dressing spotlighting anchovies—so, the Caesar of the moment. Or go with the watermelon-feta number, mined with dark olives. Add protein (five choices) to make a meal of it. But then you’d miss out on the sextet of Mains, ($23-32).

Who orders boring old chicken when you’re in an enterprising restaurant? Well, we, that’s who. The kitchen’s bone-in (for better flavor) version, provides sweet and juicy flesh beneath a lemon-scented, middling-crispy skin. It’s accompanied by “risotto-style” barley pearls freshened with cherry tomatoes and cukes, basil, and pickled ramps flaunting their tiny punch of acid, along with cilantro and jalapeno salsa, whose modest attempt at heat even a cautious Aussie could handle. No flashy surprises, simply chicken nicely done.

Next we summoned the cauliflower steak, which turned out be not a steak-cut at all, but the whole dang head—and a somewhat mushy one, at that. Rather a let-down, though we relished its accompanying chickpea mash (think: hummus), bright bits of pickles and olives, salsa and a verdant, creamy, herbal schug—all trying their best to make this an interesting entrée.  Maybe we should have gone with the grass-fed Aussie steak or lamb shepherd’s pie. Or the not-so-Australian-but-interesting-sounding salmon en papillote with artichokes, capers, olives, cherry tomatoes and piquillo peppers.

Or the burger. Seriously. The Five Leaves number, $20, pairs it with grilled pineapple, pickled beets, sunny-up egg and harissa mayo. Now we’re talkin’, mate.

No appetite left to order the sides, but several, next time, might team up to form our dinner: the Brussels sprouts with pink peppercorn and rosemary agave, dried cherries and smoked pumpkin seeds, for instance. We didn’t manage dessert, either (three choices, $11). The rosewater Pavlova sounds uber-Australian, and the sticky date pudding coiffed with warm toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream keeps calling my name.

Zhora Darling
509 1st Ave. NE
(612) 489-6030
www.zhoradarling.com