I finally got around to trying out Crave. I know I’m late to the game but now I can see what I was missing.

I visited the Crave at The Galleria in Edina on Friday night about 6 p.m., so I got in just before the dinner rush began. We were seated quickly and courteously and escorted to the back dining area, a well-lit room due to the floor-to-ceiling windows. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace at one end of the room. The fire, the lighting, and the uncluttered solid wood tables contributed to an ambiance of comfort and elegance.

We had yam and beet chips for an appetizer and I was surprised to learn that they are delicious…just something about the word “yam” that has always struck me as inedible-sounding.

I had a gin and tonic for a cocktail because most places don’t know how to make a good gin and tonic. The waitress asked what kind of gin I wanted. Sapphire. The trick to a good gin and tonic is 1) using good gin, 2) going easy but not too easy on the gin, and 3) a tall glass. Crave got everything right but the tall glass. It was wonderful.

For my entree I chose the Roasted Chicken & Penne, made with roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, Donnay Farms goat cheese, and organic basil. I wasn’t too hungry so I chose the small size. The meal arrived served in a tilted bowl and proved delicious, as they mixed the aforementioned ingredients with shaved garlic and topped it off with a sprinkle of pine nuts.

I was full by the end of the meal; the small portion proved more than enough. The prices are a little on the steep side but the food is well worth the extra dinero. The chocolate-covered raspberries from nearby Bissinger’s were the perfect desert.

I’ll  be back.

Crave at The Galleria
3520 W. 70th Street, Edina, MN 55435
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As Summer approaches every year, I always anticipate July because it is in that month that Bissinger’s in the Galleria in Edina starts selling their seasonal chocolate-covered Raspberries, an absolutely delicious treat. I went again yesterday and here’s the evidence.

Here’s a photo slideshow of the chocolates: