I haven't lived in Minneapolis for thirteen years and I hadn't even been back for a real visit since 2003, but in that time a ton of new restaurants have sprung up. Some, like Marcus Samuelsson's Aquavit, sadly went the way of the spit-roasted dodo bird before I got a taste. Others, like Jean-Georges' newest, are yet to arrive and also yet to be christened. Luckily, in between the closings and the openings, I still have a host of new restaurants to sample every time I'm back in town.
One of the newest is Tryg's on Lake Street -- a scant few blocks from the house I grew up in. Minneapolosians will remember Nora's on Lake Street, a supper club that was popular with the senior crowd. AARP aside, it was cozy and sweet and some residents still miss it very much. Then, along comes Tryg, Nora's son. Somewhere in there, Nora's closed, was torn down, and Tryg's rose from the ashes. Now, everyone's talking about this new place with the designer martinis and better-than-beer-nuts Brussels sprouts. A walk inside the glass, stone, and steel edifice reveals an airy space with a vaulted ceiling and a huge wood-burning fireplace. It's big and beautiful and it smells like a campfire. But in a good way.
On my first night home my parents seemed to be having some plumbing issues, so my little sister and I decided to go to a place where toilets could flush. We agreed on Tryg's for drinks. Looking over the menu, I was immediately entranced by the S'Mores martini, described as being made with "house-infused toasted marshmallow vodka." Who could refuse? The golden drink came with a graham cracker rim and snow white mini marshmallows bobbing gently on top. A few sips later revealed that they might need to work on this one. All I could really taste was the Frangelico -- I didn't sense anything in the way of a toasted marshmallow flavor. Additionally, the slightly salty graham crackers seemed to exacerbate another very strong taste of vodka in the cocktail. I love the idea of a S'Mores martini, it's just that the execution needs some more refining.
The next night two of my high school friends and I tried out Tryg's for food. It's the wrong season for Brussels sprouts, so we decided to share the cod and octopus ceviche and, because I have to test it everywhere I go, the calamari.