• Spring roll lobster w/ mushroom $10 (shared)
• Spare ribs honey glazed $10 (shared)
• Risotto spinach shrimp shitake $16 (shared)
• Whole fried sea bass $29 (shared)
• Szechwan steak w/ veggies $28 (shared)
• Mongolian lamb w/ eggplant $34 (shared)
• Wasabi potato $8 (shared)
• Spoon & cherry dessert $8 (shared)
• Lemon paintbrush $8 (shared)

I was pretty pumped to go to 20.21. The hottest restaurant in town, the impossible reservation, it had to be good. We ended up going on a Saturday night with our two friends Kathleen and Steve, luckily we wanted to go after a show so when I called a week ahead and was told 9:30 is the earliest reservation they had, I could say "perfect".

20.21 is a beautiful restaurant in the beautiful new Walker, it really was great fun walking there through the new building. Sadly, that was my first glimpse of the new Walker, I know I am a slacker.

However, beyond the surroundings I must say I was a bit disappointed. The food was very expensive as it should be in the hottest restaurant in town, but it had better darn well be worth the price, which it is not. I think other cities restaurants can get away more with being the place to be seen and charging high prices to be seen there, but in Minneapolis, I think there is still enough people who want value for that to work really well. Although it was packed at 9:30 when we arrived and really didn't slow down until right before close, so it is working for now.

Pretty much everything we had, could be had better, cheaper, someplace else. The service was one the redeeming quality they did do a wonderful job with that, everything was served family style, but they plated it at the table for you. It was fun to watch them try to gracefully carve the whole fried fish.

Hopefully, they are still working out the kinks and in awhile it will be really good, but right now, you could go to one of the many Asian restaurants in town and get a better meal for a lot less.

I’ve been dreading this review, mostly because of the hype surrounding 20.21. You’ve seen by now that we rated 20.21 fair. It’s not to say that it’s bad; everything tasted good or excellent. It’s to say that everything was expensive and yet only three items were innovative or among the best I’ve ever had of that dish. Without adieu, those items were: spare ribs with honey glaze (awesome thick texture); risotto spinach shrimp shitake (an excellent, flavorful risotto); and Mongolian lamb with eggplant (very good lamb and just about the best eggplant ever).

On the negative side, the sea bass and the Szechwan steak were both overdone. The whole sea bass lost some of its flavor, and there was little excuse for a medium well steak when a medium steak was ordered. The desserts were neither outstanding nor terrible. And in case you didn’t notice, everything is at the upper end of prices for Twin Cities restaurants.

Most of the time I enjoy uber-modern restaurants like 20.21 is. White museum walls with bold, rolling lines and a spectacular view of downtown. A hip, hot bar. An open, open kitchen. But uncomfortable chairs and a loud environment killed the vibe.

Wait staff was very attentive and professional. I was very impressed with their knowledge of the food and the menu. One minor serving error was not a big deal, but you could tell it was a big deal to them, and that’s when you know they really care.

The first impression, the maitre d’s gave the opposite feeling. They’re a little slower, not as attentive, and all around need an attitude adjustment. I think they have the confidence, but could improve on their professionalism and attention to detail. It was hard to tell if they really cared.

Top to bottom, 20.21 is uneven, which results in a fair rating in an upscale restaurant.