Best of
the Twin Cities
Gluttons for good soul food should look no further than the SunnySide Cafe, a cozy corner spot just west of downtown Minneapolis that's only open on weekends. The Sunday lunch buffet changes weekly but is carefully chosen to attack the taste buds from every angle. Among the trays you're likely to find chicken jambalaya, candied yams, peppered mac and cheese, porkless beans and greens, and a mountain of crispy chicken that's marinated for days with spices, lemon, olive oil, and garlic before hitting the oven. But the centerpiece of the whole meal is a gooey cornbread dressing, which is reminiscent of Thanksgiving stuffing. "It's like having a holiday meal every Sunday," says the hostess. Funk music comes wafting from the kitchen every time the chef, James Baker, bursts into the dining room to greet customers. His photogenic smile fills the walls alongside Don King and Jesse Jackson. Dessert, if you've got room for it, comes in the form of cinnamon bread pudding, followed by an almost immediate postprandial nap.
