dining room
As we get nearer to the opening of the Four Seasons in downtown Minneapolis, we finally have names for the Gavin Kaysen projects in the building. Mara and Socca will debut in June, with reservations opening in May.
It has long been known the restaurant will focus on the Mediterranean area, so it makes sense the name is rooted in the Greek word for beautiful. But don't assume this is a Greek restaurant. "You'd be surprised how many people think that," Kaysen told me by phone yesterday, "but there are 22 countries that touch that region, Spain, Portugal, Italy too. How the ingredients of that region knit together is interesting to me, the thing that I loved while I was traveling through those countries when I lived in Switzerland."
The team has been working on the menu for months now. "If you've been paying attention to the specials we've been running at Spoon, you might have seen a bit of a sneak peek. It really is a marriage of land, sea, and craft. Those three things are so central to the culture and we want to honor all three. It's not going to be all seafood, or all pasta, we're trying to stretch the way people think about the food of that area." Look for shareable plates that include house flat breads with hummus and other spreads, a Turkish pizza on the bar menu, crudo, pastas and some table-side flourishes, "we're looking at doing a salt-baked branzino at your table, a bistecca carved in front of your group, services that add to the experience."
the bar at Mara
The Cocktail Bar at Mara will have its own menu and will be led by Adam Witherspoon, of the 3Leches group. Additionally, they've added sommelier Paul Hennessy, who was at Bachelor Farmer before it closed. Look for an elegant and warm red hued space with lots of little seating nooks where you might grab a glass and a plate before or after other events.
lobby cafe socca
The light and airy lobby cafe is named for the chickpea crepe that is used throughout the region as an everyday staple. Expect coffee and pastries in the mornings. "We will have a croissant and pan de chocolat," Kaysen noted, "but this isn't Bellecour. It has its own versions amongst other great morning offerings. We'll have hummus bowls, and salads, and generally we hope that you can get a full meal here and leave without feeling too heavy. There will be plenty of gluten-free items."
To balance that, it should be noted that there will be a state-of-the-art chocolate room which will be visible to the street. The team plans to make chocolates for both the restaurant menu and to be sold in the cafe.
Kaysen believes they are on track to open in June, and says that the best way to find out about when reservations will launch in May is to sign up for the newsletter.
