Places I Need To Visit More Often: Restaurant Max at Hotel Minneapolis

Last night, El Jefe and I attended one of the always fabulous Sample Circuit events put on by my friend Tara Rea at restaurant Max at Hotel Minneapolis. I'd been there once for dinner and was quite impressed with the food - and I love the decor, the whimsical red leaf lamps remind me of the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disneyland. And, they have a phenomenal cocktail list and its within walking distance from our loft, so when I can drink again we will be making it one of our hangouts. Hotel Minneapolis opened around the same time as the Westin, only a few blocks away, and while BANK seemed to get more press, restaurant Max is by far the superior hotel restaurant. Hotel Minneapolis is about 100,000 times cooler than the sterile Westin. We went to BANK on a recommendation from some friends who liked it but must be insane and will never go back..the food and service were no bueno.

Sample Circuit is perfect for a prego porker like me who can only have a few sips of vino (its a sampling event, so you can sample several wines and refill as much as you'd like, but they only give small pours at a time) and lots of delicious food and desserts. The spread they put out was pretty phenomenal - the menu included:

Fried Oyster, Celery Root, Horseradish, Crème Friache
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Champagne Potato Soup with Truffle Emulsion
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Braised Pork Belly, Apple Fennel Slaw, Cider Gastrique
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 Deviled Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Fine Herbs,
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 Beef Tartar, Green Chili, Moroccan Spices, Fingerling Potato Chip
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Assorted Flat Breads
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Herb Roasted Sea Bass with Potato Confit Broccoli Raab Oyster Mushrooms
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Parisian Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pine Nuts, Fried Sage
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Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Sun Dried Tomato Coulis, with Cherve Potato
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Harissa Marinated Pork Shoulder with Barley Risotto Citrus Butter
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Braised Lamb Short ribs, Eggplant Confit, Mint Pesto
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Assorted Dessert Shooters

Check out the next Sample Circuit event at Om on April 1st. I haven't been there yet but am eager to try it since I love Indian food - and have heard good things about Om.