Celestial Solera

Long-awaited Tapas bar outshines the sun

A A A Comments By Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl Wednesday, Aug 27 2003

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Bill Kelley

Here's to Us (and Them): Reveling in restaurant nirvana at Solera

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Solera Restaurant & Event Center

900 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Minneapolis (Downtown)

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I think the moment that I actually stopped worrying about Solera's ability to succeed and started really enjoying it was one night when I noticed who was at the nearest two tables to me in the back dining room. One table held the youngest looking couple, sharing the cheapest bottle of white Rioja ($16) over those spicy, peppery, lemony calamari and looking for all the world like a Norman Rockwell painting--except set in Barcelona. The other table held a party of eight that looked for all the world like your average after-softball, work-type gathering, everybody drinking light beers and eating salty snacks, concluding the meal with a few of those five-star desserts, one of which had a candle melted onto the plate. I then eavesdropped enough to hear them decide the bill came to $28 each.

I looked around and realized: By golly, this is Them and Us, in happy harmony. If all of Us take a few years and get used to This, to fine-dining quality at chain-dining prices, why--why, you know what? Then I can get to prognosticating and predicting again! Because if this becomes normal, imagine how great things will be in 10 years! Every day will be like heaven and the circus all in one. It could change everything.

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