Duplex Restaurant and Wine Bar

Photos:

related items

Photos of 'Duplex' in Minneapolis

Two tiers of wine and fair-weather goodness

Camacho watching the Twin Cities

Local foodie and photog Katie Cannon shows you around

Couple a relaxing glass of wine with a great urban vibe, and that’s precisely what you get at Duplex Restaurant and Wine Bar in Uptown.

Countless times I’d driven past Duplex on Hennepin Avenue, usually so caught up in the bustle of traffic that the towering two-story house with its wide front porch had previously been just a blur. But my recent discovery of this urban gem, with its affordable wine and casual environment, ensures that the same mistake won’t be made again 

While Duplex is a wine bar, the wines by the glass options are not extensive. Instead, it’s the wines by the bottle that hold appeal as both varied in options and quite affordable. The list consists of almost 40 bottles offered starting at just $19 and topping out at $41 – perfect for sharing with a couple of friends.

The food menu provides options that cater to the casual diner, with appetizers and bar snacks like poutine, a burger or flatbread pizza, as well as to a diner looking for a more extensive meal, with pastas and full entrees like steak and pork dishes. Looking for a lighter meal, we sampled options from the bar menu and appetizers and, of course, a little housemade dessert and were overall satisfied with Duplex’s good food. 

Highlights were the gravlox and the steamed mussels from the appetizer menu. The gravlox, house cured salmon with an arugula and grapefruit salad was light and refreshing. But my personal favorite was the steamed mussels, which were served in a rich, subtly spicy broth brightened with plenty of chopped fresh ginger. While always a sucker for sweet potato fries, this generous portion fell short of expectation in both the fries and the accompanying aioli.

Warm evenings beg to be spent on the front porch while, equally as tempting, the cooler evenings call for a more intimate experience - cozying up inside among deeply red painted rooms. For a quick drink after work or dinner with friends, I’ll be sure to slow down and stop in again.

Add a comment