May brings good news in pairs: two local chefs honored, and two Minneapolis openings
BRAVOS AND CHEF CHEERS…for our talented Twin Cities chefs who keep winning national recognition and awards. Spring brings us news that two more hard working chef/restaurateurs have been tapped for more national greatness.
Lucia Watson, chef and owner of her 20-year-old namesake, Lucia’s Restaurant & Wine Bar in Minneapolis, will head to New York in May for the Annual James Beard Foundation Awards. The Beard Foundation, which is dedicated to furthering the practice and appreciation of the culinary arts in America, has for the third time nominated Lucia for Best Chef in the Midwest. This is a well-deserved honor, and here’s hoping three time’s a charm! She has been edged out by a hair (or should I say a whisk) by two Windy City chefs — Chicago’s Paul Kahan of Blackbird in 2004 and then Tony Mantuano from Spiaggia in 2005. It was Tony’s second nomination last year, so like the Oscars, they sometimes get the nod for “top toque” from their region after more than one nomination, right? I certainly have my fingers crossed.
Last month, I stopped by Lucia’s Bakery, which opened last year adjoining the bar, to congratulate her, and she told me the nomination was a wonderful surprise. “It’s always an honor (win or no win) to be saluted for my accomplishments here in the Midwest, but it’s the IATP Award I’m really proud of,” she said. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is based here in Minnesota. They promote resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy (www.iatp.org.).
The IATP, which was formed in 1986, celebrated their 20th Anniversary Gala last month and honored Watson and Dr. Edgard Pisani, a noted international agricultural leader, for their support of fair trade, farmers, healthy food and democratic institutions.
Our second honored local chef is Stewart Woodman, soon to be a June cover boy on the prestigious Food & Wine Magazine’s Ten Best New Chefs issue. Woodman’s restaurant, Five Restaurant & Lounge, is just a stone’s throw from Lucia’s down 3lst Street to Bryant Avenue South. This is the two-story, former fifth precinct police station that was transformed into a gourmet-dining haven last fall thanks to Woodman and his wife, pastry chef Heidi Woodman.
This talented entrepreneurial chef and owner may not be an original Minnesotan, but the local foodies have taken him under their wings since he first wowed us with his cooking at Levain. Lucky for us, Woodman, who is just 36, has an impressive background in famous kitchens and has brought his know-how to Five for our eager taste buds. He grew up cooking with the best from the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta to some of the leading New York City darlings such as Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and Gray Kunz (of Lespinasse, Spice Market and now Café Gray) to the masters Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. As would be expected, his unique menu is as varied as his past.
Woodman’s offerings continue to evolve, and he always shares a delightful amount of flavor and flair from his street bar food to the upstairs bistro choices to the gourmet dining room with its multi-course dinner offerings — too many choices to mention and always beautifully presented.
Woodman will be the third Minnesota chef saluted as a Best New Chef in Food & Wine. The first honor was given to Chef Tim McKee back in 1997. We already discovered him here in Minnesota when he was cooking up a storm at D’Amico Cucina, and later fans followed McKee’s opening of La Belle Vie with Josh Thoma in Stillwater. It was not until last year that the next Minnesota chef, Cosmos’ Seth Bixby Daugherty, was saluted by Food & Wine.
The magazine staff seeks out the most brilliant new chefs for this annual list, now in its 18th year, and have cheered the likes of culinary stars such as Thomas Keller, Nobu Matsuhisa and Daniel Boulud. Editor Dana Cowin said, “We’re seeing amazing talent and innovation at all kinds of restaurants — from haute dining to noodle bars and our Best New Chefs 2006 are testing the boundaries of culinary arts everywhere and succeeding at the highest levels.” These 2006 chefs will cook together at an exclusive tasting dinner at the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen, Colo., in June.
TWO NEW WAREHOUSE HOTSPOTS…opened their doors last month to party fun and more good food. One is an additional space to the popular Nami Sushi Restaurant, the other is a redo that brings a classic old name, the Rosewood Room, back to town. At Nami, owner Ji Cho hosted a grand opening for her recently completed new lounge space with a new door opening at 251 First Avenue North, adjacent to the current restaurant which faces North Third Street.
The lounge has a wall of windows overlooking the street and a large bar, great for overflow from the original bar or for private party use. Designers at Shea Inc. say an original large, sliding steel warehouse door, discovered in the building’s basement, was restored and hung between the new space and the main restaurant and bar, allowing the new lounge to be easily closed off and used for private functions. Ji Cho says she plans to feature a special menu in this bar.
Meanwhile, a new Rosewood Room opened in the 100-year old Crane warehouse building on Third Avenue North, just a block down from J.D.Hoyt’s. Like the Rosewood Room of old (in the Northstar Hotel off Marquette) the walls are covered with beautiful, imported Brazilian Rosewood (hence their name). But this new modern space boasts a lounge-style setting with a 14-foot tall glass wine tower and alabaster see-through fireplace for a perfectly cozy, happy hour setting. Finishing touches were still going on when we sampled some of the international flavors of the small plate menu, including ceviche of scallops and shrimp, walleye cakes with peppered salsa, blackened beef shank or an American sushi plate. Opening at 6 p.m. daily, the details were still being planned by Executive Chef Jamis Scappel (previously with Chef Ken Goff at the Dakota) and Consulting Chef Justin Grecco (he helped open Bellanotte). Cheers to the concept, with two venues under one roof. I’m keeping my eyes open for their new adjoining Visage Nightclub, which opens at 10 p.m. nightly.
