Chambers Cafe

You know when you can’t decide if a place is a 2 or 3 star kinda place? I’m having that problem right now…
So a group of friends went to Chambers for restaurant week, and while the food was reasonably tasty, something was off. Maybe it was the weak décor, but compared to the stylish and sleek Damico Kitchen, hard to compare. Maybe it was the server/​kitchen mistakes; does an attentiveness make up for forgetfulness or running out of a dessert? Maybe it was peeking at the actual menu and realizing how ridiculous the normal prices are for a rather okay dinner.
I feel like I had a good time there, but I think it’s the love of my dinner companions and dinner drink more than the food or establishment.

We went during Mpls/​St Paul Mag restaurant week. 3-​course meal for $ 20 each. We had happy hour priced glass of white wine, then ordered 2 calamari, and for sampling purposes, an order of the scallops. The calamari reminded me of clam strips in a fast food restaurant. They got cold before we could finish them because they were downright icky. Oddly, the scallops were at the opposite end of the quality spectrum, but there are only 2 on the appetizer order.
The server comp’d us with a second order of the scallops after complaining about the calamari.
We also both ordered the sea bass. My friend was served a fish loin, and I got a fish steak. Strange? Maybe a bit. Like so many restaurant dishes, it was over-​salted.
We did not order any side dishes. The chocolate pudding was starchy and tasteless.
With the additional 2 glasses of wine, our two $ 20 3-​course dinners ran up an $ 86 tab, plus tip.
Our server was very accommodating and just terrific. However, that does not make up for what was rather mediocre food on a Friday night during a showcase week for restaurants.
The funny part — a flashback to when I once went roaming around the space which was back then the only adult bookstore in the metro area that sold German fetish porn magazines. The long-​gone magazine racks have been replaced by the swanky bar. My dining companion howled with laughter at the story.

The food needs some work. The margherita pizza was made with mere flecks of basil and unripened tomatoes (see picture). The crust was pretty tasteless too. The parmesan cracker coated walleye and its beurre blanc sauce lacked flavor. Very unsatisfying lunch.

It might have been the Restaurant Week jitters, but my first encounter with this place was pretty bad. I ordered the sea scallop salad (not bad), followed by the sea bass (decent but a bit undercooked and lacking flavor), and finished with a tiramisu. The tiramisu wasn’t my first choice but the restaurant ran out of the dessert that I had ordered and only told us after we had placed our order. The waitress was overextended so didn’t come to our table very often. The tiramisu was uninspiring, the preparation was dirty (i.e. the cut was sloppy and it was lopped on a plate) and was literally reeked of alcohol. Very unprofessional.
For $ 20 during restaurant week, this is adequate, but I don’t plan to go back.

Near perfection from a spanking new place. Seared scallops and braised short ribs were fantastic and the glass pours are more than generous.
Chambers was brand new when I entered the dining room on a minus-​10 degree evening, Wednesday, ¹⁄₃₀. They are striving for perfection with service, presentation and food. That is why I give it the 5. It far exceeded my expectation. What I discovered was a near perfect experience you seldomly receive.
The menu was small but everything I had was beautifully prepared and presented, perfectly seasoned and delicious. I had seared scallops with a little fennel, apple, watercress salad. Scallops had the right combination of sear and medium-​rare center. My main course was braised short ribs in a red-​wine reduction with a simple risotto and a side of grilled asparagus. Again, everything was cooked to as I expected. Short ribs tender and falling apart, risotto creamy with a delicate crunch and asparagus were hot with a crisp, al dente bite. Glass pour of Newton Cab was enormous… like I was pouring for myself at the winery.
I live in Seattle, own a winery and travel everywhere. Meals are one of the joys of travel (and life). The meal from Chambers Café would be a great meal in any city. It was perfect for Minneapolis.