Travail Kitchen & Amusements

Rating:

There are few human traits as infectious as enthusiasm.

"Oh, man, I wish you'd been here a month ago," said staffer Geoff Hausmann when he spied me walking in the door at Travail Kitchen & Amusements. "We were pulling chanterelles out of Theodore Wirth Park, and you would have loved it."

I sure would have. That's some salutation, right? Conjuring up a mental image of a bunch of energetic chefs gleefully foraging for delicacies through Minneapolis' largest park is just one tiny example of the we-love-what-we-do attitude that permeates nearly every aspect of this remarkable, spirited enterprise.

Mike Brown and James Winberg, the restaurant's hardworking co-owners, have known each other less than two years, and yet they work together as if they're lifelong pals; at least their adventurous cooking tastes that way.

Now as their own bosses, the collaborative aura that blossomed during their brief but shining tenure at the nearby Victory 44 has been kicked up several notches. All staffers in this downtown Robbinsdale hot spot both cook and serve, and everyone on the payroll contributes to developing the constantly changing menu. Let's just say that I wish my work environment were so creatively charged, because dining here is a blast.

Read Full Review »