Modern Cafe

Modern Cafe - 337 13th Ave NE Minneapolis

The Modern Cafe is located on charming 13th Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city (oldest, but still voted 'best neighborhood' by City Pages 2011). Known in the 1940s as Rabatin's Northeast Cafe, it was changed to the "modern" cafe in 1994. Over the years, the Modern Café has evolved from a blue-collar diner to a hip, art-scene cafe with classic American dishes prepared using French techniques. Chef Phillip Becht offers seasonal menus inspired by sustainable, organic, and local ingredients. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared with high quality ingredients and attention to detail.

The menu at the Modern consists of a great selection of appetizers and small plates to open your palate. We selected an order of the Brussels Sprouts with pork belly. Brussels sprouts can easily be overcooked and lose their texture but these were cooked perfectly! The saltiness of the pork belly combined with the balsamic dressing make this dish sing of both fresh, light flavor and substance.

To experience the lighter side of the Modern Cafe's menu the Roasted Beet Salad was ordered. Served with arugula and topped with ricotta goat cheese and friend almonds, it was a simple but flavorful dish. That being said, nothing really stood out about this beet salad in comparison to others.

Since they are know for the Meatloaf we couldn't leave without a taste! It didn't disappoint! The meatloaf had both great flavor and texture, herbs were not used sparingly epically the sage. It was topped with mushroom sauce and served over mashed potatoes with a side of those fabulous brussels sprouts.

Another of the touted dishes was the Pot Roast. It was so tender that no knife was needed, but the highlight was the creamy horseradish sauce served on top. It married perfectly with the roast! Also served over mashed potatoes and along side some roasted vegetables.

Vegetarian options are available in the form of the Gnocchi and the Farro Risotto. The gnocchi was a delicious mix of flavors! It combined spinach, shiitake mushrooms, and a lemon cream sauce. Texture is one of the most important things to create a good gnocchi and this dish was as delicate as the spring pansies! The risotto was cooked perfectly and balanced the texture of the brussels sprouts and the cream sauce. Who says that a meal without meat is boring?!?

Larry Shultz raises the chickens used for the Half Chicken w/ Basil. This entree was presented beautifully and the portion size was quite large. It was served alongside delicious sweet potatoes and cipollini onions.

A menu at any cafe wouldn't be complete without a burger. The modern cafe offers a Belly Double Cheeseburger. It was topped with strips of pork belly, cheese, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes. Overall it was a very average burger though the pork belly was great! It was served with a side of disappointingly soggy fries. Maybe they should stick to preparing their more progressive entrees?

The desserts were both classic and modern all in one! The Black & Blue Berry Crisp was an old-fashioned, disco party in my mouth! It was served warm and toped with Izzy's ice cream. Though it might seem a bit on the tart side for most I really appreciated the natural berry flavors without all that added sugar. We also sampled the Peanut Brittle and Salty Caramel Sundae. It lacked the complexity of flavors and textures experienced with the berry crisp. The combination of the caramel and peanut brittle overwhelmed the sweetness of the chocolate.

The interior of the Modern Cafe is a 1940s diner with a contemporary twist. The service was fabulous! Our waitress did a great job of handling our large group and was very complimentary when it came to splitting up our check. The overall experience was good. All old school cafes should take a page from the Modern Cafe's book!

Other recommendations from our club that start with a 'M'

Manny's Tortas - Fast eats specializing in made-to-order Mexican sandwiches called tortas
Masa - Contemporary take on traditional Mexican
Midori's Floating World Cafe - Sushi and Japanese. Known for their great teas.
Mort's Delicatessen - New York style deli. Their Rubens rock!
Moto-i - The first sake brewery outside of Japan. Lots of yummy Japanese noodle and rice dishes.
Murry's - One of the best stake houses in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Next month's destination - Nick & Eddie
Bon Appitte!