The letter ‘D’ brought us to the Duplex in Uptown. Once a living space, it is now turned into a charming and intimate restaurant along bustling Hennepin Ave. The menu short, but diverse. From bar food, pastas, soups, and salads, to an elk or duck entrée. They have a full bar with small wine list, a local hard cider, and our favorite local beer, Surly!
After a few sips of Cynic (a Surly brew) we ordered our appetizers. Sweet potato fries with aoli and the vegetable tart seems to resonate with us and apparently our cravings were right on par. The tart was fabulous! It started with a flaky puff pastry crust, topped with spinach, roasted red bell peppers, caramelized onions, a tangy heirloom tomato coulee, and a decadent goat cheese. The sweet potato fries were not overbearing like some. Instead, they were thinly cut, crispy, and perfectly sea salted.When a restaurant puts its name on something you know it’s ‘must try’ item. So, the Duplex Burger was ordered. This burger is a juicy, 8 ounces of certified black angus beef, topped with a heirloom tomato, raw milk white cheddar, red onion, lettuce and thick slices of applewood smoked bacon. As Americans we know that every good burger is served with French fries, and the Duplex makes their own in house.
If you order the Ratatouille I would recommend treating it as a side dish. The combination of yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, roma tomatoes, and navy beans wasn’t very filling. However, it was quite good, but it was the sun-dried tomato goat cheese that made this dish work!Another dish that utilized the Duplex’s house cured pancetta was
the Dirty rice with shrimp. It had a very generous amount of both shrimp and pancetta that combined beautifully with a great sauce, tomatoes, and was topped with fresh green onion. Very reminiscent of something you might find down in the Bayou.The House made fettuccine was surprisingly light while packing a flavor filled punch. The pasta was tossed chicken, oyster mushrooms, rosemary, lemon juice, parmesan, and house cured pancetta (spiced, salted, and cured pork belly). The combination? A party in the mouth!
For a truly unique pasta dish try the House made pappadelle with duck. The white wine braised
duck is pulled rather than cut and pairs beautifully with the pancetta. These meats are combined with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and served over the house made pappadelle pasta. Then to top it off, fresh parmesan. Only one word needed. Scrumptious!If nothing above interests you enough to send you running out to try the Duplex, their desserts should! I would go there for a giant piece of cake alone. I can’t think of a much better way to replenish my energy after an afternoon of shopping or walking around the lakes. All of the dessert offerings are made fresh in house daily. We sampled the Carrot cake and the Chocolate gnocchi
cake. Both were equally amazing! The carrot cake had a very unique crunchy, crispy outside and an oh-so-ooey-gooey inside. The gigantic slice was topped with a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting and then drizzled with an ample amount of caramel sauce. Heavenly! The gnocchi was made with dark chocolate and therefore, wasn’t over powering sweet. The rich chocolate sauce added the sweetness and the dried cherries brought just the right about of acidity. These were both so delicious we forgot to take a picture until we had finished them off (thus the empty plates).The ambiance at Duplex is like no other restaurant that I have visited. The interior is warm, cozy, and feels just like home (though with many tables and chairs in the living room). If the weather is nice I would highly recommend sitting on the patio. From there you have a perfect perch overlooking Hennepin Ave. to people watch, all while enjoying a good meal. The service was attentive and polite, the food very good and reasonably priced, and the atmosphere up-beat and fun! As one local publication said “The Duplex puts the date back in cheap date”.
Other recommendations from our club that start with a ‘D’:
D’Amico & Sons - Quick-service Italian, great deli offerings
Dancing Genesha - Contemporary Indian food from the owners of Nala Park
Dixie’s on Grand - Great Sunday brunch
Duffy’s Dinkytown Pizza – Pizza by the slice. Home made, gluten-free crust.
Next month’s destination – Everest on Grand
Bon Appitte!
