I cannot to begin to thank Mimi and the entire Forepaughs's staff for an amazing experience. My daughter is active duty Air Force as is her now husband. After Thanksgiving she informed me that she will be getting married when she is on leave at Christmas. Mimi and her staff put together a beautiful ending to the couple's whirlwind beginning to marital bliss. The meal was delicious, the setting was absolutely stunning, and the staff was so attentive. I will definitely be sending my St. Paul colleagues this way! Thank you again! read more

Forepaugh's Restaurant - The happy couple! - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary. When we arrived, the host was very welcoming and gracious (if a bit rehearsed). We had a cute little window table on the second floor. Food was phenomenal. We both had the beef wellington, but the real standout was the shrimp cocktail appetizer. Simply outstanding. Service was a bit slow but the food came out in a timely manner so it didn't matter much. Another reviewer called the old mansion house "tired," which I wouldn't necessarily agree with. I saw it more as kind of campy, especially when the host made an allusion to disembodied shrieks that occasionally can be heard coming from the 3rd floor. Its certainly no Martina, but definitely has a uniquely specific ambiance that I appreciated. read more

This is a gem and an excellent place to sit for a drink with a cheese plate or a meal. The staff are a class act with the memory to match. Take a seat out on the balcony or porch with a glass of wine and a cheese plate prior to dinner. The dining areas are intimate and quiet with plenty of fire places. read more

I am aware that Forepaugh's has recently closed. Every one of the meals I had there was an memorable experience, from a thank-you dinner for coworkers after a big sale in the early 1980s, to my wedding and a reception dinner in 1996, and on many other occasions. I, for one, hope we have not seen the last of Forepaugh's. One local business publication says the property may be put up for sale to another restaurant company. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile... thanks for the memories, Molly. read more

I'll be honest with you all, if I could I'd give 0 stars. This is, hands down, the worst food I have ever had at a restaurant. The flavor was awful. It taste like they were experimenting with several different flavors and it did not work. Two people from my group had the seafood fettuccine. The consensus on the sauce was that they basically made it a little spicy, but unfortunately, took out the flavor completely from the dish. It was somehow bland, spicy, and inedible, all at the same time. One member of my group had ribeye. While the ribeye was okay, the rice that came with it was probably the worst thing that anyone had at the table. Just wait for the aftertaste, it will crush your soul. Finally, three people had the mushroom truffle bisque. Again, there was no flavor with the exception of the bacon in the bisque. We were all very excited as it sounded delicious, so again we were extremely disappointed. Overall, I am going to reiterate, this is the worst food I have ever had, in my life. This is my first post I've ever made on yelp, and will probably be my last. But I felt the overwhelming need to warn the public about our experience. Good luck y'all! read more

Amazing food in a really cool atmosphere. Servers will let you tour the whole house and some have stories about the building as well. If you don't want fine dining but still want great food check out the bar menu! read more

Summary: Visually interesting ambiance and food. Poor execution on the "signature dishes". My wife and I went for the first time and were told by our server that it was Restaurant Week - a week where restaurants get together and serve their signature dishes at a discounted price. We thought we were very lucky and were going to be in for a treat. Oops. Food we ordered: Poutine - Overcooked (burnt) fries with a few small cheese curds only on top of the "funnel" it was served in. Quite a disappointment. Waldorf Salad - Nice combination of flavors/ingredients, but the white truffle oil (the chef's own contribution to this classic he learned from the best) was overpowering. Malaysian Chicken Samosas - Overcooked and tough. Too salty. Recommended by our server, but why?? "Pan-seared" Walleye - Was actually deep fried and not pan-seared. Chewy, tough coating and slightly chewy meat. Good curry sauce. Potato Raviolli - Nice flavor combination but WAY too salty. "Cherry" ice cream sandwich - Cookie was good, but ice cream was WAY too salty and didn't have one bit of cherry flavor. Banana Cream - Nice flavors but was also too salty. All of the dishes were visually appealing however they did not deliver on the taste/texture one bit. Also, we were put at a small table while every other couple in our section were put at large tables. This made us feel uncomfortable during our entire dining experience. Would not recommend to others, unless they simply like a restaurant for its ambiance. read more

We went here because City Pages said the place had the best dessert in the Twin Cities. We were disappointed, to say the least, with the sample dessert platter. All of the desserts seems like they had been sitting in the refrigerator all day. The crusts were soggy and cold. For best in the city, we were expecting mind-blowing. Not a single part of the 5-part platter was better than average. Not sure what the reviewer was thinking. What did make up for this place was the atmosphere. We were seated right next to a fireplace and the servers added a couple extra logs just for us. Great date spot, if only the dessert matched the atmosphere. read more

Eh, could the table BE any smaller? The positives - *Good HH prices on wine and tasty snacks. *Good and tasty snacks - the chicken flat-bread was awesome! *Free, albeit limited, parking *Comfortable chairs in the bar *Great butternut squash soup. The menu I looked at did not indicate it had chorizo in it, so beware if you are not a meat eater like me. The not so positives - *The tasty snacks are quite small and not large enough for more than 2 people to share. *CRAMPED seating the bar area - the 3 of us were at a table for 4 and we were smashed in there. *Tiny, tiny tables in the bar. There is certainly not enough room for 3 glasses of wine, 3 small plates, 2 appetizers and silverware. My fork fell on the ground 2 times because it kept falling off my plate, which was balanced on the appetizer plate which was smashed up against the other plates on the table. The really needs improving - *The service - blech. Slow, annoyingly so, and just plain old lacking. The lone bartender was working the whole bar and the room to the side. He had to walk around the back of the bar, through the hallway to get drinks and serve them. It's not his fault, but they could really use more help in the bar. Would I go back - maybe, with conditions - if it were just me and someone else and it was not busy. It's not good for more than 2 people and once it gets busy, forget about it. read more

My boyfriend and I went there for brunch over the weekend. The ambiance was probably the only good thing about the place. We had the pre-fix brunch menu. The food was awefully distasteful. There was a big plate with bacon, potatoes, sausage, eggs bennedict and eggs. The bacon was cold, sausage was meh. I did not have a second bite after having the first. I could do a wayyyyyyyy better job making it at home than paying $22 at a restaurant per person. We will just stick to French Meadow and have the most amazing breakfast at half the price. I will never return here. read more

I honestly don't understand why this place only has 3 & a half stars. It truly is one of the most amazing dining experiences I've had. From the moment we arrived, everyone was both friendly and attentive. The host offered us comfortable seats by the fire and the wait staff was remarkably informative. It is true what other reviewers have said- the menu is pricy. However, their happy hour is phenomenal! I would definitely come back just for the ghost stories & cheap beer. It's not everyday you can sip a $4 Stella Artois by a roaring fire & listen to an elderly hostess recount all her stories from years of working in a haunted mansion. If you're in Saint Paul (or even if you're further away) I would highly recommend Forepaughs. It's not as pretentious as it sounds, and especially at happy hour- it provides phenomenal service, as well as good drinks & solid food at a fair price. read more

Terrible. My fiancé and I took his two daughters to Forepaugh's before seeing a play at the Ordway last evening thinking it would be a great first restaurant to introduce a tween and teen what an upscale, gourmand restaurant was all about and it was terrible to say the least. All of our food was ice cold, lacked flavor, and way over priced. $202 without tip and that was without any cocktails which included 4 entrees, one appetizer and two salads. Even the oldest daughter tried my Caesar and said it was too bitter and her walleye was very fishy. My fiancé's scallops were ice cold and raw, my chicken was tough and reminded me of airplane food, and the tween daughter was the only one who had a decent meal with a strip steak and mashed potatoes which she loved. The only thing good I have to say was the service was spot on, but besides that, everything (the food) seemed to already been cooked prior to dinner service, and unfortunately was not very good. We will not be coming back. read more

One of my "Secret Spots" in St. Paul. The decor is cozy and approachably refined - early 1900's. They have 4 menu's: Brunch, Happy Hour, Downstairs and Upstairs. The best thing about this approach - is that they are niche marketing within their own establishment, and they never change the quality of the food. The price point is much more pocket friendly than you would think. Tip 1: They have an amazing tasting room downstairs in the basement. Seats 6 perfectly, but 8 could fit. The walls are brick and wine bottle covered with spot lighting. Very intimate. If you want to guarantee the space, you need to spend $1200....that being said, you can try to reserve the room at any time, and you need to order off the "Upstairs" menu - but if someone else is willing to pay the $1200 - you get bumped. Tip 2: AWESOME. HAPPY. HOUR. Tip 3: Legend has it that it's haunted! Tip 4: They are just now putting in a new front patio - maybe too late for this summer, but next year - you can find me there. read more

Yes indeed the price rating at Forepaugh's is a $$$, and there is no lie in that statement. BUT! If you are like the general population of 20-somethings and your paycheck doesn't allow for more than a $$ (or let's be honest $ all day errryday), then why would you even scroll down on your phone to the reviews? Well allow me to tell you why. Happy happy happy hour. Yes, this happy hour goes until 7pm (and all day Sunday), which we all know is a good hour later than the typical 4-6 rushed-out-the-door-of-your-office-and-race-to-the-pub that we are all used to. This actually allows you to get to this off the grid mansion bar and relax and enjoy more than one beverage before HH last call. This place is in an actual mansion, and there is a free parking lot across the street, if you eat on the premises (think: Xcel Center and Science Museum a stone's throw away). HH is directly inside, to the right or the left, on the patio, but not up the stairs to all of the other gorgeous eating areas. It is lush, dark, fancy, and the service is truly top-notch. I have been here countless times for HH and have never felt slighted for only ordering a drink or an app. The manager always encourages you to go upstairs for a look around, and even took a group of friends and I down to their private wine cellar for a mini tour. The drink specials are pretty generous - a $6 cocktail special of the day, $5 rail drinks and wines, and $4 beer. The appetizers are pretty delicious, and you can honestly never go wrong with the fancy azz fries. The sangria's are also great (though not always served at HH) and I hear their brunch is ahmerhzing, so that's a-comin with this sudden March patio season heat wave. read more

Came here as part of a celebration dinner with a bunch of coworkers after the completion of a major project. Total group was 14 people. There was a preselected menu. I had the steak. It was nicely prepared and generous in size. But it was overly seasoned with a very salty seasoning that left an unpleasant aftertaste. Several people had walleye and they liked it. At least one person spoke well of the vegetarian selection. But honestly, neither one looked that impressive to me. One of the attractions of Forepaughs is the Victorian decor. On past visits, our server told the story of the ghost. Especially for groups, that adds to the experience of dining there. But this time, the service was efficient but not particularly friendly, and no ghost story. Can't say I'd drive across town to dine here again. read more

Beautiful location in a historic home by Irvine Park. Even more fun around Christmas with all the decorations. The atmosphere is intimate and comfortable. The service was great and the food was good. I've had their Beef Wellington and Chicken Gribeche, all good with their pomme puree. read more

Brunch was great! $20 per person includes all you can eat coffee cake, fruit & yogurt, eggs Benedict, potatoes, sausage, bacon and cheesy eggs, plus a beverage. Highlights for me were the first four items! Cinnamon strudel coffee cake was sweet and buttery. Fruit and yogurt had a nice variety of fresh fruit including blackberries and raspberries! Eggs Benedict was yummy on a perfectly buttered and grilled English muffin. The potatoes were nice and crunchy on the outside yet moist and savory inside! The sausage, bacon and cheesy eggs were good. We had heard so many good things about the chocolate peanut butter dessert. Despite how full we were without getting seconds of anything, we ordered one to share! The bottom was light and crispy, the peanuts were roasted to a rich flavor, and the chocolate was chocolatey delicious! There was a creamy ice cream on top and meringue, caramel and pretzel on the side. It was a wonderful symphony of taste and texture. We were happy we ordered. Even though it was rich, it still felt light! We talked all morning of coming back another time!! read more

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My girlfriends and I dined here during restaurant week and were so pleased we checked this place out. The mansion is beautiful! We were greeted warmly as we walked in and the service only got better from there. The Chinese Scallion Flatbread was delicious, as was the salad. The samosas were ok, but nothing special. For entrees, we had the Pan-Seared Walleye and the Ultimate Opus Burger. The portions were big and everything was quite tasty. My favorite part of the evening was the dessert - deconstructed banana cream pie! The little crushed wafers on the bottom were incredible and I loved the look and taste of the entire thing! I'm so glad to hear that this dessert is a staple on their menu, so I can have it again when I go back!! read more

This mansion is beautiful inside and out. Lots of character and charm. Sadly, that's all that you're paying for. The food was so scarse, I thought they had forgotten to bring the rest of it. Most of us left still hungry, and we are not big people at all. I had the veal, which was $38 and it was in a horseradish sauce which was too spicy to eat. So I didn't. I hesitated about going there once I looked at the menu on line-Very Pricey! Our son said he was paying, so I decided to go ahead. I bought a very fancy cake for my husbands birthday that night, but the waitress wouldn't let me serve it unless I paid $2.50/plate for my family of "9?!". The cake was already $40 and I wasn't going to spend more to put it on their plates! I won't go back. read more

I googled Minnesota's most haunted places & Forepaughs was one of them. While on vacation, my friends & I stopped at this beautiful place for dinner. Although they were hosting a wedding reception & space was limited, they reassured us that they would find us somewhere to sit. We sat in a lovely spot next to a window, in the bar. The wine, food & service was phenomenal(the peanut butter dessert was the best). Christy was our server & she was amazing! She was very knowledgeable, not only about the wonderful menu but the history of the home as well. This was the highlight of my trip. I highly recommend this place if you're ever in Minnesota! read more

My girlfriend and I came to Forepaugh's for a nice date. The building was beautiful, and definitely was a neat experience for a date. However we were seated right next to a group party space. The noise was kind of difficult to deal with as a result. However, I'd attribute that more specifically to the group that was present. But as a result it wasn't much like the nice ambient experience we were hoping for. We ordered the Beef Wellington and the Pan-Seared Walleye. Beef Wellington was quite enjoyable, but the Walleye was quite disappointing - both the size and the taste. The dessert was okay. Not particularly memorable. Overall I would say the Venue is very nice, although our specific experience with the ambiance was poor. The food was not up to the level I would have expected for the price. It's unlikely that I would return. read more

Well, the main reason we go here is because of the ambiance, the bartender, and the Happy Hour. Recently, the management has raised this prices on the Happy Hour higher than regular prices at other places ! Look, we used to spend more money here in a month, than some wealthy diner spends coming here once a year ! We are very close to never coming here again ! This restaurant could be filled, every night, by offering more affordable offerings. Look around ! Wake up and smell the bread sticks ! Time for the owner to do a reality check ! read more

Delicious food, friendly staff, beautiful setting. I thought the ravioli had both a great texture and taste, and my husband enjoyed his walleye. Before dining at Forepaugh's I was under the assumption that I didn't like brussels sprouts - apparently I just don't like poorly prepared sprouts, because I loved them here. The deconstructed banana cream pie was unusual and tasty. I look forward to returning - soon! read more

This was our first visit to Forepaugh's in many years. The previous menu was elegant with a heavy french influence. Now it is elegant American. I had a barbecued beef rib (boneless) and it was out of this world. My meal included a couple of sides including grits that were fried in a tempura batter. My wife ordered the NY strip, which unfortunately was mediocre. It did not appear or taste like a 21- day aged steak as indicated on the menu. Instead, it tasted like yesterday's supermarket selection. The strip, at $39 was absolutely nothing special - but my boneless rib was flawless. The service was great and the atmosphere was equally wonderful. My recommendation is to skip the steak specialties and order the 'plated' selections. All of those coming out of the kitchen looked great. I just won't chance or invest in another steak at Forepaugh's - when MPLS/StP has so many other great steak choices. read more

After a 10 year hiatus, finally went back to Forepaugh's for a brunch. Food was good - highlights were the quiche and the house-made doughnuts. But let's face it... the real reason to visit Forepaugh's is for the experience. Forepaugh's is like Mancini's... deserving a visit for it's unique character alone. It's literally a mansion decked out as a restaurant. We ate brunch in a private room on the third floor.... felt like we were in someone's house. Funny how that works... Forepaugh's just feels comfortable - even with all the elegance. It's a hard balance to strike... but even after 10 years away and a change in ownership - the place has real, undeniable charm. read more

This is a very quite intimate restaurant with very good food and service. The squash soup and gazpacho salad were unique and tasty. The roast duck and curried walleye entrees were very tasty and elegantly presented. I would return in a minute for a great dinning experience in a antique house. read more

I got the strip steak and it was the worst dish I've ever tried. How do you mess up rice? My friends got the seafood fettuccini it had spice but no seasoning. Take my advice don't come here it was that bad. Now I know why the maid hung herself in 1870 bc she tried the rice. read more

The food is very good the place is very quiet and takes you back in time. the service is not too bad but i did not care. I have not had an issue with there food even there salad is good and i hate salad.. the experience was great. i would recommend to any one. They have a large selection of scotch and other types of liqueur. read more

We had a small intimate wedding of 60 guest on May 1st 2016 the setting is spectacular the food wonderful. Services was spot on. The manager Mimi was so nice when we changed room to match the guest list npt one time a couple of times! The ceremony was on the terrace. With a back up room should it rain. Reception just inside. Got to add beff Wellington to our menu choice the food is so delicious. We're going back today for my birthday. read more

Forepaugh's Restaurant - wedding photo at forepaughs - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Had a good time here today, the location is nice there is a variety of seating options( porch, deck above entry...) we had a server that was not so great ( Rebecca ) when we asked for the run down of the menu she had a lot of ah,um,oh,um, fine,um.... Not very helpful in informing us so we felt like we had to figure it out on our own. I had the pork dish and it was ok . I ordered it medium and it was a little dry inside....it was good for a one time visit. read more

Really good service in an upstairs dining area. Tasty food, but a bit-too-expensive in price. I ordered their BLT/Caesar "Collision" Salad (a small plate for $11) and the Poutine (with just a little puddle of duck gravy at bottom of bowl for $12) Secret: there's a parking lot across the street that you're allowed to park in as a customer of Forepaugh's - stop to ask a valet about it. read more

This may be the best restaurant in all of Minnesota. My wife and i fell in love instantly. The feeling of eating in an old mansion, and the food could not have been better. The beef wellington and pan seared duck are outstanding. We also had dessert, featuring the passion fruit creme brulee, and the deconstructed banana cream pie were insane. We have been everywhere in the cities, and no place deserves a higher recognition that this. read more

Ambiance is everything...with this in mind we chose the elegant Forepaughs for a special holiday dinner with a group of friends last evening ~December 26. We were told many reservations were cancelled (understandably) due to the subzero weather so there were an abundance of seating options yet we were seated on the top floor in a room that had no Christmas decorating (the fireplace was not even lit). The other rooms we walked through were beautifully appointed but yet we reached our destination in this small corner room with no holiday flare that we expected. The wait staff was superior and the food just okay. Again ambiance is everything when choosing a beautiful dinner venue over the holidays. For this reason I was disappointed... and gave only 2 stars. Karen W. read more

I am madly in love with Forepaughs! For a special event or just a nice happy hour with friends, this place has become like a second home to me! The staff is wonderful and very welcoming! The chef is amazing! And I love their wine selection especially when accompanied with their goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves, grilled to perfection with toast points! My son, who is only 3 loves Forepaughs too! What a great pallet. Thanks Forepaughs! See you very soon. read more

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My husband and I ate here tonight as somewhere new to eat in the Twin Cities. A friend recommended it and after reading some of the reviews we decided we should try it.The mansion itself is beautiful with a lot of what looks like original woodwork. The hostess was so accomodating and friendly which is a great start to a good meal. We were sat in a small room with a romantic, quiet ambience for our dinner. It was quiet, with pretty music lightly playing in the background. Our waiter knew the menu inside out and was very good at recommending what he thought was the best and could answer questions about the food in great detail. The food was beautiful and delicious. The chef really knows what he is doing! For the first course we got the Scallop Carpaccio, with flavors so fresh and delightful it really tingled the pallette. Second course we got the Pork Belly with the stone fruits. The fennel added a wonderful twist to the fruits and crispy, juicy pork belly. For our composed plates we both got the Beef Wellington. The mushrooms added a depth of flavor I didn't think would be possible with a puffed pastry crusted steak, but it was fabulous. For dessert we each had a cocktail and the Caramelt My heart dessert, which was a rich, caramel custard. It was a rich way to end a meal. Yes it is pricey, but when we go out to eat we intend to drop a couple hundred dollars as we don't get out often and we enjoy great food. For what we receieved, I believe it was a very fair price and the service was just as wonderful. I highly recommend it and intend to go back again! read more

With all the great reviews and ratings, I was very much looking forward to my first time at Forepaugh's. It just sounded amazing. I had family visiting in town, my mother loves historical places, and I thought it would be a great treat to take them to a nice place (because Forepaugh's is pretty pricey!) I am very sad to say, I was SO disappointed! I don't even know how to politely say it, but...the food was not good. We had apps, salads, entrees, drinks and dessert. The only thing I would say was delicious was the salads and drinks. Honestly, the rest was terrible. I was embarassed and felt bad that I chose the place...everyone was very polite but how they left their dishes uneaten really said it all. I finished my entree but a few hours later, I was so nauseasted, I thought it would come back up. I wouldn't call myself a foodie, but I am a very adventourous eater, and will eat the odd and unique to the downhome and american, to very upscale restaurant to a dive diner, but the unique combinations they are trying do NOT work. And the cool thing they had going on (the haunting stories), apparently the new owners are telling the staff to not discuss anything and they want to lose that reputation. DON'T! It's really all you have going. The building and dining rooms are BEAUTIFUL!!!! It was worth it to check the house out but...I regret to report the food was awful and overpriced. For that kind of money, you can go somewhere else and get way better food. However the property is absolutely goregous. read more

Terrible. Service=Awful. Steak= Cold AND Overcooked. Way too expensive for the mediocre quality of this place. I don't mind $100 plates if the food is good, and the service is efficient, but it wasn't. The only place I have ever had the nerve to actually complain to the GM about. I only went once a long time ago, and myself, my family, my lady, and my friends have not went back. Word to the wise, if you're stuck in St. Paul and you want a good steak, try Kincaid's, or The St. Paul Grill. Forepaugh's blows!! read more

The people are so welcoming! John, Mimi, Damien, Shelby, Lori, etc! I've been coming here for years and enjoy this establishment throughout the seasons. read more

I have been watching Hell's Kitchen for years, and the most famous item on the menu has to be Chef Ramsay's Beef Wellington. After a little research, my partner and I found Forepaugh's, and we decided to have dinner there for my birthday. It did NOT meet our expectation, especially for the price, and we will likely not return. First, when we arrived, it was not clear where we should go or who would seat us. We had to ask a bus boy. When we were seated, our server came to greet us, and we had to ask his name and take the lead about how the ordering would work. The service overall was not very professional: servers having their cell phones out, our server saying, "Ya dig it?" to see if we like the food, and our server not knowing ingredients of food, or whether items were made in house or outsourced. In fact, he told us the complimentary buns were made in house, and when I asked what the ingredients were, he brought me a cardboard cutting that listed the ingredients (about 15 minutes later); he said it was from the box that the buns are sourced and frozen in. Lots of artificial ingredients. Our server continued to struggle with our questions throughout the whole meal. In my experience, it is NEVER a good sign when the server is ignorant about the food. There was a lack of transparency and communication. This was VERY disappointing. We ordered: - Seasonal greens salad: very basic salad with mixed greens, Gorgonzola, figs, and a honey vinaigrette. Not too different from what I might make at home. It did not "wow" me. - Mushroom Agnolotti: Any filled pasta is best paired with a thick sauce so that it sticks to the pasta. This agnolotti was in a cilantro lime broth, which made it feel confused between a Mexican dish and an Italian dish. The flavor of the broth did not compliment the mushroom filling of the agnolotti; it actually took away. A very strange combination. - Beef Wellington: this was the award winning beef welly that had high expectations, but it did NOT live up. It was the chef's personal take on the traditional dish, but I would have much preferred the traditional recipe. Things that went wrong with the welly: 1. The lattice pastry dough was not enough to really add anything. It tasted plain, and it kept falling off the beef. In fact, the entire apparatus fell apart as I ate it. 2. The duxelles mushrooms had some kind of acid added to them, so they tasted too dominant. 3. Swiss chard was wrapped around the filet, which was NOT an equal alternative to prosciutto in the traditional recipe. 4. For $35, the dish felt incomplete, a bit disconnected. There were a few SLICES of fingerling potatoes, a few mushrooms, and a couple raisin tomatoes on the side of the welly. In my opinion, they should have stuck with the traditional style welly with a yummy purée or gravy, and placed whole fingerling potatoes and wilted Swiss chard on the side of the dish. The general atmosphere of Forepaugh's was dark lighting (I could hardly see my food), elder people, and safe, dim food. I did NOT leave feeling enlivened or inspired by the food or the service. Forepaugh's tries to present a fancy appearance, but the integrity of the food is sacrificed for the vanity. To clarify, the food was not terrible--we ate it--but it was mediocre, and therefore, too expensive. We will not return. read more

We only went here for dessert because City Pages rated them as the best dessert in the twin cities. The food: The presentation was great, its exactly what I would have expected from a upscale restaurant. We were informed by our waitress that this Banana Cream thing was what won the award. Its basically bananas flambe on top of a banana cream on top of some chocolate crisps with a side of whipped cream. The only place I've had better Bananas flambe was in my own kitchen, the banana cream tasted like banana cream pie filling from perkins, the chocolate crisps taste like chocolate rice crispy cereal, and the whipped cream may have been out of a can??? The only reason I would consider this to be amongst the best desserts would be due to the bananas flambe, without it this dessert wouldn't stay afloat! The Service: I'd give the service alone a two, which would have been a one if it wouldn't have been our great waitress. When we came in, a lady at the front greeted us with a surprised look on her face. I felt it was because I have arms full of tattoos, was wearing camo shorts, and my girlfriend had a t-shirt on advertising the newest Atmosphere album. She preceded to stubble over works, kept looking over her shoulder, not making eye contact etc. Once we made the struggle to our table and sat down we explained we had came for dessert. She told us about them and which one had won the City Pages award. I placed a order with her that I would take one of the Banana Creams, she says, "You know they are $8 a piece" as if I wasn't aware I wasn't at Dairy Queen. After she left the real waitress came out who was more then willing to help out, and answer all of our questions about the old Victorian home. read more