Where Should Alex Eat?

Is there a coffee shop, bakery, restaurant, or deli you've been wondering about? I welcome input on any food establishments you would like to see reviewed. Any excuse to eat out is A-OK with me. If it's outside of the Midwest you may have to chip in for the flight.

Restaurant Alma

First, a bit of self disclosure. I am a Top Chef addict. It's not for the competition or the drama or the otherworldly hotness that is Fabio. No, it's for the food. The beautifully innovative dishes featured on the show have inspired me to cook more than any cookbook ever has. The only downside, up until now, had been that I was quite certain such over the top culinary artistry could not be found in Minnesota. I was wrong. There is Restaurant Alma. 

There are others, I am sure, and I plan to hunt these establishments down one by one and report back to all of you. But for my first post on Noshing in the Midwest, I submit to you one of the best meals I have had to date. Really. 

Restaurant Alma is the brain-child of Alexander Roberts, 2010 James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Midwest. Roberts is also owner of Brasa Rotisserie, one of our all time favorite go-to restaurants. Roberts’ passion for local, sustainably grown ingredients manifests itself in decidedly unfussy dishes highlighting fresh seasonal flavors in a menu that changes with the weather. 

Take the parmesan flan, for example. It tastes like, well, parmesan flan (not that I had ever had one before). But in the most delectable, heavenly way. It's a delicate cushion of creamy cheesiness served along side a little pyramid of shaved celery and fennel, dressed with truffle oil and cracked black pepper. You taste the best of each individual ingredient, yet they all mingle beautifully together. 

Restaurant Alma specializes in a three course tasting menu, but each dish is also available a la carte. There is also an extensive wine list and a lovely dessert menu that may be worth skipping a course. 

Our friends Kevin and Anna chose the tasting menu, while Tony and I both went a la carte. Of course we each got a different dessert to end the night, so I can confidently recommend at least 75 percent of the menu. 

Parmesan Flan from the starter menu.

Ricotta Gnocchi. It will make you feel like royalty. 

Grilled bread with roasted gold beets, goat cheese, anchovy paste and basil oil. Tony's first encounter with beets went so well, I believe they are engaged. 

Sauteed pork loin with confit potatoes and leek compote. Simple and complex all at once, it was like a sexy slow dance with a pig. 

Glazed beef short rib. Classic, rich, high-end Goodfellows. 

Salmon with black truffle broth. I know that the phrase "it was so good I wanted to swim in it" is over-used, but really, I did. 

And now, for dessert (can you hear the angels singing?) 

Above is the Hazelnut torte with fig conserve, frozen yogurt and hazelnut tuile (which is apparently French for a tulip shaped cookie. You learn something new every day). 

I chose the winter bread pudding with caramelized pineapple and honey ginger ice cream. One the best things on the table that night was that honey ice cream. I wanted to cry when it was gone. I'm not kidding. 

Vanilla bean panna cotta with a crazy good send-you-back-to-your-childhood-if-your-mom-was-an-award-winning-pastry-chef peanut brittle. 

FAQ

Should I stay or should I go? 

Yes, yes you should go, and yes, you should stay at least two hours. The casual atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable, beckoning you to linger over another glass of wine, or a fifth dessert perhaps? 

How much will it set me back?

More than Brassa, less then The Russian Tea Room. The tasting menu is $48 for three courses, and desserts are $8 each. One bite and you would gladly pay double. 

Kid Friendly?

No. Get a sitter, this is a special night kinda place. 

Web site? 

Click here.

Coming Soon!

Due to overwhelming demand...ok, a couple of you said you'd read it...I am starting a new blog featuring restaurant reviews and recommendations.

I hope to follow the philosophy of "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all" in my blog, but as most of you who know me will attest, this is not my strong suit. So, I will plan on mostly reviewing restaurants and food establishments that I enjoyed and would whole-heartedly recommend. But if I happen to have a particularly heinous dinning experience, I will honor my duty to alert and warn my readers (all four of you).

So please check in every once in a while as I share the joys of eating well in the Midwest (yep, even Iowa).

Happy Noshing,

Alex