Restaurant Week!

One of the best weeks of the year has come and gone... "Best of the Best" Restaurant Week. I'm sure there are many cities around the country that have something quite similar, but here in Minneapolis, it is quite a treat. The best restaurants in town (and by best, I mean award winning, 5 star, expensive restaurants) come up with Tasting Menus for anywhere from $10 to $30 per person for lunch or dinner.

Last year I had the privilege of dining at D'Amico Cucina (where I actually ate skate, as is bottom-feeder from the ocean skate - and liked it!), Cosmos (worth the $30 just for the atmosphere, the food was quite delicious as well), Cafe & Bar Lurcat (AH-MAY-ZING!), and somewhere else I can't think of at the moment. All of it was spectacular. We even braved a blizzard to go to D'Amico, it may have made the food taste that much better.

Here's a brief synopsis of this year's delights:

Red Stag Supperclub - One of my first forays into the Nordeast Minneapolis (why haven't I been coming to this area all along??). The room is loud with the chatter of the other patrons, which adds to the atmosphere. Our food was good. Not great, but satisfying. Good beer! A bonus: Red Stag has decent deals outside of Best of the Best week, free parking, and live music quite a few days a week.

Barrio - Another of Tim McKee's great ideas, Barrio Tequila Bar is a storefront's width on Nicollet Mall. Barrio actually provides you with a tasting menu - fresh guac & chips, tequila marinated shrimp kebabs, mahi mahi tacos. Kind of fish heavy, for a non fish eater, but I still ate all of it, and liked it. Delicious cocktails as well! I had the blackberry mojito - oddly light for a winter night, but it fit well with the food. I can't wait to get back here in the summertime when the tables take over the sidewalk and the windows are thrown wide. Something about this place tells me it will be even better in the summer.

Chambers Kitchen - I've been told by a couple of people to make my way here, and Best of the Best seemed to be the 'best' way to do it. Chambers Kitchen is located in the basement of the Chambers Hotel. We went for Sunday lunch, and enjoyed a delicious squash soup. It is kind of like eating in an art gallery, which I guess is how it's supposed to be. The bar upstairs is even better - very chic and sleek, especially later in the evening.

Vincent: A Restaurant - This was the BEST of the best, the food was just to die for. Chef Vincent Francoual is a true artist. I had Coq au Vin, which tasted exactly as you imagine it should. Hearty and comforting, with no pretense or too much flair. There isn't anything wrong with a little flair when you're eating at award winning restaurants, but sometimes an honest dish is exactly what you're looking for. We saw Vincent out and about in the restaurant during our meal, greeting patrons, without any stress on his face. He loves to cook, loves his restaurant, and loves pleasing people with food, and it shows. Go there. NOW. I can't wait to get back.


I wish I had all of the money in the world to get out to all of the restaurants I would like to go to, but sometimes you just need a week devoted to food to encourage you to really get there (the prices can't be beat, either!). I'm looking forward to next year already!