Travail: Still Crazy Busy??

Question

Hi, been meaning to check out some of the new places that are enjoyable for foodies but more casual, like Travail and Tilia. Tilia is crazy busy and feels like Travail when it was new last year. Has Travail calmed down at all? Is it still worth checking out or would you recommend Tilia (or something else)?
Thanks :)

Answer

We went last night, figuring that the rain might slow the traffic. We got there 10 minutes after they opened for dinner, and got the last three places at the counter. The place was packed. Still, completely worth it.

Answer

Last time I was at Travail was a Wednesday night a few weeks back. A little after 8 and the only available seating were 2 spots at the end of the bar.

They're still on fire, as far as I can tell. Food quality is still there as well.

Answer

We went on Tuesday for our anniversary. There were several tables (regular in front, at the bar, and high tops in back) left in the middle of a pouring rainstorm at 6, but before 7 they were gone and by 7:30 there were a good 10 names on the wait list.

I think part of the issue is that the meal takes some time, especially if you're doing the tasting. Our meal was lovely, but we were there for 3 hours, which normally would turn the table 3x, and everyone around us was similar. Doing simple math, I would bet no more than 3 tables turn an hour, which means the end of that wait list was looking at a 10/10:30 seating.

Answer

FYI - Travail is closed until August for summer "break". Quite a luxury for a restaurant to be able to do so but i guess that is a benefit of their success. Still my favorite restaurant in MSP.

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Travail: Still Crazy Busy??

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