La Belle Vie, Minneapolis

When I was in Minneapolis recently, I had two excellent dinners. The one we ate here was the more elegant of the two--but the truth be told, this is also the place that I would be less likely to return to. The food was phenomenal--we had the smaller of the two tasting menus, which meant 5 courses instead of eight (one less entree, no palate cleanser, and no cheese plate). The thing about this meal was that the portions were very small, so you could do 8 courses without too much difficulty, but we left full at the end of our meal. Here is what we had:
The meal opens with an amuse bouche or two, which were delcious, as well as bread 9which is okay--not up to the quality of the other food)

#1 Sautéed Soft-Shelled Crab with Roasted Garlic Emulsion, Charmoula and Radish
I took a pass on this and was served the Sautéed Rabbit Loin with Boudin Blanc and Porcini-Taleggio Tortelli--which was delicious.  The pasta was one of the best things I ate all night.

#2 Oven-Steamed Yukon Salmon with Heirloom Tomato, Horseradish and Dill Pan-Roasted
The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the horseradish foam was the best foam I have had--flavorful and nicely highlighting the flavor of the salmon

#3  Poussin with Sweet Corn, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Pancetta
This was the weakest link in the meal--the corn flavor wasn't strong enough to overcome the pancetta flavor, and kind of got lost.

#4  Grilled Dry Aged Beef Ribeye with Ratatouille, Black Olive and Basil
I really enjoyed this coure, even though there were no options on doneness of the meat, and I am not a huge fan of beef (someone who loves rare beef would undoubtedly been happier still)

Blueberry Crémeux with Lemon Verbena-Apricot Ice Cream and Sesame Cake
This was the biggest surprise--really loved the blueberry crémeux, which had a vibrant berry flavor and a wonderful texture.  The lemon verbena ice cream did not have an overpowering flavor, which was a good thing, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

I noticed on my way out the door that you could also eat in the bar, which has a slightly less elegant atmosphere and is rumored to be priced less as a result.  It was really lovely, and would make for a romantic alternative.  Minneapolis has it going on, no doubt about it.