A new restaurant opened near us recently called “Intelligent Nutrients”. We could see the sign for it from I-35W just after you got on going south. It had a curious purple, orange and green color scheme that made us think — hippie, new age, organic and maybe even vegetarian. Thus we had to give it a try.
We tried to find out what their business hours were on their website. Good luck! It has lots of glitz but not so much content. No business hours, no menu… what were getting ourselves into? In any case, we decided to risk it. So last night we drove over along with our trusty companions Tismo & One Day at a Time. Boy were we in for a surprise.
First of all, to get to the restaurant, you must pass through a gift shop of sorts. It is more like a shrine to the pure, lofty, and guady — all of which was empregnated with essential oils. Truffles for “Aphrodite” or “Motivation” — listing the essential oils which endowed those properties (ginger, lemon peel, etc…). We were right, everything was “organic”. But more than that — they actually touted that some of the foods were “harmonically grown”. Do they have a zen master do feng-shui on the crops?
The seemed to specialize in jewelry with audaciously large glass stones. Like the size of a 50 cent piece or bigger. I can’t imagine that looks good as a necklace.
I just couldn’t fathom the point of this establishment. Why do people believe that giant gems will make them healthy? Why are combinations of essential oils believed to enhance attribute X — and if they do, why is that any different than a drug that do so? Steroids are bad, but this essential oil of stamina is okay?
The restaurant, when we finally made it there, seemed pleasant. It had a giant projection TV displaying geometric shapes that danced with the new-age music the drifted through the air. The employees were smartly dressed in white chef’s outfits. However, the menu was just as weird as the gift store. I bet the food was interesting, but I got the feeling that it would be more of an “experience” than it would be “satisfying”, if you know what I mean. Lima beans are great and all, but now what I’d consider a suppertime main dish. We decided we’d try it some other day, when we weren’t so hungry.
On final reflection, even though we didn’t understand what this place was about we figured it boded well for us. Intelligent Nutrients seemed very Boulder-esque. New age, hippie, granola, tree-hugger, etc… Say what you will about Boulder, CO, you might love it or think it is hoaky. But real estate prices in Boulder are a Mile High, and I own a home from what appears to be the beginnings of the new Boulder in Minnesota. Moo ho ha ha haha!
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4 replies on “Intelligent Nutrients….(snicker)”
Don’t gaffaw too much…Boulder, MN also means nasty property taxes! 😉 And, I’ll believe it when those neighbors of yours with the collection of white cargo vans have to move…tee hee.
Sounds like the perfect place to take your Uncle Jim, he could probably translate for you.
you might never get him out………………..
Hey, this is the Aveda guy’s brainchild — and I gotta say, no matter how weird the menu, anything that involves chefs who formerly worked at D’Amico Cucina and Auriga is probably worth trying once. From a Pioneer Press article:
Nothing gets Aveda Corp. founder Horst Rechelbacher more excited than talking about the environment. And he’s getting plenty of opportunities to spread the word with his newest project, The IN, which opens Dec. 2. The 15,000-square-foot space, which once housed Aveda headquarters in Northeast Minneapolis, will include a retail shop, restaurant, bar and an education center dedicated to all things organic.
To help find the right chef, Rechelbacher enlisted good friend and long-time organic supporter Brenda Langton, chef/owner of Cafe Brenda.
“We were looking for somebody who could really be creative with organics,” says Langton, who prepared lunch for actor Leonardo DiCaprio when he was in town, stumping for John Kerry. “You don’t just cook this way for the hell of it.”
Ultimately, Rechelbacher chose Chris Lockyear, formerly of D’Amico Cucina, to cook at the 150-seat cafe. Tania Loustaunau, formerly of Auriga, will be whipping up fresh chocolates daily.
“It has been a very interesting learning experience going from fine dining to basically an all-organic deli,” says Lockyear. “I think based on the continuous increased sales you see in organic foods every year, the Twin Cities market will be perfect for this.”
Rechelbacher is determined to make the store as inviting as possible, even for those not yet on the organic bandwagon.
“It’s going to be beautiful and relaxing,” he says. “It’s going to be a center where you can get stimulation. Our people are going to be the friendliest people in town. We are not about arrogance; we are about excellence in service.”