There’s no better value in Twin Cities fine dining than the tasting menu at Sanctuary Restaurant. I was looking for some eating inspiration in my last post here, and man, did I find it.
Patrick Atanalian is an extremely creative chef. He extracts tremendous flavor out of food, and presents it in a way that is really a delight for the eye, the nose, and the taste buds.
Monday through Thursday, you can go to Sanctuary and get a five-course meal for $35. Seriously. $35.
We started with an absolutely perfect dish of mussels in a lovely curry broth. (Have you noticed an explosion of really nicely prepared mussels on menus in town? I have.) Just look how pretty it is.
Then we had my favorite of all the dishes—a riff on a bagel egg sandwich—a small bagel with scrambled pheasant egg and Chinese sausage. I could have eaten three of these. The egg was so silky and flavorful, and the sausage was sweet and spicy at the same time.
The third course was a beautiful piece of perfectly seared fish—look how pink it is inside!—surrounded by a crisp, tasty corn relish.
We were having so much fun, I didn’t take a picture of the tender, juicy medallion of beef, or the super-chocolatey dessert, but trust me—they were great.
While chef Atanalian’s food is fantastic, what really puts Sanctuary over the top for me is the vibe. The service is great (we even took a picture with our server Geneva—she’s on the right, below) and the cozy, narrow, exposed-brick decor just makes me feel at home.
The tasting menu is just Monday through Thursday, so get a friend, grab a babysitter, and get to Sanctuary!
Sanctuary
903 Washington Ave. S., Suite 150, Mpls.
612-339-5058
sanctuaryminneapolis.com
