There is a chef-driven eatery at a winery overlooking a lake which is worth your gas money (and that’s saying something). It’s time for a trip to Waconia.
Gia at the Lake is the new popup restaurant on the grounds of Sovereign Estate Winery, which is perched on a hill high above Lake Waconia. It’s a happy accident, a collaboration between the winery and chef Jo Seddon, who worked at such notable places as London’s The River Cafe before working on the opening team at Bellecour for Gavin Kaysen.
She and her husband, who live in South Minneapolis, were invited out to the winery by some friends last year, and she didn’t have high hopes, “I was expecting the food to be good, and the wine to be bad. But actually, the wine was really good, like I was blown away, but I wanted better food.” Seddon, who’d been running a successful business of meal kits for friends during the pandemic, had an idea.
“I got in touch with Terry [Savaryn] the owner and said: I love your space. Would you like a restaurant? What if I make a restaurant for you? I sent that email and she rings me back in like 20 minutes. She said: I got your email and it’s so funny because I was drinking my coffee this morning, and thinking about how to make a restaurant work, and then this email pops into my box … So, it was this funny constellation of things that just happened.”
Gia on the Lake lives on the covered patio outside the winery’s Marquette event pavilion. It’s a glassy building with perfect views of the vines and lake beyond. On the right day, with the right sun, and the right breeze, you feel absolutely transported. I don’t want to say you feel like you’re in Tuscany or Napa, because why can’t we normalize sitting on a summer vineyard of locally grown grapes as being Minnesotan? Be here, but be transported out of your life of grind. You deserve this.
Seddon left a life in medicine to join the industry, “I was a doctor until my early thirties and always passionate about food. And then, I was trying to get more senior positions and I suddenly thought, you know what, I don’t want those jobs. So, I left. I went to culinary school in the UK and I didn’t even really know what I wanted, right? I didn’t know whether I wanted to go into restaurants or what to do. But I did a few stages and realized that basically being in a restaurant is the same as working in the ER, working on your feet all day. It’s hard, but I feel totally and completely at home, which is completely nuts. Because I substituted one lifestyle for another lifestyle that was pretty shitty. But, I love this one, right?”
Seddon has brought her love of Italian food to the shores of Lake Waconia. The menu is small, because she’s working out of a popup kitchen at the pavilion, not a full one. She preps most of the food in her commercial space in the city and brings it with her. With the help of her sous Lisa Graser, they finish in the make-shift space, with a grill and no oven. This is significant. Because what she’s achieving on this scale, under these limitations, is rather stunning.
It seems to me that Seddon understands the beauty of simple ingredients and has the restraint to let them shine. Especially during summer when heavy sauces are not really what people are craving, her menu feels equal to that sunny patio and the laid back vibes that come with eating near vines and water. River Cafe is thought of as the Chez Panisse of London, and her education there is evident.
Bruschetta is a great way to see balance and simplicity on the menu, no need for superfluous balsamic drizzles. Whether you go with tomato or prosciutto its a great pairing to dip into some of the estate wines you might not be familiar with. In fact, there’s a Flight & a Bite section on the menu which allows you to choose the wines you want to sample and the kitchen will send out appropriate snacks to accompany.
Once you’re past your Minnesota wine snobbery, feel free to enjoy some classic tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala, the actual good stuff. Or do a fresh salad of arugula with shaved fennel and toasted hazelnuts.
I also tried the grilled Sicilian artichokes which was a superb vegetarian dish, with a touch of sweetness from honey and golden raisins, balanced by salty capers and pistachio tabouleh. On the meatier side, chicken and prosciutto skewers over braised white beans delivered that perfect summer heartiness without leaving you feel stuffed and hot.
Penne alla carbonara with peas and crispy speck was exactly what I wanted to cut the perfectly acidic Frontenac Blanc. Hoping that’s on the menu again the next time I jet out there.
The restaurant is only open on weekends, Thursday through Saturday, and you should think about reserving before you go. Remember that they are bringing much of their food out to the winery, so it’s best when they can plan for the seatings.
Is it possible that this becomes a permanent part of the winery? Or will Seddon seek space closer to home to open her own restaurant? Time will tell, “Let’s see how the summer goes, but I didn’t become a chef to put food in meal kit boxes.” Amen.