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Café Levain
$$$ | New American

Morphed from fine-dining temple into a simple bistro, Levain remains a winning choice for lovers of top-notch ingredients, authentic recipes, and careful cooking.

  • No Smoking
  • Kid-friendly
  • Wine and beer only
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Notable
  • D Tu - Su
4762 Chicago Ave.
Mpls., Minnesota 55407
Phone: 612-823-7111
77.6
out of 100
0.0
out of 10
  • Critics' Ratings »
  • Eater Comments + Ratings »
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WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

Critics' Rating

100 = Perfect
90 = Excellent
80 = Very Good
70 = Good, but Flawed
60 = High Average
50 = Average
40 = Low Average
30 = Disappointing
20 = Nearly Without Merit
10 = Poor
00 = Worthless
85
Twin Cities Eats
02/02/09
Overall, though, it was probably the best $20 three course dinner I have ever had in the United States.
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80
Secrets of the City | Jeremy Iggers
6/30/07
The cuisine is also livelier, if less subtle than before-those short ribs and the coq au vin are full of intense, concentrated flavors. Other highlights include the crisp and juicy frog legs, the savory sautéed wild mushrooms, and the steamed mussels served in a broth flavored with tomato, onion, and a hint of dried chili.
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78
StarTribune | Rick Nelson
10/18/07
Short ribs, so fall-apart tender that each forkful literally melts in your mouth, have such a primal appeal that the minute you take a bite you know you won't be sharing a morsel, not even if your beloved threatens banishment to the guest room.
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77
Minnesota Monthly | Rachel Hutton
10/07
There's duck-leg confit and a hearty roast chicken, both of which feature tender meat encased in a crackling, salty skin-like pork rinds crossed with potato chips-that I wish were sold as a gourmet supermarket snack.
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75
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine | Andrew Zimmern
10/07
Cafe Levain is a very nice spot for dinner-the room is warm, the kitchen shows promise, and the staff is enthusiastic-but having visited the old restaurant, you can't sit in this incarnation without missing the old days terribly.
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65
Gayot
... specializes in familiar American fare polished to a high gloss by treating fresh, Minnesota-raised ingredients with respect. Complicated, no; honest and forthright, yes ...
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BUZZ

City Pages
Best Of: Best Neighborhood Cafe
2008
This incarnation of Levain is all about value: All the entrées-succulent roast chicken with crackling crisp skin, braised beef short ribs, house-made gnocchi-are less than $20, and they come with a complementary side, such as caramelized Brussels sprouts or sautéed mushrooms.
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