4th- meritage, st. paul
8th- reuben's deli and steakhouse, montreal, quebec
9th- au pied de cochon, montreal, quebec
10th- olive et gourmando, montreal, quebec
10th- dna, montreal, quebec
14th- perkins, shakopee
17th- saffron, minneapolis
19th- turtle's bar and grill, shakopee
24th- grand city buffet, st. louis park
25th- manny's steakhouse, minneapolis

4th- meritage, st. paul (b)

for an early birthday dinner, i chose to go somewhere this year that has never disappointed me (unlike last year), meritage. and that turned out to be a pretty good idea, especially for the food.

mom thought her beet and walnut salad ($3) amusement was tasty and cute, though i do wonder the price point for the tiny dish of beets and walnuts vs. the amuses i had for a $1 more each, the fairly decent for the price sized salmon rillette with a few, fresh warm toasts and the foie gras macaroon (done eleven madison park-style) that would've been quite perfect had it been slightly less cold.

she also though the house burger with shallot confit and roasted garlic aioli (she got the emmentaler on the side, so i got that) and pomme frites (avec ça) ($13.50) was one of, if not the, best burger she's had. so major points. she didn't like the frites as much as i did, but the ones i got but i had bernaise with the side order ($7.50) version and she had only ketsup.

they had their autumn menu on the site, and i was looking forward to the seared foie gras with pumpkin pan perdu and such, but alas it was a different menu at the place and the foie was in a pot au feu with winter veg. that didn't seem as appealing to me (and i'm pretty sure it'll be foie-ing it up later in the week) so i went with the pumpkin soup with gingerbread croutons and spiced creme fraiche ($8).

yes, pumpkin soup again. i love the taste of pumpkin and you rarely see anything with it outside of november and december. it also seems to be taking over the space usually held on the menu for butternut squash soup. this version was more pumpkin-tasting (it didn't have the added rutabaga) and earthy, but held the same velvety notes.... and also it was served in the cutest ever pumpkin tureen.

though service was above average from our server, it wasn't as good as service i've previously had there- the server wasn't very attentive and i was unable to attract their attention during part of the dinner (i was going to enquire if i could get some bread with the soup- we oddly never got any though the table next to us did) even when they were standing next to our table or passing by.

the person who seated us, however, was astute enough to sense our discomfort at being seated near a large, loud party and asked if we wanted to be seated before i could inquire). we ended up in the bar, where it's easier to hear things even though the music was louder. and we had a window seat there, so we could see the lights. oh, and the water pouring? excellent. and they not only gave me a flute of prosecco for my birthday for free, mom got one too. bonus!

8th- reuben's deli and steakhouse, montreal, quebec (c)

not my official birthday dinner, though it was officially my birthday. after stopping at atwater market for a lunch of some cheese and baguette and duck (quack) pate (nice food, though maybe try jean-talon in winter as the scene here is dead) i wanted to try some montreal-style deli. this probably wasn't the most authentic pick, but we were a bit tired and went with something close to the hotel that had decent recommendations online.

onion rings were highly recommended by many people, so we split an order of them ($9.49), note- all prices are in canadian dollars, which are like u.s. dollars right now more or less). the very large pile of rings had some nice integrity on the coating, it didn't crumble. the onions were a bit wimpy, though, and the lot of them needed salt. major points for the jack daniels bbq dipping sauce, it brought a nice change from ketsup and ranch dressing and had some impressively strong flavor.

i got the turkey melt, which looked like a rachael on the menu ($13.49) but didn't taste like one, mostly due to the wee bit of cheese. it was melted, but couldn't taste it. the meat was smoked, but had a processed feel to it- it felt more like lunchmeat than real turkey. disappointing. the fries with it were quite good, though. i, of course, didn't get as many as my dining companion (see: bad restaurant karma, which also manifested itself in a watery as hell mango daquiri that tasted like fruity ice water, $10.99). there was enough sandwich to have lunch the next day, too.

also ordered was the reuben because ($13.99), um, we had to. it's in the name, you know. it was more huge and had twice the fries of my dinner. the sandwich used the smoked meat instead of pastrami (they're like the same thing, only smoked meat doesn't add sugar, for one). it was pronouced quite good, but not as good as a homemade smoked meat that's done in their household. also enjoyed was the casino royale cocktail ($11.99), a must for bond, james bond, fans. if you've seen the movie, you'll know what this is (they call it something else though, in the flick...).

service was very half-assed, and the place didn't read deli at all- there was dance music playing, the furnishings looked upscale-ish (not shea, more crowded in design), that part was kinda odd. i guess we should've gone to schwartz's, but it seemed a bit of a schlep for the condition we were in at the time.

9th- au pied de cochon, montreal, quebec (a/a- group grade)

ah, yes, the first reservation made when i picked montreal as my birthday trip (always good to leave the country for your birthday), mostly due to one dish, but the whole of the duck/foie tip here (the other people would like the porkier bits- both animals raised on the chef's farm)... this was my official birthday dinner. and yes, oh, yes i chose well.

two of us started with the cromesquis de foie gras, which on the english side of the menu is listed as "foie gras cromesquis" and remains equally mystifying as to what a cromesquis is ($3.50, all prices canadian). it turns out to be basically a tiny croquette, i think many of them have a liquified center. none of us knew that, and we've collectively worked our way over menus all around the world. so we all learning something new. anyway, you get two big bite sizes pieces in your order, and these? would make an awesome high-end state fair food. deep fried liquified foie. think about it. and envy us, won't you? i would like those to pop up someplace that i don't have to fly to, please.

the other starter was the best soupe à l'oignon gratinée ($7.00) that a bone fide hardcore fan of the traditional-style onion soup thought was pretty much the best they've ever had in the entire world (literally and figuratively, for that matter). and it made them very very happy indeed. if i had to guess the reason it would be the quality of the smoky, melty cheese, but more so the depth of the stock. who would've guessed that it would be a great pick in the temple of all things pork and duck? a risky choice that paid off quite well.

after the starters, we all got foie-crazy. someone went for the foie gras 'tout nu' ($21), which is a pretty hefty slab of foie that is to be spread a large quantity of toast. i'm sure there were other things on the plate, but really, those don't matter. they just don't. just the lovely lovely foie, done perfectly. they get bonus points for stacking enough toast for the amount of foie, not everyone does that.

the presentation value award goes to the place that invented the 'duck in a can' ($43). there's a tribute version done locally at haute dish, which would be worth looking into. the plating looked a bit like a birth scene, probably as the duck was a tad too big to come out of said can easily (that doesn't mean it was gross, just kind of funny, but really it isn't the world's most attractive dish at any point).

for that matter, why not give the dish a taste award as well? there was a large piece of foie in a stage of melt and the duck was done to perfection (which can be quite difficult to do in many circumstances). the demi-glace (i think it was) sauce was divine, and there were vegetables and other things that i am sure were fine, but really they're not the star of the show and who cares about them really? the whole thing is emptied onto bread (better to get the whole of the sauce).

but me? i was so there for the foie gras poutine ($23). seriously, if that thing were a sandwich, i would never eat anything else, and die huge and happy (and mostly likely broke, let's not forget that...) because it has three of my four favorite foods in one dish (obviously there's no bread in there, that would be the fourth): cheese, here in curd form, fries, here done in duck fat, hello!, and foie gras in chunks.

the gravy is rich and creamy, also. my god, the flavors made me happy. i would've been entirely gone had the curds been a tiny bit more melted, they still held a bit of cold to them and didn't quite get into the mess as i would've liked to see. but it was still very very good. and the recipe? is online. so if anyone is looking to make me dinner for my birthday ever? use that, please.

service was quite good given the level of activity, and they have the requisite cute french-style servers, too (both genders, so hey, everyone gets the eye candy). the room was packed (idea- buy the really empty place next door and expand) and done up in mirrors and wood and a vaguely woodsy theme. not bad. the bathroom a bit odd- one toilet with a hugeass three tap sink. explain?

it wasn't all perfection and tastiness, though nothing on a major scale. hough the butter was on the good side of delicious, the bread was cold and not that great. what's that all about? and, well... i was also a tiny bit disappointed they do nothing for birthdays. just a tiny bit (that's more me than them, obviously). and they said we had our table only until 7 pm, but those who cleared out before us were still empty. i wonder if there's a half hour grace period they didn't mention.

side note- we only had after-dinner drinks and dessert at l'autre version in the old city part of montreal, but the bartender was charming, the drinks menu interesting and plentiful even for a girl drink drunk as myself (pear ice wine! yes!), and the "fresh goat milk cheese cake, mint mirror, peach mille-feuille" (i believe it was ($9) was light, airy and cravable (and this is from someone who doesn't like the vast majority of cheesecakes because they're too weird-textured). we would've liked to have saturday lunch here, but they were closed. sigh..

10th- olive et gourmando, montreal, quebec (a-)

after having been to old montreal the night before, we thought it would be interesting enough to go during the day, when things might be open. please note if you think the same, try not to go before noon on cold winter days, there's not a lot open before then. we were wondering where all the people were...

until we ended up here for lunch, looking for someplace interesting close by. this place? was packed. basically it's the french meadow (daytime) setup, except you get a table, then go to the counter(s) to order. oddly it's kinda the same hipsterish crowd with a few older vegan types thrown in. and it's even more crowded setting. soundtrack runs to things like beck and iron and wine (at least while we were there). it did feel more or less like minneapolis, only french.

the food was universally liked- the cuban and the ricotta plate when over well for a late lunch. i went with the macaroni au fromage ('macaroni au fromage avec champignons, tapenade de truffes et oignons caramélisés... servi avec salade verte,' $15 canadian) bien sûr. some things are mandated.

it wasn't quite what i expected- it was with a white cheese, and they used something like orecchiette only different and served piping hot in a tiny cast-iron skillet, with plenty of crunchy stuff on top- i even liked that, even though i prefer the non-crunchy variation usually. and it wasn't overly cheesy, which again, something i don't usually prefer, but it seems to work with the dish. interesting.

it wasn't quite as rich as you think it would be, in a good way, though maybe the salad helped with that. it was a mix of very dark greens (think kale) versus the usual mix you see from the box that's served in some restaurants. it was topped with sliced almonds and dressed with just the right amount of vinaigrette.

though it was really difficult to eat that at a tiny table (placed so i was basically staring at the next table, no way around it) as it was plated on a plank with the mac and cheese dish on it also. it fell off a lot. that part needs work. as do some aspects of the service- if you don't know how the place works, you have to hunt someone down to ask.... we were dropped at the table by the host without notification and everyone there is a bit busy.

had any of us been remotely hungry at the end, they also have a sweet (ha, ha) looking pastry counter with some interesting flavor combos going on.

10th- dna, montreal, quebec (c)

i was going to give this place a grade of 'meh' but that didnt' seem quite right. though everyone else there would've given it a much higher grade than i (closer to the higher b level, i think), i just don't feel it.

this one wasn't my pick of restaurants. and i wasn't in love with it, perhaps because they don't have an online menu that i could obsess over, even for a little while. it just had a list of seasonal ingredients, like in season does locally (but they also have a menu). and we knew that the chef had their own farm and it was somewhat meat-centric like pied (but they also have a menu online). but alas, as much as i'd like for it to be all about me, it isn't. but hey, i tried to keep an open mind.

after the clientele smoking on the steps and refusing to move their chairs (after being asked to) when we were being led to the table didn't set me in a great frame of mind, there was an overly long wait for the server. not hugely long, but too long. irksome. i will say after seeing the menu prices, the service at this place didn't come close to matching that price point. it's supposed to be upscale, and therefore service shouldn't be half-assed. but it was.

and the foie gras terrine ($25 all prices canadian). it came with toast. but unlike the masses of lovely toast at pied? it was one thick piece of cold toast. it was a very generous slice of the stuff, and the flavors were fine, but ended up using almost everyone's bread plates to make it come out even (we didn't see the server to ask for more of course). that seems stupid. the people i was with thought it odd of me to complain about the lack of toast (and the cold part) but the lack of it to me signals a lack of hospitality. it seems odd to cheap out on the toast when i got a huge lovely slab of pate, and that part was worth the price.

the ravioli cacio e pepe ($17- both this and the terrine were more starter courses)- i think it has pear, pecorino and pepper, and other things that begin with the letter p, were quite good (and according to the other person who ordered it authentic) but at that point i wasn't feeling the vibe of this place. had i been more into being here at that point i would've liked it more if that makes any sense.

yes, i was told, more or less, not to be such a hater- how can you hate on a place that gives over that much terrine even if they give you scant toast? but hey, that's who i am.

anyway, the decor was lots of glass over a church window-like outside. very interesting and science-y. there were glass dividers that created a few room-like enclosures. i did like the room itself. so there's tha. but alas, the restroom had too much fake scent for allergic people like myself. points off there, also.

14th- perkins, shakopee (c)

perkins has not been on my go to list ever since the 2008 horrible experience. but it was once more a work thing so not a lot of choice again. and brunch,

i decided to take what i know and ordered relatively smart in a group of about a dozen- omelets and scrambled were right out (too much of a chance of those getting weird). so i went with two eggs, over easy, figuring those may be done at the last moment (good call, they came out ok enough).

pancakes were less risky than muffins (those can go weirder in more ways).... the cakes were a bit underdone but better than overcooked i guess. the potatoes were even odds on hash browns vs. breakfast potatoes (what they call home fries) because those? were not going to taste like potatoes any way. (they didn't.) this is called the twice as nice breakfast. i am not sure why. there are three pancakes. two eggs. so. there's that. (i think it was around $7.50-8 or so, don't have the receipt)

so less horrible than before but still nothing i'd run back to.

17th- saffron, minneapolis (b+)

someone let me have my choice of birthday dinners pre-show (miss richfield 1981 holiday show, it was quite funny). since i wanted a pre-redo look at saffron... voila. the place doesn't look tons different, though sans tablecloths it does seem less formal. they changed up some of the art, too, and it looks like the place has been deep cleaned. where the change seems more obvious is the service- it seemed like they really stepped up their game quite a bit (or it's just been a long time since i was in the dining area and not just the bar or lounge part). water pouring, table clearing and crumb removal, even pacing of courses was pretty slickly done.

so hey, i started with girly wine... an nv astoria moscato/prosecco ($8) that was on both the regular and dessert wine list- not as sweet as regular moscato, though i expected a few more bubbles. not sure if it was a tad flat or just doesn't have tons... hmm, after a brief review it looks like it may have been a tad flat. tasty still though.

we decided to split a selection of apps. fyi- no hummus and pita brought to the table anymore, it is on the menu though, but as good as that was, we went with the trio of traditional spreads ($9). the yellow lentil was good, though my friend liked it more than i did, i thought it needed more spice or something to make it interesting. my favorite was the smoky eggplant because of the smooth texture and deep flavor, it was satisfying without being heavy. i even liked it more than the spicy feta which was indeed spicy and good, but also i think needed a hit of something to make it more dimensional. with that you get three smallish pitas, though you don't get tons of each dip, i'd say maybe a third of a cup or so of each.

the marinated carrot salad ($5) was not my pick. the menu lists it with cumin, aleppo chili and mint but except for the cumin it tasted muted. and the carrots weren't quite firm, but not soft either. it was the only dish we left some on the plate. the grilled haloumi cheese with sweet & sour pearl onions'($5) was nice and all, but seemed a bit spendy for what you get and a bit less interesting than some other dishes. it wasn't that it wasn't good, but it was closer to the carrots than the other dishes.

since i loved the 'fried cauliflower with sheep’s milk feta fondue and north african spices'($6) before, i figured why not again? and it still completely rocks- the creamy cauliflower provides an excellent contrast to the deep fried spicy outside, and dipping it in cheese makes me love it more. they did upsize this one, by the way, along with many of the other apps that were on the menu before. ditto with the texture of the 'chicken & porcini mushroom croquettes' ($6) vs. the coating- these reminded me of the cromesquis de foie gras from pied, too. a shade less sublime, but the umami in the mushrooms really make the dish satisfying. they really need to sell these kinds of things at the state fair.

i chose dessert well- the 'olive oil couscous cake with poached apricots and earl grey ice cream ($7) was not at all sweet (which i like in a dessert), had some interesting texture with the couscous, and had the ice cream that they do really well (though grey wasn't the prettiest color)- they even served it with a candle. that was a nice touch. (can't say if they charged for it, i didn't see the bill so can't comment on that.)

so still pretty great food, better service, etc... this would so rock more during happy hour with even better prices.

19th- turtle's bar and grill, shakopee (c)

obviously it's not impressive enough here to eat at it often, but hey, i was going to lunch with someone and had a buy one lunch get one free coupon. since i'm boring (and/or nothing really grabbed me on the menu), i went with the same fiesta chicken panini (grilled chicken breast, pepper jack, and guacamole on toasted foccacia, gave the bacon that i had on the side to someone else). it was $8.95 back in 08, now it was $9.45 (well, about $5 after the coupon). it was also tastier in 08, as this time it was served on overly toasted (i.e. a shade away from being burnt) toast. combined with the grilling, that was a bit too much char for me. but hey, the fries were better- edible, this time. we ate late, so it was uncrowded, but it did seem to take a really long time to get food. service was adequate.

24th- grand city buffet, st. louis park (f-)

threw up in the parking lot immediately after dinner due to bad something here. not going back ever. ever. ever.

25th- manny's steakhouse, minneapolis (mom gives it an a- for food, c for service. i give it c-/d+)

i didn't expect the a-team at manny's on christmas, but i really didn't see it being this disappointing. we waited about 10 minutes for drink orders, another 15 for drinks. then we got to order. and it wasn't even during a busy time. and of course they didn't even fill my water mid-meal, i had to take it from someone else's glass. we asked for bread (because who know how long it would take to get the food), and it was cold and stale. and perhaps they only do the free cake thing if you have dinner there for your birthday and/or it's your actual day of birth (and not a few days later if you can only accomodate a weekend celebration).

mom really really liked her steak sandwich ($15.95), one would hope she did, she did though they should mention on the menu it comes with bacon, cheese, and onions. though i think she liked the bacon almost more than the steak (nueske's, of course). she gave her food a much higher grade than i did, but really i think if she would've ordered just the side of bacon she'd think that also. not to say she didn't like her steak quite a lot, but boy, she looked tons happier when she was eating the bacon (so hey, now i know what to do for her birthday next year).

my turkey club (mom got the bacon) ($11.95) was a bit of a cold mess. cold(ish) toast made from pretty meh bread. i did like the turkey- moist, tender real roasted turkey, it was refrigerator cold and too thick for the sandwich and in hunks more than slices. the turkey needed to be room temp, if not warmed up. also fridge-cold: weird chunks (not slices) of avocado and the not quite as sad as most but still shouldn't be on a sandwich in minnesota in the winter tomato. so really you couldn't taste much of anything going on in the whole sandwich.

and when i brought it home, replaced the bread, tossed the tomates, sliced the avocado and heated the turkey? that would've been worth it. and that's really sad. oh, we both though the fries were ok and i quite liked the bernaise with them. one strong- and sadly, the only thing that stood out for me was the mimosa, which were handily two for one ($12 for two with this deal) as they had hand-squeezed juice and pretty decent bubbly. the drink was the best thing about the whole place.

ok, i didn't expect perfection. i kind of know what i am getting into not ordering steak at a steakhouse and coming in on a day that their a-team is pretty much not showing up. but one would think that the rep of this place means that you should at least expect not to be disappointed in almost everything.

 

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