Everybody loves Maude

Don't take my word on the Hannah Montana-like popularity of Cafe Maude. Pick up the phone and try to talk your way into a 7:30 p.m. four-top. You'll have better odds persuading Gov. Tim Pawlenty to endorse a Hillary Clinton presidency.

After hearing several disappointing rounds of "I'm sorry" to my request for a prime-time table (on some not-so-prime nights), I had a brainstorm. Thinking I'd do an end run around the throngs, I tapped my early bird within and took aim at 5:30. I mean, who eats at 5:30, right? I hit redial. "I can't do 5:30, but I can get you in at 5," said the polite voice at the other end of the line. Sheesh. Five? On a Wednesday night? Of course I took it. And I felt fortunate.

Owner Kevin Sheehy cut his teeth on Dunn Bros. coffeehouse franchises, and his winning formula for his first full-service restaurant has struck a chord in southwest Minneapolis. Much of the appeal lies in chef Jason Ross' accessible, eat-drink-and-encourage-merriment menu.

"They really ought to call this place 'Cafe Appetizer,'" said my friend as he perused the menu, and you know what? He has a point. Ross shies away from the all-too-common urge to offer something for everyone. Instead, he wisely tightens his focus. Ross hasn't reinvented dining out, but his achievement lies in composing a collection of easygoing, boldly flavored dishes that are a pleasure to eat, especially in the company of a table full of friends.

It seems a bit backward to start with side dishes, but that's where my appetite always seems to wander at Cafe Maude: sprightly couscous blended with grilled vegetables and a cool cucumber yogurt; long, deeply brown fries paired not with ketchup, but a mild cheese sauce; a gorgeous plate of braised, lemon-kissed Swiss chard and thin shards of Parmesan; a beautiful handful of marinated olives. I love the small but well-chosen cheese selection, each choice paired with a tasty accompaniment.

The flatbreads are long oval things generously topped with simpatico combinations, from a hearty duck confit with pungent blue cheese to a savory Sicilian-style eggplant stew flecked with mellow goat cheese. Three salads are noteworthy for their fresh flavors and abundant portions. Smoky bacon and ripe avocado are finishing touches on a thick corn chowder laced with a teasing, spicy heat.

Next, I graze my way through the half-dozen small plates. Beef carpaccio is a real knockout with its flurry of flavors -- curry, coriander, horseradish. A hearty hash has surprising chorizo and grilled octopus accents. Crab cakes rank among the best in town, moist and whistling with sweet crab flavor. Only the croquettes, the season's "it" appetizer, were uncharacteristically dull.

Lunch -- busy, but not nearly as frenzied as the evening rush -- is a shorthand version of dinner, with the addition of a few well-made panini and the entire breakfast menu. Purists can stick with two-eggs-any-style and pancakes, but those seeking to extricate themselves from an a.m. rut can dive into the daily eggs Benedict variation (I scarfed down a recent mix of roasted mushrooms and red peppers, nicely poached eggs and baguette slices). There was plenty of smoked salmon in a colorful omelet also brimming with asparagus and cool dilled yogurt. Ginger and sweet berries add zing to French toast, and no one need settle for brown sugar in their oatmeal when it can be enriched with pine nuts and a dash of garam masala. The a.m. baked goods are the equal of the handsome desserts, which include a warm chocolate cake crowned with pistachio ice cream and a miraculously light cheesecake finished with a puckery lemon bite.

Other assets? The setting, for starters, which manages to feel larger than it is. All vestiges of the former Connor's Delicatessen and Bakery have been swept aside, replaced by a lively mix of tables and booths, a roomy central bar, an attractive jewel-toned color scheme, lots of soft velvet and a melange of quirky light fixtures.

That bar is a major selling point, too, its constantly-in-motion mixologists shaking up a long list of inventive, looky cocktails, including an admirable number of booze-free options. There's an ambitious live jazz roster. Prices are right on the money, too: The kitchen practically resides in the bargain basement, staying south of $14.

The name on the door is an homage to Maude Armatage, an early civic-minded Minneapolitan. I can't help but think that she would be pleased and flattered by this welcome addition to her beloved city. My only question: Could she get a reservation?

Rick Nelson • 612-673-4757