Sneak peek: New restaurant in downtown Minneapolis' Hotel Ivy has NYC pedigree

When you think of Minnesota food, what comes to mind?

A New York-based restaurant team explored that question, and it came up with many of the usual suspects. Wild rice. Walleye. And ranch.

You'll find (some of) those flavors on the menu of the new Breva, which is opening Oct. 23 in downtown Minneapolis' Hotel Ivy. Wild rice is tossed with mission fig, oyster mushroom and Swiss chard, all served under brick chicken; it also lends a slight nuttiness and soft starchiness to a Negroni. Walleye comes smoked in a dip. Ranch? More on that later.

The culinary team from the national restaurant group Apicii didn't go only for the obvious. Breva will have Nigerian-inspired peanut-and-honey chicken wings, diced raw tuna aguachile, salmon crispy rice and more global dishes.

"When you talk about New American, that's where my head goes," said Apicii's culinary director, Ron Rosselli.

Breva is Apicii's first foray into Minnesota, though the company already operates restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville and Oklahoma City. Sticky-sweet spiced wings aside, the culinary leadership made strides to highlight local producers and local flavors. Bread comes from Baker's Field, cheese from Ellsworth, Wis. — even the ice comes from Lake Superior.

"We're super excited about getting introduced into the Minnesota market," said corporate beverage director Tony Edgerton. "It's no secret that COVID has affected many, many cities in this country. Something our company has focused on and really has been on the forefront, is helping the revitalization of these downtowns. We want to become a part of the city."

The Ivy's last restaurant, Monello, closed May 31 after an eight-year run when the hotel's ownership changed hands. In addition to offering sustenance to travelers and nearby conventiongoers, the Jester Concepts-operated restaurant was a spot for downtown workers, Minnesota Orchestra-goers and regulars (there are residences in the building). The Breva team knew it needed to fill those gaps.

"We are trying to keep it approachable and fun, and we want it to be the locals gathering, where they're just coming to enjoy great food," Edgerton said.

Breva (which means fig in Spanish) will serve dinner to start, with breakfast, brunch and lunch coming soon. Rosselli has plans for a lemon ricotta pancake with a citrus curd made from yuzu juice and a brioche bread pudding on the morning menu; for lunch there will be a burger and a chicken sandwich.

"You can't not have those, and I'm completely fine with that," said Rosselli, who has worked with luminaries such as Daniel Boulud and Andrew Carmellini.

Edgerton has designed a cocktail menu that reflects some of the ingredients Rosselli is putting to use in the kitchen, like the wild rice in the Negroni. Fig plays a role in a tropical cobbler with rum, sherry and a housemade fig reduction.

"We've converged a bunch of ingredients that we're carrying from the kitchen into the bar, just to create this seamless feel of cocktail into food," said Edgerton, who has consulted on cocktails for the Grey in Savannah, Ga., and the Rainbow Room in New York City.

Still to come: a basement bar. Masa & Agave is replacing the former Constantine, and will have a regionally inspired Mexican menu and a long list of agave spirits. Apicii is also reconfiguring the Ivy's lobby bar by offering European-style coffee drinks and pastries by day, aperitifs in the afternoon and cocktails and light bites at night.

Chicago-based design firm White Space is behind the renovations of both levels. Breva's sun-streaked dining room is filled with brown banquettes, wicker-backed chairs and globe lights, an eight-seater family-style table for small parties, and "my favorite bar stools in the entire company," Edgerton said. "It has a little rock to it, and the back is so supportive, you can park at this bar forever."

The bar will serve the full menu, but Rosselli made those Nigerian wings specifically with bar guests in mind.

"I'm not someone that typically puts wings on the menu, but if I'm asked to, I kind of look at it as a challenge," he said.

But can you get them with a side of ranch?

"No," he said firmly. He was only joking, he added. "If they want ranch dressing, absolutely. I would just hope that they don't."

Where: At the Hotel Ivy, 1115 2nd Av. S., Mpls., brevabarandgrill.com
Hours: Starting Oct. 23, Breva is open daily at 4 p.m. for happy hour, 5 p.m. for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are coming soon.
Specials: There is a three-course, pre-theater and concert prix fixe menu for $55 ($45 for matinees).
There's more: The basement bar, Masa & Agave, is coming soon. Visit masaandagave.com for more information.