Location: 211 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
Tasted: 12/9/2013
Price: $11
Beverage: Martini, dry
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a perfectly, and I mean perfectly balanced carpaccio – and this one fits the bill.
If you’ve read anything on this website you know well that Todd English’s Olives (now closed) makes my favorite carpaccio, but if we’re honest with each other, it’s overdressed. The gem I just had here at Louis Ristorante in Saint Paul definitely ranks up very high on the scale. It’s a brand new restaurant that sits atop the Cosetta restaurant and market on West 7th Street.
I only had a couple of complaints. The drizzle seems like watered down ranch sauce, not a garlic aioli which would be traditional. And there were NO CAPERS!
Come on. Must have been an oversight.
What I did love:-
-Perfect temperature. Clearly this was freshly made and brought out to the table right away. No sitting under a heat lamp or pre-made and stuck in the icebox.
-Perfect balance of meat to parmesan. And it was good quality parmesan in nice thick grates. Perfect.
-Good application of EVOO. Not too much, not too little.
-Outstanding balance of arugula. I guess the theme here is perfect balance.
-Just the slightest application of fresh pepper, could use a little more but I won’t complain. It’s better to be under than over in that sense.
-No onions!
Very good folks, I applaud this dish and highly recommend! Bravo
Overall Score: 9/10 – Ask for capers and lemon!