Wow, where do I begin? I'm a foodie that enjoys fine dining. I enjoy well crafted cuisine. My partner and I had reservations at 6:30 Friday night and were both excited to try a new restaurant. Although we typically dine in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, we heard this restaurant had potential.
Wow could we have not been more wrong. We started with the bacon and bourbon appetizer which was a shot glass of bourbon, some thick cut glazed bacon with cherries on top. This was the only good thing about our meal. It was a nice pairing. However, I about lost a tooth as one of the cherries wasn't pitted. I can see that as an honest oversight as I've done my share of pitting cherries and missed some because of the tool.
We ordered a bottle of white wine which was so delicious that my girlfriend wanted me to look it up. A 50 dollar bottle in the restaurant with an average retail price of 15.98. We all know there is significant markup on restaurant wine, but wow. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2014 for 50 dollars... Hahah. Insanity.
Remaining consistent with the wine gouging is the quality of the food based on its pricing. The total for two with that bottle was 240.00 without a tip. We did tip 20% as the waitress was great.
We both had salads which were flavored well. Standard fair really, but decently dressed. I had a Caesar, and my croutons were soggy, lending evidence to a pre made salad.
When paying a bill at this level I have come to expect quality of food (presentation, taste, quality ingredients, creativity) like provided at Upton 43, Travail, Lurcat, Alma, Bachelor Farmer, Butcher and the Boar etc. This isn't what you'll get. Instead my girlfriend got a 2 inch thick cut pork chop which presented nice, tasted ok (about a little better than a chop at Applebee's would be) and was trying pretty hard, with being set on a bed of Apple/Parsnip Purée and roasted Brussels with tomatoes on top. It just didn't taste like a 35 dollar entree.
I was underwhelmed by the menu choices and went with what I thought was a safe bet, King Crab. Each leg was sawed in half for me so no fussing which was nice, however at each knuckle, the meat was that Raw gelatinous clear elmers glue consistency. I don't even know how that's possible given most king crab is pre cooked and simply steamed back to temp, but there it was. Disgusting. As I accidentally put this in my mouth I inspected the other legs and two others had this same consistency. Yuck. I didn't complain (my fault) as I didn't want to upset my girlfriend as she had heard about this place. Luckily after our meal she confirmed what I thought about her pork chop.
If you're spending 200 dollars for two people, spend your money elsewhere. If you think this restaurant is worth that price, your pallet and taste probably won't notice the difference anyway, and you'll continue to be happy eating here. For those of us who expect more for that price, stay far away or you'll be left feeling disappointed like we are.
The chef here really needs to up his game or work with his or her staff to live up to the price. I've had cheaper priced meals that were 10x better from James Beard nominees, this chef won't be getting a nod like that any time soon. read more