Brad Ballinger

Disclaimer – we ate at Meritage on the third night they were open. There are always bugs/routines/processes to work through no matter how many dry runs are conducted prior to opening. My wife and I were looking to go out to dinner with our neighbors. They are having their kitchen redone – stripped down to nothing and completely rebuilt. They are cooking on a hot plate and my camp stove until January. We alternate between having them over for dinner and going out somewhere. We didn’t have our sights set on any particular place, but then I saw that Meritage was listed on OpenTable.com so I figured, “why not?” A little background. Mertiage is in the place formerly occupied by A Rebours. When Doug and Jessica announced they were closing up shop at A Rebours, it didn’t take long for Russell Klein and his wife, Desta, to announce that Meritage would be in its place. Russell has been W. A. Frost the past five years. I didn’t know it was opening this soon, though. But their web site listed a November, 2007, menu. So… We showed up on time for our 7:30 reservation. There was something going on at many venues in downtown St. Paul that night, and the first two parking ramps I drove to were full. We decided to valet ($8). The valet said, Welcome to Mertage.” He pronounced it with an emphasis on the last syllable (as in the wine Hermitage, or the word fuselage). When displayed on a wine label the word is pronounced with an emphasis on the first syllable (as in the word heritage). I have no idea how the restaurant wishes patrons to pronounce it. My guess is more people will go with the valet. Even though our reservation was confirmed earlier in the day, and the maitre d’ told me on the phone “I’m assigning your table right now,” it was obvious when we walked in that a 4-top was not available. However, a party of 6 was late for their reservation (I don’t know how much late), and the table was split apart into a 4-top and 2-top, and we were seated. The room is essentially unchanged from A Rebours. The only noticeable difference to me was that the table tops were bare (no tablecloths). It appears as if the direction of the restaurant will be that of a brasserie. They will be open for continental breakfast (good for business meetings, lunch, and dinner). The cuisine is predominantly French, mainly brasserie-type items, with some influences from other parts of Europe and Asia. The web site describes the food as “New American with a strong French influence.” There are Plat du Jour specials for each day of the week printed on the menu. It appears as if the menu will change monthly and will rely heavily on local ingredients. The menu is also divided into Amusements ($3) for those who want a small bite in addition to or in place of soup, salad, or appetizer; Sups and Salads ($6-$8); Introductions ($6-$14); and Main Characters ($16-$28). We liked the idea and option of Amusements, but by-passed them. We ordered pumpkin soup (served in a ceramic pumpkin bowl), ricotta gnocchi served with an arugula-walnut pesto, rabbit schnitzel, and marinated day-boat scallop with Meyer lemon wasabi (ceviche style). The soup and gnocchi were very good. The gnocchi portion seemed a little small by appearance, but was rich and filling. The schnitzel came topped with a quail egg whose yolk was completely hard-cooked when it should’ve been runny. The cress-like greens with my scallop needed to be washed more thoroughly – they had a little grit to them. Our main course items were roasted salmon, hazelnut-crusted scallops, duck breast served with duck sausage, and Toulouse-style cassoulet. Other main course options that might be more typical brasserie (in addition to the cassoulet) are crispy half chicken and steak frites, and Plat du Jour items of Coq au Vin and Bouillabaisse. Saturday’s Plat du Jour offering was grilled bone-in ribeye ($35). Everyone like their dinner. The salmon was cooked perfectly. The duck sausage was very good (the duck breast okay). The beans in the cassoulet were tarbais beans – giant white beans the size of my thumb. That was a little odd. The duck leg confit in the cassoulet will improve. The dish was filling, though, and had a good combination of flavors. We ordered three desserts – crème brulee (with apples on the bottom), a orange-vanilla semifreddo molded mousse-like thing, and pumpkin beignets. The sugar coating on the brulee seemed too thick, and with apples on the bottom didn’t appear to have enough custard. The semifreddo had a good delicate flavor. The beignets? Well, I typically picture something like the light, airy ones served a Café du Monde in New Orleans. These were hardened tiny doughnot holes stuffed with a little bit of pumpkin. Maybe they are better breakfast fare. The restaurant has a full bar, and promises specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. The wine list represents the globe. There are not many bottles under $40, but there is a good selection of whites and reds by the glass. The dessert wine list is heavy on fortified wines and could probably use some other options. The wine list is currently printed on office paper and compiled in a plastic report cover. I’m guessing that is only temporary until they tweak the list a little and receive their order of paper stock. Since the list was not available online, I inquired about BYO and the corkage policy. The maitre d’ on the phone welcomed BYO and advised there is a $20 corkage fee per bottle. Desta visited our table and also added that the restaurant’s policy will be to waive corkage if customers order wine from the restaurant as well – either by the bottle or by the glass. It’s a fair policy. The service has some kinks one would expect with the third day of being in business. For much of the meal, we though the bread plates at our table were for decoration only. We were finally served one slice of sourdough between our first course and our entrée. We never saw the bread again. Maybe the restaurant is still working out a relationship with a baker vendor, or is getting the timing down if they bake their own. I would hope a better solution going forward is to leave a basket at the table if a server can’t keep on top of it. Also, we noticed a cheese cart that was staffed by the maitre d’ and offered to diners before dessert. That’s a nice touch. We were offered dessert, and never saw the cheese cart. We could’ve said something, but didn’t. My wife was probably glad. If the cart made it around, my neighbor and I would’ve ordered some cheese, and my wife wouldn’t have had any anyway. The maitre d’ checked on us twice during the evening. So did Desta. So did Russell. Russell’s first visited was timed with the delivery of our main courses. He asked if he could do anything for us, and I mentioned that a spoon for the cassoulet would be nice. I didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did – but he was there and I did need a spoon. There is a lot of energy being put into making Meritage succeed. I’m optimistic that it will if it gets the support that downtown restaurants should get. Building relationships with downtown business for breakfasts and lunches should help. Personally, I like the type of cuisine being offered, so I will definitely be back.

1994 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford. My experience with some of the Napa Valley Cabs from the 1994 vintage has been varied. Some sing while others have been on their dying legs. So it's a roll of the dice whenever I pull a cork on one. This wine made a five-hour car trip with me from St. Paul to Mount Vernon, Iowa. I travel to Williamsburg, Iowa, for business on occasion, and detour to Mount Vernon, 45 minutes away, just to eat at Lincoln Cafe. I should have used a two-pronged cork puller. The cork split in two when I used my standard waiter's service. But I know the management at Lincoln Cafe, and they gave me a decanter. I pushed the remaining cork in the bottle and decanted. Now I was worried -- a dried out cork, and more aeration than I wanted to risk. But what can you do? The color was rich, not much bricking. Aromas were a bit closed initially, but showed some red and black fruits, tobacco, and clove. In the mouth, the wine was structurally sound, with fruit taking a back seat to the structure. Tannins still had a firm grip. It took an hour in the decanter for this wine to open up and blossom where the fruit was the showpiece. At that time, there was wonderfully complexity and layering. A good roll of the dice.

I don't venture into Dinkytown much. I venture there even less for dinner. But my wife and I have season tickets to the U of M dance series. That means I park once (in the multi-compartment lot between 4th and 5th and 13th and 14th) and walk 5-10 minutes to Northrup Auditorium. We usually eat at Shuang Cheng, which is consistently excellent. But we decided to try a different place recently, Kafe 421. The menu is all over the place. That's not good or bad. It just is. Overall, there is probably something of a Mediterranean-Asian theme, but that doesn't affect every dish. We were with another couple. They split a starter course of mussels in a saffron broth. The mussels were wonderfully tiny (the big ones don't have consistent or as good flavor as small ones IMO). My wife and I split an eggplant appetizer -- breaded, fried eggplant topped with a Caprese combo and drizzled with too much cloying balsamic. For entrees, two people ordered the scallops with coconut risotto. The scallops were cooked very nicely, and the risotto had both coconut milk and coconut. I'm not a coconut fan, and only had a taste, but the risotto was cooked well. One other person ordered the grouper special, which she though was a little bland in its preparation. I ordered the bouillabaisse, which I think had the same broth as the mussel appetizer. The salmon in it was overcooked, and there was something that was like faux crab or faux squid, which was a disappointment. Prices for entrees were in the teens, starters in the single digits. The wine list was okay -- almost everything under $30. I was able to find a good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the list. The place was crowded, and had a wait list of 45 minutes when we arrived for our 6:00 reservation on a Saturday night. The space has a small dining area in front and a larger area in back separated by a bar. When I made my reservations, I asked for a table in the back. We were shown to a table that they should really remove -- sandwiched between a railing and the kitchen door. But because we had tickets for a performance, and there was a long wait for tables already, we didn't complain. Our server was knowledgeable and eager to recommend specific dishes. For the next performance in the dance series, I'll probably be back at Shuang Cheng. But Kafe 421 is okay as a backup -- although I may go with salads or sandwiches next time and see how they do with those.

For me, VA (when it's unwanted) comes across as acetone or finger nail polish remover. Not vinegar. I was at a charity event in which a winemaker (I won't mention the name) was pouring her wines. Most of the people in the room -- and everyone else at my table -- were novices. When she poured her Syrah, the others at my table (all women, if it matters) said that they just didn't like the wine as much as the one before (a Cabernet). I asked them why they didn't like it. They said they couldn't put their finger on it. I then asked them to swirl and smell the wine, and to tell me if they thought it smelled like finger nail polish remover. "You know, it does! That's it!" The alcohol level was also out of balance on the high side, and it burned going down.

Well, it took long enough for German Riesling wines to be "discovered." I'm just glad I have cases of 2001 Mosel and 2002 Pfalz wines in the cellar. Next there will be a run on Loire's 2005 vintage. Then what will I do?

If I had to use a line from any Monty Python movie or sketch to describe my cellar, it would be "Give him the comfy chair."

Not very long ago, the Star Tribune reviewed Heartland, and gave it high marks and high praise. Deservedly so. As much as I love the restaurant, I'm also a huge fan of the wine bar next door. There's a separate entrance, but if you walk into the restaurant by mistake, you can access the wine bar through an internal corridor. The food quality and attention to detail is the same in both places. The wine bar menu does not feature the prix fixe options of the restaurant. Everything in the wine bar has been less than $20 on each visit, with the majority of items even under $15. The menu is divided into cheese, soup and salad, charcuterie, and entrees (or what goes for entrees), and desserts. Portion sizes can be similar between charcuterie and entrees depending on what you order. An amuse and bread are served in addition to the menu items. Bread type changes frequently. I think in the restaurant, patrons may actually get a choice of bread. In the bar, everyone gets the bread of the day. I've enjoyed evertyhing, but right now recall a delicious sweet corn soup, ribs, leek-crusted whitefish, bison, prosciutto with a watermelon fennel salad. Desserts are excellent and have improved since the last time I've had them at the restaurant. Wine is attractively priced. There are about 20 totals wines by the glass that include bubbles, white, red, rose (on occasion), and dessert. Most glass prices ar $7 or $8, and bottle prices hover between $30 and $45. I assume, if one wanted, wine could be ordered from the restaurant's full list. There is also a good beer list. Service is okay. On weekends, two people try to accommodate the 16 seats at tables plus additional 8 or so seats at the bar. On weeknights, there may just be one person. For the comments made about Heartland being more of a special occasion restaurant than a neighborhood restaurant, the wine bar is helping to bring in customers more attracted to the latter, while the restaurant appeals to a variety of customers. Love having it in my neighborhood.

You will find some previous threads on this topic here and a longer one here. From my perspective, the is purely a marketing/business decision. I don't know where in Missouri you are, but "Sparkling Wine House" probably isn't going to generate the same amount of attention. It may also be a play on words, intentional or unintentional. In some literature, "Chmagne House" is a term that refers to a producer of Champagne, and that producer's standard NV bottling is sometimes referred to as their "House Champagne."

I was in Lanesboro over this past weekend -- the one with the rain. On Friday night, we biked on the Root River Trail to Whalan. By Saturday night, a large portion of that trail had washed away. On Friday night, we ate at the Old Village Hall.because my wife had a gift certificate from some silent auction months ago. It was okay, not good. My Caesar was swimming in dressing, and the chipotle-lime sauce on the quail was someting other than chipotle-lime. Cheesy Yukon Gold potatoes come with all but two of the entrees. We fared much better on Saturday when we went on a tour of one of the nearby Amish regions. I bought plenty of jams. At one stop, I got 5 peaches for $1. They were the best peaches I've ever had. Well, I should say peach (singular). The daughter ate four of them in the car, and would've finished it all off if I didn't stop her. Also, grabbed some great pastires and homemade ice cream.

Probably too late, but for next time or for someone else... Manny's may not be a chain per se, but it is part of the Parasole family of restaurants. So it's not entirely independent. That's nitpicking, I know. The food is wonderful. Mancini's Char House in St. Paul is also very good. The founder died recently, but the place will live on. For something more neighborhood-ish, I suggest Erte.

I've consumed large amounts of Fraboni's products in my lifetime. More groceries in and around Hibbing used to carry their products, but now I have to go to the retail portion of the porcessing facility on the northern part of the town. Fortunately, that means driving by Sunrise Bakery. At Sunrise, you can also get meat pasties. If you like them, there is a shop south of Eveleth on 53 where you can try more. I'm glad that Valentini's reopened. Of course, one also has to mention Whistling Bird in Gilbert in any discussion about Iron Range dining destinations.

I'm not sure there's a right or wrong with most dessert wines. Typically, a little dessert wine goes a long way because of how intensely flavored they (most of them) tend to be. Other factors that have contributed to smaller pours are that the foods often served with dessert wines tend to be smaller in portion size. After a meal do you want a large dessert? Dessert wines come at the end of the meal when there may not be a desire to continue consuming alcohol to the same degree. Port is often served in smaller pours because it is higher in alcohol than table wine. But most dessert wines don't attain the alcohol levels of port and other fortified wines. In fact, some dessert wines have lower amounts of alcohol than even table wines. So we need another reason to limit pour size, some of which I've mentioned above. Of course, it's largely conjecture.

Limiting market supply of a product to artificially drive up demand? What a novel idea! (Sarcasm dripping.) With the price increases I've witnessed of late for Champagne, I'm with John -- there are other sparkling wines to snap up. Of course, "Champagne" on the label carries a certain cachet, and, no doubt some purchases are due to that.

I will send a separate PM. But thanks for the replies. No, I'm not expecting New York, Chicago, or even Minneapolis (sorry). I just know that my wife will tolerate BBQ or steak, but would have a better time with other options. Route 66 icons hold a certain amount of appeal. Also, I believe our lodging has an equipped kitchen, so if I can make the farmers market work, that's a good option. Off to PM...

[Host's Note: Oklahoma used to be located in the Southeast Forums...] Why is Oklahoma listed in the Southeast Forum? Oh, well... I'm writing with a (short notice) request for Tulsa dining recs. More specifically, my wife and I will be staying in Sapulpa (did I spell that correctly) for two nights this upcoming weekend, July 27-29. We are there to adopt our new dog. The dog's foster owner (it's a rescue organization) has recommended BBQ and steakhouses. Not that there's anything wrong with lotsa meat, but I'm looking for additional options. Ethnic finds are great, don't care about atmosphere. We also like neighborhood-type places that are chef-driven. No franchises please, unless there's a locally-operated one that must not be missed. I don't know what Oklahoma's laws are regarding smoking in restaurants, but a place that is entirely smoke free would trump just about any other option.

Hard though it may be to believe, Martha Stewart has a recipe for Earl Grey Pots de Creme. It's food of the gods. If my daughter is answering this questions, though, then it's dad's cocount cream pie.

Too much is being made of the sherry vinegar, I don't care how old it is. Unless it is greatly reduced and sweetened, treat it as any acid -- like lemon juice. I'm also guessing there are a small amount of sweetbreads, and they are mixed together with the veggies.

I don't mind a sea salt quality in some whites and in sherry. And I've detected it in several coastal whites, particular from Italy and Spain. Usually it's a secondary or tertiary element, though. I don't want anything (salt or whatever) to be a distracting force.

Warning: Jaded, cynical remarks follow. a) American wine regions aren't "old enough" to have terroir I'll rephrase it. American wine producers haven't stuck with one variety long enough to know if there is terroir at play or not. When a vineyard has cab planted next to merlot planted next to chardonnay planted next to syrah planted next to zinfandel planted next to sauvignon blanc planted next to pinot noir, how much do we really care about terroir? b) There can be no understanding of "terroir" without rigid planting/blending rules Consumers of American wine, for the most part (there are some exceptions), buy wine by varietal and/or producer; they do not buy wine on AVA. No one wants to understand terroir. The words "napa Valley" will carry a modicum of cachet, but it won't have anything to do with terroir. People will be similarly "impressed" by "Napa Valley" no matter what grape the wine is made from. c) France is the prime [only] example of wines that speak of "terroir" Not so much anymore. Producers in France are going outside the AOC guidelines to make wines they like and wines that will sell to consumers who, again, are going to buy on producer or grape. I do think some areas of France (in particular, Burgundy), Italy (Piedmont), and Germany demonstrate terroir very well. And I think they do so more consistently from producer to producer than their American counterparts.

Nope. As mentioned by others above, I want the balance. ← Brad, I am working my way through a good out of print book from UCD...they go on to say that at Alc By Vol...16% lets say or more needs a higher RS to be balanced...this I knew through experience...to find validation is very nice...so if you have a 16% with a RS of 1.5% to 2.5% the wine might seem perfect...even with the RS...without the wine will burn burn burn...like a ring of fire...TY JC...over time you will not be able to approach this wine as the heat will kill you without the higher RS... ← John, I don't disagree at all. I do want the balance, and if that means more RS to tame the alcohol, I'm okay with that if the final product is balanced. With some table wines, though, that approach those high alcohol levels and need the higher RS (zinfandel, some California syrah, some California Pinot Noir, some California viognier), it can be a case of too much of everything. These wines don't do much for me. I know that plenty of others like that style, though.

You're right, it is. But we won't stop people from listing wines that fit the theme.

Mano, I think Rudi Pichler makes great Gruner Veltliner. I'm not sure it's the first wine I'd think of for your dish, however. Especially at $37, which seems a tad high to me. Give the choice between that and the Chablis, I'd lean toward the Chablis. But you might be able to do two of each and let others decide -- that should still give decent-enough pour sizes. I looked on the PLCB web site. The Palacios Placet is not available. The Do Ferreiro (but they misspell it as Ferreirro) Albarino is $21.59 (fair price). The Giacosa Roero Arneis is $29.99 (a tiny bit high, but not outrageously so). The Taburno Falanghina is not availabe, but I'd go with Mastroberardino as a back up. For Savennieres, Baumard is availabe at $22.99 (the Clos du Papillon is priced slightly high at $30.99), and Joly is available at $32.99. Now for the bad news -- They are all either SLO or Specialty. Looks like you're drinking Chablis and/or GruVe.

If you are looking to furnish 3-4 bottles, I suggest mixing it up a bit and educating yourself and the others. While it may be nice to offer 3-4 of the same wine, 3-4 different wines can generate some fun discussion. Here are some candidates that will get you 4 wines instead of 3: Spain Bodegas Palacios Remondo "Placet," Rioja Blanca Do Ferreiro Albarino, Rias Baixas Italy Giacosa Roero Arneis Taburno Falanghina France Chabils Premier Cru of your choice (Grand Cru may threaten your budget) Savennieres (Baumard or Domaine du Closel) Germany Riesling Trocken or Halbtrocken from the Pfalz (Muller-Catoir, Basserman-Jordan, Koehler-Rupprecht) Bubbles Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Turquoise Charles Baur Cremant d'Alsace Champagne of your choice Someone else will have to add wines from the U.S., Australia, or New Zealand to this list.

I'm pretty sure it's sold by the pound, and I'm making the assumption one pound = 2 cups = 32 tablespoons. Maybe that's an unfair assumption. Would that make me or the butter more dense?

It's a bit of a stretch, but. . . 2000 Louis Michel Chablis Montee de Tonnerre, Premier Cru. Just a quick impression here. Rocky, flinty, with some "deeper, earthy" mineral notes as well. Good acidity. Citrus taking a back seat to the minerals.