[MSP] Meritage

[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.

Edited November 7, 2007 by Brad Ballinger (log)

[MSPD]

Thanks Brad for the writeup. I had no idea they were open already.

All of a sudden there are a whole host of intriguing higher-end new places having just opened, or opening soon, around MSP. Maybe I need to gut my kitchen too.

[ulterior epicure]

Brad, thanks for sharing that exeperience. Any other recent Meritage meals out there to report? I'm curious what's become of Au Rebours's successor.