Eat The Menu: French Fare

Not that long ago, Minneapolis was considered flyover land by any card-carrying foodie with a craving for French cuisine. These days, planes can safely land at MSP with the guarantee of a trio of downtown kitchens vying to satisfy that culinary urge. 

The first to debut, opening quietly under the radar, was Blondette, launched as part of bold-name chef Daniel del Prado’s growing portfolio. It’s hidden away on the sixth floor of a tower on 6^th & Marquette as a sexy little bistro for those in-the-know. The menu of small-to-entrée plates rambles over some familiar (and beloved) territory, such as a spot-on Lyonnaise salad, complete with perfectly soft-boiled egg (the first dish I order when hitting a Parisian sidewalk café), to a robust country terrine, perfectly seared scallops and a classic duck a l’orange.

The original list’s less-expected (and delicious) territory, like a fricassee of sweetbreads and a unique and palate-thrilling combo of escargot and bone marrow, have left the building, alas, but the now-famous Blondette burger (Frencified with the addition of duck fat) still takes pride of place.

Next to emerge was Chloe, the long-awaited renaissance of bistro cooking by beloved chef Vincent Francoual, known for his restaurant, Vincent, on the Nicollet Mall facing Orchestra Hall before the pandemic closed down the café and the city.

His new location, in baguette-hurling distance of the Dome, offers a menu likely to appeal to ravenous sports fans as well as lovers of homey French cooking, served up in an open, vibrant, see-and-be-seen setting. It’s a nod to all the classics: French onion soup, duck pate, escargot and poutine among the starters, followed by beef bourguignon, steak frites, cassoulet and such (plus a highly-recommended steak tartare). Chef Vincent wisely has included a couple of top dishes from his former restaurant—the famous Vincent burger, with its secret lode of pulled rib meat within the plump patty, and the scallops with orange sauce that made diners at the former Vincent’s swoon.

Finally, earlier last summer longtime local restaurateur David Fhima resurfaced in the former site of Ribnick Furs on North First Street, naming his stylish new digs Maison Margaux. A collage of small rooms—each with its own personality—and stylish, savvy servers deliver a menu of nearly two dozen choices, ranging from small plates to full-size entrees in a price range not for the faint of checkbook. Fhima salutes classics like scallops St. Jacques, bouillabaisse, onion soup and salade Nicoise, then throws in some less-often-encountered specialties: frog legs Provencal, bone marrow and duck confit, and a lovely cauliflower, gruyere and chevre souffle. Vive la France!