Duplex

The Scene
The feeling is decidedly homey in this two-story, one-time Uptown residence that most recently housed Pandora’s Cup coffeehouse. A pair of small, intimate dining salons, a six-seat wine bar, and an open-to-view kitchen take up the buzzing first floor. A more spacious three-room space is scheduled to open in late spring on the second level. There’s also a small alfresco dining area on the front porch and seating on the second-story balcony. The romantically intimate interior is colored by red walls and the flickering light of floating candles set atop sturdy, well-spaced butcher-block tables. The casual tone is set by jazz wafting from a muted sound system. The clientele ranges from Kenwood patriarchs to hennaed Uptown hipsters.

Our Take
It’s easy to be smitten by duplex. The prices are modest, the space is comfortable and cozy, the wait staff is among the most upbeat, engaging, and pleasant you’ll find anywhere, and the compact, seasonally changing menu of former Zander Café understudy Michael Hart reflects a level of creativity and confidence that goes way beyond expectations, given the building’s humble exterior. Dish after dish was right on the money: a simple-sounding but suave appetizer of skewered shrimp and cherry tomatoes set in a delectable champagne-saffron cream sauce; perfectly prepared pan-roasted duck breast slathered with orange glaze; a daily special of three plump caramelized scallops on a bed of fluffy rice; scrumptious blackberry-mined bread pudding. Indeed, there were very few miscues, and when we commented on the fishy quality of the salmon roulade, the dish was promptly expunged from our bill. (Most places these days would simply try to comp a dessert to avoid losing the revenue.) In a word, duplex has integrity, which is deserving of high praise.

Pandora’s Box
So why would someone want to convert a perfectly successful coffeehouse into a restaurant? In the case of former Pandora’s Cup baristas-turned-restaurateurs Michael Trebnick and Sonja Hayden, it’s largely a result of restlessness. Although they were making money selling coffee at $3 a cup, they figured that life might be more rewarding when a whole meal with wine and beer was involved. After many months of checking out alternative sites, they concluded there was no place quite like a home. Although their decision unleashed a whole new set of challenges, my prediction is that the Twin Cities will be very glad they opened up this particular Pandora’s box.