I’d like to introduce my friend Jared, who is a regular over at Meritage in St. Paul. I asked him to do a post on his impression of the place. (He obviously likes it if he goes there often.) I have been there with him on occasion, but thought he could give you more insight and details than I ever could!

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Meritage – The French Restaurant with the American name.

“Meritage”, —a combination of merit and heritage  This was a name created in California for American wine in the Bordeaux style.

I think this name fits very well for this wonderful restaurant in the heart of Saint Paul.

Dining Room

Sidewalk Patio

This small French restaurant is very laid back.  The staff is very friendly and professional.  The food here definitely follows Carrie’s Quality over Quantity rule!  I love to patronize this restaurant on Sunday evenings.  They have a wonderful menu that changes with the season, but on Sunday they have the ‘Recession Recovery Sunday’.  What is this?  Well, it is a list of wines that are half price.  That is an amazing start, but they then throw in a beautiful 3 course Prix Fixe meal for $28!

This meal consists of a salad or starter, followed by a main dish that could range from a fish stew to a braised short rib dish to a crispy chicken.  After that, you also receive a wonderful desert!  This sounds like a ton of food, but usually ends up with me being comfortable.

Above is a typical Sunday Prix Fixe meal!

I have also discovered the joy of Brunch at Meritage!  I sat in the Oyster bar, yes they serve AMAZING oysters on the half shell, on Sunday and enjoyed a wonderful brunch.

I had a wonderful blueberry muffin,

and what is brunch without a little mimosa!

I had a mimosa Meritage or in other words, a blood orange mimosa!  Soo delicious!

During the summer it is great to go down on a sunny Sunday and sit on the patio for some wine and relax until dinner for the Prix Fixe!

If you are looking for a quick bite over lunch, they also have an amazing crepe stand Monday thru Saturday with one savory and one sweet crepe!

A wonderful place to check out!

You can find Jared working at the Urban Olive & Vine in Hudson, Wisconsin on Saturday nights. If you stop by to say, “hi”, mention you read his post on Season It Already!