Italian cuisine is scheduled for a six-round culinary bout against Midwestern newcomer Canyon Grille October 4 in Eden Prairie, in what is billed as an Italian Wine Dinner, and we are predicting a knockout. After the Champagne reception and passed tapas (Round 1), and a salad course of haricots verts and tomato tartare (Round 2), the Italian culinary tradition will face a heavy pounding in Round 3, when the Canyon Grille will dish up a course of pork tenderloin stuffed with sweet basil, smoked ham, aged Swiss cheese and asparagus, wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and served with pancetta pasta.
I don’t think Italian cucina has ever met an opponent like this before – back in Italy, fine dining usually proceeds in small courses from antipasti to pasta, with perhaps a small fish course and a small meat course, salad and dolci – dessert.
Next comes cheese tortellini tossed with pork osso bucco. The little Italian guy won’t even know what hit him – in Italy, osso bucco is a veal shank, prized for its marrow. Pork instead? Okay, but if they toss tortellini with a pork shank, somebody could get hurt.
If the scrappy Italian answers the bell for Round 5, he’ll be facing a Tuscan fennel crusted ribeye steak, served with “mascarpone mashed” (potatoes?) and eggplant Parmesan. If that isn’t enough to drop him to the canvas, you can expect the Berry-misu dessert to deliver the coup de grace. Or maybe that will arrive with the bill – $85 per person, plus tax and 17 percent tip – adding up to over $100. That does include wine with every course – and there should be enough leftovers to fill a good-sized doggy bag.
For reservations, call 952-767-4000.
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