Bar La Grassa

I was here in Minneapolis for a business trip and did an extensive review of places to eat while in town and around the vicinity of the hotel as I would have to Uber. I was also with a colleague and offered different options, and she agreed to go to Bar La Grassa

I was briefly panicked when I saw the three $$$ and thought I had chosen somewhere expensive, which would be fine if I was dining alone! I was very surprised by how affordable the menu was, especially given the quality of ingredients they were using and how well presented the dishes were and the taste, and it was an absolute treat.

First, we ordered the charred onion and goat cheese bruschetta. The onions were juicy and tangy and combined with the goat cheese delivered a delightful bite. I paired this with one of their non-alcoholic drinks, the Nojito.

I had originally set on trying the gnocchi with orange and cauliflower, and my colleague with the maltigliati with the braised short rib but we ended up swapping with what the other person was going to offer but offered each other a sample.

The maltiglaiti with the braised short rib was beyond my expectations. The meat was tender and the sauce something you would want to bottle and take home with you; think of a nice warm hug. You wanted to keep eating. The gnocchi were like soft heavenly pillows gently toasted and simmered in a nice decadent sauce with hints of orange.

I took the gjetost cheesecake back to the hotel room. Made with tender love and care as everything has been at this point with goat cheese cheese cake, orange marmalade, and fresh velvety vanilla whipped cream that ate like a cloud. It was one of the best cheesecakes I've had.

Our server Rodger remained on top of it. He was engaged and informative. Thank you for a wonderful service and allowing us to visit!

Will be brief...recently came here twice, once for restaurant week and once on a normal service. Awwww...the first time, I did not write a review since it was restaurant week. I came a separate time and gave 5 stars in 2018, because the food was exceptional.

Recently, I was here and it was...disappointing. Pasta stuck together and overcooked. Okay. May seem nit-picky, but for a supposed best pasta restaurant made in house fresh? MMMmmmm...maybe they had an off day.

The service was still nice, the decor is the same from 6 years ago, and the servers, yes are knowledgable. I just walked away with some wanting and not quite fulfilled nor desired. So, I bumped down to 4 stars from 5. DO NOT GET ME WRONG!! Still a great place to eat. Just... 5 stars are really for struggling to find something wrong at all, and cannot. That, unfortunately, was not the case with my most recent visits. :(

Still, if you are craving good pasta, come to BLG!! Just not the unique, I will never find a quality or taste like this anywhere else that is worthy of 5 stars.

Bar La Grassa is pretty much perfect. The service is always incredible, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. This recent visit, we had 4 dishes to share amongst 3 of us and still managed to have a little leftover!

We ordered:
* Pasta nera w/ mussels
* Calamarata w/ tuna
* Cavatelli w/ rabbit
* 'Nduja egg raviolo

I loved it ALL and would happily eat those first 3 dishes every week. Parking in the area can be tricky so make sure you have time to find a spot or just stick with valet parking at the restaurant. I definitely recommend a reservation because they tend to be booked out!

Had a really amazing experience eating there last night. And a big part of that was our server, Rodge. You could really tell he's passionate about food and his job. His knowledge about the menu was extensive and he was so kind to answer my 50 questions about the menu! He describes every dish you ask about so well!

The food is really unique but you can also tell the chef was really thoughtful about how they paired flavors together. When thought like that goes into food, it just makes it that much better of an experience. They make their bread in house and so definitely try the bruschetta. I had the roasted beet pesto and the charred red onion/goat cheese. Both were great. The beet one has a kick (crushed red pepper) so keep that in mind.

My favorite of the pastas (my friend and I had 3)
Maltagliati w/milk-braised short rib and ricotta sugo
Carbonara was also really good!

Really nice ambiance and comfy seating. Enjoyable experience overall. Be back next year when I can eat pasta again :)

My go to Italian restaurant when I want to treat myself. Valet and plenty of metered street parking as long as you don't go during Friday and weekend nights (gets busy). Reservation highly recommended but they may have last minute bar seating.

Always get their pasta and splurge on their gigantic steak but they are known for their soft eggs & lobster bruschetta. Fav pasta is the mushroom taleggio so flavorful.

We hadn't been to BLG in a few years and didn't know why. It's still a terrific experience. Every bite was a delight, the service was stellar and the ambiance was elegant. Not quite, a bit busy but we were able to chat among ourselves with ease. Highlights include the Soft Eggs & Lobster, which I realize everyone mentions, but deservedly so. I was thrilled with the Hendrick's Gibson, given that cocktails onions seem to be vanishing from our planet. Having no room for dessert, I only had the Crespelle and then every bite of it. BLG is a five-star treat.

I tried to make a reservation for the Friday after Valentine's Day 3 weeks ahead of time and it was fully booked, so plan ahead! We did end up getting off the waitlist that afternoon for a pasta bar spot. I would definitely recommend a table over the bar if you can manage to get a reservation.

The food here is incredible-- the best pasta in the twin cities. The soft eggs and lobster bruschetta is truly the best dish I've ever had anywhere. It is a MUST everytime we come here. We tried the Cavatelli with rabbit sugo and the fusilli with orange and lamb sausage. Both were good but the rabbit sauce stood out. I tried the Poway sunset drink which I didn't realize was a martini. I couldn't taste anything except the Tito's vodka, so would only recommend if you enjoy strong martinis. This is the perfect place to try out for a date night in North Loop! The vibes and food are top notch.

A group of friends and I rented the private dining room as a pre-NYE celebration. They have quite a high minimum to reach but I get that it was a weekend night.

It was fun ordering a bunch of things off the menu, we had great service and a nice time!

My favorite appetizer was the grilled prawn dish, very tasty! I loved the octopus over arugula as well but wish there was more octopus.

I had the crab ravioli for my main, the pasta was so thin tasted freshly made, and the crab filling was sweet and tender. I sort of thought there was too much sauce (and don't get me wrong I am a big sauce person) but the flavors were so good they didn't need all that butter and cheese to hide behind.

Overall this place never disappoints!

Delicious food and wonderful service. I'm still dreaming about the focaccia bread. The ribs are excellent. The gnocchi was delicious. Can't wait to go back.

I've heard so many people rave about Bar La Grassa, but after my visit yesterday, I likely won't be coming back.

Mocktails - great and described by my husband as "delightful" and "nostalgic"

Appetizers - average - the dill in their caesar salad was a nice touch but the focaccia was just OK  and the arancini was uninspiring

Pastas - average - the spaghetti carbonara was okay but heavy and tiring after a few bites. The maltagliati with short rib was also heavy but my husband at least liked it. My favorite was the pasta nerra which was the lightest of the pastas but largely flavorless

Desserts - yum! Second best part of the evening after the mocktails. We're big fans of the dark chocolate budino

Service - okay but we were not happy afterwards - we ate at the bar, where bartenders and waitstaff were courteous and attentive BUT don't trust them to pack your food. One of our dishes had 5 mussels when getting packed but only 1 mussel came home with us (this has sadly happened enough times that we count). If you want to take home leftovers, make sure to stay away from one of the guys working behind the bar. It's funny they did this because when we asked if we were ordering too much food, they said no and told us the leftovers would be just as good (which it wasn't when we noticed all the seafood was missing)

Overall, Bar La Grassa was an average experience but the service left a bad taste in my mouth.