Location: Mr. Paul’s Supper Club, 3917 Market St, Edina, MN 55424
Date Tasted: 4/12/2023 (Wednesday) (dinner)
Price: $18
Beverage: Poor Trinity – Blanco Tequila, Pineapple Amaro, Madeira, Grapefruit Lime Elixir, Fennel Betters
Our initial reaction was one of hopeful curiosity. The smell was good and cheesy, but the (rolled!) carpaccio was hiding under a large bed of carrots, jicama and watercress. It helped that we were seated in the most delightful sun-lit backroom, which went perfectly with the chef’s goal of artistic and impeccable yet slightly off-center taste.
While the rolling of the meat caught us by surprise, the temperature was perfect – slightly cooler than room temperature. However, the meat was very thick and tough to cut. Typically we like to avoid this step in carpaccio consumption.
From a taste point of view, it needed slightly more salt. The only hit was from the parmesan cheese, which really was the highlight of the dish for us. The jicama and carrots added a punch of citrus, giving the dish a bright taste with a slight kick.
All in all, the meat was certainly not the star of the show. In fact, we believe if the menu didn’t list it as carpaccio we wouldn’t have known it was. That being said, we still enjoyed this rendition, and wish we had some bread to wipe up all the leftover citrus and parmesan.
Overall Score: 6/10 – this unexpected variation wouldn’t necessarily kick your carpaccio craving, but it was a delicious way to start our dinner. Paired with a sunny atmosphere with equally sunny servers, it’s certainly not keeping us from going back to Mr. Paul’s Supper Club.
