In the depth of winter’s chill, pull up a chair to a steaming pot pie or a piping hot slice of homemade bread at one of these cozy places near you. They’ll warm your stomach (and your heart) and send you on your way ready to take on whatever winter plans to blow your way.
Hot Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Henry’s Café
Sometimes we need a little comfort for lunch. Henry’s Café offers daily hot specials during lunchtime, including hot sandwiches topped with mashed potatoes and gravy like the Tuesday special meatloaf sandwich. On Wednesdays, the hot sandwich is packed with roasted beef. On Thursdays, it is packed with pulled-off-the-bone turkey. Sandwiches are made with homemade bread and can be ordered open faced. Henry’s also offers a homemade chili. Yum! 9691 63rd Ave. N.; 763.533.2304;
Hot Breakfast Skillet
Kopper Kettle Restaurant
A little comfort for breakfast goes a long way. Kopper Kettle offers a bevy of hot breakfast items including breakfast served in smoking hot skillets. The breakfast skillet includes a selection of toppings on a bed of your choice of either homemade American fries or hash browns topped with two made-to-order eggs and served with toast. Spice it up with onions, green peppers, Andouille sausage and cheddar offered on the Cajun skillet. Or, go traditional with the sizzling fajita steak skillet which sports onions, green peppers, homemade pico de gallo, and a 5 ounce steak chopped into bite-size pieces. 225 Central Ave., Osseo; 763.425.6900
Lynde’s Pressure Fried Chicken
Lynde’s Restaurant
There’s nothing like a bit of southern home cooking! Lynde’s offers a pressure fried chicken entrée that includes a choice of homemade soup or salad and a choice of potato. A chicken that is pressure fried gives the meat a crispy coating that is distinct from the standard deep frying method. Lynde’s offers three soups including baked potato soup, which is a local favorite offered daily. The potatoes come in many forms at Lynde’s including mashed, as waffle fries with seasoned sour cream or as a good ol’ baked potato. They also offers open faced hot beef or turkey dinners with roast beef or turkey on white bread topped with mashed potato and smothered in gravy. To top off the meal, Lynde’s has a new bakery chef that makes desserts from scratch, including French silk pie and pineapple upside down cake (though desserts are changing all of the time). Comfort for dinner and a bit of sweet comfort to finish it off. 209 County Road 81, Osseo; 763.424.3696
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Great Harvest Bread Company
What would be more comforting than a chunk of bread to accompany your soup or stew? Locally owned Great Harvest Bread Company offers made from scratch, hearty breads, many of which are 100% whole wheat. The daily staple honey whole wheat bread is made from freshly ground whole wheat milled right in the store just before being joined with water, salt, yeast and honey. The bread has an exceptionally high nutritional content since the wheat is used within 48 hours of milling. Great Harvest also offers grain breads including Dakota and nine grain. 13714 Grove Dr.; 763.416.1911
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Highlander Restaurant at Rush Creek Golf Club
You can still visit the golf course in the dead of winter and you won’t even need a tee time. The Highlander, offers a variety of hearty foods, including spaghetti with meatballs served with homemade garlic bread. This unique dish features homemade turkey meatballs on a bed of whole grain spaghetti smothered in an organic California tomato sauce and topped with fresh arugula. You’ll feel healthier than ever. The Highlander also offers homemade soups and steak, chili and prime rib, in case you crave more standard fare. 7801 Troy Ln. N.; 763.494.0400
Roast Prime Rib
Dehn’s Country Manor
Dehn’s is the ultimate in diner comfort food, with roast prime rib and bread pudding to make you feel warm (and gooey) all over. The roast prime rib is herb crusted and served with a side of house made au jus. A hearty accompaniment to the roast prime rib are hash browns shredded in house from Idaho potatoes, browned in a sauté pan, and topped with melted cheese. Dehn’s also offers variations of bread pudding, including a banana chocolate chip bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel. Very gooey!
Breakfast is not without comfort at Dehn’s either. Let the Cajun breakfast and apple fritter French toast be your first clue. The Cajun breakfast is a skillet style scramble of mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions, over easy eggs, and hash browns served with New Orleans style Andouille sausage and topped with Cajun hollandaise sauce. The apple fritter French toast is made of apple fritter bread topped with house made maple butter and sautéed cinnamon fuji apples. Need we say more? 11281 Fernbrook Ln. N.; 763.420.6460
Grilled Meatloaf
3 Squares Restaurant
You can get 3 square meals here, but let’s focus on the meatloaf, mac n cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and homemade soups. The grilled meatloaf is made with love and served with chipotle ketchup. The meal is accompanied by asiago mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. The mac n cheese is cavatappi pasta smothered in parmesan, asiago, Tillamook and Vermont cheddar, and cream and topped with bread crumbs. Add ham and tomato for an extra zing. The spaghetti and meatballs includes meatballs on a bed of spaghetti smothered in house marinara and oven-roasted tomatoes all topped with fresh basil, mozzarella and parmesan. The spaghetti and meatballs is served with grilled garlic ciabatta. 3 Squares always has a variety of soups, but don’t miss the homemade turkey wild rice soup offered daily. 12690 Arbor Lakes Pkwy.; 763.425.3330
Chicken with Broccoli
China Dragon
Chinese take-out makes comfort easy. Chunks of meat and vegetables swimming in saucy gravy served with steaming rice, during the cold winter months, really hits the spot. Family owned China Dragon offers Chinese winter favorites, including chicken with broccoli, hot and sour soup, sesame chicken and General Tao’s chicken which is an exemplar of the Szechuan style that can deliver a bit of spice. 11251 96th Ave. N.; 763.493.5170
Shepherd’s Pie
Claddagh Irish Pub
Our local “Irish place” offers a shepherd’s pie that is rare to find anywhere else. It includes ground beef, root vegetables, peas, onions, and herbs topped with mashed potatoes. If that doesn’t seem Irish enough, go for the fish n’ chips or traditional corned beef and cabbage. Too Irish? The homemade soups will warm you up fast. 7890 Main St. N.; 763.773.7400;
