Revival Minneapolis
Pork Rinds, Hot Cheetos Style, Cheese Sauce
Johnnycakes, Ham, Cheddar, Cowpeas, Sunny-side Up Egg
Southern Fried Whole Bird
Tennessee Hot Leg and Thigh
Herb Crusted Catfish, Pickled Green Beans, Red Beans, Rice
Hush Puppies, Aioli
Mac + Cheese
Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Banana Cream Pie
Peach Snickerdoodle Pie, Mascarpone
If there is any one flaw to traveling solo it is being forced to limit ordering to just “highlights,” but benefited by a blog with over 400 unique visitors daily it was with good fortunate that a group of five was gathered on Saturday to experience Revival, every belly needed to work through ten plates of Food from the deep South.
Opened in 2015 by Chef Thomas Boemer and since spawning a Saint Paul outpost plus a new spot for smoked Meats, accolades arriving fast from both local and national press, Revival is found at 4257 Nicollet Avenue and opening daily at 11am daily it still remains pertinent to arrive early on weekends, the space nearly full by noon and eventually growing a waitlist that is likely unpleasant during Winter thanks to the Restaurant’s limited floor-space.
Focused on Boemer’s Southern childhood and authentic by way of the Chef’s attention to detail, old family recipes scaled to Restaurant service by way of modern technique but never at the expense of process, it was immediately on arrival at 11:30pm that a “complete party” was confirmed before seats were offered, old floors creaking beneath feet white bright yellow wallpaper covered in flowers smiled less than twenty feet to either side.
Casual in terms of service and attire, a come-as-you-are vibe bolstered by overhead music and paper menus, it was after some discussion of hunger and preferences that an order was composed, the opening duo of Pork Rinds dusted in spicy Cheese Powder an all-ages hit while fluffy Cornmeal Flapjacks were mostly savory but nicely balanced by a Pan Reduction of what seemed to be Molasses and Hot Sauce.
Moving next to entrees and sides, the table nearly overwhelmed as three adults and two children had been deemed safe for two four-tops pushed together, it was with Hot Chicken spicy but a bit too greasy that attention turned instead to Boemer’s traditional Southern recipe, a lengthy Buttermilk brine turning both Dark and White Meat tender while seasoned Breading cooked in Lard adheres tightly to the Flesh with hints of Paprika and Black Pepper.
Not just a spot for fried Food, though Hush Puppies with tangy Aioli most certainly justify their $5 price tag, it was here that attention turned to baked Catfish carefully crusted in Herbs and served atop Beans and Rice, the house-pickled green ones adding vibrancy while additional sides including Cheddar Biscuits and crusty Macaroni and Cheese good but not especially memorable.
Rounding out the afternoon with Dessert, one young lady’s birthday prompting a candle and song, it is unfortunate that Revival’s Banana Cream Pie recipe calls for 5x more topping than Fruit or Crust though the seasonal “Peach Snickerdoodle” topped in Mascarpone made up for it by being dense but delightful, at times like a Cobbler and in other bites more like Bread Pudding.
www.revivalfriedchicken.com

