Otho

Address
949 Portland Ave., Mpls, 612-455-1516

The Scene
Otho is the first restaurant in decades to open in the gentrifying eastern fringe of downtown known as Elliot Park. The high-ceilinged, window-walled storefront is on the ground-floor corner of Skyscape Condominiums and surrounded by numerous newly constructed and rehabbed residences. The combination of a comfortable bar-lounge replete with de rigueur sports-tuned flat-screens and a dining section featuring a lengthy, curved banquette and well-spaced brushed-metal tables ought to be a magnet for the young professionals and retirees who’ve been moving to the neighborhood. However, on a couple of chilly winter evenings, there were only a dozen or so patrons frequenting this pleasantly stylish spot. I hope the crowds will flock come spring when plans call for an outdoor café.

Our Take
According to the amiable waiter who attended our party on both visits, there was a lot of tinkering with the initially ambitious Pan–Asian menu during the first six weeks of Otho’s existence. Out went such upscale items as three-pepper-tempura soft-shell crab and a caviar flight, in came more mainstream fare such as an excellent lemon crab cake and bland, mushy, baked shrimp toast prepared with brioche. The appetizers, including classic chicken and mushroom egg rolls, are by far the menu’s strong suit. Desserts, particularly a wonderful Meyer lemon crème brûlée and a poached pear served with a rich diplomat cream and tart pomegranate seeds, were also solid. In contrast, few of the mains were compelling. A stir-fry of beef and broccoli florets was marred by tough meat and a sauce with no distinguishable flavors. A promising black tiger shrimp green curry with Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, and sweet peppers in coconut milk lacked body and was assembled rather than simmered. Ditto a saucer of linguini, clams, spinach, and tomatoes submerged in a red curry–tinged lobster broth. My sense is that the chef has found that the locals prefer restrained spicing and pricing, and the result is a compromise that leaves those with a discerning palate wishing for more.

What’s an Otho?
Otho’s culinary muddle is not because the namesake chef-co-owner and his team lack talent. Otho Phanthavong’s family owned Pad Thai Grand Cafe in St. Paul, and he cooked at both Zander Café and duplex. His partners include pastry chef and co-owner Kristina Schubert, whose resumé includes stints at Zander, The Local, and Goodfellow’s. They face the dilemma of balancing their skills and vision with their customers’ more pedestrian tastes. In that respect, Otho’s plight seems to be symbolic of a downtown residential and retail scene that just five years ago seemed headed toward destination status, but now is struggling merely to stay relevant. Otho was created for that fantasy downtown and is struggling to contend with the reality.