The average Minnesotan palate might be notoriously wimpy, but local eateries betray our tame reputation with an inspiring array of spice and heat. From chilies to wasabi, there are countless ways to kick it up a notch. Here are a few of our favorites.
Italian Favorite Specialty Pizza
Latuff’s
This old-school Italian joint embraces the spicy with the Italian favorite specialty pizza, composed of peppery crumbled Italian sausage, zesty salami and pale green pepperoncini peppers. Plenty of garlic and a shower of red chili flakes intensify the fiery effect. We especially loved the crunchy-thin crust—after 40 years in business, Latuff’s clearly has perfected the art of the pie. $14.50. 10820 Hwy 55; 763.545.2914; latuffspizzeria.com
House Tofu in Szechuan Spicy Sauce
Tea House Chinese
Szechuan cuisine is known as the spiciest of all Chinese food; at Tea House there are many such dishes to choose from, handily indicated on the menu with red-pepper icons. The house tofu swims in a soup-like sauce liberally laced with orange chili oil and flecked with red pepper. The large thick squares of bean curd are meaty in texture, while wilted Napa cabbage leaves add a dimension of crunch. Luckily the accompanying fluffy white rice is a helpful damper for the intense heat. $11.95. 88 Nathan Ln.; 763.544.3422; ourteahouse.com
Picante de Camarones
Uchu Peruvian Cuisine
“Uchu” is the ancient native Peruvian Quechua word for chili pepper, and the picante de camarones is cooked with two different kinds of sauces, uchu panca and uchu amarillo. A generous mound of shrimp is draped in a silky, coral-hued sauce and served on a bed of rice with lime wedges and a scattering of cilantro. First impressions of creaminess and citrus quickly give way to the uchu-generated heat. $14. 4130 Berkshire Ln. N.; 763.577.3744; uchuperu.com
Wilbur’s Revenge Chicken Wings
Famous Dave’s
Most people know that Wilbur is the name of the beloved pig in the classic children’s book Charlotte’s Web. It’s also the first name of the American pharmacist who designed the Scoville scale of culinary heat, so the name for these knockout chicken wings is doubly apt. Consider the boneless variety for easy eating, but don’t underestimate the incendiary punch of the sauce. Fresh celery and carrot sticks with a cooling blue cheese dip are essential companions. Somewhere, Wilbur is cackling. $9.49. 11308 Hwy. 55; 763.525.0500; famousdaves.com
Spicy Sushi Roll Combo
Sushi of Tokyo
The 12-piece spicy sushi roll combo at Sushi of Tokyo is as pretty as can be, rolled with the rice on the outside, coated in golden sesame seeds and drizzled with a salmon-pink spicy mayonnaise. It’s hard to pick a favorite among the spicy salmon, spicy tuna and spicy shrimp rolls, but we especially love the sweet tenderness of the cooked baby shrimp paired with crunchy cucumber matchsticks. Every table is graced with a big bottle of Sriracha, the cult favorite chili-garlic sauce also known as “rooster sauce.” Add a blob of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) to your soy dipping sauce for a sinus-clearing finish. Pair with sassy pickled ginger and soothing hot green tea. $9.95. 3900 Vinewood Ln. N.; 763.551.5926; sushioftokyo.net
Kabocha Squash Mock Duck Curry
Thai Table
At Thai Table, you can specify your preferred spice level on a scale from one to five. And then there is “Thai hot.” Throw caution to the wind with an order of kabocha squash red curry. Red and green bell-pepper chunks float alongside basil leaves and kaboocha squash in a golden coconut milk broth. Mock duck is protein-rich gluten, a mainstay in Asian vegetarian cuisine and a suitably mild (and pleasingly chewy) vehicle for the rich and fiery sauce. The sweetness of both squash and coconut does a lot to balance the heat, and the fragrant jasmine rice is a most welcome ameliorative. (Remember that drinking water only spreads the fire, while absorbent rice grains tone it down.) $7.99. 10100 6th Ave. N.; 763.591.6085; thai-table.com
Cajun Fettuccini
Jake’s City Grill
If you’re hankering for heat but have a spice-adverse gang in tow, Jake’s will provide your zing and also please the chicken-finger crowd. Honor one of our country’s classic spicy cuisines with a creamy, lively bowl of Cajun chicken fettuccini. The generously sauced pile of noodles supports a sliced chicken breast with a blackened crust of Cajun spice. Four kinds of pepper make up the Cajun cream sauce—paprika, cayenne, black pepper and red pepper flakes—accented with an herbal earthiness from thyme and oregano. $13.95. 3005 Harbor Ln. N.; 763.559.1595; jakescitygrill.com
Spicy Baja Burger
Smashburger
The spicy baja “Big Smash” is an 8 oz. eight-napkin burger that brings the heat in several different ways—pepper jack cheese, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, fresh-sliced jalapenos, and a toasted and buttered chipotle bun. Guacamole contributes a cooling creaminess, while the jalapeno’s heat comes on slowly and hangs on awhile. The all-Angus beef patty is literally flattened, grilled in butter, sprinkled with a signature spice mix and seared to super-juicy perfection. Ingredients can be added or removed based on personal prefernce. $6.99. 3225 Vicksburg Ln. N.; 763.252.1496; smashburger.com
Spicy Chicken Burrito
Panchero’s
Panchero’s is all about the house-made, pressed-to-order tortilla filled with your choice of ingredients. The magnificent spicy chicken burrito comes with black beans, rice, chunky guacamole, chargrilled vegetables and extra salsa. There are four fresh salsas to choose from, including fresh and crunchy pico de gallo, a roasted medium-hot salsa and a mild chunky corn blend. The spiciest of the lot is made from fire-roasted tomatillos and potent smoked chilies. Panchero’s also makes its own brand of bottled hot sauce: a piquant caliente verde and the even hotter red fuego, so you can ratchet up the heat as much as you want. $6.35. 7746 Olson Memorial Hwy., Golden Valley; 763.544.3474; pancheros.com
