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Uptown Cafeteria is tray chic, but can it keep up the pace?

Hennepin and Lake gets another Parasole joint

A A A Comments (5) By Rachel Hutton Wednesday, Aug 18 2010

Alma Guzman

A new spin on an old idea: the Cafeteria's dessert case

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Uptown Cafeteria and Support Group
3001 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
612.877.7263; www.uptowncafeteria.com
appetizers $7-$10, entrees $9-$20

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If anyone can get away with being over the top—the audacity of a $13 hot dog, the grossness of a photographic close-up of a lunch lady's locks tucked into a hairnet—it is Parasole. Now that Cafeteria has joined Il Gatto and Chino Latino at Lake and Hennepin, they've essentially cornered the market. As one restaurant insider put it to me, these guys "own" Uptown. "They are a bunch of old farts, but they are good with their marketing. If there is one thing they know how to do, it's sell food to kids."

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Will 08/28/2010 6:27:00 PM

You failed to mention or realize all those amazing desserts in the rotating case are, aside from two kinds of layer cakes, fake and not on the menu. It's false advertising at its worse, down right stupid, and heart breaking to order one of those pretty pastel things and have your waitress tell you they're just for show. My three year old nephew was utterly confused that the waitress said they didn't have green cupcakes. He assured her they did and made a rotating motion with his fingers to imitate the case. They should either have real desserts in there, or models of ones they actually serve, or turn it into a post modern display case for art or kitschy objets du arts or something. Will www.aTreasuryOf.com

Stephanie 08/27/2010 1:41:00 AM

I, myself, was not impressed with the menu items either. I ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna off the appetizer portion of the menu, and it was not tasteful at all. They didn't have wasabi to offer with the item either. Also, the skybar was great until the sun went down, and I still wanted to see my food. Did you see any lights coming up as the sun was going down? I sure didn't. Apparently they want people to eat in the dark.

Lando 08/20/2010 3:34:00 AM

Cafeteria is all concept; facade and facetiousness in favor of flavor and competent service. I don't want a surf-shop brat who thinks I'm paying to notice how uniquely she's able to accessorize (check minus btw: everyone seems to be taking their fashion cues from the hard edge of the Disney channel) and how insincere, bored, and barely-alive she can be. What kind of malfunction is doing the hiring here? And for a place that is only selling an appearance that you can join in on, a skybar that closes at or before midnight is downright suburban. But the creme da la creme of the massive fail that Cafeteria is has got to be the food. Kitschy midwestern basement-style comfort food isn't ironic when it's just bad. Take your disco fries back to Studio 54 and chew on them while you continue to not get inside. And if the only thing you run out of is the beet salad, stop trying to pedal unpalatable colon crammers to a clientele that craves substance rather than getting substantial. No one wants to be the loser who would actually eat this food. Especially in Uptown, where (most) people indulge their superficiality without succumbing to it.

Russ 08/19/2010 11:02:00 PM

"Would the girl wait? Storm off? Slap him?" a casual phrase to describe a scene..almost an assumed possibility....would we be as casual if he slapped her instead ????

EastCoastDoug 08/19/2010 8:29:00 AM

I am soooo tired of reviews of corporate resturants. I guess 20'somethings are willing to spend their hard earned money on the crap you review - and try to put a positive spin on food that may not be any better than Stoffers or Maries Calanders. I think you should add to your reviews: The owner of the resturant, how many other resturants they own, names of the other resturants, and if they are a pubilicay traded company. IMO, many of the resturants you review, are just a cut above the Lunds / Kowalski's deli.

Uptown Cafeteria is tray chic, but can it keep up the pace?

Hennepin and Lake gets another Parasole joint

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