Emily Weiss on The Rookery: 'Triumphant as Ever'

This week in Week in Reviews, City Pages' Emily Weiss heads out to Robbinsdale and gives The Rookery, the newish cocktail and "microplate" spot from the team behind Travail, a glowing review. While the review is ostensibly about both Travail and The Rookery, which share the restaurant space, there's nary a dish from the new Travail to be critiqued. Which begs the question: When is someone going to review Travail and not just its more casual counterpart?

At any rate, Weiss says The Rookery is serving "some of the most surprising and sometimes overwhelming food and drink you're likely to have in the Twin Cities." She goes on: "We aren't afraid to gush. We defy anyone to eat here and leave unimpressed."

Among the microplates Weiss sampled, she "marveled most" at, well, just about everything: the lamb, the brandade, the hearts of palm, the French fries, the shrimp chip, shaved carrots on black garlic "dirt," leeks served three ways, and a beef tongue slider. Only two plates got "less-than-satisfactory reviews": the regular burger and the pineapple dessert.

There's lots more to read in the review about the restaurant's epic Kickstarter campaign, co-chef Mike Brown's vision for the restaurant (and how he cooks at home), the cocktail program, and the definition of "rookery" in the animal kingdom. But still no Travail review.
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