Barbette is another one of those Minneapolis restaurants that has been around for years and I have never tried. Stephanie and I went there recently after visiting the Art Institute for a special exhibition. We were able to find free parking on the street nearby and we did not have a reservation, but got right in as it was quite early in the evening, around 5pm I think. The room is open with a bar on one side and funky light fixtures scattered around the room.
Our server greeted us in a timely manner and we ordered drinks. They offer a full bar with beer, cocktails and wines. I had the Frida y Diego drink and Steph had a Bent Paddle beer.
Stephanie had the soup of the day, which was some sort of vegetable soup if I recall correctly.
We both ordered the Parisian style steak frites. The French fries were very good, very fresh, hot and crispy. I liked the Bearnaise on the side also. The steak is more of a braised beef or roast style, than an actual steak, but the meat was very tender and had great flavor.
Parisian style steak frites
Since we did to order any appetizers, we tried two different desserts. First, the vanilla creme brûlée, which was very good. It was rich and creamy with a warm, crisp top.
The second dessert was the squash tart. It had bourbon carmel sauce, marshmallow fluff and candied pecans on the plate. It basically tasted like pumpkin pie and this is not a bad thing. I suppose squash and pumpkin flavors are so close, they taste more or less the same.
We enjoyed everything we ordered and found the ambiance and service to be great. I would like to return and try a few items from the brunch menu.
Barbette
1600 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone:(612) 827-5710
http://www.barbette.com
