Cave Vin, Kings of Leon, and Roommate Date Night

Monday night was Roommate Date night. For her July birthday, I’d gotten Angie tickets to this week’s Kings of Leon show (yay!) at the Target Center (meh), which just so happens to have fallen smack dab in the middle of Restaurant Week here in the Twin Cities. That being the case, we opted for a romantic little dinner before the dance-tastic show.

I know. We’re so cute.

So, where to eat?

I worked out nicely that three-blocks-from-home Cavé Vin (cavé means ‘cellar’ or ‘cave’ as we learned) is a participant in this season’s Restaurant Week, so we headed there for pre-show eats.

Initially, the server accidentally brought us their regular menu instead of the prix fixetasting menu for the week. Let me tell you… I can’t even explain how delicious it looked. There was a King Crab Gnocchi I wanted to devour and a Crab-Crusted Halibut I was basically drooled over.

See a pattern here? I kind of LOVE crab.

Unfortunately, this was not the correct menu, and the real Restaurant Week offerings were slightly less funtastic.

I had calamari (no better or worse than calamari anywhere else), Pan-Seared Halibut with Grilled Veggies (tasty), and Flourless Chocolate Cake (my second favorite dessert, barely behind Palomino‘s Tiramisu). Angie had the lamb that was so tender it pretty much just fell off the bone, and – according to her – was just scrumptious.

We also split a bottle of wine because they’re HALF-PRICE on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Mental notes for later: We did not realize this neighborly place had a cute little bar and a HALF-PRICE WINE NIGHT two nights a week (!!!), but upon learning that and experiencing some superfriendly service, we vowed we’d walk up here (and stumble home) more frequently.

And onto the show…

The Kings of Leon show was AMAZING. We had floor tickets, which absolutely rocked not because I had to be front and center so as to be sweat on by shaggy, sexy rockstars, but because I GOTTA DANCE.

And this was definitely a dance-tastic show. You can’t NOT move to those grooves. Despite a somewhat sick band (so they told us), they played a killer show – loud, energetic, and Caleb’s voice makes me absolutely melt. Angie and I had a blast hanging with BrityR (a former colleague, total makeup guru, and fellow yogi student friend), her hubby and their friends. Who were cute. And awesome. And fun.

Naturally, my favorite tunes were Fans and Manhattan because, well those are my favorites anyway. Charmer was just unreal, though – LOUD and with these crazy videos over the stage of this 50′s-esque June Cleaver-looking woman screaming in hypercolor on cue with the scream in the song. Kind of creepy, super cool.

Great, great date night – cute little neighborhood restaurant and awesome rock show. I’d have – naturally – loved to have seen them at oh, say… First Ave., instead of the Target Center. But oh well – I’ll add ‘em to my list of great shows, and bands I’ll definitely see again (hopefully outdoors sometime).

Now, I’m just hoping to get to at least ONE more restaurant during this tasting week. I’m getting to The Oceanaire tonight, but that’s a business/work dinner.  I’m thinking eitherMasa or La Belle Vie if I can still get in.

Anyone free on Friday night and want to join me (provided they’re not booked solid)?

See? I still have time for a social life while working, freelancing, yogi-student-ing, eating and sleeping.

Right?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As a side note, Leif is kicking ass at this tasting week thing, trying a ton of of places for lunch and dinner, and he writes the dirtiest, most delicious reviews that make me want to dive naked and roll around in flourless chocolate cake.

Oh wait. I’d do that anyway.

Ok, seriously – go read his reviews. He’s already covered Cosmos, done a way more comprehensive review than mine of Cave Vin (with pictures!), The Capital Grille, Cafe Ena, and Sea Change. He’s a much savvier food critic than I am (me: food! Yum! Nom!; him: words that adequately describe food and and make you feel like you need a cigarette).

Tagged as: Cave Vin, concerts, Kings of Leon, Minneapolis, Target Center