Bank

Banks are about delayed gratification: today’s pleasure denied for a better tomorrow. And hotel restaurants often aren’t about gratification at all: You are a stranger in a strange town, you’re tired, you’re hungry and you’re on an expense account, so why not just eat here? But Bank, the upscale dining room in the new Westin Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, offers ample hedonistic gratifications in a stunning setting: The WPA-era lobby of the former Farmers and Mechanics Bank, with its high ceilings, copper chandeliers, and dark wood-paneled walls, has been transformed into an elegant and romantic dining space.

The menu gets a bit too cute, listing entrées as “long-term interest” and appetizers as “shared currency,” but chef Todd Stein’s “modern American” cuisine is impressive. Stein, formerly executive chef at Chicago’s highly rated MK, incorporates French technique and Asian accents in dishes such as wok-steamed mussels served in a subtle Kaffir lime broth; five-spice rubbed duck breast with frisée, mizuna, and poached egg; and spit-roasted Berkshire pork with apple-braised pork belly, poached leeks and Chinese long beans.

The salmon tartar is the love child of Japanese sushi and French steak tartar (which itself originated with Tartar horsemen who thundered across the steppes with raw meat under their saddles). Stein’s nuanced rendition combines the salmon with mango and avocado and pairs that with a tuna poke (pronounced pok-eh), a Hawaiian dish of marinated raw fish prepared with pine nuts, apple, sesame, chili, and mint; both are presented on silver tasting spoons.

At its best, the taste experience is sublime. The poached lobster and risotto croquettes with truffle butter are a marvel of contrasting textures and subtle flavors; the lamb with braised white beans and ratatouille is more robust but no less satisfying. The grilled salmon with spring asparagus, ramps, and trumpet royale mushrooms lost a few points for excessive charring, but was otherwise a delightful springtime dish. Among the few off-notes were scallops lacking the sweet succulence of the very best, and deviled eggs with sturgeon and tobiko caviar that were just ho-hum. The wine list is pricey (mostly $40-plus), with limited choices by the glass. Breakfast runs $7-$16, lunch $9-14, and dinner entrees $21-$32. 88 Sixth St. S., Minneapolis, 612-656-3255; www.bankmpls.com


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