Meritage

Address 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-222-5670

The Scene
The ambiance is classic French brasserie, and it’s thoroughly charming. Lights strung on trees along snow-dappled St. Peter Street twinkle through tall storefront windows. Their glow reflects off large antique mirrors precariously angled high on a two-story wall above banquette tables ringing the perimeter of the former A Rebours. Flickering candles and rose-filled bud vases grace wooden tables while lamps suspended on rods attached to the soaring ceiling cast a warm glow over the comfortable and cozy salon below. Early in the evening, most of the diners are casually dressed hockey fans and Ordway goers. Later, they are replaced by a more relaxed and indulgent-looking crowd settling in for the evening.

Our Take
Anyone who enjoys traditional French cuisine is going to welcome Meritage to the St. Paul dining scene. Owner-chef Russell Klein, whose prodigious talents were relegated to cranking out scores of dinners at W.A. Frost, has new French cooktops in his kitchen and is putting them to excellent use. Each monthly menu is a combination of solid classics—steak frites with béarnaise, rich and crusty Toulouse–style cassoulet—and flights of whimsy such as wild Burgundy escargots set on a bed of potato and carrot bathed in a wonderful reduction of port wine, sage, and a hint of star anise. There are daily plats du jour such as bouillabaisse and sole Grenobloise, $3 “amusements”—the bite-sized tuna-tartare tacos are to die for—and some decidedly nontraditional items, such as day-boat–scallop ceviche flavored with Meyer lemon, wasabi, and green apple and the terrific and succulent roast fillet of wild striped bass prepped with a lobster-scotch-harissa sauce. The handful of housemade desserts includes a clever Grand Marnier soufflé—and, in the best Gaullist tradition, a cheese cart offers well-chosen samplings. Just about everything I ordered was executed with aplomb and attention to detail. Both the chef and his wife, Desta, are front and center. The wait staff was attentive—aside from the busiest periods with the pre-event crowd—knowledgeable, and cheerful.

Brasserie or Bistro?
When describing his restaurant, Chef Klein refers to it as a brasserie rather than a bistro. What’s the difference? That’s an elusive question that even an extensive bout of Googling will not resolve. In general, a brasserie is more of a destination and typically more ambitious and boisterous than a bistro. In fact, the brasserie traces its roots back to Alsatian rathskellers—heavily paneled, cavernous places that served fast, simple food. Klein, who worked in some of Manhattan’s most prestigious kitchens, and Desta, formerly banquet manager for D’Amico Catering, fell in love with the Hamm Building space when they held their wedding reception there, and they leapt at the chance to open a place of their own.