Meritage was established in 2007, from husband and wife team, Russell & Desta Klein. Over the years Meritage has become part of the city of Saint Paul, known for its professionalism, and old-world appreciation. Expanded in 2010 to include an Oyster Bar, the place has provided a buzz to the city and has become the haunt of choice for artists, musicians, writers, revelers, romantics, and travelers whom abound. Meritage can transport you to places you have been or dream of being. European cafe-style terrace in Summer. Jewel-box in the Winter. There is always a season, and because of that a reason to visit. Meritage has been included in stories, has served as the inspiration, and has slowly become an iconic destination in the beautiful heart of downtown. We host events (Oysterfest, Bastille Day), educational seminars (wine education, cooking classes), discussions, debates and memorable occasions, ever-evolving, and even some seasonal traditions.

Meritage is known for its service and its excellence. Many a hospitality professional has given their career to the house. Our staff look at this industry as a career choice. They study, step-up, challenge themselves, educate themselves, and make use of the environment we have, to make the most of their careers. We respect them as true professionals, and if you are interested in joining us, look at what we might be hiring for.

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions for our house, that we also like to be completely transparent and accessible about. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, please use the form below, we’d be happy to assist. You can also just reach us directly from any of the links and information below. We look forward to hosting you soon. Scroll down.

• Corkage Fee

• Full Service Hospitality Fee

• Charitable Giving

• Parking & Valet

CORKAGE POLICY

Corkage fees are a quandary for any restaurant. While intended to be permission from a restaurant for guests to bring in their “special” bottles, with personal significance or vintage, and enjoy them in the ambiance Meritage provides. It is too often misunderstood by well intentioned guests who are trying to impress, but whom are also undercutting the very businesses they are attempting to support, or abused by guests who are attempting to discount their dining experience by bringing in wine to avoid paying wine list prices.

Those prices are necessary to support a wine program that offers crystal glasses, decanting, proper wine service, proper storage of rare wines available on the list, the education and training of our staff so they can provide an education and accessible information about our winelist, as well as the very inventory of over 350 bins of wine - so, there is plenty to choose from. Remember, restaurants are in the business of selling 2 things, food and wine - the ambiance and service is provided by the establishment, there are costs to those things.

After much consideration, we have decided to not allow for “outside food or beverage” at Meritage. This means there is no corkage fee any longer. The use of “corkage” fees has pit restauranteurs against their guests for far too long. We are choosing to eliminate the matter.

If you have a very “special” bottle of wine that you would like to enjoy at Meritage, you will have two options:

• Submit a request in advance so we understand the circumstances. In this case, we may approve but still request that the guest(s) order something from our beverage program as well in order to recognize the purpose of our business.

• Reserve a private event in The Medoc Room. There is a Food & Beverage minimum associated with booking the room, and so long as that is met, we will charge no corkage and will allow guests to bring in their own wines for tastings, dining and wine groups, and for professional seminars. The intent must be affiliated with education, gastronomy, or be specific for the event.* (all outside food & beverage brought into the Medoc Room will need to be approved in advance)

We have earnestly tried to be forgiving with our policy, being mindful of those “special” bottles. We allowed for this with an understanding; if you do bring in a bottle of wine, we ask that you also purchase one (possibly starting with bubbles, for example), we then even forgive any corkage fee on a 1:1 ratio. This allowed us to do business and allows our guests to enjoy their special bottles in our beautiful environment, as well. Unfortunately, this kind of less-than-firm policy has led to conflicts with guests as well. With so many possible situations, it has been difficult for us to manage. For example, if a guest brings in a bottle of wine that is on our list, we would expect the guest to order it from our list - that is why we have it. We would be unwilling to waive the corkage fee, as the investment to offer that particular wine has already been made.

We offer special BYOB nights a few times a year wherein we waived any and all corkage fees and encourage guests to bring in their own bottles to enjoy - you can find information about these opportunities on our website, or social media platforms.

For additional reading on the topic, further industry perspective, and why we have to enforce the policy we have: Good Somm - Bad Somm

Full-service Hospitality Fee

Meritage offers a full-service environment, including all sorts of support staff not standard in a lot of businesses. Oyster Shuckers, Service Assistants, Coat Check staff, Valet staff, Reservationists, etc. With the mandated benefits, rising minimum wage, and recent legislation regarding our industry we have been forced to implement a 4.9% Full-service Hospitality Fee, as the gratuities given to our Servers benefit them, and those they choose to tip out, the rest of the responsibility lay with the company to keep up with market pressures.

In order to prevent Meritage from becoming a more “fast-casual” environment, we have had to evaluate the costs associated with all of these market pressures. In doing so, it has become apparent that in order for Meritage to survive, with a fine-dining full-service model, we must implement this fee. You may ask, “why a fee” or say “just increase your prices.” It is not so simple to just increase menu prices, as it makes it look like we are over-charging for the commodities we are selling. Due to the minimum wage law being effective only in the actual cities, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage with the cities and suburbs that surround us. Simply raising our prices does not address the source of the increase. Therefore, we have decided our best plan of action, and the most transparent action we can take, is to implement the fee and call it what it is.

This is not a decision made lightly, and we are not “getting rich” or enriching ourselves by doing it. We are ensuring the survival of Meritage as a work place that provides the income for 50+ families. We take that responsibility very seriously. If you have further questions or concerns about this fee, please feel free to email us directly: desta@meritage-stpaul.com or russell@meritage-stpaul.com

Charitable Giving:

Meritage has always strived to be an active part of the community, and we have enjoyed so much warmth and support in return. We receive many requests for donations to support a plethora of organizations and causes.

As a small business, we must limit our contributions, and we are simply unable to honor all requests. Priority for us is given as follows:

• Saint Paul community/neighborhood organizations 

• Animal welfare organizations

• Arts institutions & organizations

All requests are reviewed and if we feel we are able to contribute, we will contact you. Generally, our gifts are gift certificates to Meritage for our Sunday Prix Fixe menu for a determined number of people. These certificates are generally used for auctions. Occasionally, we will donate tickets to Oysterfest, or a seat in Wine School, or some other specific offer - though these options are extremely limited due to the nature of them.

We donate one time per calendar year to an organization. Please submit your donation request paperwork at least 30 days before your event, and please allow for 2 - 3 weeks for processing. Should your request be approved, you will receive an email notification and your package will be available for pick-up or sent via ground mail. No phone call or drop in solicitations, please. Email your request to contact@meritage-stpaul.com

PARKING & VALET INFORMATION

Meritage is located on Saint Peter Street, between 6th & West 7th. We are directly behind the Landmark Center. For your convenience, we offer Valet services for $15 ($20 on event nights) Thursday - Sunday evenings beginning at 5:00pm. You may leave your vehicle with us while you attend an event, just please be advised, our Valet closes nightly at 11:00pm.

Our valet is less expensive than most ramps, so we encourage you to use it.

Street Parking:
You can find metered parking all over the city, and on Sunday meters are free.

Contact Us

Meritage

410 Saint Peter Street
Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55102