Jane and Michael Stern haven't been through Minneapolis for a while if they rate Hell's Kitchen's ham and pear panini as great road food. Mine came with a burnt French fry imbedded in the bottom, and the pears were canned--as were the pears in my out-of-the-bag house salad. Plus if the ""brioche croutons"" were ever anywhere near a brioche, I will sell my house and emigrate to France. My companion's Reuben was described as ""okay,"" and the sweet potato fries were also right off the food service truck.\r
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The room at the new location is stunning; more Christopher Moltisante's dream of hell than its previous Tony Soprano-esque incarnation as Rossi's. And there's lots of potential here, but the food is a slightly elevated version of Applebee's fare. Our server was pleasant and efficient, but what he brought was pretty sub-par.\r
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And on a Sunday evening, no one had bothered to pick up the DIRTY disposable diaper from the floor of one of the ladies' room stalls. Or emptied the trash. Or replaced the paper towels. \r
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I'd like Hell's Kitchen to succeed in this ambitious new space--and maybe even have live entertainment. But based on my first visit, it'll be a cold day in Hell.\r
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Pros: Great ""spooky"" decor, good service
Cons: Food from Hell (at dinnner, anyway)
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