Photograph by Caitlin Abrams
food-full
Excelsior, as a town, is very particular about its main drag, Water Street. As it runs toward the public docks on this busy Lake Minnetonka bay, you’ll find no national chain stores, just independent retailers and locally owned brands. Not even a Chipotle.
This intentionality of keeping the small-town flavor is part of what inspired local restaurant pro Aaron Switz to open Layline here. This smallish eatery, in a rehabbed former auto-mechanic garage, is sister to flashier spots like Macanda and Josefina across the lake, but it plays a quieter note.
Even though it is a Daniel del Prado kitchen, the menu trends to modern main-street eating: seared scallops with grilled sweet corn, baby beets with pickled rhubarb, a crispy chicken sandwich with heirloom tomatoes. Keeping it simple, but with fresh and forward thinking, is the new small-town vibe.
301 Water St., Excelsior, 952-856-8003
