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Bar La Grassa

Editor's Choice
$$ | Italian

This big, vibrant haute Italian haunt features a bustling pasta bar with views of the open kitchen and plush dining areas bathed in the amber light of old chandeliers. The broad menu features separate categories for appetizers, bruschetta, fresh pasta and dried pasta, as well as secondi. Dishes range from Italian classics to inventive creations, some elaborate, others stunningly simple: bold flavors illuminate this chef's deft hand. Pastas, available in large and small plates are reasonably priced as are the wines representing Italy's different regions. Spend like a pauper yet eat like a king into the late hours of the night.

  • Kid-friendly
  • Late night dining
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • No personal checks
  • P | D M - Su
800 N. Washington Ave.
Mpls., Minnesota 55401
Phone: 612-333-3837
89.9
out of 100
0.0
out of 10
  • Critics’ + Eaters’ Ratings »
  • Map »

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

Critics' Scoring

Scores will be assigned based on a 0-100 scale broken down as follows:

100 = Perfect
90 = Excellent
80 = Very Good
70 = Good, not Great
60 = High Average
50 = Average
40 = Low Average
30 = Disappointing
20 = Nearly Without Merit
10 = Poor
00 = Worthless
99
StarTribune | Rick Nelson
12/31/09
What I admire most about the kitchen's handiwork is how Becker & Co. fully embrace the underappreciated art of restraint. Asceticism is no easy feat, since there's nothing to hide behind, no tricks to fall back upon, no cover-ups. To paraphrase Rose, the nuclear-powered stage mother in the musical "Gypsy," you've either got it or you don't, and Bar La Grassa has got it.
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95
Metro | Mecca Bos Williams
12/09
Considering the trio's proven knack for running a dining room, and their uncanny sense of what the public desires, it's safe to say La Grassa will become, like sister eatery 112, yet another institution that thrums with authenticity, affability, polish and value.
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93
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine | Beth Dooley
01/10
Reimagined classics are Isaac Becker's unique talent, and the menu is rife with them. Pay attention, since the simpler offerings on the broad menu are easy to miss (though servers provide great advice in navigating the menu).
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86
Heavy Table
10/19/09
Overall, the food and service provided were both top-notch: The menu caters to diverse tastes, while the waitstaff accommodate the most experienced fine diners and more casual customers alike. 112 Eatery, lauded by critics both local and national, set a high standard. However, it is clear that Becker's latest project holds the same ideals of unpretentious fine dining - and succeeds. Just over a week in, Bar La Grassa has already hit its stride.
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84
City Pages | Rachel Hutton
12/07/09
La Grassa, which means "the fat" in Italian, might attract those living high on the hog, or at least trying to act like it, but the eats aren't necessarily fancy or spendy. The food might be the least trendy aspect of the place, in fact. True, some of the cocktails possess a sophisticated air-one's made with acai berry, another hits the lips with an espresso crema and finishes with a flourish of bitter orange-but most of the menu feels rather rustic. The bowls of noodles and marinated pork shoulder on toast wouldn't have looked out of place a hundred years ago.
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83
Twin Cities Eats
10/26/09
So the food was good with even greater potential as the opening hecticness wears down. Our service was a bit pitiful but I forgive them so soon after opening and luckily we were in no hurry at all and were happy to have a three hour dinner.
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80
Pioneer Press | Kathie Jenkins
11/11/09
The new Bar La Grassa is from Isaac Becker, who also runs the highly successful 112 Eatery. Looks like he has done it again. The Warehouse District space - formerly Babalu - has been transformed from tropical to sleek and modern. And his food is very good.
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76
Minnesota Monthly | Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
12/09
Which brings us back to my professional dilemma: If Bar La Grassa was the product of any new young chef, I think I'd be doing cartwheels and trumpeting its greatness. The lobster and soft eggs! The gnocchi! But total competence with flairs of brilliance is not what I expect from Isaac Becker. I expect total brilliance punctuated by lulls of competence. Is this fair? Possibly not.
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BUZZ

Pioneer Press | Kathie Jenkins
Ten Best Dishes of 2009
12/31/09
But at Bar La Grassa, gnocchi are light little pillows gently tossed with caramelized cauliflower and a bit of orange - a perfect combination of flavors.
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StarTribune
Restaurant of the Year
12/31/09
Bar La Grassa has it all: Great food, atmosphere, a solid wine selection and a bar where you can wait for your table or have a drink. And it pulls in the crowds.
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EATER COMMENTS + RATINGS

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