The Brand New Restaurant In Minnesota That Locals Can't Get Enough Of
By Trent Jonas|Published October 22, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
El Sazon Cocina & Tragos opened in Minneapolis on October 18, 2023, and based on our experience there, this new Minnesota restaurant should be keeping customers happy and full for a long time to come. The eatery is the brainchild of Karen and Chef Cristian de Leon, the wife and husband team behind the beloved taqueria El Sazon Tacos and More, which is located in a BP gas station in Eagan – and you definitely need to put their new restaurant on your Minnesota bucket list.
In addition to its regular menu, the de Leons' Eagan taqueria would host regular "Night at the Gas Station" events: five-course meals that inevitably sold out.
El Sazon Cocina & Tragos was born of the steady demand for Chef de Leon's more elevated cuisine. And it does not disappoint.
El Sazon Cocina is an intimate, but airy and welcoming, space at 53rd and Lyndale in the Tangletown neighborhood, adjacent to the old Boulevard Theater.
At the time of our visit, the restaurant had still not received its liquor license, but it expected the city to issue it within a few weeks of opening.
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But we enjoyed inspired, seasonal mocktails, like the fruity, pear-infused jamaica and the earthy, pepitas and rice horchata.
Perfectly spreadable on the accompanying warm tortillas, the rich savory marrow was set off with a squeeze of lime and the spicy salsa served on the side.
Among the mains that our table enjoyed was the short rib birria ramen.
Birria - a savory, rich beef compote - is Chef de Leon's specialty. He's known for his birria tacos and pizza, and this birria ramen dish is one of the favorites from his "Night at the Gas Station" dinners. It did not disappoint. Although the look was clearly Korean, the flavors were all rich and Latin. I felt the short rib could have been cooked even a little longer to soften it up more, but it did fall off the bone, as one would hope - and it was delicious. The ramen was served with a pair of fried taquitos, which held up perfectly when dipped in the birria jus, as well as a side of perfectly-spiced salsa.
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The visual winner of the evening was the pescado, which was tilapia on the night the we visited.
The fish was expertly filleted, the fillets tempura battered and lightly fried, then wrapped in the whole fish and presented on a bed of rice with microgreens. Everything was delicately flavored, and each component balanced the others in the dish.
El Sazon Cocina does offer a handful of desserts, including churros and concha bread pudding, but we were far too full to partake. In fact we had plenty of leftovers – which all reheated perfectly in standard glass food containers. But I’m excited to go back for more – especially since every item mentioned here has a price point below $20, with the exception of the fish (which was under $25). Check out El Sazon Cocina & Tragos online for more information or to make a reservation or visit El Sazon Cocina’s Facebook page for photos and updates.
Be sure to leave us a comment and tell us about your experience at this new Minnesota restaurant once you’ve had a chance to visit!
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