On a recent visit to Minneapolis we spent a night at the Radisson Blu at the Mall Of America.  Given a fun weekend of the State Fair, grill-outs with friends and probably a little too much indulgence all the way around, we were ready for a quiet light dinner.  Luckily, the FireLake Grill House in the Radisson Blu was close and offered a ton of options.

Modern and rustic, the atmosphere is warm and comfortable.  There’s seating for small parties and large groups, but it all seems to fit together perfectly.  The aroma of wood-grilled meat and sweet cornbread swirled as we sat in a puffy leather booth.  The menu is pretty extensive heavy on the grilled/smoked meats.  There are beautiful small plates and salads as well with a focus on fresh local ingredients.  We started with the Chicken & Minnesota Wild Rice Soup and Heirloom Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella Salad.  Both were some of the best versions we’ve ever had!

Looking for lighter options for dinner, we ordered the Minnesota Salad (a wonderful blend of greens, bacon, corn, cranberries, tomatoes and rotisserie chicken) as well as the Asparagus Risotto (with asparagus, roasted tomatoes, herbs & mushrooms).  The fresh ingredients really were stars in these dishes.  Carefully crafted combinations created by the chef gave you mouthfuls of summer and happy bellies.  If those weren’t enough on their own, the CornBread Skillet made with heirloom polenta and served with honey butter made from their own bee hives on the hotel roof was a special treat.

Everything coming from the kitchen looked ridiculously good!  I can’t wait to make another trip and get my hands on there 12-hour smoked brisket and a bourbon on the rocks.  Whether you’re near the Mall Of America or in downtown Minneapolis, you should make it a point to have brunch, lunch or dinner here!  You can take a look at their menu at firelakerestaurant.com.