To celebrate our 14 monthaversary and one month engage-a-versary (because we’re dumb and in love like that) we tried out the hot new ticket in town that’s generating a lot of buzz– Haute Dish in the Warehouse District.

Chef and owner Landon Schoenefeld has cooked his way through many great restaurants in the Twin Cities so it’s entirely possible we’ve enjoyed his food in the past. But even if we missed his tenure at another place, we definitely enjoyed his food during this visit.

Knowing I had to continue my dreaded bathroom painting project later that night, I skipped the cocktails in favor of wine (Cline Viognier, one of my faves), but on my next visit I will definitely be sipping on a Minnesota Mule.

Both K and I had heard rave reviews about the Tater Tot HauteDish so we’d already chosen our main course, it was just a matter of picking out what we wanted to start with. I wanted something lighter to balance out the upcoming heavy flavors so I asked our incredibly nice and talented server what a South Dakota steak house style salad might be. He proceeded to launch into the most complicated description of a salad I’d ever heard. His chronicle of ingredients lasted about three minutes. I didn’t want to interrupt him, but I knew about halfway in that I wanted a different salad. After he finished (and took a breath) I apologized for making him give me the great American novel version of a salad ingredients then ordered the asparagus salad. For his starter, K ordered the uncomplicated General Tso’s sweetbreads.

The server mentioned that the star of the asparagus salad was more like an asparagus flan. I’d actually call it more of an asparagus souffle — it was light and airy and delicately flavored. I could have, however, done without the hard boiled egg yolk sneakily encased within. It wasn’t mentioned on the menu or by the server, maybe intended as a surprise. I don’t like hard boiled eggs and, if made to eat one, I will only eat the egg white and strongly believe the yolk is the equivalent of mushy yellow chalk. It didn’t make much of a difference in the asparagus salad though since I just ate around it, enjoyed the asparagus fluff (?) and found that, with the bitter mache and thin, crispy bacon, everything came together nicely.

K really liked his General Tso’s sweetbreads with foie fried rice. I have a thing about glands so I didn’t try them, but take his word that they were supple, rich and flavorful.

The Tater Tot HauteDish was everything everyone said it was. The beef short rib was incredibly tender and Sunday-dinner-fall-off-the-fork fantastic. The porcini bechamel sauce was velvety, layered and earthy. The fried mashed potato croquettes were better than any tater tot my mom ever pulled out of the oven. K and I debated over how the chef managed to get the outside of the “tots” so crispy and still allow the potato puree within to ooze out in a most wonderful way when the shell is cracked into. Cold potato puree formed then refrigerated? Freezing involved? In any case, it was amazingly delicious.

We rounded out the meal with honey cake (as I am somewhat honey obsessed … or a lot honey obsessed) with honey frozen yogurt (I think it was frozen yogurt, I can’t remember and the dessert menu is not online) and honeycomb candy. It was honeylicious and I loved the honey candy but a tip: Do not chew the honey candy or your dentist will smack you. Simply let it melt in your mouth and savor it.

There are lots of things we’re eager to try on the Haute Dish menu and the atmosphere of the restaurant is casual enough for a great weeknight dinner. The service was superb! We’ll definitely be back to try the egg noodles, mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings, steak and potatoes …