Porter & Frye
If you need a reason to be grateful to the Republican Party, try this: We got a good restaurant out of them. In anticipation of the GOP convention here last summer, new boutique hotels arose to host them, with signature restaurants part of the package. (Fat cats have to eat too.) Porter & Frye is the destination-dining venue in the new Hotel Ivy, sculpted from an historically preserved downtown Minneapolis structure.
The name: Sorry, there’s no urban lore behind the fictitious partners called out on the marquee—chosen, one presumes, by a focus group of stodgy British pubsters.
The look: It's down-to-business, with nary an errant sprig of ivy. Dark wood floors, white industrial ceiling, and in between, squadrons of unadorned windows flanked with banquettes rimming a sea of dark tables.
In the kitchen: P&F’s new chef, Joan Ida, comes with a long list of pedigreed credentials on her résumé, including heading the kitchen of elite Goodfellow’s. Manager (and husband) Scott Ida has steered many of the city’s posh dining enclaves, such as Aquavit. Local foodies will recognize him from somewhere.
Eat this: The menu focuses on fish, fowl, and meat with pan-global accents, like homey Minnesota pork shank coutured in tamarind, plums, and shrimp-laced polenta, or Hawaiian opah with lobster, peas, and mango. Vegetarians rate gnocchi with pan-Mediterranean accents, such as Moroccan preserved lemons and a Spanish Romesco sauce. Portion sizes are more, um, dainty than in many a Minnesota dining room. For dessert, Joan Ida’s seven-layer dark chocolate tart, no bigger than a Twinkie but far tastier, is served with an addictive scoop of salted caramel ice cream. And no, it’s not designed for sharing, unless you’re seated with a masochist.
Drink this: The wine list, labeled “Modern + Midwestern,” actually has nothing from the Midwest about it, unless it’s our attraction to value. Three-ounce pours range from $5 to $10; bottles $30-$60.
Mom, date, or pal? P&F is swell for unobserved tête-à-têtes, or foursomes, before an event at nearby Orchestra Hall or to impress a new boss/hire. On weekends, the below-street level also seats guests; here, the sole romantic spot, the notorious Red Booth under the chandelier, is the one to covet. Call ahead and plead.
The bill: Salads range from $6 to $9; other appetizers are $9 up. Pasta entrées are $11 to $18, and heartier fare from $20 to $32.
Insider’s tip: The restaurant also caters the lovely afternoon tea served in the hotel’s lobby, proffering both sweets and savories along with a wide choice of brews.
Vital stats: 1115 Second Ave. S, Minneapolis, 612-353-3500, porterandfrye.com.
