Restaurant Review: Victory 44

On Tuesday night, we decided to give Victory 44 a try.  This little gem is located in the Camden neighborhood in Minneapolis, not an area we normally go to eat.  What enticed us to venture up there was the 2 for 1 tasting menu on Tuesday nights.  It was a great opportunity to see what the chefs were capable of, and they proved that they were capable of quite a lot!  Sorry for the lack of pictures, but my dining companions do not appreciate the flash. 

Food-- We had a five course meal, and every course was incredibly good.  We started out with a sweet potato bisque topped with marshmallow blended with a bit of jalapeno.  I am the girl who would never eat the sweet potatoes topped with marshmallow at Thanksgiving, and I have to say the flavors in this soup were interesting, complex and very tasty! I also liked the different textures from the soup to the marshmallows to the almonds on the better.  Our favorite course was the scallops crude.  I ate a raw sushi grade scallop for the first time and it was buttery and delicious.  The scallops were served with thinly sliced radish, bits of pork bellow, kumquat jelly and jalapeno puree and every bite had a unique and interesting flavor depending on what you scooped up with the scallop.  The dessert course was a dessert platter and our favorites were salted caramel topped with white chocolate flakes and a fudge brownie topped with peanut butter whipped cream.  The other courses were delicious and I could go on and on, but this post would be incredibly long!

Prices-- Victory 44 specializes in small plate dining, but all of the small plates are very reasonably priced, especially considering the care that goes into each dish.  I love trying food, so the small plates are ideal for me, however you are not going to get a massive plate of pasta at a place like Victory 44.

Atmosphere-- The best way to describe Victory 44 is unpretentious.  You seat yourself if there are available tables.  The decor is minimal and simple, which I really do no mind.  I really liked the chalkboard menu.

Service--  The service was the best part besides the food.  When the server or the chef (who delivered and inquired about one of our courses) asked how the food was, they genuinely wanted to hear our answers and cared about our response.  They were great about answering our questions and explaining what each course was.

Cons--  The wine list was a little short and I would make sure to sit towards the back of the restaurant as the doors opening and closing created quite the draft.  Other than that--I really have no complaints.

Would I go back?  Definitely.  In fact, I can't wait to go back and try a few different dishes on the menu.  I felt like it was the kind of place that I want to become a regular at.