Tonight is a night of firsts for me. I had been anticipating my first visit to restaurant Max for a few weeks now. Awarded "Best New Restaurant 2009" by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, restaurant Max has been on my list of places to eat for a little while now. Their website touts a "commitment to you thru fresh, innovative foods, beverages, and service...". Well I I'm ready to put that to the test.
I was introduced to the Sample Circuit back in November when I attended the Affair at the Convention Center. Sample Circuit events were described to me as, "an experience with a private tasting menu from some of the fanciest places in town." Yeah, this is just up my alley!
Walking in it was a little like a first date. If you've never been, restaurant Max was once a bank. And not just any bank, but a large classic bank. Think: the heist scene from the movie “Heat.” Beautiful granite columns and granite walls. All of this very classic styling with a slightly modern art deco feel.
The first character that we met in the evening was one of my favorites. Enter Kevin from MVP Wines. Kevin was like our personal sommelier. More than once during the evening, I heard him referred to as a mad scientist of wine. Kevin personally selected wine parings for many of the dishes that we would sample throughout the evening. We started out with a rosé but Kevin had us taste "his rosé", then a light red, and then the rosé again. He was trying to show us the unique flavors of this rosé that are highlighted after our taste buds are woken up a little. This little experiment didn't disappoint and Kevin – not the only time in the evening – was strangely accurate in his description and our reactions. I wonder if he does parties...
My fabulous date for the evening and I found a little booth to share with some new friends, they were just like us, new to the Sample Circuit and excited about the experience. That's only where the conversation began. One of our table mates was an avid Harley enthusiast and the other raises huskies for sled dog racing. Seriously, of all the gin joints in all the world.
Our first tasting of the evening was Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Fine Herbs. There was a perfect mix of texture and flavor, something about the yolk of the egg and the salt of the salmon was delish. It was a little like breakfast but with win so it was better. Next along our journey was the Champagne Potato Soup with Truffle Emulsion. I like food, don't get me wrong. But I wanted to swim in this stuff…it was amazing! You are a fool if you don't go out right now, try this, and buy a second bowl to take home and have for a midnight snack. Seriously.
Our second visit to Kevin began with chewing on a sprig of rosemary. Seriously, where does this come from?!But that followed by the nice glass of Domaine Henri Milan "Le Grand Blanc", yup, the scientist did it again. It was a strange combo but it just worked, he found a way to bring out the flavor even if it meant gnawing on garnish.
I made a few more friends throughout the evening – a software developer and a professional photographer both friendly, interesting and full of good conversation. I overheard a few others who referred to the poor Gnocchi as ganache (as in chocolate ganache) and ganocchi (the addition of an "a", pronounced "ga-nocchi"). OK, I get that not everyone is an expert, but this definitely made me feel a little more comfortable with this new crowd.
A little bit later in the evening, I was introduced to a very nice man named Nick. I've known a few Nick's in my time, all of them stand up guys. This Nick was no exception. But with a small twist this Nick - Nick O'Leary - is also the Executive Chef of restaurant Max. Nick was very humble, maybe even a little shy at first. But after a few minutes (and a nice glass of white), what he was not shy about is showing us around the place a little, starting with a tour of his kitchen. I've seen quite a few hotels and quite a few meetings rooms in my career, and more scary kitchens then I'd like to mention. Nick's kitchen is one I'm glad to talk about. It was impeccably clean, right down to the four walk-in’s and decked-out employee break room. There is something comforting about that to me.
After strolling through a few unmarked hallways and out an unmarked door we ended up back on the main floor and we headed into the...err…bank-vault-turned-wine-cellar. Again, the character of the old building stood out here. Nick told us that several brides and grooms have shared their first meals as married couples in that very room. The dark stained wood with wine bottles stacked all over. The original pass through vault window heavy metal swinging bank vault door all where they should be. So cool! This is also where I learned that Nick and I are both fans of some of the same dive bars and the Champagne Potato Soup mentioned above is his personal creation.
One thing I noticed throughout the evening, every time I was ready for my next little nibble, there was someone with a smile and a plate full of something new. The wait staff was ideal. Each was able to describe their sampling platters with great detail. And remembering that you are serving a “Fried Oyster with Celery Root, Horseradish, and Creme Friache” I can see where someone might slip up. Kelly the GM of restaurant Max stopped over just to see how our evening was going. We had nothing but praise for her and her team.
The more that I chatted with all my new friends the more I realized that how much fun I was really having. At the end of the day were all here for the same reason, we all wanted a little good food and a something nice to drink. I think that I can speak for everyone in attendance got more than expected.
Speaking of food I would be cheating everyone if I didn't mention my favorite of the evening. The Harissa Marinated Pork Shoulder with Barely Risotto made with Citrus Butter. The Pork fell apart with the touch of the my fork and the Harissa (a type of chili sauce) added a hint of smokiness and a tiny bit of heat. And there was more to follow that, including dessert.
Its hard to put a price on our evening. My date and I started discussing how unique the evening was. Where else can you go and experience a dozen amazing dishes, each with a wine that has been careful paired, and have the opportunity to share and discuss the of flavors with a few people you know and a few more that you don't. It was simply an perfect evening. I, for one, will be back to both the Sample Circuit and to restaurant Max!
Jack Fischer is a self proclaimed life blogger, a real life geek, and an all round 'nice guy'. He's a businessman and a photographer by trade. In his spare time he loves to tell stories. Visit his blog: finickyfish.blogspot.comRelated Links:
restaurant Max 215 Fourth Street Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 340-0303
http://www.therestaurantmax.com/ | twitter: restaurantMax | facebook: restaurantMax
http://samplecircuit.com/ | blog: samplecircuit
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