Friday, January 4, 2008

VIA Cafe and Bar

VIA Cafe and Bar
Address: 6740 France Avenue South
Edina, MN 55435
Website:
http://www.viacafebar.com/

Well UNO underwent a bit of a change... They now spell their name with different letters (VIA), they serve wonderful food and in fact it is a totally different establishment! The inside is wonderfully decorated, chandeliers with draping crystals, nice upholstered chairs and rich, dark woods. Even on a Minnesota night with a stiff wind and probably a negative wind chill they had their fire pits roaring outside; it created a cozy, fireplace atmosphere inside.

We were greeted by a hostess wearing a stylish black dress, like the kind I wear every 3 years when I go to a Broadway show or something and I also saw a guy wearing a 3 piece suit eating near by. Needless to say I felt a little frumpy in my jeans. So fair warning, you may not want to stop here for dinner after shopping at Southdale for hours and looking to crash at a casual place.

I had a big lunch this day (at Cap's Grille, another great Minneapolis locale: http://www.capsgrille.com/), so I wasn't looking for a big dinner. Which was a good thing, because my one complaint was that they didn't have a vegetarian entree option. I ordered the Fresh Mozzarella flat bread: yum, yum. It was loaded with melted cheese, on a nice crisp flat bread. I could have used more basil on it, but I don't want to complain about it, it was great. My mom's dish was the Pork Tenderloin. She hasn't had Pork Tenderloin like this before! It was elegantly served, with a side of spiced, stewed pear and a potato au gratin side. I sampled the pear and potatoes, delish.

All in all, I am looking forward to go back!

Trivia: Via is run by the same company that operates Mission and Atlas Bar and Grill.


~posted by Ann

1 comment:

Doe said...

I agree, it is very fancy but also very friendly. I walked into the bar area on a very cold February night with my mom and her friend. At first glance I thought we would not get noticed or served for a very long time...

To my surprise, the bartender greeted us with a warm welcome! He said we could sit wherever we wanted and he would be over in a second to chat with us. He proceeded to flirt with all of us, suggest drinks and appetizers. Also, he gave my mom's friend a free glass of 8-9 dollar wine! He said he 'forgot' to add it to the bill. It was a great experience and I have been wanting to return for a meal. The prices didn't seem too bad for food. -Neville