Archives
2008
- how we progressed and got our sealegs...
(scoll
down for the start)
Saturday
- November 22, 2008
We
have just been notified that we have been awarded
"Best Neighborhood Brunch" (downtown St Paul) by MSP
Magazine. And, I'll have to confess - I utterly agree with them!
(smile)
 In
truth, Brunch has always been one of my favorite meals. Nothing
can beat a properly poached egg, some great hand-made hollandaise,
and a Mimosa. Or, if you are on the other side of this equation,
look to a spicy bloody mary and Moules Frite. Either way, you
can't go wrong. We actually just revisited our
Brunch menu thinking it was time we added some Brunch Amusements
- and for any one who knows our place at all, you know we love
to have some amusing bites available at all times.
So,
once again, thank you! All of the awards
we have received in our first year have been so complimentary
and humbling, truly, thank you.
It has been awhile
since I have written in our newsletter as I am realizing how much
is not here. I think a lot of that has to do with the RNC, the
daily stuff about restaurants (so many moving parts...), and the
fact that this year has just flown by.
To
catch-up:
November
1, 2008 - Our 1st Year Anniversary
First, thank you to all of our supporters and believers. It has
been a year already, and I feel like we have barely caught our
breath.
 We
celebrated our first year with a wine lunch featuring The Cellar's
(with Ray Zemke) and introduced our house wine, a Meritage; "Cuvee
du Patron". We were interested in finding a wine since we
opened that was a Meritage and represented all of the things that
a beautiful Meritage can offer. It is not a cheap wine, as a lot
of "house wines" are considered, rather it is quite
pricey and we are not making our normal margins at all, but we
loved the wine so much that we decided to select it. $15/glass
$60/bottle
So,
after that brief catch-up, I will try my best to keep up with
more updates and information. I will be keeping an EVENTS
page, so if you want to see what is on the horizon for the
years to come, visit the page, bookmark it, and visit us often!
September
10, 2008 - Great Waters Golf Tournament
We played in the annual Great
Waters Golf Tournament the week after the RNC, and a matter
of 24 hours after Russell & I got back from NYC. We ran off
to the coast as soon as the RNC was over to catch a little R&R
in Montauk and see family.
Jon,
Jeff, me & Chef - complete with our Meritage-Wear :) I was
the only girl and it was the first time I had played in years.
We had a blast!
September
1-4, 2008 - Republican National Convention
If you are interested in the details of the
RNC, check out my entries about it. We had a great time and
a very successful week. St Paul was so organized and contained
that a number of the local restaurants did not fare so well, but
for us, we welcomed essentially the Press Core.
June
30, 2008 - Employee Party
We close the restaurant for the first week each July, to celebrate
the holiday, but also to give all of our staff a vacation. We
kick this off with a little gathering, and this year it included
softball, BBQ and beer. A far cry from what we all do daily, but
a perfect summer get-together.
Softball
Score: Back-of-House, 6
That's
right, our servers, hosts, assistants, management and I -
beat our cooks, sous chefs, dishers, and yes, Chef!
Friday
- June 13, 2008
This month we were completely honored by the words of Dara
Moskowitz Grumdahl, formerly of City Pages, who now writes for
Minnesota Monthly. This magazine is published in partnership with
MPR (and let me tell you I am an absolute MPR
addict!). Dara has always had a way with words, which I appreciate
as a writer myself. Russell and I were so pleased with her thoughtful
approach to her review, as developing a restaurant is as much an
exercise in philosophy as it is anything else.
The
magazine cover to the left is the June 2008 issue, and if you
click on the image you can access the full review.
Speaking
of MPR, I listened today as the announcement was made about the
tragic & untimely death of Tim
Russert. For those of you who don't know, Russell & I
are political junkies. After we leave the restaurant at night
we relax by going home, opening a bottle of wine and watching
CNN.
Parker,
our Doberman, lays next to me. And, Posie, our Labrador (a Minnesota
State Dog) pushes her way into Russell's lap - she's the kind
of dog that still thinks she's a puppy, even though she's about
50 lbs past that.
Besides
Tim Russert, there are few political journalists without their
own agenda. The only other one that stands out to me now might
be David
Gergen. I really do feel like this is a great loss for our
country. Very few people can truly be described as honest, with
the secondary word being respectful. Somehow these traits seem
something of an era we have lost sight of. Something like our
cheese cart, maybe. Could it be considered that table-side service
might be akin to graciousness? Food for thought. I apologize for
the pun - it was actually accidental. But, hey, it works - so
no editing.
Saturday
- May 24, 2008
Spring
has been a busy time at Meritage. Thank you, thank you,
thank you... to all of you who voted for us as
Best New Restaurant in the
City Pages "Best of 2008" awards. We were delighted
and honored. We also won Best French
as awarded by the judges at City Pages - another great honor -
but, there is something really special about the Reader's Poll
awards.
Our
best wishes to everyone for their Memorial Day Weekend!
With that, we have an announcement. Our
patio is now open!
It
seats up to 26 guests, and for now we will not be taking reservations
for the patio, though you can request patio seating - and when
you arrive for your reservation, should the weather be nice, we
will be happy to accommodate requests on a first-come, first-served
basis.
 We
do this in case of inclimate weather and to give everyone the
opportunity to check out our patio without obligation. We do our
best not to overbook our restaurant, as waiting for your tables
isn't the best experience. So, please bear with us while we work
out this process.
At
this point the patio will be continuous service Tuesday - Friday
11:00am - 9:00pm. We will adjust hours as our patronage demands.
 Finally,
regarding our parking & valet: due to the lack of use for
our Valet services on weekdays - beginning the first week of June
we will only be offering Valet on Friday & Saturday evenings.
For you convenience, I have added a parking guide -please
click on the icon to your left for information on parking,
directions and more. Please do call us with any questions or for
further directions. 651.222.5670
Friday
- February 15, 2008
Exciting
News - our full review just came out yesterday from the Star
Tribune - 3 1/2 stars! We can't express how delighted and honored
we are. Russell and I, as well as our entire staff has worked very
hard over the last three months to refine our service, food, and
systems. Kudos to our staff, and thank you to all of our guests
for supporting us!
For
additional reviews & press, please check out the following links:
Plus,
keep an eye out for another review of Meritage coming out in the
March edition of MSP Magazine, where reviewer Peter Lilienthal authors
our review.
On
another note, I celebrated my birthday last Sunday evening and it
was the first time Russell and I have been away from the restaurant
during service. I felt like a new mother and had to call and check
in a couple of times. Of course.
It
was an interesting opportunity for reflection. A year prior, we
were moving on from W.A. Frost with the anticipation of opening
our own place. It was a little scary, and very interesting to go
through that process. But, here we are a year later.
For
my birthday Russell arranged a night at the Graves Hotel and dinner
with friends; Bob & Sue MacDonald who opened a splendid bottle from
their cellar - a 1975 Chateau Mouton Rothschild - from my birth
year, it was lovely, and such a treat; as well as Steve Brown who
is about ready to open up Porter & Frye - whom we wish all the best
in the world.
We
ate at the Minikahda Club with food prepared by Ferris Schiffer,
who is an esteemed Chef in the Twin Cities, who unfortunately, very
few people will ever be able to experience due to the club being
private. But, should you ever have the opportunity, it is a must
to try Ferris' food.
So,
after a little R & R in our beautiful Twin Cities we are back for
a busy week, Valentine's Day & all.
Sunday
- January 6, 2008
On
to 2008. What an interesting year we have shaping up. A Presidential
election with no "real" front runner, A convention for that election
being held in our own beautiful city. A beautiful line-up for the
Ordway,
not to mention The
Fitzgerald and Park
Square Theatre. A snowy winter (which is the true love of all
winter lovers), and I am hoping an early spring... which makes me
think of the Cole Porter song, I Love Paris:
I
love Paris in the springtime,
I love Paris in the fall...
I
digress...
Anyway,
the January menu will be released this week. Chef is thinking Thursday,
though it is flexible depending upon when our produce and proteins
arrive and when Chef feels the execution has been learned. So, if
you love the Hazelnut Scallops - make it in before Thursday. Otherwise,
you might just have to find something else to love.
Love
seems to be a theme I'm developing here... which brings me to
Valentine's Day. We will be offering a special menu for the date
(yet to be released), and we'll have a lot of bubbly on hand.
So, make
your reservation soon, so we are able to best accommodate
you. What better ambiance than a little slice of Paris in downtown
St Paul.
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