As Highway 3 approaches Dundas, Minnesota, it transitions from mostly quiet country road to classic suburban thoroughfare, lined by Target, Cub Foods, and various chain restaurants and budget hotels. Fielder’s Choice Tap and Table, open as of fall 2015, is perhaps the only non-chain establishment along this stretch. Owner Roy Winjum, of Winjum’s Shady Acres Resort in Faribault, has drawn heavily from his Resort’s restaurant for inspiration at Fielder’s Choice, but the extensive pizza and burger focused menu and the local beer selection make it unique to the area.
Northfield and Faribault locals in their thirties and forties chat and sip from the selection of thirty-two Minnesota beers on tap. The menu offers creative interpretations on burgers and pizza, including a béchamel-potato pizza and a peanut butter and jelly bacon burger, as well as a selection of items inspired by the British Isles and Asian cuisine. The succinct two-page menu shows that the chef and manager, Craig Korvela, has a vision for Fielder’s Choice, that is a welcome relief from the lengthy menus of other Northfield restaurants.
Generous slices of seared tuna with microgreens and avocado emerged from the kitchen, placed on wonton crisps and paired with a wasabi cream and sesame ginger sauce. The sauces complemented the toppings without overwhelming their flavor, a balance that is unusual for sauces in Minnesota. Ground chicken and water chestnuts sautéed in the same sesame ginger sauce and served in satisfying portions with fried wontons, Bibb lettuce cups, and peanut sauce functioned as an entrée though the dish was offered as an appetizer. The waiter noted the lettuce cups as her favorite menu item.
Fielder’s choice is a baseball term for a tactical defensive decision to allow an offensive player to reach a base. The sports’ reference fits well with the restaurant’s design. Transformed from a short-lived KFC, large screen TVs now line the walls, showing an NFL playoff game and reruns of an alarming Crashed Ice downhill skating competition. The programming gives a nod to the viewing tastes of the largely Minnesotan crowd. High tables mix with booths and seating around the bar to provide better viewing access to the TVs and showcase the beers on tap. Fielder’s Choice is not reinventing Minnesotan dining, but he has added a reliable and creative option for dining and drinking in Northfield.
Open Daily for Lunch and Dinner. Entrees range from $10 to $20.
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