DeRusha Eats: 6Smith In Wayzata
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Everywhere you look, there is beauty at 6Smith in Wayzata. You can't miss the gorgeous Lake Minnetonka view from the patio and upper deck; there's beauty in the upscale urban design of the dining room, and the food can also be beautiful.
"We wanted to create a restaurant the western suburbs can be proud of," said owner Randy Stanley.
But Stanley and his executive chef, Angel Luna, were concerned that things were a little too beautiful and too precious, that the restaurant was so focused on food quality that it was coming across as pretentious.
"There's a lot of love in there, a lot of love," said Luna, as he showed his "blueprint" for that Friday's "Fat Pants Friday" special.
"Every week I sketch a blueprint on paper and we post a picture," he explained in the kitchen.
There is nothing beautiful about the "Sweet Bacon Bomb," that particular Friday's Fat Pants special. It's a sandwich served on a donut, piled with two 16-ounce pork belly patties, two slices of American cheese, homemade Thousand Island dressing, caramelized onions, jalapenos, a cheese fondue, and fried potato chips.
There are rules for Fat Pants Friday: It's only served in the bar, only on Friday, must be 4,000 calories, and it's served with a spear of asparagus and a side of French fries. The cost is just $8.
Where'd the idea come from?
"This was an alcohol-induced late night idea between Angel and I," Stanley said.
"It's a little bit of flipping the bird about what's so proper and correct," he added. "Sometimes you have to wear your fat pants."
But it's done with culinary integrity.
Luna worked as a chef for the Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You restaurants both in the Twin Cities and around the world. The Fat Pants special is the deliciously disgusting.
Of course, not everything at 6Smith is Fat Pants.
The black pepper shrimp appetizer served on slices of pineapple is light and zippy, the beet salad is fresh and tasty, the miso marinated sea bass is perfectly prepared and sustainable.
The restaurant is a family affair: Luna's wife, Finesse, is the general manager. Stanley is her father.
"You do what you love with people that you love," Angel said.
"I'm so thrilled to work with Randy," Finesse added. "I've learned more from him in six weeks than I did in six years of working at some other restaurants."
6Smith has nearly 500 seats when you count the upper deck, and the lakeside patio that seats 110.
Stanley said business is biggest in the summer, and suburban diners tend to eat around the same time.
Executing at high quality with such intense high volume is a challenge, he said.
"It's showtime! You have to deliver," Stanley said.
So while you put on your fat pants to have whatever creation is served in the bar on Fridays, look out the window and remember the beauty that is 6Smith.
"Even when it's snowing and the lake is white, it looks beautiful," Luna said.
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6Smith
http://www.6smith.com/
294 East Grove Lane, Wayzata, MN 55391
952-698-7900
