Victory 44 - North Minneapolis

BACON. How I love thee. And so do the guys who run Victory 44. Yum, yum, yum. My friend Courtney and I headed out this afternoon for lunch and she recommended this spot, and I'm so glad she did. I love cute little gastropubs like this. Everything on the chalkboard menu looked amazing. We started off with the Devils on Horseback, delicious little morsels of bacon-wrapped dates topped with a bacon foam and accompanied with some apple cider gelee. Heavenly. The bacon was perfectly cooked and smoky, and the rich little bites were a great start to our afternoon feast. We went with a few of our server's recommendations for the main courses: the burger and the cheese agnolotti. We split both meals between us, and I have to say that it was hard to give up the other half of that burger. To me, what makes a good burger is the bun. And anything toasted with butter is a great start. Topped with melted white cheddar (yum #1), bacon (yum #2) and house-made pickles (yum #3) every single bite of this sandwich was unbelievably perfect. The side of bacon-fried French fries didn't hurt matters, either. The agnolotti was a great second choice. Baconless, the little pasta were filled with a cheesy center and smothered in a buttery kim chi sauce. Sounds a little odd, right? But oh, so tasty. Loved the crisp vinegary flavors of the cabbage with the richness of the sauce.

We could have done without the dessert, but couldn't say no. I was underwhelmed by the panna cotta - seemed too firm to me and too big of a portion for my liking. The apple sorbet was tasty and very tart, but next time I'd probably try something different or skip dessert entirely. They did bring us some homemade cookies though, and those weren't anything to frown about.

All in all, I loved this place and their celebration of the pig. It might be hard to find a burger as tasty as this one, and I know that it will be a craving on those mornings when salty, greasy burgers are mandatory (aka, hangovers). Can't wait to take my boyfriend here when he gets to town. This has definitely become an instant favorite in my book.