Crema Cafe

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"We're eating where?" said my friend. "I was hoping to have more than a double cone for dinner."

That's when I explained that Crema Cafe is more than the hallowed home of Sonny's ice cream. About two years ago, co-owners Ron Siron and Carrie Gustafson branched out beyond super-duper-premium ice cream and coffee, and began cooking lunch and weekend brunch in a kitchen they somehow shoehorned into their tight-quarters shop. More recently they've expanded into dinner, complete with a wine and beer license.

I lived a short stroll from Crema for nearly a decade before relocating to St. Paul seven years ago. Minneapolis-centric friends occasionally ask, with a slight trace of pity in their voices, if I ever miss my old neighborhood. My reply has always been a quick, "Nope, not a bit." And I meant it. But now? I'm thinking that there are advantages to having a return address within walking distance of 34th and Lyndale.

Take the other night, for instance. Dinner kicked off with a small plate of tiny ricotta-filled dumplings drizzled in a mellow, sage-flecked butter sauce, each bite piping hot and melt-in-my-mouth satisfying. That was followed by a lovingly composed plate of spinach tossed with sweet apples and salty blue cheese, every few forkfuls emboldened by the crunch of roasted hazelnuts. The topper was a beaut' of a pizza, an oval of thin, crispy crust liberally sauced and finished with big tears of fresh basil, a few mozzarella dollops and a flirty peppery finish.

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