Travail Kitchen and Amusements
Here's my best description of Travail: "A whole lot of phenomenal cooking with a boatload of 'Fuck it!'".
Seriously. This place has purposely decided that every "rule" of fine dining is not only no necessary, but should clearly be kicked in the teeth.
"Let's serve an incredible bite of soppressata, fig, balsamic by putting it on a fishing pole and dangle-dropping it into each guest's mouth", said one of their chefs in a meeting one day. "Why would we not do that? Fuck it!" came the response.
And so, that's how that course is served. Because why not?
I mean, the restaurant is named "Travail Kitchen and Amusements" for a reason.
Check out the drink menu below. Fun, smart drinks (which were also outstanding) and a beer list that includes "Piss Water". Yep. That's Coors Light. (Fuck it!)
By the way, drinks are included. Not one drink. Anything you want off the menu. Have a drink, then a few glasses of wine, then...whatever you want. No additional charge. It's all included. That is such a brilliant and generous touch to the meal.
While I didn't do a ton of research into the place before coming with a few friends, I was aware that things were nonstandard. Different than you've ever seen. With a restaurant that focuses on kitchy things, the food typically suffers.
Not here.
Not here at all.
By and large, these dishes were some of the better bites I have had in quite some time. Conceptually smart, but the execution was out of the world, balancing flavors, heat, mouth feel, salt. Each bite seemed custom-made and tested to be sure it hit that perfect balance. And for a restaurant this large - there are 3 distinct large dining areas, and that is just on the main floor - to achieve that level of cooking, it's impressive.
As I review the dishes, each one is a standout. I typically don't like crudo with strawberries. The berry tends to overpower with sweetness. Not here. This crudo was glorious with a tamped down strawberry and a good amount of heat from the serrano pepper providing just the right combination of sweet and spicy to elevate the fish.
The oyster may have been my favorite bite. Perfectly cleaned, super chilled, served with a salt rim, tomato (acid) and tiny crunchy celery for both texture and earthiness. What a palatte for that gorgeous oyster!
It was about this time that dropped a ladel-ful of liquid nitrogen into everyone's drink, so they started churning dried ice everywhere. Because why not? Because...fuck it!
On and on. The mushroom soup was phenomenal accompanied by terrific bed and chipotle butter. Scallop curry. A scrumptous duck tostada. Even the palate cleanser - a prickly pear sorbet - was phenomenal.
Unfortunately, there were two pretty big misses at the end. The main dish - a denver steak with "Robuchon potatoes" - fell quite flat. The venison was overcooked and bland. And if you call potatoes Robuchon potatoes (named for Chef Joel Robouchon - the father of French cuisine. His mashed potatoes are legendary.), they better live up.
These didn't.
The final carrot cake also felt like a throwaway. A thick slab of uber-sweet cake that I mostly sent back untouched. An oddly pedestrian offering to wrap up a meal that was otherwise so detailed.
Replace those courses and you have a restaurant here that is truly at the top of their game. Or, any game really. The other plates provided nothing but rock solid, uber-delicious food.
Combine that with a counter-based experience with friendly, interactive and welcoming chefs, this place is simply a winner. At the other end of the counter was a family with a young child - maybe 8 years old. He clearly showed an interest in the cooking, so our chef brought the child back behind the bar a few times for a close-up look at the cooking, explaining what was going on. Bravo. What a terrific way to treat that family. I'm guessing he won't soon forget that experience.
And honestly, neither will I. If you're in Minneapolis, put this place on your list. Bring friends. Get ready for a good time and terrific food.
Because fuck it!