When Wischermann Partners acquired the Elliot Park Hotel in Minneapolis over a year ago, the group set out to revamp both the hotel and its Italian restaurant, Tavola. “With our new management and new ownership, we're really focusing on elevating the entire experience,” says Jeremy Abramson, general manager at Elliot Park Hotel and vice president of operations at Wischermann Partners.
This included the hiring of Erick Garcia, a chef with a background of culinary excellence. “He grew up in and received his degree in Mexico City, one of the best culinary cities in the world. He was the chef at our other restaurant, Lela, in Bloomington, and prior to that, he was in Miami, working with the Williams Island Country Club and the Faena Hotel,” says Jeremy. “He was able to bring that depth of experience to Tavola.”
One of things that makes Chef Erick stand out is his dedication to his team. “Erick is the first to train,” he says. “He wants his team to succeed. He also wants to speak to the guests. He has an entrepreneurial spirit where he goes into a restaurant and treats it like it's his.”
He also has an unwavering commitment to quality when it comes to the freshness of ingredients, working with local farms and high-end fish and meat suppliers. This high quality is reflected in the revamped menu that launched in September. “We wanted to make sure Erick had his spin on the recipes and that he's comfortable with how everything's being made.”
Chef Erick didn’t change the entire menu, but instead reviewed every offering to make sure they complemented the hotel, the restaurant, and most importantly, the guests.
“He probably changed about 50% of the menu,” says Jeremy. “We've added about four new pastas that are all freshly made in-house.”
There is also a wood-fired pizza oven in the middle of the restaurant that is very popular with both restaurant and hotel guests. Since the hotel’s large number of business travelers sometimes arrive late at night and need something hot and delicious to eat, pizzas are made until 11:00 pm. Room service is also offered until that time so that hotel guests can get a pizza or pasta dish delivered straight to their rooms.
During the day, Tavola, with its wall of glass windows, is light and bright as well as open and comfortable.
“The intent of the design is meant to invoke a feeling of comfort and make guests feel very much at home when they're here,” he says. “Our service and staff are rooted in awareness and focus on making the experience special for them.”
Whether coming in for a weekday lunch, a Sunday night supper, or celebrating a special occasion, Tavola will not disappoint. Even though it’s located in a hotel, it still has that cozy, neighborhood restaurant feel.
“We want to make it inclusive for all of our guests, so if a business traveler is coming in and they want something healthy or hearty, they can have that. If a local wants the best pasta, they can have that as well.”
While the food is well thought out, so are the beverages. Tavola actually just received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. “We have a little over a hundred wines on the list right now – everything from an approachable glass of California pinot noir all the way up to the world's best producers in Italy, France, and the US. We also have 50 wines by the glass, which is very uncommon. To celebrate all we offer, we have a new type of Wine Wednesday, promoting 25% off all bottles of wine in the restaurant.”
The hand-crafted cocktail menu is changed out seasonally. “We have a fantastic bar team who creates our regular cocktails as well as our seasonal cocktails. They use fresh, simple syrups, and we make all of our own juices in-house. Right now, our theme is Minneapolis art, and we have a beautiful art-themed cocktail book that we designed ourselves with Liz Watters, based on sculptures, artists, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.” This winter, Tavola is looking into a new concept that will celebrate Minnesota’s bold winters.
With so many repeat guests, Jeremy and his team want to be able to offer new and exciting menu items. “We have a great neighborhood around us, and get a lot of locals coming in again and again. They've enjoyed the fact that every couple of months, we are adding new things for them to try, so it never gets stale. The newer menu items will be available during Restaurant Week in October.”
“Everything we do is very thoughtful,” he says. “Our approach to the food, the wine, and the cocktails is a good representation of who we are.”
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