Crecendos fine dining opened in downtown Albert Lea just last week, but owner and chef Bob Tewes says it has already made an impression on the community.

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Crecendos fine dining opened in downtown Albert Lea just last week, but owner and chef Bob Tewes says it has already made an impression on the community.

&uot;It’s been fun to finally go public with the concept,&uot; Tewes said. &uot;It’s been in the planning stages for three months.&uot;

Crescendos offers a seasonal menu featuring California eclectic cuisine, a combination of Italian and French cooking, Tewes said. Crescendos focuses on fresh, local ingredients and prime cuts of meat.

&uot;As much of it as we can find,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re looking for regular providers for a variety of produce.&uot;

Tewes makes his own bread, stocks, soups and desserts. He also offers more than 60 varieties of wine, and a selection of microbrewed beers. Seafood is flown to a supplier in the Twin Cities and shipped to Crescendos the next day.

&uot;We aren’t cooking out of the freezer here,&uot; Tewes said. &uot;It takes quality ingredients and skill in the kitchen to perfect the dish. You can’t make a quality meal with substandard product.&uot;

Tewes, who has never owned a restaurant before, studied the idea carefully while planning, but the execution is another matter, he said.

&uot;There is a definite learning curve that takes place,&uot; he said. &uot;I had prepared a lot in advance, but there is nothing quite like a trial by fire.&uot;

The main dining room seats 52 people. It features original paintings by local artist Troy Doyle and a custom built wine rack by Jim Finseth. A digital baby grand piano plays dinner music prerecorded by Tewes, and if he gets the chance, he will play live for diners, he said.

Entrees range in price from $17 to $22. Crecendos is serving dinners only Thursday through Saturday, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tewes will take reservations until 9:30 p.m.

&uot;We’re not trying to shove people out of here, so we don’t have a definite closing time,&uot; he said.

Tewes will book private parties of 20 or more on other nights, by arrangement.

Reservations have been steady, Tewes said. There is no dress code, but diners tend to dress up a little.

&uot;It is a popular place for anniversaries and birthdays, when someone’s celebrating a special event, so it tends to be dressier.&uot;