Dixie’s on Calhoun

Summer does not last long enough around here, as everyone knows, and you should make any excuse to get Uptown and have a walk around Lake Calhoun. Here’s one: This Southern-themed restaurant on the shores of Minneapolis’ primary pond. We’ve had great luck with the carnivore-friendly fare on recent visits, enjoying the crab-cakes appetizer and the Bag O’ Bonz, a corny name for a scrumptious sack of hickory-smoked ribs featuring the same sweet sauce that you get with the also-recommended BBQ chicken entrée. We most enjoyed the honey pecan chicken, southern-fried with tasty caramelized pecans on top. Eat it slowly, and savor. Speaking of pecans, they make a worthy pie too. Ironically enough, the mint julep wasn’t great, which probably means some kind of penance is in order. But it did let us see some true southern hospitality from our waitress, who cheerfully brought a glass of fine Yankee merlot in its place.