A true voyageur at heart, Chef Lucia Watson beautifully blends French and Minnesotan traditions to create the menu at her popular Uptown restaurant, Lucia's Restaurant and Wine Bar. Lucia, a third generation Minnesotan, discovered her love for cooking and fresh food as a little girl picking blueberries and baking bread with her grandmother in Northern Minnesota. With France as her second home, Lucia's cooking is also inspired by the French culture's deep appreciation for fresh food, and the cuisine at Lucia's is known throughout The Cities for its impeccable quality and freshness.
It comes as no surprise that Lucia proudly serves Nan Bailly's Minnesota-grown and produced wines of Alexis Bailly Winery in Hastings. Perhaps the first winery in Minnesota, Alexis Bailly Winery was opened by Nan's father David in 1973 and features several varieties of French and Minnesotan grapes, which Nan now cultivates and harvests entirely without chemicals. Nan and Lucia have known each other since they were little girls, and each has a deep personal respect of the other's vision.
As Nan says, Lucia, "is our Alice Waters," and indeed Lucia has pioneered a virtual one-woman culinary revolution in Minnesota. With her passion for local food systems extending far beyond her restaurant, Lucia served a term on the Organic Advisory Task Force to the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture and is currently the Board Chair for the Youth Farm and Market Project. In recognition of her work with local farmers and youth, Lucia was recently honored with a Commitment to Community Award from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
