Maison Margaux — Restaurant in Minneapolis

And here....we...go....

The drive to Maison is easy. A zip here and a dip there. I highly recommend the valet parking option. You hop out of the car and are almost at the door before your car is even parked. Be sure to tip your valet.

Ok, now time for the meat and potatoes.....pun very much intended. Upon entrance through the brilliant glass and chrome doors, you are greeted by smiles for miles by the host staff and a completely unadulterated view of the kitchen where all this magic is created. The atmosphere is pleasant with slightly elevated voices of happiness and excitement.

Keenan was our host for the evening, and his knowledge and hospitality was on point to say the least. If there was a wine question he was unaware of he humbly stated so and said that he would consult the sommelier to which he brought back perfect results.

We held nothing back with any course. Our pre meal drinks offered the finest Bordeaux's and whites from France along with two Arc Di Triumph mixed drinks of the finest whisky's and Brandy's

Tiana was support to Keenan and her glowing spirit and vibe only added glitter to the already shimmering night blossoming before us

Hors d'oeuvres came at us like a wave from a hurricane. First came the bread service brought forth from and I am not kidding.... sourdough bread born from ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS OLD STARTER!! Chewy, tangy deliciousness with the softest and delightful butter you could ask for.

Bring on the Aligot!!!! Or shall I say.... The TWO Aligot 😂. Because one just isn't enough! Hahaha, three of us and it was gone so fast! Then came the Petit Wagyu tartare 🤤🤤🤤🤤a robust dance of savory and sharp flavors on that delicious 150 year old sourdough starter 🤤🤤🤤. But wait!!! There's more!!! TWO Dozen of the sweetest oysters topped with smoked bass caviar and their house made champagne sauce served in the cutest dropper bottle allowing for the most tactical spreading of extra flavor across those sweet little sea morsels.Lmao 😅 but what about dinner?!?! Lol

Mom had the Petit Tenderloin with wine reduction, the wife had the Grand Wagyu filet, while I had the bone marrow and duck confit 🤤🤤🤤. Each dish was a powerhouse all it's own. Every flavor its own flare into the sky of our pallets.

Personally my eyes began to glass over barely minutes into our main courses. The wine sommelier is not to be second guessed as his knowledge is tested and true.

If you are still with me here we have now reached the Pinnacle of the evening..... dessert!!!

The wife had the chocolate souffle, a heavenly dance of freshly made vanilla ice cream along with what was essentially the finest hot chocolate in an almost solid form. Mom had a delightful apple like pastry/cake we cannot remember the name of unfortunately 😂 While myself had to keep tradition alive and have none other than the house made creme brulee 🤤🤤🤤🤤. A tantalizing balette of sweet custard with that class defining soft crispiness of the burnt sugar to wrap it all up.

30000/10 overall score. If you wish to traipse the life fantastique and need a culinary magic carpet to take you there, Come to Minneapolis North and give Maison Margaux your business as we did. We are coming back there is no doubt of that. Merci...

Sometimes you want to go a little fancy, but sometimes you want to go “new-French-restaurant-in-downtown-fancy”, so we found ourselves at Maison Margaux.

The place opened to acclaim in September (owned by none other than the ex-husband of the runner up on The Golden Bachelor (the GB thing was a hot news item in MN…. I can’t imagine anywhere else actually cares) and is located in the old Bachelor Farmer/Marvel Bar space, right next to Cooks/Bellecour. It’s a nice space with comfortable chairs and an incredibly attentive waitstaff. The sommelier was also super engaging, and he and the friend I was dining with talked about regions of France and the topography of the vineyards while I wished I could pronounce anything in French without sounding like a complete bumpkin.

Service did drag (we had a reservation for 5:15 and were there for at least 2 hours, which was longer than we had intended/would have done otherwise) and I assume that was because the kitchen was in the weeds. Our darling waiter tried to convince us to have dessert in the basement bar because “it’s probably quieter down there” and, while he was undoubtedly correct (we were yelling at each other to be heard at one point between the jazz band and the non-sound-dampened surroundings), we are old and unwilling to get up once comfortable. Another thing to note is that parking over there is a NIGHTMARE – at least at 5 pm on a Thursday (no surprise, eh?). I was planning to just valet, but when I rolled by there were already 7 cars parked in the bike lane and the tiny lot was jammed and I couldn’t see how to maneuver in a way as to not block traffic and give the guy my keys. I parked in a ramp and it was fine.

Dinner!!! The food is not cheap – what you see here was $75 (we split the cost of the app and dessert) – but it is delicious. The bread service is especially interesting, considering that everything is a sourdough-base made with a 130- year-old starter (from David Fhima’s other biz – Mother Dough.) I had never had aligot before (a blend of cheese and potatoes that is like a super-thick fondue) and it was incredible. I was already thinking about it by the time I got home. The broth from the mussels was well flavored and the fries – I mean pomme frites – were delightful to dunk in it. The souffle was fine, though I would probably snag a different sweet should I go back, but I think I’m just not a souffle person – too egg-y for my tastes.

Overall, it was an awesome experience, and it feels like a place that’s going to become a classic. Sante!

The Margaux Martini – made with the Israeli vodka Aviv

Aligot – gruyere, pommes puree, toasted baguette

Moules – spicy tomato confit, bread, and pommes frites

Grand Marnier Souffle –...

Went on Memorial Day Monday, so maybe the B-team was in the kitchen, but for a new place trying to be an upscale French restaurant they didn't pay enough attention to the actual food.

Starter - Cauliflower Soufflé Mains - Short Rib bourguignon & Sole Bonne Femme Dessert - Crème brûlée

Bread service was very bland. I get that they want to show off the 130 y.o. sourdough from sister-brand Mother Dough, but it hit the table stale and flavorless and the garlic butter didn't wow us either.

Starter was fine but not extraordinary; not out of line with any thing expected.

The Short Rib bourguignon was the most disappointing part of the night. Perhaps trying to go for an elevated beef bourguignon by replacing cheaper meat cuts with short rib, but the meat itself was painfully dry. Sauce was great, but the best thing I ate was the single mushroom in the dish. If you're going to elevate a classic with quality ingredients, they need to be prepared in a way that doesn't ruin them.

The sole also was dry and relatively flavorless, but bonne femme typically is with less butter sauce than a traditional meunière so I guess I got what I ordered. However, the presentation on a wooden pallet makes deboning the dish a more difficult task than necessary.

By the time we got to dessert we were joking that, "if the dessert is bad too we REALLY aren't coming back." But it's crème brûlée how can you mess that up? My friends, the carmalized sugar was burned beyond the point where we could eat it. To the point that we flicked it off to the side and ate the custard without the signature cracked sugar. I get it: blowtorching sugar is an art not a science, but when it's torched to the point that the only flavor is char, you need to revisit technique.

Atmosphere was fine in the brasserie portion but it seems to be very confused about what it's trying to be. Loud patterns in some places, classic vibes in others, and for a place that is supposedly "Moulin Rouge themed" I don't see where that came through.

The wine menu is incredible, and the service was the bright spot of the night. There were three somms on the main floor and wait staff seemed very in tune with what pace you wanted to set.

Overall, not worth the hype or the price point. Better quality French food can be found at Meritage in St. Paul or St. Genevieve in South Minneapolis. For the price point of Maison Margaux, I'd rather walk the half block east and go to Spoon & Stable.

Just because a place is expensive and on the new Fine Dinning Street of the North Loop doesn't mean that it's...