Cov Restaurant Wayzata, MN

Eight of us made the trek out to Wayzata on the evening of July 28 with the idea of sitting on the patio watching the small waves from Lake Minnetonka lap at the shore as we enjoyed a leisurely dinner.  Well, we at least hoped to be near one of the floor-to-ceiling folding glass doors...

Cov, a very popular location, does not accept "traditional" reservations.  What that means to the traditional diner is that if you are not willing to spend a hefty minimum amount, you can cool your heels and wait.  And so we did, for 45 minutes before being seated at a high-top table in the bar with a view of other diners who scored the patio.  The sound level is overwhelming.  It was so loud we were unable to have a conversation at our table.  And about the food...

As you know from previous entries, we usually order through the menu, creating a tasting menu so that we can sample a number of offerings from each category.  On this particular evening the noise level was too high to even discuss choices so we opted to either share with the individual sitting next to us or go it alone. 

Some of our selections:  Watermelon and Feta Salad was served with mint and basil, cool and refreshing (and plenty for two); the Blue Cheese Wedge arrived with marinated tomatoes and red onion.  We ordered one each of three flatbreads:  Caprese, traditionally served with fresh mozzarella and basil, but with the surprise addition of heirloom tomatoes; Harvest with grilled vegetables including wild mushrooms; and Smoked Chicken with Nueske's bacon and more marinated tomatoes.  The Walleye Fish and Chips were crispy and perfectly cooked.  Nothing was so memorable, though, that you would say you wanted to return for that specific item.  We skipped dessert but did order wine by the glass along with a bottle of Vino Verde which is the perfect light white wine for summer.

Would we go again?  According to others this was a unique experience and as a rule Cov is much more welcoming than it was on this night.  Cov is not inexpensive though, and there are many really good restaurants offering great food that are much closer to Minneapolis/St. Paul than Wayzata.