Bellecour

John and I visited Bellecour recently. He had not been yet and I was more than willing to go back. I'd managed to get a reservation just the day before. Must have been a cancellation or something. It's worth keeping an eye on openings even if they are booked.

I don't have much to add since the last visit, but I wanted to share the photos of the food so we can remember what we ordered.

 seasonal sidecar and winter cup cocktails

 shrimp cocktail

 endive salad

 We both had the hanger steak.

 hanger steak and béarnaise 

My coat check ticket to hold the leftovers until it was time to go. That's a new one!

hazelnut profiteroles 

The service was excellent once more and the food was very enjoyable as well. I'd like to return for brunch sometime. The menu looks wonderful.

Here's a link to my first visit to Bellecour:
http://whereshouldwegomsp.blogspot.com/2017/09/bellecour.html


Bellecour
739 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 444-5200
https://bellecourrestaurant.com/

Benedict's Wayzata

Benedict's is a brunch only place that opened in late 2017 in Wayzata. Considering how close by it is, I have not heard much about it.

John had the standard, which is two eggs with bacon, potatoes and toast. It was your basic breakfast. Not bad.

I had the egg sandwich, topped with egg, sausage, harissa, cheese and bacon jam. The sausage was ok, the English muffin was very light and fluffy and the bacon jam really made the sandwich. The hash browns had scallions mixed in to give it addition flavor and the potatoes were very finely shredded. I quite liked the hash browns.

The food was quite good, but it took quite some time to arrive and our server was either too busy or rather slow. We waited for beverage refills a few times and it took a very long time for the check to be delivered. So I guess the not great service may explain why I haven't heard great things about Benedict's. Hopefully, things improve with time.


Benedict's
845 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 923-1903
https://benedictswayzata.com

Baja Haus

We visited Baja Haus in Wayzata for my birthday. I have been wanting to try it but I had a feeling between the fresh fish on the menu and the cocktails, the bill would escalate quickly. Also, it looks like I forgot to take a few photos, so we will just have to go back again soon. The menu overall looked very interesting and delicious as we love fresh fish selections and the Mexico theme due to our many vacations there.

We started with the augachile ceviche with tortilla chips. I’ve forgotten what the fish was, some sort of tuna I think. It was very good with lots of fresh fish and quite filling as we also ordered chips and guacamole to start.

We both ordered tacos as we were getting full from all of the tortilla chips earlier. I had the tempura fish tacos topped with avocado crema, cabbage slaw and grilled pineapple salsa. John had the pasilla mole shrimp tacos topped with serrano cabbage slaw, pumpkin seeds and lime crema. 

We finished with a dessert of tres leches cake with pineapple on the side. It was very good and much lighter than I expected.

The service was excellent and we really enjoyed all of the food. One thin to note, all of the food has a good amount of spice to it, they do not shy away from flavor at all, which is just fine with us. They also have a  great happy hour we need to keep in mind for future visits. 

Baja Haus 

830 Lake St E 

Wayzata, MN 55391

Phone: (952) 476-0816

http://www.bajahaus.com/

Bellecour

Stephanie and I visited Bellecour in Wayzata. We did Spoon and Stable last year and we were very excited to have another Gavin Kaysen restaurant in the western suburbs. I made a reservation well in advance, but it was not too difficult to find openings.

We arrived slightly before our reservation and were seated right away, as it was a very early reservation. Our server was Ricardo and he did a great job even though he also had a large group next to us, though we found the service became pretty slow toward the end of our visit.

We started with drinks and Stephanie had the Beach Bum, a rum cocktail. The lime on top was flaming on arrival. Super cool touch. I think I had the Daily.

Bread basket. Fresh, warm French bread.

Our first appetizer was the tuna nicoise. It had a nice citrus flavor in addition to the fresh fish. Simple, yet a bit complex.

We also shared the chilled shrimp. The garlic aioli was a nice option to the cocktail sauce.

Stephanie’s entrée was the short rib on the bone with mushrooms duxelles and sauce au poivre. The meat was very tender and flavorful.

I had the halibut with peas. It basically tasted like spring and the fish was very light and delicious.

A side of pommes frites with ketchup and garlic aioli. The aioli was great with the fries.

And since we both love dessert was both had to order one. I had the vanilla crème brulee. Plenty of actual vanilla beans in this!

And the chocolate opera cake with espresso butter cream and candied almonds. The hazelnut ice cream was very rich tasting.

We both enjoyed Bellecour a lot. It feels a bit more casual than Spoon and Stable, maybe as it is in the suburbs or near the lake. I'm not sure exactly why. The prices are definitely on the high end, but the quality of the food is very high and you won’t be disappointed.  The service could have been a touch better, but our server was helpful and friendly throughout. I look forward to going back. I think if you order carefully and left off a couple courses, the total bill could be kept lower. The bar would also be a nice option for a quick snack or drink.


Bellecour
739 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 444-5200
https://bellecourrestaurant.com/

6Smith

Stephanie and I checked out 6Smith in Wayzata for our most recent dinner outing. Wayzata is a nice midpoint for both of us to meet and there are a lot of new dining options too. While 6Smith is no longer new, I had not visited for dinner in the main restaurant yet, just the rooftop last summer.

We started with a couple drinks, Stephanie’s Red rum drink looked very nice. It contained Sailor Jerry, Lola Belle rum, Aperol, lime juice, cranberry juice, Angostura and cherry bark vanilla bitters, topped with soda.

We started with the tuna poke, which was pretty standard: Ahi tuna, sesame & soy sauces, seaweed, avocado and wonton crisps. It tasted fresh and we liked the light, crisp chips.

I had a fish special and I can’t recall all of the details to save my life. I think it was Cajun seasoned with a cilantro cream and chili oil sauce. The fish was excellent- a bit spicy, but not overly so. The sauces added a nice fresh flavor.

Stephanie had the prime rib eye with the bacon jam and Fini cheddar fondue sauce added. The sauce was divine, not that the steak really needed it, it was great alone too, but the cheese was rich and creamy and you can’t go wrong with bacon of any kind.

We shared the French fries as a side. They were fresh, I am pretty sure made in house and came with béarnaise and truffle aioli . The truffle aioli was excellent too.

Our dessert was the butterscotch and chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and a warm cookie and some caramel drizzled over the sides. It was quite good.

Overall, the service was excellent. Our server checked with us often and we never waited for a thing, though we did not feel rushed and were given plenty of time to visit. The dining room has large windows facing the lake letting in lots of light and an industrial feel throughout.  I enjoyed everything about 6Smith and I look forward to returning when the weather is warmer so we can sit outdoors and enjoy the lake view.


6Smith
294 East Grove Lane
Wayzata, MN 55391
Wayzata Bay, Lake Minnetonka
952-698-7900
http://www.6smith.com/

COV Wayzata

My friend Angie and I met at COV in Wayzata for a recent get together during happy hour. It was busy when I arrived, but I got one of the booths on the side of the bar.

Our server was very nice and checked back with us frequently. I was impressed considering it was just happy hour. The good service did make the think it would be a great place for lunch or dinner though.

The sesame ahi tuna for $9. It was very good and a decent portion for the very nice price. 

chicken tenders $7

The chicken flatbread for $9 was a very generous portion.

truffle fries for $5

We had a fun time visiting and enjoyed our appetizers and drinks a lot. I'd highly recommend this happy hour and it makes me want to return to try items on the regular menu. The food quality and service all seemed to be top notch.

Deals & discounts: The happy hour is very good with food and drink specials. It runs M-F 3-6pm and Saturday 10-5 in the bar area only. Check website for current happy hour menu.
http://www.covwayzata.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/COV_HappyHour11.16_full.pdf


COV
700 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 473-5253
http://www.covwayzata.com/

Sushi Fix Restaurant

Sushi Fix started out as a food truck coming to the streets of downtown Minneapolis a few years ago. After the food truck became a major success the owner found a spot in Wayzata to open a brick and mortar location in 2012. They have already expended the restaurant and we just recently visited for the first time. I really need to work on getting to new places when they first open. Or at least in the first year.

I started with the Sunshine cocktail that contained orange calpico, grand mariner and soda. It was a bit sweet, but not overly so. John had a draft Saporro. They had a variety of interesting Japanese beers available.

We had the goyza for our appetizer. They were very crisp and delicious with a nice soy dipping sauce.

 The sashimi trip included salmon, tuna and yellowtail. The fish was very delicious and fresh tasting.

Our sushi roll was the Ay Carumba Mexican roll with salmon, tuna hamachi, cilantro, avocado, and cucumber with ponzu sauce, wasabi aoli and chili oil. This was a spicier roll, but not overly spicy, so we both liked it a lot.

The restaurant wasn't too busy when we arrived, but it was fairly early in the evening on  a Friday night. It was much busier by the time we left an hour later. We were seated right away and the service was fine, noting particularly memorable. The food and drinks were all excellent, the fish was all very fresh and well prepared. The prices seemed a bit high, but I suppose that is to be expected for sushi in Minnesota, as everything has to be flown in. I enjoyed Sushi Fix and I thought I would as I liked the truck a lot also. I look forward to going back soon.

Sushi Fix
862 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 473-1364
http://www.sushifix.net

Maggie's Restaurant

We visited Maggie's for breakfast last weekend. We went because we had a discount card from the Metro Dining Club and thought it might be a hidden gem. Turns out it is just inexpensive, average food, which is not a bad thing necessarily.

We seated ourselves when we arrived, as directed, and most tables were full except for the row near the kitchen. The service was brisk and we never really waited long for anything, including our food.

John had eggs, hash browns, bacon and sourdough toast. The hash browns were crispy, but didn't taste like freshly grated potatoes, likely frozen.

John didn't think the sourdough toast was sourdough at all, probably just white bread. SO that was disappointing.

I had the pancakes, with two eggs over medium with sausage and bacon. The bacon was average quality and the sausage tasted OK but was nothing special. The pancakes were pretty light and fluffy but nothing amazing either.

While we were not impressed with the food, there was nothing really wrong with it. It is a good place for inexpensive food at a place you can get in and out of pretty quickly.

Deals & discounts: We used the monthly punch card from the Metro Dining Club good for one complimentary menu selection when a second election of equal or greater value is purchased, good for up to $6 off per month.


Maggie's Restaurant
844 Lake St, Wayzata Village Shops
Wayzata, MN 55391
(952) 476-0840
http://wayzatamaggies.com

6Smith

We visited 6Smith for a happy hour on the patio recently. Oddly, there are not that many places with patio seating on the lake in Wayzata. 6Smith certainly has a great patio right on the marina. I should have taken a photo of the view. The patio is on the second floor with a separate bar and small kitchen. There is also another patio on the first floor off the bar.

The calamari with Thai dipping sauce was good, though the dipping sauce was very salty and soy sauce based. The calamari was cooked perfectly though.

The sticky balsamic glazed ribs were very flavorful, but they were cold when they arrived. I’m not sure if they were supposed to be warm or not. I think they would have tasted better hot. The meat was tender and the sauce was very sweet with a little bit of spice.

The smoked chicken wings were quite good. The tamari glaze added just a bit of spice, however they tasted awfully salty. Probably because tamari is a soy sauce.

The drinks were quite good; I had a margarita and a Moscow mule. John had a couple of Pacificos, which was available on tap.

The rooftop menu has several lobster options, a variety of appetizers, salads and sandwiches as well as fresh oysters daily. The menu for the main restaurant is more steak and meant centric in addition to the items mentioned above.

One note: while there is a large parking lot, it seems to fill up quickly and we found valet parking was really the only option. Maybe if you arrive really early you will get a parking place though.

Deals & Discounts: There is a happy hour in the bar on the first floor, but no deals on the rooftop. The happy hour might be new as I did not see anything about it on the website before we went. Might have to go back and check it out.


6Smith
294 East Grove Lane
Wayzata, MN 55391
Wayzata Bay, Lake Minnetonka
952-698-7900