Second Helping

As written in the Mpls. St.Paul Magazine

The Marquette Hotel has remade Basil’s, its atrium aerie, with a real plan for turning this ordinary and glum eatery into a relevant and resonant dining spot.

The new chef, Mark Stankey, has injected a lot of excitement into the menu. His duck confit and foir gras terrine shows he has some range and real skill. His sandwiches are well made, his pizzas are very good (try the chéver, pickled onion, shiitake version), and it’s hard to choose among his lunch salads. Miso-glazed salmon, braised pork shoulder, seaweed-wrapped seared tuna, and phyllo-fried oysters are all nineties food icons, and the penchant for Asian flavors seems heavy handed, but all these dishes were cooked with great care and spot on seasoning.

Service is crisp and capable. The wine list is not risky, but the right wines are available, and unlike many local restaurants that offer lesser vintages from reliable vintners, here the vintage selection is intelligent.

Up market hotels are opening almost every couple of months in the next two years, and they are increasingly competitive on style points. Where dining is concerned, they are using chic restaurants as a way to attract new patrons. The Marquette is no different and has finally succeeded.

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