New Seafood Spot Coming to Lake Minnetonka Shores

There’s a new seafood restaurant expected to open mid-July on the shores of Lake Minnetonka called Vann, which is Norwegian for “water.” It’s the first restaurant from Erik Skaar, a veteran of Tilia and The Bachelor Farmer.

Expect Norwegian and Japanese coastal culture influences, fish from Lake Superior and Iceland, and a unique wine list. In addition to a regular menu, there will be a reservation-only tasting menu available.

With Vann being his first restaurant, Skaar has been through quite a bit to get here. His initial career pursuit had nothing to do with food. In fact, he attended the Institute of Production and Recording in Minneapolis to get a handle on audio engineering and music production. After that, he did a complete 180 and moved to Denver to work in the dining industry. His breakout gig was under John Broening in Denver at Olivea. And worked later in Seattle at Crush, a seafood restaurant run by James Beard award winning chef, Jason Wilson. It was there that the chef developed a love for seafood. He also became deeply inspired by Japanese techniques and ingredients, which would plant the seed for the concept behind Vann.

In 2015 he came back to Minneapolis and got involved at The Bachelor Farmer’s private dining offerings with Paul Berglund. After that scored a big role as chef de cuisine at Tilia, working alongside local legend Steven Brown.

Appetizers will run between $8 and $17. Entrees will likely be $25 at the cheapest and will extend into the mid-30s range.

Follow the opening process on Facebook and Instagram.

• Where to eat the freshest seafood in the Twin Cities [ETC]
• The best in dining around Lake Minnetonka [ETC]
• Vann [Official]