Cafe Lurcat

Cafe Lurcat Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Decorated with the local D'Amico brothers' artful eye, the dining room has been transformed into a serious study in restrained simplicity. White-on-white accents put the focus where it should be: on the showcase views of Loring Park, while providing a serene backdrop for the pretty people that frequent the place.

Food: À la carte entrées focus on comfort food with attitude, as in farmhouse chicken with honey and cider vinegar sauce and beef short ribs and porcini mushroom stroganoff. Best of show? Go for the miso-marinated sea bass; you won't be disappointed. Starters to sample: the crispy ahi-basil spring rolls scented with ginger and soy or the over-the-top foie gras with prosciutto and pear butter. Salads or sides are necessary (entrée portions aren't big enough to fill you up); the terrific french fries are, in this case, worth the caloric splurge. For entertainment and a nightcap, stop next door at the separate and posh Bar Lurcat.