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My esteemed colleague Ann Bauer is one tough critic. Last month, she claimed that there were only two restaurants in Saint Paul where you can get a decent upscale meal - I Nonni and Heartland, and in her most recent blog posting (see below) - she added Zander Cafe to the list.
My list is a little longer - I'd rate Muffuletta as one of the best restaurants on either side of the river. Chef J.D. Fratzke's ever-changing menu combines local ingredients and global influences in dishes such as Moroccan spice-rubbed beef short ribs with preserved lemon relish, or pan-seared Arctic char with braised leeks, wild mushrooms, prosciutto and lobster-citrus sauce.
And what about Jay's Cafe? The decor may be too modest, and the prices too reasonable, to qualify as "upscale," but I have thoroughly enjoyed chef-owner Jay Randolph's' Midwestern cuisine. I've also had some pretty decent meals at Cafe Biaggio, Pazzaluna, and the Downtowner Woodfire Grill, though I haven't dined at any of them very recently.
I do share Ann's preference for contemporary creative cuisine, but when I am in the mood for classic Americana, The Lexington serves up a perfectly decent dining experience.
Jeremy is absolutely right, and this is one of the dangers (as my father used to tell me. . . .) in making sweeping statements. Muffuletta is, indeed, a gem of a place. It's the first restaurant created by Parasole -- now a mega-restaurant group -- which occupies a creaky little house and falls into the fine dining category because the chef, J.D. Fratzke, is consistently superb. He runs Muff like a chef-driven one-of-a-kind shop.
I must admit, I haven't been to Jay's or Woodfire lately, and I'd defer to Jeremy's [truly superior] palate and judgment on these.
About the others, though, I disagree. I've had some great experiences at Cafe Biaggio and some really terrible ones. In other words, it's erratic in the way I expect fine places not to be. And Pazzaluna has always struck me as The Cheesecake Factory with local owners. But as J pointed out, I AM awfully tough.
Ann
Krua Thai anyone?
No WA Frost?
Jeremy: I like Krua Thai, but I think Ann was talking specifically about upscale restaurants in Saint Paul. If you expand the list to include less upscale places, my list would definitely include a lot of the little restaurants along University Ave., such as Ngon Vietnamese Bistro, Little Szechuan, Que Nha, and Cheng Heng, as well as the Barbary Fig on Grand.
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