date: 12/7/10
location: st. paul
grade: a

the first thing about meritage 2.0- if you've not been post-oyster bar, go now. the dining area looks a bit bigger. (and it was a bit loud at times with the music and the pretty packed house- hard to even hear next to you. they did drop the volume a bit after it got louder.) the oyster bar (with top notch fresh ones, per our seafood person who used to work with it daily) didn't look new new, but like it had been there a while- in a good way. it blended. the door is now at the other end of the hall, near the restrooms, by the way. and you go through the bar to get to the host stand thing.

the second thing- it's supplanted a french restaurant run by an actual french guy as my favorite french place in the twin cities. plus their fries? are better then theirs now. vincent's is almost dead to me (well, the bar for sure, i'll have a review up of why in the bite me section).

we were to go here previously for restaurant club, but were snowed under. it's odd that it took us this long, especially given my penchant for french food.

we were there the first day of full service with the oyster bar. we all posited that in a week or so they'd work out the service kinks and it has the potential to be a+. as it is, there wasn't much holding back the + on the a. just a bit of the noise, as mentioned and one more thing below...

since it was my birthday dinner, and i put that in the reservation, i was asked if i would like a free glass of champagne- an idea i like more than the trad free dessert because i'm not a big dessert fan. it was a glass girly enough for me- henkell trocken (menu price $7). someone else tried a champagne cocktail, the jordan riley, made with elderflower liqueur which was interesting ($10) indeed, and named after a recently born relative.

since we are easily amused, we each opted for amusements- a few bites of something for $3 each. a nice idea. there was a creamy billi bi soup with mussles in the a very adorable tiny bowl, a duck liver schmear on toast, and i went with the smoked mushroom pan perdu (which though nice, wasn't as nice as the morel version, to which you all say... no duh).

we tried the soups on the menu, a very rich and cheesy (in a good way) french onion ($9.50) that was hearty and perfect for winter. i went with the one i've always wanted to try here because it seemd a bit different than what you usually see in a more trad bistro, a matza ball chicken soup ($7). and the matza balls were as good as grandma's or mom's (almost... if i don't put that something may happen to me, no?). the broth was more of a delicate one- not overly heavy or rich and it had a few bits of carrot brunoise, a bit on the crunchy side to add a bit of texture, and a sprinkling of dill. nice. a very good option when mom's isn't available. (they're too much like dough, i've got a heavy hand with those suckers and don't do so well with them myself...).

main course options were a killer cassoulet ($25) (i miss those since the lovely all duck one i had in france... i should make one of those with the stuff i eat in it) that was so good, despite being rich, that it was almost totally consumed by someone who is usually a much lighter eater. the person who went with the hanger steak frites ($22.50) managed not to eat all the fries with that... bermaise ($1.50).

i have no idea how they could have such restraint, as they're now my new favorite local fries- crispy, double-fried (our guess), skin on and just the right amount of salty. i even liked the bernaise with it, and usually i am not so very fond of that with fries (i prefer something more mayo-based). worth the $7.50 for a side order (and you get quite a bit in a paper-lined cone). i wish they had them on some sort of happy hour. i want more fries! with that! or even without that. the foie gras ($18) with seasonal squash puree and a few cubed bits was also very tasty and cooked just right.

like the amusements, they also have wee desserts for $3 each. one was a espresso pot de creme, and two of us went with the ice cream pop with i believe it was sonny's salted carmel ice cream and dark chocolate ($3) which puts all dairy queen things TO SHAME. and it was just the right amount of dessert. those were great. they even put a candle on the plate with the pop. nice touch. though, thankfully, they didn't sing.

all service was like that- we got many helpings of a very nice sourdough bread- with butter, when we needed it (though alas, the first few rounds of bread were cold, that was the other thing keeping it from the +), water refills were all that (to the point where they kept coming around at the end and tried to fill our glasses before we left). nice.

the touch i enjoyed most, and why i was willing to give an a+ when people thought the cold bread made it an a... was how they handled the allergy. after a few places trying to kill me, they asked when i got to the table, and it looks like everything i ordered when to the kitchen with an allergy notation (and was on the bill that way)- so even things i was eating weren't near shellfish. and that, people, is the best way ever to handle food allergies. hats off to you all. major props.

i want them to be in downtown minneapolis so i could get there more often. really i do.