Minneapolis, MN, January 3, 2013 —Gather by D’Amico presents its popular Chef-in-Residence series with Chef Lucia Watson of Lucia’s Restaurant, Wine Bar, and Lucia’s To Go on Thursday, February 7. The unique chef-driven sampler series continues with Chef Don Saunders of the Kenwood and In Season on Thursday, March 7.
Watson, and Saunders will each add two new “small plate” items to Gather’s menu for the month they host. Guests can sample complimentary menu items on the first Thursday evening of each month and each chef’s two featured items will be available on the menu on subsequent Thursday evenings throughout the month. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, each guest chef will be onsite to serve complimentary samples, answer questions and meet guests. Gather features $5 happy hour small plates, featured specialty cocktails, and wine and beer specials from 5–7pm every Thursday evening.
February Chef-in-Residence: Lucia Watson
Thursday, February 7, 5–9 pm
Gather by D’Amico
Chef Lucia Watson owns Lucia’s Restaurant, Wine Bar and Lucia’s To Go, in the Uptown section of Minneapolis. The continuing popularity of Lucia’s over the past two decades is a tribute to her sensibility in menu selection and food preparation. She insists on the finest fresh organic ingredients from local and regional purveyors, resulting in a menu vibrant with ever-changing seasonal selections. The main restaurant has seating for 60, the adjoining wine bar seats about 20, and there’s outdoor seating in summer. Lucia’s To Go adjoins the bar and restaurant, and together, the three businesses all provide a sense of fun, delicious food, welcoming hospitality and attention to detail.
Watson has been honored with many awards over the years and her recipes have been featured in a host of regional and national magazines. Three times in recent years she has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Midwest. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy honored her for her pioneering work in providing a fair, sustainable and healthy life for local farmers who grow organic restaurant products. She is also co-author, with Beth Dooley, of Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland, and she is author of Cooking Freshwater Fish. In 2009 Watson was knighted by the French government as a Chevalier du merit Agricole for her work with local food and farming issues. Watson has served on many boards and she continues to teach and speak nationally and locally on food related issues. She lives in Minneapolis.
March Chef-in-Residence: Don Saunders
Thursday, March 7, 5–9 pm
Gather by D’Amico
Chef Saunders enjoys a solid reputation for producing some of the finest cuisine in the Twin Cities. London-trained, made his name cooking unfussy but spectacular French food at the critically acclaimed AuRebours and Fugaise. Set in the vibrant Armatage neighborhood of South Minneapolis, Saunders’ In Season offers creative dishes inspired by the four seasons, in a comfortable yet elegant environment heralded by City Pages as ”Nakedly, forthrightly, almost shockingly AMBITIOUS.”
At The Kenwood, he employs traditional European techniques to create dishes that are international in style but local when it comes to fresh, regional ingredients. Saunders and his team are dedicated to serving the neighborhood everything from coffee and pastries, everyday brunch and lunch to delectable dinners with beer and wine. The menu is in constant flux with creative dishes and seasonal surprises weekly.
Created and operated by D’Amico + Partners, Gather serves lunch six days a week (Tuesday–Sunday, 11:30 am–2:30 pm) and a small plates menu on Thursday evenings (5 pm–9 pm), in conjunction with the Walker’s Target Free Thursday Nights.