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Cafe & Bar Lurcat Names Executive Chef

Gilman joins Cafe & Bar Lurcat and will oversee menu development and lead the kitchen

By Todd R. Berger

11.27.23 Executive Chef Sam Gilman of Cafe & Bar Lurcat in Minneapolis
Sam Gilman will run the kitchen and develop the menus at Cafe & Bar Lurcat in Minneapolis. || Courtesy of D’Amico & Partners

D’Amico & Partners, a restaurant and catering operator in the Twin Cities and Naples, Florida, has brought in Chef Sam Gilman as executive chef at Cafe & Bar Lurcat. In this role, Gilman will oversee menu development and lead the kitchen at the downtown Minneapolis property.

As Cafe & Bar Lurcat’s executive chef, Gilman brings years of experience in fine dining establishments across the region. Gilman grew up in Eagan and earned his culinary training from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His career path started at Meritage in St. Paul, with subsequent roles as sous chef and executive chef at The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis; sous chef at KEX Hotel in Portland, Oregon; chef de cuisine at Sooki & Mimi of Minneapolis; and executive chef with Minneapolis’ Sidebar at Surdyk’s.

“I draw my inspiration from fresh, bold seasonal ingredients—and the timeless elegance of this storied space,” says Gilman in a prepared statement. “Cafe & Bar Lurcat is a Twin Cities icon, and I’m honored to be a part of the next chapter.”

“Chef Gilman will continue to elevate our 21-year legacy at Cafe & Bar Lurcat with clean, distinctive, and unexpected flavors,” says Larry D’Amico, D’Amico & Partners co-owner. “His culinary experience, knowledge, and ingenuity in the kitchen made him an ideal choice for this role. We look forward to pushing the envelope, while continuing our mission of delivering unforgettable dining experiences.”

In the coming months, Cafe & Bar Lurcat will offer limited weekly dishes featuring seasonal ingredients, and special events—including wine dinners with beverage director and CMS level 2-certified sommelier Ross Kupitz.

Cafe & Bar Lurcat serves an updated menu of small plates, salads, dinner plates, and side dishes. Diners can expect to savor sumptuous flavors and soul-warming fare inspired by the seasons New offerings include scallop crudo with carrot ginger broth, avocado mousse, and apples; rainbow trout rillette with roe, house potato chips, and dill; chicory salad with endive, radicchio, butternut squash, pepitas, currants, and a maple vinaigrette; and entrées such as smoked duck leg with foie gras, fennel, and pickled cherries; herb tagliatelle with maitake mushrooms; lamb T-bone with bean birria—and others. Menu favorites, including ginger fried rice; apple, cheese chive salad; Lurcat burgers; and miso sea bass will remain available.

Cafe & Bar Lurcat will continue to work with local farmers at Eden Valley Farms, providing an expansive menu of Minnesota certified wagyu. Produce, including sweet potatoes, squash, and kale will be supplied by Eden Valley’s Fresh on 55, with additional Minnesota purveyors to follow later this season.

lurcatminneapolis.com

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