... if Cue has anything it has size -- 7,660 square feet of it, with seating for 213 people in its main dining area, and the ability to cater an event anywhere in one of the building's nine levels. The Cue accommodate hundreds of people for almost any occasion, including wedding banquets.

Since taking a prominent place in the Minneapolis dining scene after its opening two years ago, the Cue at the Guthrie has carved a niche with buzzwords familiar in the restaurant industry.

Think downtown rebirth, locally grown foods, banquet/catering, chic interior, and wow factor. Not a bad foundation to start with but it also didn't hurt that the Cue opened one floor below the Guthrie Theater, and with an impressive cast of players. For starters, Cue is managed by the Bon Appetit Management Co., and it was largely influenced by French architect Jean Nouvel, who designed the nine-level building in which the theater and restaurant operate. The theater, which opened at the same time as the Cue, not only played a huge role in the looks of the restaurant but in how many people actually stop in to eat.

The theater and restaurant now feed off each other, so to speak, in the historic Mill District, on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. And if Cue has anything it has size -- 7,660 square feet of it, with seating for 213 people in its main dining area, and the ability to cater an event anywhere in one of the building's nine levels. The Cue accommodate hundreds of people for almost any occasion, including wedding banquets.

The term "most any occasion" is important to note. Not allowed, when they conflict with the mission of the Guthrie Theater, are political events, demonstrations, religious events, theater fund-raisers, film and video screenings, or theatrical performances not presented or approved by the Guthrie.

The theater and the restaurant's ability to accommodate larger gatherings are also part of a push to enhance efforts to attract downtown conventions. But the creators of the Cue came up with more than the capacity to cater food to a lot of people. The Cue also offers a 21-page wine list, a 13-foot-high custom-built wine and liquor bar, and taking center stage in the restaurant dining room is the blue glass-tiled Waldorf cooking island where master chefs prepare patron meals on-exhibition, turning their cooking into a live performance.

Lighting helps set the mood, too. Undercounter light-emitting diodes illuminate the knee wall of the show kitchen and bar, and fiberoptic light coasters are inset into the bar at each stool. The support columns are lit from recessed ceiling coves, which are designed to give each patron a "theatrical moment."

Just about everything at Cue borders on the unusual. A recent promotion included a three-course prix fixe menu for $29.95 available any time, with a free self-guided iPod tour of the theater and complimentary glass of wine or cup of coffee after dinner.

Cue is also big on using local, natural ingredients from local family farms and artisan producers who practice "traditional, sustainable agriculture." "We believe that in doing so we can help in our own small way to improve not only the quality of the things we eat, but also the health and well-being of our planet," says Bob Johndrow, spokesman for Bon Appetit Management Co.

Fresh also makes for good food, he says. The Cue also knows how to accommodate theater patrons wanting a pre-performance bite: A two-course prix fixe menu designed to help guests get a satisfying amount of food and still get to their seat before the curtain rises.

STARTUPSTATS Cue at the Guthrie www.cueatguthrie.com Bar: Yes. Square feet of restaurant: 7,660. Number of seats: 213. Average check: $70-$110. First or subsequent restaurant under this name: 1st. Signature items: Short Rib with dijon whipped potatoes and market vegetables, and White Wine Braised Chicken with crimini mushrooms, bacon, soft polenta and broccoli. Are you leasing or do you own the property? Lease. Hours of operation: Tuesday-Sunday, lunch 11:30 a.m.- 2 p.m.; dinner 5-10 p.m.; late night (Friday and Saturday), 10 p.m. to midnight; Sunday brunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Catering/banquet services offered? Yes. Reservations: Recommended.