Marin Restaurant and Bar

Our waitress introduced us to Marin Restaurant and Bar, a new Hennepin addition downtown, by letting us know that Marin is a county in California. And once you take a peek at the menu and try the food, it will all become clear how all those movie stars stay svelte. The trick, I hazard to guess, is a live-in chef whipping up healthy, delicious meals with impressively low calorie counts like those found at Marin. This isn't rabbit food, so don't let the "healthy" descriptor fool you.  The menu provides calorie/fat/protein/carb counts for each dish and the vast majority of offerings were gluten free. But that doesn't mean the dishes lack flavor. Quite the contrary, my scallops with lobster-fingerling hash and corn sauce were delicious and satisfying.  I ordered a side of kale which could have easily been split between two people but I ate it all myself (at 70 calories why on earth would you share those spicy, garlicky greens?). And my picture doesn't do the dish justice, it was infinitely prettier than the picture provides. Beautifully sliced potatoes, expertly done scallops (so easy to overcook those suckers), and a handful of popcorn (!) made for an exciting, I-can't-wait-to-eat-this presentation. If I had a chef in-house making me meals like this every night, I would never worry about my hips again. But, hips be damned, we split dessert. And further gaining my respect, Marin doesn't list the calories for the dessert list. Dessert shouldn't have anything to do with calorie counting, it's just a small, often shared, slice of happiness. And after a light, no-guilt-necessary supper, what's the harm in sharing a dish of something sweet? The lemon cake was light and summery, the perfect end to a perfect pre-theater meal.  I have definitely found my new favorite spot before heading to the Orpheum. Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite