La Belle Vie makes its move - and hits its mark

Last update: December 28, 2005 - 5:06 PM

Tim McKee and Josh Thoma spent several frustrating years scouting for a downtown Minneapolis location for La Belle Vie, the high-end Stillwater restaurant they opened in 1998. Apparently, all good things are worth the wait, because by moving into the old-money digs formerly occupied by the 510 Restaurant, McKee and Thoma have propelled their Mediterranean-flavored restaurant to even higher levels of opulence and refinement.

The exquisitely renewed space only seems to have enhanced McKee's prodigious culinary gifts, best experienced in sumptuous five- or eight-course extravaganzas. But there's more. From the pop of the first champagne cork, LBV's posh new lounge ascended to the city's top address for a quiet tête-à-tête, glossy bar snack -- you've never had a better potato chip or grilled-cheese sandwich -- and smartly crafted cocktail. Approachable and affordable, it's an ideal introduction to one of the state's great restaurants.

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