Riverside

Meritage—
A reason to cross the river

410 St. Peter St., St. Paul
651-222-5670
meritage-stpaul.com

BY CARLA WALDEMAR

I told you a few months back how much I loved Au Rebours in downtown St. Paul. Well, St. Paulites loved it, too, but only on Friday and Saturday nights, and that’s not enough to keep a restaurant in business. Folks from Minneapolis loved it, also, but only before a performance at the Ordway, just about the only thing that can entice them into the boonies on the other side of the river.

So, au revoir to Au Rebours. The good news is that the sweet little bistro space has reopened as Meritage, a café that’s—yes, miracles do happen—even better. Gentlemen, start your engines.

On a recent Thursday—no Ordway show, not yet the weekend—the tiny place was packed, and with a younger crowd than formerly—folks who tumbled in after a Wilds game, others simply enjoying date night, and maybe a few who’d enjoyed the food of new owner Russell Klein when he cheffed at W.A. Frost, as I had. Well, I’m here to tell you that now, when he’s his own boss, it’s even better. And he’s posted his sweet wife, Desta, at the hostess stand.

The menu reflects French bistro fare—well, sorta: specials like Tuesday’s coq au vin, Wednesday’s sole Grenobloise, Thursday’s rabbit a la moutard, Friday’s bouillabaisse (all a steal starting at $22), as well as French onion soup, escargot and steak frites with béarnaise. But that’s just a frame on which to hang whatever else Klein feels like cooking, including chicken soup with matzo balls and “Parisian style” gnocchi, whatever that is.

The menu leads off with half a dozen “amusements”—two-bite portions of tasty tidbits like a tuna tartate taco shimmying with a little hit of heat. I could have said, “Just keep ‘em coming,” were I not morally obliged to proceed down the list. (Well, the baby-sized braised beef strudel was beyond succulent, too.) Or try the oyster Bloody Mary shooter, or duck liver mousse, or ….

My friend cringes at the very thought of eating bunny, but when I put a portion of my crispy rabbit schnitzel starter on his plate, he wolfed it down and prodded my side of the table for more. The tender, juicy dark meat is presented on something like an English muffin, along with sweet-and-sour squash, all topped with a quail egg so gorgeous it could pass for jewelry. A great starter.

So was the braised leek salad, huge enough to share, abetted by plenty of pungent, creamy Roquefort, toasty walnuts, enough Pommery mustard to waken the dead and a “mimosa” garnish of sieved hard-boiled egg. Gorgeous. Other apps ($6-$10), include scallops with Meyer lemon, wasabi and green apple (Trust me, I’ll be back for those); those gnocchi served with arugula-walnut pesto and tomato concasse; and those escargot, wild-caught in Burgundy, with potato, carrot and Port sauce.

Choosing a main course, ($16-$29) almost made me come undone. It’s one of those “Just say yes” menus that covers all the bases, from chicken with roasted potatoes, garlic and herb-lemon jus or roasted wild striped bass aside cauliflower dotted with rock shrimp in a lobster-Scotch sauce fueled with hotcha harissa, to a simple, hearty cassoulet.

We chose the venison, deftly crusted with black trumpet mushrooms, then sliced to reveal a ruddy complexion. Sidekicks—a comfort-forward gratin of butternut squash, a sprinkling of brussels sprouts petals, and a sweet poached pear in red wine/beet sauce—covered all the sensory bases from sweet to savory to astringent: a well-grounded dish.

The pork trio didn’t measure up, however. Slices of tenderloin were table stakes, supplemented by a rib of no particular merit (granted, it was fall-off-the-bone tender) and a luscious bit of braised pork cheek, all plated with pommes dauphine (as Klein explains, “French for tater tots” and mighty light and tender they were), along with sweet, caramelized leeks and sweeter apples in abundance—good foils for the pork but altogether a brown and unbalanced plate. (Where’s a green veggie when you need it?)

Our waiter had lobbied for the duck breast; we should have listened. It’s served aside house-made duck sausage, red cabbage and spaetzle, perfect for the depths of winter. The menu also touts steak frites and what sounds like the best burger—and best deal—in town, served with roasted garlic aioli, shallot confit and Emmenthaler (like Swiss) cheese along with frites for—ready?—ten bucks.

Next came the cheese cart. No, that’ no misprint, and it may be the only one still rolling in all of Minnesota. Let’s hope it proves popular enough to continue its rounds. Half a dozen cheeses are on offer at $5 an ounce, or mini-portions of several, accompanied by jewels of quince jelly, almonds and raisins and another basket of that lovely Turtle-baked bread. Perfect for finishing the last of our Altano, a lovely red from Portugal’s Douro Valley ($6, another steal).

Desserts, sorry to say, are winners, too—so no excuse for not indulging ($7 each). First prizes goes to the frozen Grand Marnier soufflé, tart with the penetrating orange-flavored liqueur and ultra creamy, bathed in an orange-caramel sauce. The chocolate-hazelnut truffle cake, still steaming from the oven, also proved supremely rich (that’s fine) and non-sweet (that’s even finer). A side of Izzy’s salty caramel ice cream was the perfect match.

Or, if you’re not up for those wonders, the obliging pastry chef has created four “amusements” to balance those at the start of the meal ($3 each), leading off with an éclair and espresso mousse. Needless to say, I’ll be back. In fact, they may have to put out a restraining order.