It took one bite and I was sold on Potter’s. That’s what lard does for a crust. I visited the actual storefront of Potter’s Pasties and Pies on the east side of Minneapolis, across the river. If you’re in the area, they also have a couple pasty trucks that travel around the city with their locations updated daily on the website and events page. Upon learning that, I was immediately sold.

Potter’s opened in early 2011 and it’s gotten plenty of press since, winning multiple awards for best food truck in the Twin Cities. After traveling around England and Scotland for a few years, owner Alec Duncan met his wife, Fiona, and they eventually moved back to Minnesota to start a food truck. Their business has proven to be a success with two food trucks and a small shop where you can usually find the owners. If you can’t find the shop like me, there’s a back entrance in the basement of a building that has a market/deli in front.

Their history is nice, but are the pasties any good? Yes, they are. After spending years in other kitchens and fine-tuning their pasty taste buds across the pond, it’s easy to see the Duncans know what they’re doing.

Potter’s has a small ($6) and large ($9) version and unlike some places, the small version is actually small. If you don’t want to be weighed down the entire day or want a small dinner, it’s the way to go. If you like mixing it up, they have a few other regular flavors with Thai Veg a favorite according to a fellow customer, while Alec’s favorite is the pulled pork and apple.     

Of course, I never sway from The Traditional. Potter’s version has carrots (no rutabaga) and a gravy that gives it something… different. The crust was almost perfect. It had the perfect taste and crisp, and that immediately put me at ease.           

I’m kind of torn on how to rate the rosemary gravy because while it adds a new and interesting flavor to the pasty, I usually eat pasties without any special additives (ie. gravy, ketchup). But since it’s inside the pasty, I have to rate it as it is, aka play the pasty as it lies. That being the case, I cannot lie. The gravy worked perfectly with the minced beef and veggies. Combine that with a spot-on meat to potato ratio and Potter’s is golden.

I’m not in the Minneapolis area often, but I’ll have to find a way to get Potter’s Pasties. I’d definitely put it on the list if you get a chance.

Taste: 4.5 (out of 5)
Crust: 4.5 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 4 (out of 5)
The Shop: 3 (out of 3)
Would I come back for Pasties?: 2 (out of 2)

Total Pasty Ranking: 18 (of 20 points)

(Reviewed Spring 2019)