Michael Kelly
Google
Restaurant week here was a disappointment, even though the menu looked promising. Restaurant week is normally a showing of the most popular dishes or menu featured items so that diners have the opportunity to try one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. In this case Lela chose only non-menu items that tasted poorly mass produced for RW, which normally isn't an issue but none of what we ordered was very good in general. Flavor just wasn't there with most of the entrees, portions were smaller which isn't uncommon for MN RW but come on, $45 for a tasting menu, where 80% of it isn't good, yikes!
We split a regular calamari appetizer while waiting for our RW menus. I had the braised short rib, while the tricolor carrots and mashed potatoes offered some flavor, the 'braised short rib' was devoid of it. It really needed some seasoning or salt, there was none at the table, so it was very bland. Everyone that had this at the table agreed it was very mid, flavorless, literally tasted like a crockpot recipe I could do at home, and I am not a cook whatsoever. My friend Lindsay ordered the sword fish and it was TERRIBLE, possibly the worst fish entree I've tried in years. The fish was unbelievably fishy and spongey, it gave off frozen fish steak defrosted in the microwave vibes. Also there was no cauliflower puree to speak of, mostly just clam velouté, the spring vegetables were abysmal. There were a handful of peas and a couple of asparagus tips in white sauce. Not an impressive dish, should have never been added to the menu, quality appalling.
Desserts were good, I had the cookie skillet, others got the crème brûlée. All in all I would recommend passing on Lela Restaurant Week, the servers were not prepared for the rush of the event and didn't even really know restaurant week was happening, we had to ask for the RW menus two to three times. Server also gave attitude when my friend had to return her inedible fish. Not a great RW experience unfortunately!
(Update: my other friend Leah who also ordered the sword fish got violently ill the next day, this is not okay; I suspect food poisoning from the bad fish, I wonder how many other people got sick that night!)