Bellanotte

Twin Citians would be hard-pressed to come up with a more popular restaurant than Bellanotte, the glitzy nightclub/eatery across from Target Center. Recent chef and menu changes convinced me it was a good time to take a second look.

Bellanotte is a restaurant with a superb location, a tremendous investment in design, and a loyal clientele who are utterly besotted with the place. It opened last year with two chefs—an untenable construct. Before their first anniversary, both Peter Abrahamson and Justin Grecco had been replaced—by Ahmed Whittaker, who lasted only a short while before being relieved of duty—in favor of Michael Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy’s menu, besides featuring typical Italian-American fare, offers chicken salad sandwiches, a surf-and-turf dinner special, and even chicken wild rice soup. One day I was offered a lunch special of Cajun chicken pasta.

If food defines your restaurant experience, you are shaking your head with me now. If, like the bulk of Bellanotte’s patrons, you are out for a stylish night at the place of the moment, you’re thinking, “So what?” Bellanotte is not a restaurant built for critics, so take my comments accordingly.

The fresh plate of whole-milk mozzarella and sliced tomatoes was nicely turned out—and was the only thing I tasted that I enjoyed. Calamari was overcooked and underseasoned. Pizzas are handmade in full view of the dining room, yet emerge from the oven tasting like supermarket versions. Pastas are all large enough for two diners. Signature ravioli and lasagna dishes were unimpressive: A lobster ravioli came fishy and grainy, with the sauce separated. Fettuccine Bellanotte with shrimp, cream, Parmesan, and dried porcini came congealed, dense, and metallic, a perfect storm of a dish and a waste of such expensive ingredients.

Even the most rudimentary questions about the food and wine offerings stymied our servers; given the high price point, that’s inexcusable. And I have never been efficiently seated at Bellanotte, despite always having reservations. I waited ten minutes at lunch—an empty dining room stretched in front of me—because my dining partner had not arrived. Yet, on another visit, the restaurant was so crowded that we waited half an hour for a table without an apology. On a third night, with a line around the block, friends of mine tipped the maitre d’ and were rewarded with a table immediately.

In the evening, Bellanotte is a scene—a fun and raucous playground for nighttime revelers seeking a chic urban experience. But Bellanotte is also a restaurant, and while it has lasted longer than Red or Tonic, I wish it would take full advantage of its location and vibe and elevate the quality of its food. Even in our throwaway culture, buzz fades, but quality endures.

600 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-339-7200