Vegetarian dining No. 2: Fine dining
August 9, 2007
Photo by Steve Rice
La Belle Vie offers a sweet pea tortelli with tarragon and summer truffle as one of its veggie choices.
Photo by Steve Rice
Chanterelle mushrooms with sweet corn and potato at La Belle Vie.
Vegetarian dining: On the go | Fine dining | For groups
Maitre d's, table china, amuses- bouche and servers who fold your napkin over your chair when you go to the restroom -- not things we necessarily associate with vegetarian food. But why not? The highest-lauded fine dining kitchens in town are home to the most creative chefs, so shouldn't the best vegetarian cuisine in town be served at the best restaurants? Lucky for us, it is.
- Fugaise
Fugaise is all but completely hidden, tucked behind the storefronts of East Hennepin, yet it reigns over the rest when it comes to meat-free fine dining. You won't find vegetarian dishes on the menu per se, but look closer and you'll see that each meat and seafood option is served with an array of veggie-friendly accompaniments, such as spiced lentils, oyster mushroom cannelloni and roasted polenta. Chef/owner Don Saunders is happy to arrange a selection of these delectable sides for his vegetarian devotees anytime. Catch Fugaise on a slow night and you may get an entirely new creation, like pan-seared gnocchi in herbs de provence sauce with diced parsnips, baby onions, tomatoes and white figs. Call at least a day in advance and Saunders will roll out a multi-course vegetarian tour of the menu. - Cosmos
Chef Seth Bixby-Daugherty has been absent from the kitchen at Cosmos since December, but his signature vegetarian entree lives on. A light corn truffle, tender swiss chard, tangy tomatoes and meaty olives round out a mellow celery root tart, which is hearty enough for the winter months but crave-worthy any time of the year. Cosmos also has three meat-free first-course options, but you won't go wrong with the baby artichoke and arugula salad. It's one of the most flavorful salads in the Twin Cities, with lightly dressed greens perched atop a savory purée of almonds and roasted garlic. You'll be fighting off your carnivorous tablemates trying to steal bites. - La Belle Vie
Providing a posh dining experience for a little less scratch, the lounge at La Belle Vie is the spot for gourmet vegetarian snacking. Chef Tim McKee's chilled baby vegetables are served with a hot truffle fondue so delicious you'll be looking around the elegant yet cozy room for more things to dip into it. That is, until your French fries arrive, escorted by a curry Béarnaise sauce that deserves its own surgeon general's warning: THIS PRODUCT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE SEVERE ADDICTION.
Vegetarian dining: On the go | Fine dining | For groups
