Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416
(612) 920-5000
www.myurbaneatery.com
Neighborhood: Uptown
Cuisine: American
Cost: $$ = $25 and less – Moderately priced (average entree $12-$19)
Three Forks = A Value. Merits a drive if you’re looking for this type of food
Hours:
Monday – Wednesday – 4PM – 11PM
Thursday – Saturday – 11AM – 1AM
Sunday -11AM – 11PM
HAPPY HOUR:
Sunday – Wednesday 4-6:30pm & 9:30-Close
Thursday- Saturday 4-6:30pm & 10:30-Close
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Handicap accessible: Not sure.
Parking: They validate parking at the beach club ramp located on Thomas Ave. for a reduced rate of $2 & FREE valet every night @ 5 pm
Vegetarian options: Yes
Kid friendly: I wouldn’t
Liquor served: Yes
Wine List: “OK” The offerings were limited, but we managed to find a good one .
Outdoor seating: Yes, in season.
Reservations: accepted & online
Splitting fee: none. They did a great job of providing us with plates for easy sharing.
Unique: Groupons with great deals!
Urban Eatery is located at the street level of Calhoun Beach Club. They offer fresh and locally sourced menu items.
Urban Eatery claims to offer a warm & comfortable dining experience overlooking the beautiful Lake Calhoun. We liked it, but it was really loud and more of a bar atmosphere than a place for a cozy meal. We were seated in a booth within the bar area, but the whole place seemed loud. The menu is approachable with ingredients that are ” Fresh & Local”. We really liked the food and agree that they have taken traditional favorites & added a twist, like Smoked Duck Nachos, and Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad. I hear that the Lamb Burgers are great, but did see a huge mix of reviews before trying the place.
Once seated we were greeted by Manuel. “Manny” was very friendly and wasn’t turned off by the Groupon. In fact, he suggested it was perfect for our first visit there. He was prompt and very informative about the menu, while offering recommendations and suggestions on the food. Overall we thought that the food tasted fantastic.
Dishes are presented in elegant fashion, but the chefs don’t sacrifice appetite for style. It is comfort food after all, and meals are still served in hearty portions.
We took advantage of a Groupon, which was $59 for an Urban Feast for Two:
Our reserve selection invited us to an urban feast for two and we had our choice of either Sunday–Thursday or Friday–Saturday. We chose week days and the meal included our choice of the following items:
- Appetizer
- Side dish
- Two salads
- Two entrees
- Dessert
- Two regular or decaf coffees
- Complimentary valet service
We started off with:
Smoked Duck Nachos – black beans, pepper jack cheese, salsa, guacamole. ($11)
These just sounded so unusual that we had to try them. Though my photo in the dark didn’t do them justice, they were colorful and the flavors were outstanding. The chips were thin and crispy; they were topped with just the right amount of melted cheese and pulled smoked duck meat. The black beans were not too wet and were portioned just right as to not make the chips mushy. They were topped with fresh lettuce, cilantro and tomatoes. It was served with a fair sized dish of guacamole and Bill doesn’t eat that anyway!
Roasted Pear & Spinach – red wine poached pear, Gorgonzola, candied walnuts, fig balsamic dressing ($8)
This was a pretty good tasting salad. The cheese was mild enough, but flavorful and there were plenty of candied nuts. The fig balsamic dressing was tasty!
We also chose the Roasted Beet & Cherries salad – dried cherries, arugula, dark chocolate vinaigrette, pistachio encrusted goat cheese, toasted walnuts. ($8)
We both love arugula and were intrigued by the “chocolate”. It was really more of a balsamic tasting vinaigrette, but delicious none the less. We each enjoy the earthiness of the beets and thought the portions were reasonable and plenty for sharing. The image is half of each salad shared.
Entree:
Seared Duck Breast – sweet potato hash cakes, Pinot Noir pan sauce ($17)
You don’t see duck breast on the menu to often around here. It was cooked perfectly with brown and crispy skin. If you are unfamiliar with duck breasts, don’t be put off by their unusual look. The fat-to-meat proportions reverse themselves when cooked, as much of the fat is rendered and the meat expands. (properly cooked duck should resemble medium-rare steak).
The sweet potato hash cake was flavorful, but had an unusual texture. The reduction was flavorful and delicious.
Smoked Pork Chop – cider glaze, apple chutney, Parmesan risotto, reduced balsamic ($18)
This dish was very flavorful and delicious! Bill loves pork chops and I am a huge fan of “smoky” flavors. There was just enough apple chutney and a generous portion of risotto; though it was a bit on the sticky side. I would have preferred a little more reduction, but it was very good overall.
We chose the Asperagas with Parmesan ($5) as our side
These were cooked al dente, which is what we like and seasoned with the right amount of olive oil, salt and pepper.
We both had plenty after sharing our meals. We hadn’t finished the nacho’s because we knew it was going to be way too much food.
Dessert:
Chocolate bread pudding ($?)
This item wasn’t listed on the menu, rather recited by our server. I had not heard of a chocolate bread pudding, but took his word on it being great and went for it. It was a perfect balance of moisture and crispy edges. It was topped with a rich chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream and toasted walnuts. it was sprinkled with powdered sugar giving it the right amount of sweetness. I’m not a big fan of garnishes you can’t eat, so they could have saved the mint, but overall it was really good finish to the meal.
Though we were both full, we managed to eat the entire desert along with our iced coffee. We appreciated the fact that our server went out of make us a great tasting iced coffee, which isn’t offered on the menu!
Considering that our meal would have been $67 before desert and after dinner coffee, the groupon wasn’t a huge value, but it got us to try more menu items. We would definitely come back and try some of the other menu items.
We enjoyed a 2009 Stags Leap Petite Syrah at a price of around $79
Bon appetit!
~Chris
