Chef Fischer and Me
It’s always unfortunate when New Jersey loses talented chefs to other states. I was sad to see Chef Tim Fischer leave the Garden State but when I found out it was to relocate back home to Minnesota I was relived as I knew I’d get to sample his delicious food yet again. My company’s headquarters are in Minneapolis and on a recent team meeting up, I messaged Chef Fischer to see where he’d landed so I could plan our team dinner wherever he was working and the response I received was “can’t announce it just yet, but I will very soon”. I was disappointed and booked dinner at the Loews Minneapolis at a place called Cosmos. Fast forward two days and I get a note from Chef Fischer “I’m the new Executive Chef at the Loews”. Call it karma! (Get to know Chef Fischer by reading the Chef Spotlight I did on him).
The Famous Oyster
Out team of six made its way to Cosmos on a week night and were warmly greeted by our hosts, the hotel’s leisure sales manager (our team manages a hotel program that Loews is a member of) and Chef Fischer. What a treat to learn he’d be spoiling us with a tasting dinner featuring some of the dishes he’d be including on his new menu.
To start our gastronomical experience, Chef Fischer presented us with a real treat – one of my favorite dishes of 2013 he’d made at a vintage Champagne dinner I’d attended at his former employer, Crystal Springs Resort – an oyster topped with a luscious sabayon and gilded with three caviars. If you’ve seen the animated movie Ratatouille, when I tasted that oyster again, I had a moment similar to Anton Ego’s, the restaurant critic, as he tasted the ratatouille. Briny, creamy, texturally-perfect – a fantastic way to begin our meal.
Burrata
We enjoyed a sampling of Chef Fischer’s creations throughout the meal and a super starter was the incredibly-fresh Burrata with heirloom tomatoes and basil sorbet with olive oil “caviar”, a traditional dish that screamed “inventive” with the use of the sorbet and caviar.
Next came a fish course with some expertly-cooked steelhead trout over baby beets and halibut served with fava beans. Both fish were pristinely fresh and some of the finest our team’s had.
Steelhead Trout
A cook after my own heart, Chef Fischer served us a sizeable portion of seared foie gras from Minnesota….delectable, rich, praise-worthy.
Next came a surf & turf featuring beautifully-rare bison tenderloin paired with butter-poached lobster over creamy grits. The meat was fork-tender and the rich pan sauce served with it was an ideal complement.
Desserts were masterpieces and a favorite was the decadent chocolate ganache concoction reminiscent of a s’mores with Graham cracker dust and sea salt ice cream.
Bison
The setting at Cosmos was elegant yet comfortable and I understand the dining room will get some upgrades to reflect Loews’ contemporary feel. Our group visits many hotel properties as part of its job and all of us were surprised to hear the hotel hadn’t been remodeled in some time as it appeared in immaculate shape.
Since we visited, Chef Fischer has officially launched his new menu to the fortunate guests who frequent Cosmos. His passion and love for Minnesota are apparent at every tasty turn of the menu’s pages.
Chocolate Ganache
For what is likely the best meal in Minneapolis, be sure to come visit this talented team. I know my future trips to headquarters will be a lot more fun to make, even in winter, knowing I’ll be dining at Cosmos.
Loews Minneapolis – 601 1st Ave N., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403.
Cheers,
Veronique
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