Cafe Lurcat & Liquor Lyles

We went out with Chuck for his going away party on Saturday night.

Dinner was at:

Cafe Lurcat
1624 Harmon Place

Minneapolis, MN 55403

Pretty spangly. Gorgeous chandeliers, crisp & clean linens all around, and attentive and gushy service. You'd expect to pay quite a bit for all this primp. And... yes indeed we did. Ian and I are good at splitting things to try more and spend less, and we went for the appetizer sampler (good shrimp!) and got a single, tiny morsel of each item featured. Several colleagues ordered the prix fixe dinner, which looked hearty enough. I understand fully that gourmet means smaller portions and I accept that and savor each bite that much more. But this was a bit too much, and we felt ripped off. I had wine with dinner, and it was marvelous. I had a Bordeaux Blanc, and I'm in love. New summer wine!

Experience Ratings:

Ambiance/Space: 9

Parking - difficult. Valet was $7 and might have been worth it.

Decor - top notch. Classy, tasteful, beautiful.

Space - also beautiful - right on Loring Park and windows that do the location justice. The sparkling lights of the park really made for a dazzling metro experience.

Bathrooms: 7

They were clean and beautiful, of course. I can't really remember anything significant though, so they get a generic/good rating.

Food/Drink: 5

Delicious, but tiny. Too tiny. itty bitty. The wine was good too, but once again, tiny.

Service: 6

Attentive, not terribly snotty. We were a big group and were kind of hodge-podge on our ordering. I know it's tricky to split bills at a big table, but someone always forgets tax or something (10% in downtown mpls??) and someone covers for their friends. That's always annoying.

Overall: 6

I'll never go back for dinner. Drinks maybe, and I'll order a specialty cocktail or martini.

Liquor Lyle's

2021 Hennepin Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55405

What a hoot! Was very busy, and we just missed their drink specials (2for1s). But they poured a stiff singular drink the rest of the night and we had a good time. It was even a bit nostalgic, and reminded me of several places that I hung around throughout college!

Experience Ratings:
Ambiance/Space: 7
Parking - uptown residential. Walked a bit. No problem there.

Decor - Um... I recall a lot of red. I like red!
Space - no windows? I have some problem with that on some deeper level.

Bathrooms: 5
Bar bathroom. I should cut this criteria when it is unremarkable.
Food/Drink: 7
I drank Gin Gimlets and Gin & Tonics. Yum Yum!

Service: 9

Big, fun, round, social bar with no-nonsense, quick, accurate service.

Overall: 8
I'll certainly be back. I hear their food is good too.