www.meritage-stpaul.com
Meritage is and remains one of our favorite restaurants, so it was a natural choice when we needed a place to celebrate our new venture. We visited on a Thursday, made reservations, but found that the dining room was only three-quarters full. We were given some prime seats near the window, and settled in for what we expected to be another great meal.
Looking at the menu, the first thing that jumped out at me was the Tour de France menu, a three-course tasting menu featuring a different French region every week. Either they didn’t have it last time we visited or I didn’t see it, so I ordered it! Sarah, meanwhile, was drawn to the special of the day: sole en papillote.
First, though, were the amusements: oxtail strudel and rabbit rillettes. $3 and just a couple of bites each, they were small but delicious, a perfect way to start the meal. I particularly recommend the oxtail strudel, which was tender and just a little bit sweet.
The first course for me was warm oysters in Belgian endive and sauternes sabayon (I snagged a menu and took it home; no way I’d remember all of this otherwise!). I love oysters, but these were probably the best I’ve ever had, with the sabayon providing a creamy counterpoint. Probably the highlight of the meal for me. Sarah’s first course was a summer vegetable panzanella, an excellent summer salad…though with the rain coming down outside it didn’t feel much like summer at the time.
Next up was the main course: sole for Sarah and a Beef Filet for me. The sole came wrapped in parchment paper; opened, the fish was revealed to be swimming in butter and white wine, with julienned carrots, zucchini, and celery. It was perfectly cooked, steamed inside the paper, and came out flaky and tender–though on balance, the dish grew dull after a while. The beef tenderloin was perhaps a little more interesting, as it came with a delicious potato gratin, mushrooms, vegetables, and–most interesting of all–an upended piece of bone full of marrow. I’ve never eaten marrow before, and I have to say that the experience was actually less interesting than I expected. It was just like salty fat, nothing more. I wouldn’t avoid it per se, but I’m certainly not going to be seeking it out.
For dessert was a Poire Pochee au Vin Rouge–basically, a pear soaked in red wine and served with ice cream. Sarah and I shared this. It was tasty, but a bit difficult to eat. The pear in particular was difficult to work with. Still, it was an excellent meal overall, and we encountered nothing to argue with our original assessment of Meritage.
Andrew and Sarah’s verdict: A-. Our experience revisiting wasn’t as out-of-this-world amazing as the first time we went, but the amusements, oysters, salad, and main course were excellent. The service was very friendly, and the waitress didn’t hesitate to make wine suggestions (excellent ones at that) when requested. After visit #2, we look forward to going back for a third, fourth, fifth (and so on) time in the near future.
