Are you a gourmet snob?

Funny article….

I would agree, anyone demanding to “see the chef” or trying to order some off-the-menu item during a busy dinner service is probably a putz. heh.

-shogunmoon

I am not even sure where to start.

Seriously. All this talk about fine restaurants closing down around here, and one might get the impression that all the twin cities metro has left to offer is Flameburger and White Castle. Not true! We have Chipotle! We WIN!

Anyway. For the love of God, one can still obtain some VERY fine food in town. Indeed, the wife and I DID obtain some very fine food. I mean FINE food. Like, weeping with joy fine. Like, nirvana in the form of bursting flavors fine. Like, thinking about this meal, I am have a hard time laying off of the CAPS LOCK key fine.

Before we move on, I would just like to congratulate whomever was in the kitchen at Fugaise Friday night, 11 February. Was it Don Saunders himself? Was it a highly qualified sous chef? Was it Harold Dieterle? Was it some wonderfully talented soul from a foreign land? No idea. Also? Don’t care. Whoever was manning the stove was kicking out the jams. I really regret not having sent a bottle back to the kitchen, like some generous local souls do. But hey, we were splurging as it was…

Speaking of wine, we ordered a white Bordeaux. Very inexpensive. $25 bucks I think. Hey, I like to splurge on the food, not always the wine! We ordered this once we figured out what we were going to order off of the menu, two seafood dishes. The Waiter even complimented us on our choice. Heh. Little did he know, or, probably more accurately, totally knew, that we saw these things: Bordeaux, white, and $25. Knowing damned well that at a joint like this, they ain’t going to be pouring swill, we figured the inexpensive stuff would be just peachy.

Choosing a starter was not made easy for us. The problem was that their was at least three things we just HAD to have… Scallops with Salsify and Sauce Charon or Veal Roulade, for example. How does one not order a Veal Roulade? Well, we didn’t, opting instead for the Wild Boar Ravioli with white figs, and a balsamic reduction. Turned out to be a great choice… they were fantastic. Served with a nice reduction and white figs. Exactly what these ravioli’s needed. Soulful and savory, that braised boar. Little pillows of perfection. (I can’t believe I just typed that… sorry everyone.)

For dinner we ordered, and were completely blown away by two dishes, Sea Bass and Skate and King Crab.

The Sea bass was heavenly. The fish, if I may address the big portion crowd, was huge. And? Perfect. The vanilla parsnip purée that it was resting on was almost as good as the damned fish… never underestimate the deliciousness of a parsnips… seriously. The vanilla really added a nice pleasant dimension to them. (I am totally going to try making this myself, and I will NOT be sharing.) Add a little acid in the form of a blood orange sauce, and, hello culinary nirvana.

But thats not all, folks! After waxing poetic about the outstanding Sea Bass dish, I have to admit that the Skate was even BETTER, if only slightly. The fish and crab was just absolutely melt in your mouth, no knife needed, and just had a gorgeous flavor. I have never had crab so good in my life. Like with the Sea Bass dish, the sauces were executed with subtle perfection. A bit of tang from the red pepper was a wonderful foil for the awe inspiring Skate and Crab. Throw in some wilted greens, and… I am simply out of adjectives. So good.

Oh yea, and for dessert? Poached pear with delicate, creamy cheese, and some crispy deliciousness. Very very nice. I had the waitron pick out a nice white port for me to go with it, and was quite pleased with the end result.

Bravo Fugaise. Best meal of 2007 so far. And, quite frankly, the vast majority of 2006 as well.

-shogunmoon

http://www.fugaise.com/

Rake Page

City Pages

Wild Boar Ravioli
White Fig, Raddichio, Aged Balsamic

Skate
King Crab, Roasted Red Pepper, Herb Pan Sauce

NOBODY ASKED ME, BUT…
By Anthony Bourdain

Enjoy!

Dear W.A. Frost,

You are a nice restaurant filled with lovely, charming rooms. I especially liked our fireside table on the coldest night of the year. I’ve heard you have a spectacular patio in the gentler months, and I would not mind enjoying a drink on that patio at some point. Your wine list was impressive, if more focused on the $45 bottles than the $25 bottles. Which is fine - if not particularly populist - if the rest of it adds up. Which I thought it would - it all started on a good enough note when we ordered a tasty foie gras terrine (can hardly go wrong with foie gras, I believe) and some scallops that were a fine little appetizers, even with a bit of sand.

However, for a restaurant whose entree menu is priced between $19 and $47 (for the special), you were a HUGE disappointment. You like to position yourself as a romantic and intimate destination restaurant. Last night, you were ‘expense account’ at best. Service: competent but not stellar (fill the wine glasses when you check in!). Food: at one end, competent but boring (shogunmoon did enjoy his duck breast, my visiting sister’s squash ravioli w/ candied pecans was ok). At the other end (in the case of my pappardelle pasta w/ duck ragout) simply unappetizing. Around casa shogun, we call the flavor of old meat ’sweaty’, and this duck could have run a marathon.

In all, the meal was overpriced and uninspired, and I left feeling like you were the restaurant equivalent of a self-satisfied political incumbent who knows that the folks will vote for you again because you’ve always been there and, well, everyone else seems to hold you in high enough esteem.

W.A. Frost - as my pals and I used to say in college - you’re cute enough, but I wouldn’t want to make out with you. Your website says “boldly flavored with an emphasis on fresh ingredients.” I say, “sweaty duck and a general emphasis on ‘meh.’” At least for now, I’m not interested in a repeat visit. Maybe the patio drinks idea will entice at some point, and hopefully then the menu offerings will prove more appealing.

Best of luck to you,
Christie

ps. The good news is, not all venerable St. Paul restaurants appeared to be as boring that night. Later, we had drinks in the bar at the St. Paul Grill, and the chow that was coming out of that kitchen smelled and looked way better. Which should tell you something, considering that we’d just had DINNER. Next time my sister is in town for work and staying at the St. Paul Hotel, that place is totally on the list. Even if we do have to sit across the bar from T-Paw and Norm.