Another iconic Minneapolis restaurant is shutting down in September. After 23 years, Café & Bar Lurcat, located alongside Loring Park, will turn off the lights and end an era of dining in the Twin Cities.
The reaction about the iconic restaurant and bar shutting down was met with unhappiness from the public. The space was always gorgeous, and diners were met with gorgeous park and city views along with their always excellent service - and that sea bass.
"I am bummed about it," says Lindsey. "Yeah, of course I'm bummed. You know, it's like I said, I work upstairs and I am bummed about it. They had some really good sea bass that I always used to get all the time or just go in and grab some drinks with friends, sit at the bar or grab some snacks or food."
“For 23 years, Café & Bar Lurcat has been a beacon of celebration, a space where every meal is a memory, and guests are family,” says co-owner Richard D’Amico in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our staff, whose dedication, passion, and skill have made every experience extraordinary.”
"We read that it was like Prince's favorite restaurant, and yeah, so it's it's definitely weird that it's closing," Olivia told WCCO.
They join some other longtime staples around the city, including Palmer's Bar and Annie's Parlour that have announced closures just in the last week.
"Yeah, you do feel like you're losing a part of what makes the neighborhood meaningful," notes Matt.
The closure will occur September 5th as ownership decided not to renew their lease.
The establishment located in Loring Park has also been a celebrity hot spot. Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, and Prince have all dined there.
The news was met with sadness - but not surprise - from local resident Lindsey.
"I wasn't super surprised because I feel like it wasn't used as much like during the day," she says. "A lot of people wanted to go for lunch sometimes, and it wasn't open till later, like in the day, like 4:00 or 5:00. So, especially in the summertime, maybe they could open earlier and people could go for lunch or drinks."
From now until they close, the restaurant will roll out a special menu featuring beloved dishes from their past.
WCCO's Jason DeRusha and Minnesota Monthly food contributor Jason DeRusha shares that Lurcat, which was a D'Amico restaurant, was the last full-service restaurant from the famed Minnesota food family left in the state. They have now moved all their full-service operations to Naples, Florida, where the family now lives. Their history in Minnesota dates back to 1982 with D’Amico Cucina but the closure of Lurcat ends that chapter.
DeRusha also pointed out that they helped launch the careers of some of the Twin Cities' most famous "chefs" over the years, including Jay Sparks, Joan Ferris, Tim McKee, JP Samuelson, Lenny Russo, Jon Hunt, John Occhiato, Doug Flicker, Jordan Smith, Mike DeCamp, Jordan Swiler, Anoush Ansari, and Bill Summerville.