Mill City News
A Special Place for a Special Evening in the Mill District of Minneapolis
~ Sanctuary (READ MORE)

Twin Cities Food Finds!
by Keane Amdahl 
There are a lot of great restaurants in this town.
When I say a lot, I mean a lot. In fact . . . – (READ MORE)

Jason DeRusha tries Chef Patrick's Tasting Menu!
by Jason DeRusha 
There's no better value in Twin Cities fine dining than the tasting menu at Sanctuary Restaurant. I was looking for some eating inspiration in my last post here, and man, did I find it. – (READ MORE)

Twin Cities Food Finds "finds" Sanctuary
by Crystal Grobe
For the last four years, Sanctuary Restaurant and its chef, Patrick Atanalian, have been creating sophisticated dishes with Mediterranean
and Japanese influences in downtown Minneapolis – (READ MORE)

Off the Eaten Path . . .
by Heidi Fellner 
Sanctuary: Menu Reveals Cool Hand & Playful Spirit – (READ MORE)

Finding Sanctuary!
by Brian Behrendt 
Brian Behrendt writes a nice piece about Sanctuary's Tasting Menus in Twin Cities Statement! – (READ MORE)

In Their Own Words - Patrick Atanalian of Sanctuary
by Jim Norton 
Jim Norton of Heavy Table attempts to interview Executive Chef Patrick Atanalian! – (READ MORE)

This is why I love Minneapolis!
by Leif Pettersen 
Maybe it was the knowledge that I was eating the last of my Restaurant Week meals -nine in six days – (READ MORE)

Forward-Thinking Drinking!
by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl 
in her blog 'Dear Dara' at the Minnesota Monthly website writes:

You know what I think was terribly unjust? The amount of flack chef Patrick Atanalian got when he was cooking at the (long gone) Vintage in St. Paul with amusing little flourishes like plates garnished with Gummi Bears. (READ MORE) See the menu: Taste ~ with Cocktails!

"Dining: The Hot Five for June 5"
By Rick Nelson, Star Tribune - June, 2009
Sanctuary
The semi-sheltered patio has romantic skyline views, and diners visiting Monday through Thursday can partake in chef Patrick Atanalian's splendid five-course tasting menu for $35 per person; toss in an extra $14 for a four-course wine pairing.

903 Washington Av. S., Mpls., 612-339-5058, sanctuaryminneapolis.com

Halibut with Grilled Watermelon
BY Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

When Patrick Atanalian took over the kitchen at Sanctuary in downtown Minneapolis, it was cause for celebration among the many people who had fallen in love with his cooking at the New French Café and Loring Café years ago. Why the love? The Marseille-born chef has a talent for combining exacting French technique with bold, playful accents, turning out dishes that achieve that most difficult state: original and full of finesse.

Case in point, this seared halibut fillet, accented with a fresh yellow pear tomato and yellow-bell-pepper ratatouille.

The fresh spring flavors are set off by a disk
of sweet watermelon, made spicy with a bit of jalapeño oil and made smoky by a brief encounter with hot coals on the grill.