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Food + Dining
Restaurant Reviews

LoTo

LoTo
Photo by Craig Bares

October 2005

By Peter Lilienthal

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Address:
Galtier Plaza, 380 Jackson St., St. Paul, 651-209-7776, lo-to.com

The Scene
LoTo is named for Lowertown, the awakening section of downtown St. Paul where you’ll find this cavernous, 14,000-square-foot Shea-designed addition to the David Fhima collection of restaurants. The soaring, light-infused, tan-toned, Asian-influenced space incorporates bamboo floors, pillars, and floor-to-ceiling windows that afford a picturesque view of Mears Park across the street. The patrons—casually clad residents of the nearby loft and condo developments—tend to ebb and flow throughout the day, coming for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—as well as to take advantage of the deli, bakery, coffee shop, bar, and, likely soon, an off-sale wine and cheese store—all part of a concept Fhima describes as a “restaurant marketplace.”

Our Take
Aargh! The chaos that ensues in the early months at every Fhima creation is well apparent at LoTo. There are many good ideas, appealing-sounding dishes, and some that taste good too: a moist and succulent lemon-roasted half chicken and a decent wedge of Atlantic salmon, to name a couple. But, in general, dishes were overdone and sloppily plated. Sliders came desiccated (and couldn’t hold a candle to those at Bar Lurçat or even White Castle); the fried shrimp was oil-sodden; a limp basket of fries served bare. How about some béarnaise or fresh aioli? Main course clinkers included a hunk of roast lamb ordered medium but served well past it, and an oversalted and overdone fillet of walleye cooked in a mashed potato jacket. I did not see Fhima on any of my visits, and there’s a definite “cat’s away” feeling to the operation. The young service crew could benefit from additional indoctrination and guidance. I presume that sometime before LoTo’s first birthday things will come together.

For the People
The LoTo menu baffled me in its breadth and disparate influences. So I asked Fhima to describe LoTo’s mission. He says LoTo is not intended to be a destination restaurant, but rather an unpretentious neighborhood spot featuring simple “modern American” cuisine, quality ingredients, and “secretary-salary” prices. He cites using the same tuna at half the price that’s on the menu at Louis XIII and real imported jambon and Gruyère in sandwiches, and the relatively low markup on wine. And I’d vouch for LoTo on those counts. Tellingly, however, Fhima didn’t mention “capably prepared,” and that concept needs to be part of the equation, destination restaurant or not.

Fine Print
GETTING THERE, GETTING IN: There’s plenty of street parking (meters are not enforced evenings) and a ramp in Galtier Plaza (entrance on 5th). Reservations recommended.
HOURS: Su–Th 7 a.m.–12 a.m., F–Sa 7 a.m.–1 a.m.
NOISE LEVEL: Loud sound system.
KIDS: No special menu, but kid-friendly portions and plenty of options.
CARDS: AmEx, Diners, Discover, MC, Visa.
ENTRÉE PRICES: $6–$19.
EXTRAS: Daily happy hour with great wine and beer values. Delivery service available.
Handicap Accessible


 




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