Review: Modern Love - The Modern Cafe
Whenever I want to shake myself clear of my suburban existence, I head south from my Fridley home and drive down University or Central Avenue. In a few quick blocks I'm no longer in suburbia, but in the far more "authentic" neighborhoods of Nordeast Minneapolis (a.k.a. the Saint Paul side of the Minni-apple). Instead of fare like Perkins or Taco Bell, I'm suddenly surrounded by authentic ethnic fare like Emily's Lebanese Deli or The Gasthof zur Gemutlichkeit; venerable but excellent supper fare from Jax Cafe; The Holy Land Deli, home of the best gyros in town; Nala Pak (formerly Udupi), where resides the best south Indian cuisine in the area (and technically in Columbia Heights, but close enough to Nordeast to count). But one place I had always intended to stop in but never seemed to get around to was the well regarded Modern Cafe.
The Modern Cafe isn't exactly a hole in the wall, though it seems to draw its inspiration from such places. The decor recalls any American diner you might remember, in the cozy rather than seedy sense. When you walk in a sign beckons you to sit where you like and like where you sit. Plenty of intimate booths decorate the back wall, as well as a host of tables and seating at the bar/counter in front. Chalk boards advertising the wines offered by the glass line one of the walls, while a big fake blue marlin catches the eye on the wall behind the bar. It's a little quirky, and very comfortable as a casual dining setting.
We arrived early for a Saturday dinner, and had the place almost to ourselves at first, though it was packed by the time we finished. Our service, incidentally, was sharp and attentive in both cases.
Watching the diners arrive was a bit of entertainment of its own. They were as eclectic but also as "everyday" as the Nordeast itself; with diners ranging from parents with their (older) kids, to well coiffed couples dressed for a night on the town, to older "bridge club" looking collections of friends, to what looked to be a birthday celebration for someone's grandma. In short, people were drawn here for something other than "the scene." What was it that drew them?
The answer was quickly and affirmatively answered as soon as our first course arrived.
The menu is small, but regularly updated as the restaurant subscribes to the "fresh, local, and seasonal" philosophy. However the descriptions of the dishes are rather sparse, leaving you not entirely sure what to expect upon ordering (though our waiter was easily capable of answering any inquiries we made).
I started with a curious offering among the appetizer selections called "tomato bread." What arrived was a generous portion easily large enough to have been called an entree. Two toasted slabs of crusty bread were topped with thin slices of locally produced cheese (something like a mild swiss), and a generous portion of deliciously spiced pulled pork along with some spicy greens and a number of sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes. The flavors were all so fresh and vibrant I was instantly smitten. The bread had a nice crunch to the crust, and served as a terrific platform to let the other ingredients sing. The pork was salty and smoky and spiced with a nice peppery warmth. The greens were fresh and crisp, and the tomatoes surprisingly flavorful (and I am very particular about tomatoes). It was probably the best open faced sandwich I've ever had, and this was just the warm-up course.
My companion was similarly effusive in the praise she offered for the bean soup she started with, going so far as to insist I had to try a bite but greedily slurping it all up before I had the chance. Once again she offered much praise for the freshness of the seasoning, making comfort food into something new and exciting.
For our main courses I ordered the off-menu special of the night - a venison ragout served with gnocchi. My companion decided to go with the very basically described breast of chicken. As much as the starters impressed us, this was the main event that explained to me better than any review ever could why people flock to The Modern.
The venison ragout was a sensation. It had an almost Moroccan sensibility when it came to the seasoning - cumin, coriander, fennel, allspice, and so much more - but all the spices were so fresh and vibrant it somehow screamed "local" all the same. The gnocchi wasn't the usual soft buttery fare one might expect, but rather it was baked into a texture resembling a delicious cross between a pillowy biscuit and a dumpling. This was a spicy, hearty, comforting dish that left me wanting more. It was vibrant summer heading into the crispness of autumn on a plate. Had it not been so filling I might have ordered a second course of the stuff. It was that good.
The chicken breast enjoyed by my dining companion was sensational in its own way (this one I actually got a chance to try before it was devoured). It's in courses like this where a restaurant dedicated to serving the best quality locally sourced seasonal ingredients has a chance to shine. And shine they did. Everything about this basic course was a win. The chicken itself was cooked perfectly; the skin crispy and delicious, the meat tender and juicy. But the flavor told you this bird wasn't plucked from the shelf of your local supermarket. It had that intensely delicious flavor we only faintly remember from the days when chickens came from family farms rather than mass production. It was accompanied by similarly fresh tasting fingerling potatoes and white and green beans in a simple but perfectly executed buttery broth.
For desert we were already so full we were forced to share for fear of exploding. But the coffee panna cotta in chocolate sauce begged to be eaten and we had to oblige. Once again a simple dish perfectly executed. A fitting ending to a glorious meal.
A quick word about the wine - though not advertising itself as a wine bar, the Modern might as well be. This is a very wine-friendly restaurant. The wines by the glass had a definite direction toward different than the norm, yet excellent and food friendly. I started with a delicious citrusy Vino Verde and then enjoyed a spicy Garnacha. The prices for wine by the glass are fairly standard, running about seven dollars per glass on average. But the bottle prices here were incredibly good. This is not the typical "100% above retail price" restaurant markup. And what's more, they sell bottles of wine for half price (!!!) every Tuesday (yes, my calendar is now blocked out every Tuesday for the foreseeable future).
To sum up this review, I've been looking for a favorite restaurant in Nordeast ever since Bobino regrettably closed its doors. I can now say with confidence that I have found it. The Modern Cafe is the kind of restaurant you can visit repeatedly. It's familiar enough to offer comfort, but seasonal and innovative enough not to be boring. It's the kind of place you can take your "scared of haute cuisine" friends, as well as your Iron Chef junkies and all will have a great experience. When compared to the heights of fine dining, The Modern may not be the very best restaurant in town. But it might be the best neighborhood restaurant you'll ever find.
The Modern Cafe isn't exactly a hole in the wall, though it seems to draw its inspiration from such places. The decor recalls any American diner you might remember, in the cozy rather than seedy sense. When you walk in a sign beckons you to sit where you like and like where you sit. Plenty of intimate booths decorate the back wall, as well as a host of tables and seating at the bar/counter in front. Chalk boards advertising the wines offered by the glass line one of the walls, while a big fake blue marlin catches the eye on the wall behind the bar. It's a little quirky, and very comfortable as a casual dining setting.
We arrived early for a Saturday dinner, and had the place almost to ourselves at first, though it was packed by the time we finished. Our service, incidentally, was sharp and attentive in both cases.
Watching the diners arrive was a bit of entertainment of its own. They were as eclectic but also as "everyday" as the Nordeast itself; with diners ranging from parents with their (older) kids, to well coiffed couples dressed for a night on the town, to older "bridge club" looking collections of friends, to what looked to be a birthday celebration for someone's grandma. In short, people were drawn here for something other than "the scene." What was it that drew them?
The answer was quickly and affirmatively answered as soon as our first course arrived.
The menu is small, but regularly updated as the restaurant subscribes to the "fresh, local, and seasonal" philosophy. However the descriptions of the dishes are rather sparse, leaving you not entirely sure what to expect upon ordering (though our waiter was easily capable of answering any inquiries we made).
I started with a curious offering among the appetizer selections called "tomato bread." What arrived was a generous portion easily large enough to have been called an entree. Two toasted slabs of crusty bread were topped with thin slices of locally produced cheese (something like a mild swiss), and a generous portion of deliciously spiced pulled pork along with some spicy greens and a number of sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes. The flavors were all so fresh and vibrant I was instantly smitten. The bread had a nice crunch to the crust, and served as a terrific platform to let the other ingredients sing. The pork was salty and smoky and spiced with a nice peppery warmth. The greens were fresh and crisp, and the tomatoes surprisingly flavorful (and I am very particular about tomatoes). It was probably the best open faced sandwich I've ever had, and this was just the warm-up course.
My companion was similarly effusive in the praise she offered for the bean soup she started with, going so far as to insist I had to try a bite but greedily slurping it all up before I had the chance. Once again she offered much praise for the freshness of the seasoning, making comfort food into something new and exciting.
For our main courses I ordered the off-menu special of the night - a venison ragout served with gnocchi. My companion decided to go with the very basically described breast of chicken. As much as the starters impressed us, this was the main event that explained to me better than any review ever could why people flock to The Modern.
The venison ragout was a sensation. It had an almost Moroccan sensibility when it came to the seasoning - cumin, coriander, fennel, allspice, and so much more - but all the spices were so fresh and vibrant it somehow screamed "local" all the same. The gnocchi wasn't the usual soft buttery fare one might expect, but rather it was baked into a texture resembling a delicious cross between a pillowy biscuit and a dumpling. This was a spicy, hearty, comforting dish that left me wanting more. It was vibrant summer heading into the crispness of autumn on a plate. Had it not been so filling I might have ordered a second course of the stuff. It was that good.
The chicken breast enjoyed by my dining companion was sensational in its own way (this one I actually got a chance to try before it was devoured). It's in courses like this where a restaurant dedicated to serving the best quality locally sourced seasonal ingredients has a chance to shine. And shine they did. Everything about this basic course was a win. The chicken itself was cooked perfectly; the skin crispy and delicious, the meat tender and juicy. But the flavor told you this bird wasn't plucked from the shelf of your local supermarket. It had that intensely delicious flavor we only faintly remember from the days when chickens came from family farms rather than mass production. It was accompanied by similarly fresh tasting fingerling potatoes and white and green beans in a simple but perfectly executed buttery broth.
For desert we were already so full we were forced to share for fear of exploding. But the coffee panna cotta in chocolate sauce begged to be eaten and we had to oblige. Once again a simple dish perfectly executed. A fitting ending to a glorious meal.
A quick word about the wine - though not advertising itself as a wine bar, the Modern might as well be. This is a very wine-friendly restaurant. The wines by the glass had a definite direction toward different than the norm, yet excellent and food friendly. I started with a delicious citrusy Vino Verde and then enjoyed a spicy Garnacha. The prices for wine by the glass are fairly standard, running about seven dollars per glass on average. But the bottle prices here were incredibly good. This is not the typical "100% above retail price" restaurant markup. And what's more, they sell bottles of wine for half price (!!!) every Tuesday (yes, my calendar is now blocked out every Tuesday for the foreseeable future).
To sum up this review, I've been looking for a favorite restaurant in Nordeast ever since Bobino regrettably closed its doors. I can now say with confidence that I have found it. The Modern Cafe is the kind of restaurant you can visit repeatedly. It's familiar enough to offer comfort, but seasonal and innovative enough not to be boring. It's the kind of place you can take your "scared of haute cuisine" friends, as well as your Iron Chef junkies and all will have a great experience. When compared to the heights of fine dining, The Modern may not be the very best restaurant in town. But it might be the best neighborhood restaurant you'll ever find.
Posted by Doug Williams on
Sunday August 24, 2008 at 3:14pm
