Late Night Date Night at Sea Change

The term Sea Change comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and signifies a radical transformation. in Minneapolis, Sea Change also means top-rate seafood. It's one of Tim McKee's restaurants, and seeing as how Mr. McKee is high on the list of heroes in the Buck-and-her-Boyfriend household, it's the obvious choice when people ask me to recommend a seafood place in the city.

The restaurant is located on the northwest side of the ground floor of the beautiful blue Guthrie Theater. When the theater moved to its new location for the 2006-2007 season, the restaurant in this space was called Cue, but it was lame and closed, leaving room for Sea Change to open in 2009 (the restaurant was considered a lock for the best new restaurant in the Twin Cities until Bar La Grassa opened a mile up the road). It is a sustainable seafood restaurant: something that is trendy, but also important. It's something I really respect and admire in restaurateurs like Rick Moonen, who was one of the first major chefs to embrace responsible fishing practices.

Since Sea Change is housed in the Guthrie, many (if not most) of its patrons are theatergoers, meaning that reservations are early and the place clears out around 7:15 so that diners can be in their seats for a 7:30 curtain. In order to offset this frontloaded business schedule, Sea Change has started something called Late Night Date Night. On Friday and Saturday evenings after 7:30 pm, you can get a four course meal for two plus a bottle of wine, for just $99! This past Saturday evening, my regular date and I decided to give it a try.

We arrived early, so we sat at the bar to grab a drink. True to ourselves, I ordered a pear martini and he ordered a Hennepin Ale. The bartender brought over an appetizer and oyster menu, and we ordered two oysters apiece. Now, here's where I'm going to get cheesy (you knew it was coming) but my attitude toward oysters has undergone a sea change since I started dating my seafood-loving sweetheart. In my experience, oysters are pretty polarizing. People either think they are nasty, loogie-esque wastes of money, or people think they are a great fancy treat. Until the last year or so, I have had the attitude toward oysters that it's best to close your eyes and swallow without thinking too hard about what's in your mouth (yeah, I know). Recently, though, I've begun to enthusiastically agree to order them, and have even started savoring them and being able to discern the difference between different varieties! I guess it's an acquired taste. I attribute the turning point to my fateful night at Tom Colicchio's CraftSteak in Las Vegas--also known as The Night of One Hundred Oysters and One Thousand Drinks.

After slurping down our mollusks and our drinks, we were seated at our table. The Late Night Date Night menu consists of two choices for each course. The first course choice was either two oysters (go figure) or Albacore Tuna with lime, seasame, and coconut. Seeing as how we had just enjoyed oysters at the bar, we both opted for the Tuna. Boy did we opt right! It was two 1.5" cubes (raw) set on a bed of seaweed and leek salad, covered in a creamy sriracha sauce and topped off with delicious red roe. This is a compliment that I do not dole out lightly, but it was some of the best raw fish I've had, anywhere, ever. Well done, Jamie Malone.

Oh--we'd had our choice of about six different bottles of wine, and chose the Primaterra Pinot Grigio. When our server brought the bottle to the table, I was suspicious because the bottle broke one of my primary wine drinking rules: do not drink a wine with an animal on the label, especially not if the animal is illustrated. The wine was OK-not-great. Not a bottle I'd buy, but it was fine for the meal. I was already two drinks in at this point (a glass of wine at The Public House before leaving home, and then my pear martini at the bar) and not feeling picky.

Our choices for the second course made us laugh out loud. Here they are, exactly as printed on the menu:

Gnocchi :: pork cheek/brown butter/cauliflower/hazelnut
(or)
Romaine Salad

Some People! Who in their right mind would opt for the romaine salad, given these choices! Unless you are a vegetarian or are allergic to everything, you have no excuse, and you should not even be dining in an establishment like Sea Change! Go back to Red Lobster if you want your seafood restaurants to serve you food you could make yourself at home! As you can probably guess, we both opted for the gnocchi and it. was. phenom-bomb. You can see in the picture, it came with lightly steamed greens on top. Not really steamed, but more like warm-because-they-got-put-on-a-hot-plate. I just ate mine quickly before they got too awkward. The pork cheek was simply excellent. It had the kind of savory flavor that I dream of creating at home, and had clearly been slow-cooked for hours. My handsome date thought his gnocchi was a little burnt, but mine was perfect. I would have happily eaten this as my entree.


Obviously, though, the main course was fish. Once again, we chose the same option for our third course (usually when we have a tasting menu we try to choose different things and then share so we can taste everything)--because the other option was chicken! At a seafood restaurant! At any rate, the way the fish was described was pretty solid: Steelhead :: jidori egg/horseradish/asparagus. I love eggs, horseradish, and asparagus, so I was sure it couldn't go wrong--and it didn't! The most exciting thing was: it came out with scrambled eggs with what appeared to be a poached egg on top of them. But when I went to crack the poached egg open, it was filled with creamy horseradish sauce! I love little surprises like that! Also, along the edges of the plate was this black powder. It tasted like charred... something, and when I asked the waiter, he told us that they char leeks, and then grind them to a powder. So cool! I did think the trout was just a slight bit underdone for my taste, but I also completely understand that this is a personal preference. I love raw fish as an appetizer or in sushi, but when I'm eating a filet, I prefer it to be slightly more cooked through. There also were a few large pieces of roe on the plate, which tasted a bit too salty at times (although I could have gotten an unbalanced bite in my mouth).

There was no choice for dessert; it was a plate of four chocolates. There was a brownie, cake crumbs, chocolate cremeaux (fancy talk for mousse), and cocoa jelly. Dotted on the plate was blackberry puree which was delicious. It was classic molecular gastronomy, and I will never complain about chocolate for dessert!

I would happily recommend that anyone with a modestly adventurous palate check out the Late Night Date Night at Sea Change. If nothing else, I tried some things off the menu that I may not have ordered if given other choices (helloooooo, Octopus!). The hostess said that they are planning to continue this indefinitely, and I'm looking forward to visiting again throughout the fall and winter. After all, I need to keep cultivating my taste for oysters!

Fall Restaurant Week--it's Official!

Took me long enough--I first hinted at it almost a month ago, but it's official, Minneapolis St. Paul Fall Restaurant Week will run October 3-8 (that's a Sunday through a Friday, friends). Here's a list of participating restaurants, as well as their menus for the week (most are prix fixe) and the price (lunches are $10 or $15; dinner is $20 or $30). Make those reservations now--the restaurants fill up quickly!

Plenty of Fish in the Sea

For being known as The Land of 10,000 Lakes (fun fact! There are actually 11842 lakes that are 10 acres or more!), Minnesota is depressingly landlocked. Unless you're hankering for a good ol' Fish Fry Walleye, there's something to be desired in the area as far as seafood goes.



In the spirit of full disclosure, I was never a huge seafood fan. I love scallops--they're probably my favorite protein--but never got too fired up over shrimp cocktail or the oh-so-90's Chilean Sea Bass. My boyfriend, however, might as well be a pelican for all the seafood he eats. This means that over the last few years, I've had a crash course in just about every kind of seafood that's out there to eat. I've eaten eels, oysters, octopus, clams, shrimp, lobster... and that's just the short list. Granted, many of these delicacies have been served over a bed of rice with a dab of wasabi and a generous dip in soy sauce--but sushi isn't enough for his man-sized appetite for creatures of the sea.



For a long time, my favorite restaurant was Oceanaire. Yes, it was a chain, and this was long before I started to be somewhat of a foodie... but I truly enjoyed each meal I had there. I haven't eaten there in years--since I took my parents there for Christmas in December of 2004--but hoped that quality had remained the same. Unfortunately, it sounds like it hasn't. So, where can I go now, to have high-quality seafood?



The first place that comes to mind is Sea Change. This place opened in the summer of 2009, and until Bar La Grassa opened in November, seemed a shoe-in for Best New Restaurant of the year. The restaurant is located in The Guthrie Theatre, in the space formerly occupied by Cue. I ate at Cue once, and while I loved the space, didn't love the menu. I was excited to hear about Sea Change's arrival, and it's one of those places that I always have intended to go to, but never have. Has anyone been there? I'd love to hear reviews from friends.



I also think of places like Stella's Fish Cafe in Uptown. I've eaten there, but the atmosphere seems more "bar first, food second", and they wouldn't be high on my list of places to go for something fresh from the deep. Am I wrong here? Is there more to this place than drunken antics on a late Saturday night?



The last place I think about is Sea Salt Eatery. Sea Salt Eatery--the place just makes me happy. It's one of the more unique restaurants in Minneapolis. It's seasonal--only open from April to October--and located in Minnehaha Park, right near the falls. It's the most serendipitous little place, and most of the seating is located outside, so you're enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather along with your delicious meal. I can't tear myself away from the Crabcake Sandwich, while my geographically confused boyfriend (he's from Canada, but you'd swear he was southern with his love of creole, cajun, and seafood) can't get enough of the Crawfish Po'Boy. Better yet, all their seafood comes from Coastal Seafoods. It's like a double-dip of local goodness!

So, am I missing out on anywhere that I can take my lobster for his seafood fix? I'm looking forward to hearing about any new, out-of-the-way places!

This Chick is Toast!

Yes, I just quoted Ghostbusters.

Last night, my man and I had dinner reservations at a fancy-schmancy (OK maybe not fancy, but expensive) place, that was running quite a deal in honor of Minneapolis Restaurant Week. Since our reservation wasn't till 8pm, we decided to go for a glass of wine first.

Our neighborhood is full of cute little bars and restaurants, and we've been meaning to check this place out for quite some time. It's called Toast Wine Bar & Cafe. Some of our neighbors have recommended it, and we've walked past it several times on walks with the pup. It's somewhat out of the way, though, and didn't come to mind often--but now that we've been there, we will for sure be back frequently!

It's located halfway down the block of a non-driveable street, so you wouldn't pass it in your car. It's also partially underground in an apartment building (you have to walk down a ramp to the front door). But there is ample outdoor seating (and water bowls for dogs who stop by too!) and it's surprisingly big inside as well. It looks like an industrial space: unfinished ceiling, walls and columns painted black. The menu mainly features wine, crostini, cheeses, and most importantly dessert. Something I liked is that the individual items were just little bites and very reasonably priced--$2 per crostini is very inexpensive, and I like the idea of getting a glass of wine and a little snack for under $10!

We only had wine, so I can't vouch for the food, but the place was almost full, and I got the impression that many of the patrons were regulars. We immediately said we need to bring my parents there, they would love it. It seems like the type of place I'd go to with a few girlfriends and just sit and talk for hours, over several glasses of wine, of course. As a bonus, they strive to serve mainly wines from environmentally-conscious vineyards--so you may get to try wines that you wouldn't at other places!

Do you have any favorite neighborhood places that I should check out when I'm in your hood?

Cuba Libre

Approximately three years ago, there were three really great Cuban restaurants in Minneapolis: Victor's 1959 Cafe, Babalu, and Cafe Havana*. You can probably guess by my hyperlinking that two of these restaurants have now closed. It's a shame, because Babalu and Cafe Havana were both located on Washington Avenue North--and my loft is in between the two.

I love Cuban cuisine. When I was seventeen ("it was a very good year!") I had the opportunity to be a Production Assistant on a documentary film called Puente de Almas (Bridge of Souls) about a Cuban family that fled to America during Castro's takeover. During the two-week-long shoot, I was exposed to Cuban culture for the first time, and in the best possible way: dinners lasted for hours and were accompanied by family members improvising on the guitar and whatever percussion instruments could be found. I immediately fell in love with plantains. Well, I loved all the food, but especially the plantains.

You can imagine my disappointment when, shortly after I moved into my loft in June of 2008, I heard that Babalu was closing--and then a few months later, Cafe Havana did as well. While Cafe Havana's location remained empty for over a year, it was quickly reported that an Italian restaurant was going into Babalu's old space. I was so disappointed--I had just moved into this chic, bohemian neighborhood with unique restaurants and shops--and some crappy Olive Garden knockoff was going in. The restaurant's name came out--and I was even further dismayed: "the fat" in italian? Really? I was sure it would be a flop. But soon the flag for Bar La Grassa was hanging at 800 Washington Avenue North, and immediately the reviews began pouring in. "Divine". "A fantasy". It was called the Best New Restaurant by virtually every local media outlet. I was fascinated.

On a Friday night in January, my main squeeze and I walked down the block to check it out. As luck would have it, two spots had just opened up at the bar facing the kitchen (reservations are otherwise pretty much mandatory, but this section is first-come-first-served). Not knowing what to expect, we asked the bartender to bring us two of her favorite appetizers. What happened next changed my life. I am not exaggerating. She brought out their Bruschetta with Soft Egg and Lobster (thank you times a million to the genius at Star Tribune who was able to get that recipe!). I had never tasted something so exquisite in my life (yes, exquisite is a crazy, highfalutin word that I will only ever use to describe this dish, I promise). Before I swallowed the first bite, I'd forgotten what a plantain even looked like.

The rest of our meal was just as magical. One of the great qualities of my boyfriend is that he pushes me outside my comfort zone with food. We split two entrees that evening--each amazing, neither a dish I would have ordered alone. The first was Orecchiette with Braised Rabbit. Yes, rabbit. I ate bunnies. And they were fantastic. The second dish was Chiattara Nera with Ink Braised Squid: you may be right in suspecting that there is actual squid ink in this pasta! It was virtually black, spaghetti-like noodles (chiattara means "guitar" in italian, the noodles are like the strings of a guitar) with pieces of calamari in a slightly spicy, creamy sauce. Tragically, this dish has been taken off the menu. Before we left the restaurant, drunk on the experience and several glasses of wine, we promised each other to never visit this place without the other--it was that good, we would only make the other person jealous.

Months went by, and word got out that something was going into the former home of Cafe Havana. In May, Haute Dish opened. I had high hopes, hearing that the concept was comfort food made fancy. One evening, my boyfriend and a friend were headed to a Twins game and invited me to join them here for dinner before the game. With the philosophy that, "if they have it on the menu, it probably kicks ass" regarding Macaroni and Cheese, that's what I ordered. It was prepared with taleggio cheese and delicious chunks of king crab. I offered bites to the table, and was informed that "This tastes like Bar La Grassa!" (in case you didn't know, that's about the highest compliment a dish can get).

So, I learned that sometimes change is good. The best Cuban restaurant in town is still standing, and where others once were now stand two excellent new additions to my neighborhood. Have you eaten at Bar La Grassa or Haute Dish? Did you enjoy them as much as I did?

*some people consider El Meson to be Cuban, but seeing as they refer to themselves as "Spanish-Caribbean", I do not.