/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47373968/Piccolo_courtesy_FB.0.0.jpg)
—Imagine for a moment that you're the chef that changed the course of modern cuisine. For the first time you find yourself in the middle of America (although the place is lobbying hard to known as North).Where do you dine? In the case of Ferran Adria, the super nova chef, you take yourself to Piccolo. Last night Doug Flicker and his staff cooked the meal of their lives and in return, the chef shared an El Bulli spoon with him. (And somewhere Gavin Kaysen fingers his collection.)
For lunch today, Adria stopped by Revival and had the Southern fried chicken in addition to Johnny cakes, pickled shrimp and pigs feet, mac and cheese, grits, butter beans, greens all accompanied by a Bauhaus Wonderstuff. He finished off that little bite with chess and banana cream pie.
—Which might act as a reminder to appreciate the restaurants that are pushing boundaries and creating outstanding food in the face of yesterday's announcement that La Belle Vie will shutter on October 24. In addition to siting the thin margins of running a restaurant and lower demand for fine dining, Tim McKee mentioned the impact of having to raise minimum wage for tipped employees and something called the "Working Families Act."
Today, Stephanie March, food editor of Mpls./St. Paul Magazine further explains what Minneapolis' Mayor Betsy Hodges and the city council's might mean for the local, independent restaurants. While it is inevitable that restaurants will open and close and dining tastes will change, there has been a tide shift as of late that could adversely affect the burgeoning dining scene in the city.
Diners and eaters have the power to directly affect the restaurants they love. Make a reservation, tell your favorites how appreciated they are: tip, feast, drink, laugh and love what we have. We owe it to them to pay attention to how the business is being affected and act accordingly. To share opinions on the act, email workingfamilies@mn.gov. To share memories of La Belle Vie, weigh in here.
Inside the new Rock Elm Tavern. Photo courtesy Rock Elm Tavern Facebook page
—It's not all bummer news today. Rock Elm Tavern has opened in Plymouth. The former Digby's (which was once Eat Shop Kitchen and Bar) has been made over with 30 taps and a burger selection. The restaurant is hosting a grand opening celebration on October 12 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.