James Beard-winning chef Tim McKee is scheduled to take over the reigns at the most cold and sterile restaurant in town.  On July 20th, the Gurthrie's Cue will become Sea Change, focusing on sustainable seafood (buzzword alert!).

McKee was kind enough to invite me to a tasting at the new joint last week. Since becoming Andrew’s right hand lady in 2007, I’ve met McKee quite a few times.  We’ve since discovered we both hail from Stillwater, he was friends with my uncle Brain in 6th grade and his sister lives next door to my Grandma.  I was honored to receive an invite to a private tasting at this summer’s most anticipated restaurant opening...  Just me and a handful of his chefs and managers. We tried nearly everything on the menu.  They’ve still got about a month to work out some of the kinks, but I’m telling you Twin Citizens, you won’t be disappointed.  It’s a perfect place for a meal before a show, but the restaurant will be a destination all on its own.

I gotta be honest:  I don’t exactly know everything I ate.  I didn’t have a menu to read. Dishes were placed in front of me, I took a bite, the passed it on to the next person. I was along for the ride. But I can say the mussel appetizer was phenomenal, complete with toast for soaking up the broth (in my opinion, the best way to eat mussels).  I also really dug on a Korean-inspired pork tenderloin/pork belly, complete with some sort of tarragon sauce.  And the one pasta dish I tried (and anyone who has eaten a few meals with me knows that rice and noodle dishes are not my thing), complete with shrimp and uni (yes, uni, ladies and gentlemen), was simple, but certainly not ordinary. 

One thing that I continue to find great about McKee is his ability to create an interesting menu that speaks to foodies, but doesn’t alienate your average Minnesotan. I mean, let’s face it: This is a place where you can’t go wrong with a fried walleye or pot roast.  Up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we tend to not like things we can’t pronounce. I think a lot of the dishes at Sea Change can be interpreted in different ways—One person will experience the perfectly cooked beef tenderloin with pureed turnips and freshly shaved horseradish as a modern twist on an old classic. Another will see it simply as the best meat and potatoes they’ve ever had.    

As for transforming Cue’s cold environment into an inviting one, I have high hopes.  Here’s why:  Remember the 510? I do. Somehow, I managed to make my whole prom group senior year of high school head there for a pre-dance dinner.  I don’t know what made me pick that place, but I do know that as we waited for out table in what is currently the lounge at La Belle Vie, I remember feeling the need to whisper. I prayed to God that none of the hooligans in my group (myself included) broke or burned anything down. It was like eating in a museum; not a good fit for a bunch of high schoolers from Stillwater.

McKee and his crew turned this stuffy restaurant into La Belle Vie. I know they serve sophisticated, amazing French food. I know McKee just took home a Beard Award for what he’s doing in that kitchen.  But La Belle Vie on paper is not what it is in person. It’s inviting. It’s cozy. It’s a lot of things you don’t expect it to be.

That space at the Guthrie has lots of potential.  It’s a beautiful building with a great view. It’s a world-class theater.  Now all it needs is someone to breathe a little life back into it. I think team McKee is just the ticket.