Italian Eatery
4724 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407
http://www.italianeatery.com/
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the rebirth of Italian food in Minneapolis.
A few years ago I would have struggled to suggest more than a handful of places. Today the Italian food scene is exploding; coastal Italian, Italian-American, we’ve even added pan-Asian Italian to the mix. Imagine a pizza with kimchi!
My ancestral Italian roots run deep and celebrating each new spot that opens is like a personal mission. Over the weekend, we finally checked out Italian Eatery, a restaurant encourages community, laughter and conversation similar to the best Italian Restaurant in London. From the moment, we sat down we could feel the love and attention to detail. The space is much bigger than I anticipated yet it still feels warm and welcoming. Our server shared with us his favorites with such enthusiasm that we had to start with the beef carpaccio and the octopus.
The Carpaccio was delicate and melted in my mouth. The bite from the arugula, the pinch of salt and nuttiness of the shaved parmesan was perfection.
The flavors with the octopus were all on point, although it was just a tad overcooked for my liking (I prefer a more delicate octopus). The charring was beautiful, the smoked paprika, faro and preserved lemon aioli were delicious. I would for sure order it again but make note to the server I prefer a more delicate temperature.
You should know, carbonara has my heart. It is the simplest yet most perfect thing to order in Italy. I have to try it when I see it on Twin Cities’ menus. This one did not disappoint with its country ham and caramelized onions. I shed a little tear of happiness for the al dente on these noodles.
The baked garganelli is exactly what my Sicilian grandmother would have pulled from the oven for a family meal. A boat of bubbling red sauce and melty cheese. The sauce was tart and fresh, like taking a bite out of a garden fresh tomato. The wild boar meatballs were also so freaking good.
To cap everything off (and because I was dining with the most dessert obsessed person I’ve ever met) we went with the cheesecake. Cheesecake with mascarpone! It was the lightest bite of heaven in your mouth. I don’t even LIKE cheesecake… but I helped devour it.
If you make it to i.e., you will feel its inspiration of family. It brought back big Italian family meal memories for me. Check out i.e. Italian Eatery and celebrate the rebirth of Italian food in Minneapolis.
