Republic's ricotta fritters: 50 Favorite Dishes, no. 38

By Emily Weiss Tue., Mar. 5 2013 at 7:24 AM

Categories: 50 Favorite Dishes

David McCrindle

Mozzarella sticks for grown-ups: Fried ricotta at Republic

As a countdown to the Best of the Twin Cities 2013, coming April 17, the Hot Dish is serving up 50 of our favorite local dishes.

At your average beer-centered bar, potato skins and liquid cheese-covered nachos are about as good as it gets, but Republic at 7 Corners (and now in the old Independent space in Calhoun Square) has really raised the bar when it comes to bar food.

See also:

Republic at Seven Corners does bar food better

The place is a haven for beer-drinkers, with 57 beers on tap from Stone Levitation, Weyerbacher, and Odell, plus loads of local brews. It's also gained a loyal following based on its happy hour, particularly the fish tacos, and until this year that's what used to draw us to Republic too.Then we found something to love even more: the ethereally light ricotta fritters.

Like an incredibly, splendidly sophisticated spin on tired mozzarella sticks, these fritters are breaded and fried, but they are panko-crisp and not at all greasy. When you break into them, they're as delicate as a good crab cake and have just enough salt to work as a worthy foil against the truffled honey that gets drizzled over them before serving. Get them to share or keep them all to yourself, just be sure to order them.

50 Favorite Dishes:

No. 50: Somos Peru's crema volteada
No. 49: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub's waffle battered chicken sandwich
No. 48: Namaste Cafe's bison mamacha
No. 47: MidNord's Argentinian empanadas
No. 46: Krungthep's Thai sausage
No. 45: Eat Shop's shrimp salad
No. 44: Icehouse's savory eclair
No. 43: Cajun 2 Geaux's beignets
No. 42: A Cupcake Social's dulce de leche cupcake
No. 41: French Hen's Creole biscuits and gravy
No. 40: The Gray House's cabbage and cava salad
No. 39: Foxy Falafel's curry falafel