What a refreshing surprise to see how the Graves 601 Hotel, that bastion of contemporary chic, has glanced back nearly a century for inspiration. Bradstreet Crafthouse Restaurant, the hotel's slick new first-floor bar/cafe, takes its visual cues from John S. Bradstreet, a Minneapolis decorator and furnituremaker hailed as an "evangelist of good taste" and an influential design guru for more than 40 years until his death in 1914.
In other words, he was the Billy Beson of his time. But this is no period room. Bradstreetian Moorish-Japanese-Arts and Crafts touches -- lots of dark, intricately carved woods -- have been superimposed over the slick surfaces of the former Infinity Lounge, an old-meets-new look that's unlike any other watering hole in town.
Staying within a small-plates framework, chef Jesse Spitzack offers both the usual suspects -- cured meats, cheeses, marinated olives, sliders, crab cakes -- as well as a number of more distinctive alternatives, including duck wings, soy-glazed lamb ribs, pastry-wrapped foie gras, a small bison steak and a fizzy float made with lemon gelato and house-made lime soda. The bar lavishes all kinds of time and attention on its cocktails (even basic building blocks such as ice are regarded as a thing of beauty), and here's the best news of all: Most food and drink items land in the $10-and-under category. One look at the sepia-toned images of Bradstreet's lavish residence and workshop suggest that the word "discount" had no place in his vocabulary. Given today's economic conditions, this diner is pleased to see that the Graves hasn't embraced that aspect of Mr. B's business.
RICK NELSON
