September 1999 By Ruth Reichl LUCIA'S RESTAURANT "Please have dessert. None of my tables have had dessert today, and everything is so good." He was just about the nicest waiter I have ever encountered, and I didn't want to let him down. Besides, the tray of desserts he was holding had a slightly funky, homemade look that I found extremely appealing. I was particularly taken with a peach and rhubarb pie with an uneven crust that absolutely refused to be contained in a neat triangle. Even so, I was unprepared for the explosion of flavor. The peaches were ripe, fragrant, and as warm as those hanging on a sun-splashed tree. The crust was crumbly and buttery. The pie was not too sweet. And the vanilla ice cream on top tasted like thick, fresh cream that had been lightly whipped and barely frozen. Lucia's is an earnest Minneapolis institution, an American bistro that has been serving inspired home cooking for fourteen years. The restaurant is committed to using locally grown and organic ingredients. The menu changes weekly, but you can count on good soups (a shrimp and halibut chowder with sweet peppers, fiddlehead ferns, and the lightest touch of whiskey was especially impressive), great salads, and dishes like pork chops with sweet corn relish. You might choose a beet risotto with grilled chicken on greens, but no matter what, don't skip dessert. October 1998 MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL Our Readers' Top Ten Tables: 1. D'Amico Cucina 2. Goodfellow's 3. The 510 Restaurant 4. Manny's Steak House 5. Kincaid's Steak Chop & Fish House 6. Lowell Inn 7. The St. Paul Grill 8. Lucia's 9. Murray's 10. The Whitney Grille