Bogus Gold

Well this is the kind of thing that makes me shout spontaneous expletives!!

Restaurants come and restaurants go. Except, it seemed, D'Amico Cucina, which managed to maintain its lofty position at the summit of the Twin Cities' food chain for more than 20 years. No more. The luxury downtown Minneapolis restaurant, which regulars have long shorthanded to "Cucina," will serve its last dinner on June 27.

I am not shy in admitting I am ignoring the business angles here, since I can only assume this closing "makes sense" from there. I don't dispute that. I don't challenge that. I just hate the result.

Why? Because D'Amico Cucina can never be just a "business" to me. It will always be an experience ... an artistic assertion of the culinary order. You didn't go to D'Amico Cucina to be merely fed. You went to experience the culinary arts elevated to something... higher. Thankfully, in the Twin Cities, you can do that a lot of places now. But you know what? A lot of that is due to D'Amico Cucina...

...the restaurant's most enduring legacy might be its longtime role as an incubator of culinary talent. Its alumni have gone on to create the next generation of influential Twin Cities restaurants, including Tim McKee and Josh Thoma of La Belle Vie, Isaac Becker of 112 Eatery, Jim Grell of the Modern Cafe and a host of others.

As a pop culture metaphor, that's a legacy in Twin Cities dining not unlike saying the Beatles spun off the Stones, the Who, and Led Zep... I mean really.

You cannot even seriously TALK about food in the Twin Cities these days without reference to Tim McKee. La Belle Vie is far and away the best fine dining spot in town, which is where Josh Thoma adds to the McKee impact. And that doesn't even get into the handful of other top spots in town with McKee's name involved (Barrio, the new Cue, Smalley's Carribean Barbecue). Becker's 112 Eatery is pure gold and everyone knows it, even if it defies an easy niche. Grell's Modern Cafe is one of my personal favorite restaurants, and I eat there so often it's not even considered a special occasion. It's not a stretch to note that none of these would exist without D'Amico Cucina having been there developing its top talent in top of the line fashion.

What's more frustrating, food wise this was NOT a restaurant in decline!!

I personally LOVE what Chef John Occhiato has brought to the place. I've said before and I'll say once more, he's the best talent in that kitchen since Tim McKee. And I've tasted offerings from all the chefs since McKee.

Anyway I'm booking my final reservation for a restaurant that will undoubtedly be one of my all time favorites. I hope others do the same to give it a proper send off.