TILLIE'S FARMHOUSE
From the Press:
Tillie’s Farmhouse is sure to please...
Tillie’s Farmhouse is sure to please the former Trotter’s crowd — and
everybody else
By
Nancy Ngo |
ngo@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
August 30, 2017
The long-running Trotter’s Cafe in St. Paul recently closed, and its replacement, Tillie’s Farmhouse, is not just a clever name.
Chef/owner Kari Grittner recently left a career as an accounting professor to get back into the food business. The restaurant, named after her grandmother, Mathilda, features dishes based on family recipes from Denmark, Sweden and the family’s farm in Hugo.
The menu pulls from nature’s bounty, and ingredients are as seasonal as possible. Highly recommended is the Savory Hand Pie ($12) loaded with sautéed greens, garden veggies and topped with an egg on a bed of cauliflower puree. The dish was light yet filling and a testament to Grittner’s baking skills and the farmhouse cooking philosophy.
Savory hand pie at Tillie’s Farmhouse in St. Paul,
photographed Aug. 3, 2017. (Nancy Ngo / Pioneer Press)
Another favorite was a side of roasted cauliflower (half $5, whole $9) that was anything but boring. In fact, it was one of our favorite preparations around. The cruciferous veggie was nicely charred and packed full of flavor: brown butter, lemon, crunchy hazelnuts and tart golden raisins.
The burger made with grass-fed ground beef was another winner. Toppings included a secret sauce that tasted, yep, straight from the farm. There was no mistaking it.
If you like pizza with a thicker crust, the selection here should be right up your alley. Pizzas are made from scratch, from the crust to the house chorizo in the Green Monster pizza ($12).
A corn dog ($8) order — two mini cornmeal-battered corn dogs — worked wonderfully with a porter mustard and slaw, but the batter was a tad overcooked.
Fans of the former Trotter’s will be happy to know the place continues to have an unpretentious, casual vibe, where food is ordered at the counter and dishes are brought to you. While the space received a few touch-ups, the spot still feels cozy and broken in.
If Tillie’s Farmhouse can establish itself as a friendly neighborhood spot while churning out consistent food, then longevity could be in its future, too.
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Tillie’s Farmhouse: 232 N. Cleveland Ave., St. Paul; 651-645-8950; tilliesfarmhouse.com
Nancy Ngo is a Minnesota Native who grew up reading the Pioneer Press, so it’s fitting that she would one day work for them. She is a three time Society of Professional Journalists Page One Award winner. Before covering food and lifestyle, she has previously covered government and public safety. She has served on boards including the Asian American Journalists Association and The University of Minnesota’s The School of Journalism and Mass Communication Alumni Society Board.