Modern Cafe celebrating 20 years

When a restaurant is as firmly entrenched in the city's dining-out psyche as the Modern Cafe, it's easy to take it for granted.

But given its influential track record, the restaurant that everyone shorthands to "the Modern" deserves better. Ever since the day in 1994 when Jim and Patty Grell opened their contemporary diner in the home of the beloved Rabatin's Northeast Cafe, the Modern has played a key role in reviving the neighborhood and the Twin Cities' food-and-drink scene.

Twenty years in the restaurant industry is a milestone worthy of a major celebration, and the Grells are delivering just that, with a series of celebratory dinners taking place every night this week.

From Tuesday through Friday, the kitchen is setting aside its regular menu -- sorry, no pot roast -- and preparing a special six-course dinner. The evenings' dishes have been created by previous Modern chefs, who will also be spending specific evenings back in their old stomping grounds. Here's the rundown, dish-wise and chef-wise:

* Salmon with sweet corn polenta, yellow tomato puree and puffed farro salad by Phillip Becht of the soon-to-open Victor's on Water. Becht was at the Modern from 2003 to 2011, and he will be appearing Tuesday.

* Pork and beans, by Mike Phillips of Red Table Meat Co. Philips was at the Modern from 1995 to 1998, and he will be appearing Wednesday.

* Potato gnocchi, with pork confit and brown butter hollandaise by Scott Pampuch of the University of Minnesota. Pampuch was at the Modern from 1996 to 2003, and he will be appearing Thursday.

* Creamed corn, with smoked green tomato creme fraiche butter by Ella Wesenberg, who has been the Modern's chef de cuisine since 2009. She will be appearing Saturday.

* Dessert will include Donnay Dairy's Granite Ridge Chevre, Ames Farm honey and house-made chocolate truffles.

Price? A very Modern-esque $55. No reservations.

"It has been really fun to get all these chefs together," said Jim Grell, adding that each is going to contribute an amuse-bouche or two on the night they visit. "Mike is going to bring his slicer in, he's got a four-year-old prosciutto," said Grell. "And Matt is set on making Ritz crackers with peanut butter and pickles."

The bar will feature cocktails prepared with 45th Parallel spirits (including a demonstration on Saturday from the distillery's Scott Davis) and beers by Fulton Brewery.