Tryg's

Tryg’s opened a couple years ago as a stylish foodie spot resting on the bones of the old Nora’s, long the Truelson family’s casual dining brand. Nora’s time came and went, and Tryg’s arrived just as the condo boom swept Minneapolis. With a busy Shea design, acclaimed chef Philip Dorwart in the kitchen, and a location at the nexus of all the youth and disposable income the south metro had to offer, it seemed like a gimme.

Not really. Dorwart’s creative, if too complicated, dishes did not resonate with the audience and owner Tryg Truelson. Exit chef. Subsequently Tryg’s has made a go of it without a signature name in the kitchen, focusing on its popular bar, live music, and a big menu of less ambitious American bistro fare. If Tryg’s is not thriving, it’s certainly surviving.

The highlight of our meal was a superb appetizer of housemade, signature deviled eggs with scallions and chili oil. But that’s as good as it got. Parchment-baked barramundi in a lime butter was moist and winning, though one wonders why the kitchen can’t find a similar, fresher option closer to home. Most of the rest of the meal suffered from overcooking—from dry scallops in the crispy scallop salad to a criminally moisture-starved meatloaf, to a near-burnt cheeseburger (ordered medium). A decent beet salad was thankfully kept away from the stove.

Service is friendly and adequately knowledgable, and Tryg’s offers an appealing wine and drinks program. The restaurant’s soaring architecture seems to focus and build noise—on weekends this is a loud place.

Tryg’s—which now seems like a restaurant built for a suburb—has bounced from pole to pole. It’s hard to find good chefs who are content to cook simple food. Restaurants that abandon ambitious food programs typically end up having trouble doing familiar fare with any distinction. Tryg’s is caught in that trap, but it’s not apparent that the crowds inside are noticing.