The conversations happen more frequently now, whether it’s a special occasion or something as simple as a Sunday morning where neither my wife nor I feel like yanking out the skillet. Let’s go out…but where do we go?
Even after we settle on a place, we spend a lot more time than we should lamenting how many of our favorite restaurants, going back 20 years, no longer exist.
To be clear: We’re not fancy eaters. If the chef prepares some foamy entree with tweezers, it’s probably not our kind of place. If there’s a “beverage program,” or an average glass of wine goes for $14, it’s not for us either. But if it’s a hearty meal for a fair price, we’re in. Even better if it’s half-price wine night.
Recently, we found ourselves wanting something better than a burger (tons of good choices there) but not as pricey as Mancini’s, one of our favorites. Good luck finding in-betweens that aren’t chains. (Good luck finding in-betweens that are chains.) Even before the pandemic, we started losing some of those mid-range places that would be automatic calls—dinner for two, with two glasses of wine and tip, for $75 or so.
We can’t be the only ones who feel this way. So we put together a list of our gone-but-never-forgotten favorites. Spoiler alert: It’s heavy on Italian (as one would expect from an Italian-American from the nebulous “Back East”) and Minneapolis (we’re South Siders). Your list may vary; feel free to add yours in the comments.
Anyway, here we go…
Curran’s
Address: 4201 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
Closed: 2020
The green and white sign out front read, “An eating tradition since 1948,” and boy, was that on the mark. This South Side classic started as a postwar drive-in, later becoming a sit-down restaurant known for its scrumptious breakfasts and affordable prices.
Sunday mornings found the place packed with the after-church crowd, often jammed in the tiny vestibule in front of the pie case, waiting for our names to be called. (Ummm, pie!) Daily specials ranged from stuffed peppers to prime rib.
The pandemic, plus owner Dennis Curran’s decision to retire, meant the end of Curran’s, which was leveled and replaced by a five-story apartment building. We’re not the only ones who remember it fondly; this Reddit thread asks for Curran’s alternatives. Problem is, in our part of town, there really isn’t one.
Al Vento
Address: 5001 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis
Closed: 2019
You may remember Al Vento for its classic pasta dishes, the $20 Tuesday Date Night (those were the days) and the heavy velvet curtain at the entrance that kept out winter’s chill.
But my wife remembers it for one special thing: The chocolate fountain at its sumptuous Sunday brunch. The simply appointed dining room and low lighting gave it a warm, romantic feel, more like Europe than Minneapolis. Its menu straddled traditional and upscale Italian fare without being overpriced or pretentious. And we always started off with a stuffed-mushroom appetizer we’ve never found anywhere else in the Twin Cities.
We were as shocked as anyone when Al Vento abruptly closed with no notice after a 15-year run. We’ve since found another mid-range Italian place we like: Andiamo, in St. Paul and Eagan. But we still miss the vibe of Al Vento.
Pancho Villa
Address: 2539 Nicollet Ave S., Minneapolis
Closed: 2021
Eat Street. All day two-for-one margaritas Monday through Friday. Heaping plates of traditional favorites, loud birthday parties in the back, and telenovelas and soccer on the TVs. What’s not to like?
This was our favorite Mexican place for almost two decades, until the owners decided to sell and open the more upscale Iconos Gastro Cantina on Lyndale Avenue in Uptown. There’s another Pancho Villa in Monticello, about a 45-minute drive, with the same menu and happy hour, but we’ve never made the trek.
Luckily, we live in a town with a thriving Mexican community and lots of choices for authentic fare, some as close as the nearest food truck. But there always seemed to be a party going on at Pancho Villa, and that’s hard to replicate.
Parma 8200
Address: 5600 W 83rd St., Ste. 100, Bloomington
Closed: 2017
This upscale D’Amico and Partners operation was notoriously hard to find (in the Normandale Lakes Office Park), and making your way from the parking ramp to Highway 100 would challenge Lewis and Clark. But the food and the atmosphere? Fabulous. We never felt out of place, even if the people at the next table were dressed to the nines. (We were usually sevens.)
We loved the Sunday date night menu, and Saturday jazz with the Benny Weinbeck Trio. For years this was our special occasion place, with portions big enough to take away for a second dinner. Arancini (little Italian rice balls stuffed with mozzarella) were our automatic starter, and I loved the cavatelli with pork rib ragu. One regret: We never took advantage of the outdoor patio and firepit.
Cave Vin
Address: 5555 Xerxes Ave. S., Minneapolis
Closed: 2023
Another special-occasion choice known for its French cuisine and magnificent arctic char, a fatty fish that didn’t taste fishy (my wife’s No. 1 requirement). Owner Ken Wills, a Michigan State grad, proudly flew Spartan colors in the bar and knew how to take care of his customers.
One night we walked in without calling ahead, only to discover business was slow and they were closing early. The manager was so apologetic he grabbed a cocktail napkin and wrote us an IOU for a free bottle of wine, which Wills honored when we came back a few weeks later. Who else does that?
Erté
Address: 323 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis,
Closed: 2022
The massive dining room and funky Peacock Lounge made this Nordeast supper-clubby outpost a prime destination to take out-of-town guests. We loved the steaks and the hash browns, and I didn’t think anyone still served green goddess dressing until I saw it here.
The menu changed and the prices soared after the original owner sold it in 2018, and we stopped going shortly after. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones.
Table of Contents
Address: Grand Avenue, St. Paul
Closed: 2000
Remember the famed Hungry Mind bookstore? This was the restaurant connected to it, hence the clever wordplay in the title. When my wife and I first started dating long distance (she here, me in New Jersey), we went here for her birthday. We sat by a window on a cold November night, and shared a great meal that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. By the time I moved here four years later, Table of Contents had closed, or it certainly would have been in our rotation of favorites.
Pazzaluna
Address: 360 St. Peter Street, St. Paul
Closed: 2020
In a city known for its inexpensive family-style red sauce joints, Pazzaluna offered an upscale alternative in a great location, across from the St. Paul Hotel and a short walk from the Ordway Theatre and Xcel Energy Center. The bar was even cooler than the dining room, one of the few places in St. Paul with a late-night happy hour. It shut down two months into the pandemic after a 21-year run. My wife and I never had a bad meal here, though we still talk about the night we were so engrossed in conversation after a bottle of Chianti we got all the way home before realizing we forgot our leftovers on the table.
Dining and Cooking