Minneapolis Restaurant Week 2008
I live in Minneapolis and I love food. Seemingly separate thoughts…but they are very connected during the last week in February.
Two masterminds of the Minneapolis scene on food and needless spending came together last year and launched the first ever “Best of the Best Restaurant Week.” That’s right – Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine and American Express determined that February, being a historically slow month in the restaurant business, would be the prime time to launch a week of restaurant deals to lure us out of our cozy, warm homes and into some of the best restaurants in town. Brilliant…it works for me. This year, “Best of the Best Restaurant Week” was held from Feb. 24th through the 29th, allowing me just enough time to go dine at two places. One familiar to my palate and one very new, interesting experience to add to my Minneapolis dining resume.
Cafe Lurcat
Always a favorite of mine, we went to Cafe Lurcat with some friends who wanted to find out what all my raving is about. Cafe Lurcat is a wonderful hideaway on Loring Park, set in a building that formerly housed a car dealership. High ceilings, wide windows, an open kitchen and a combination of open and intimate spaces are complimented with classically painted walls, green leafy plants, and stiff white linens. The Bar side of Lurcat is an equally amazing space with a contemporary, funky feel, that should not be missed, particularly in the summer when you can lounge outside with views of the park.
I went for gold and ordered my all-time favorites – Apple, Cheese and Chive salad to start and the Pot Roast with Red Wine for the main course, complemented with a Spanish red wine. Other delights that were ordered at our table were the Lurcat Crab Cake and the Sea Bass Marinated in Miso. All around our food was excellent, I would even say amazing. We moved onto dessert, which was a triple chocolate cake for me, with mini cinnamon donuts also ordered at the table. I have to say that, while I liked my chocolate cake (I am not a huge fan of the fudgey chocolate cakes), I definitely favored the mini donuts. Perhaps that was my nostalgia kicking in, the warm pot roast, the rich red wine…how better to end that meal than with an all-American favorite…warm cinnamon donuts. Another perfect meal at Cafe Lurcat…I would expect no less.
La Belle Vie
After eating gold at Cafe Lurcat, my husband and I decided to go for platinum and try the French restaurant, La Belle Vie, for our second choice during restaurant week. La Belle Vie is located off Hennepin Avenue, near the Walker Art Center, in a beautiful old building that houses apartments in the upper floors. The feel of the building is old-Hollywood, with its grand foyer entrance, concierge station, and dark, inviting lounge with crystal chandeliers and plush furniture. Had it been Hollywood in the 50s, there definitely would have been some beauties in strapless velvet gowns and full-length gloves lounging around smoking cigarettes from their long holders and drinking champagne. While this was obviously not the scene at present, we did enjoy the coziness and glamour of it all.
We sat in the lounge to eat as, even though they participate in restaurant week, they do not allow restaurant week patrons to dine in the dining room nor do they honor the restaurant week deals on Friday. Our tasting menu and complimenting wine flight was delicate, interesting, and flavorful. We started with French fish served on a seaweed salad and finished with lobster eggs, complimented with a French brut champagne. The next course was handrolled agnolotti pasta with taleggio cheese, served with roasted beats and a hazelnut emulsion. This was complimented with a sweet Riesling wine. The third course was beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction and crispy sweetbreads, complimented with an earthy red wine. My highlight of the meal was the pasta and the pleasant surprise of my enjoyment of the Riesling paired with it. The overall experience was fantastic, experiencing beautiful and strong, yet delicate flavors presented together in each course. La Belle Vie…the good life…it certainly is.
Tags: Food, restaurant week, restaurants, twin cities
March 1st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Nice post, glad to see you are back in action!
These two restaurants rank as my top two favorites for top tier Minneapolis restaurants! Outstanding all around!
March 9th, 2009 at 10:15 am
[...] went with minor fanfare for me. I had hoped to make it to three new places last week (I loved my two visits last year), but managed one – Barrio Tequila Bar. Although it was only one place, the tasting menu for $30 [...]