My aunt and uncle were in town from Alabama. The night before we were eating at Bonfire in Eagan where the proportions were nothing short of the huge suburban lifestyle that Americans have grown to love, and is often proven by their waistlines. To offset such a caloric experience, I suggested that we go to Heidi’s on their second, and last night in town.
Actually, I’ve been wanting to go to Heidi’s for weeks and often times read their menu online while at work and planning on what I would get if I were to go. I knew I would make it there some time or another, but having family in town seemed like a good excuse to go and splurge. I called on Monday to make a reservation, which was stalled for over a day due to the fact that they are closed on Mondays (hours are Tues-Sun, with dinner opening at 5pm). I left a message requesting a reservation, but made a back-up reservation at another resturant just in case.
“Oh you won’t get in!” some people told me.
But I held out hope. By 3:30pm on Tuesday, the day i requested the reservation, I got a call from Kyle at Heidi’s saying that they could get us in at 7:15pm. Perfect.
Heidi’s is tucked away in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis, and located in a small, albeit cozy building that probably isn’t seating more than 50-60 people. With limited space, and a full dining area, Heidi’s can get awfully loud, but it is the kind of loudness full of chatter and laughter that you may hear around your Thanksgiving table (minus the bickering).
We were seated in the dining area that was located away from the entrance, and was thus a bit more intimate. Being a 90F degree day, the restaurant was fairly warm, but was slightly offset slightly by the overhead AC. (I think trying to keep such a small space with a kitchen on a hot day cool is nearly impossible anyway.)
The prices are definitely reasonable for the culinary expose and perfection that you receive. Prices ranged from $7.25 – 9.75 for apps and $11-18 for entrees. The wine menu was expansive, although there were few offerings if you merely want to purchase by the glass. Our server helped accommodate our request for a dry white wine, and suggested the Warwick Estate “Professor Black” Sauvignon Blanc (2007). It was an incredible wine. I am no sommelier, but the wine was light, fruity and truly went down smoothly with each sip. It also certainly complimented our oceanic entrees.
I am not knowledgeable about the owner’s of Heidi’s and their past careers, but do recognize that Heidi herself is the pastry chef, and she makes a beautiful breadbasket that accompanies each table, in addition to creating the desserts. In the basket are also slices of bread for those not wanting to indulge on much filler before the main course in addition to the claw-like creation you see below.
My aunt and I both ordered the organic Shetland salmon, while the gentlemen requested a full order of linguine with lobster (that’s the only difference between the $11 order and the $18. Though I can’t fathom an entry half the size that was served. You would definitely need to order to share someone else’s entree). Truth be told, I believe the ladies ordered the winning dish at our table.
When our food arrived, my aunt noted how appropriate the proportions were. Nothing was overdone; a bite could not be overwhelming or excessive. In fact, each bite was heavenly as the pieces of salmon, which were cooked per the order (both medium), easily fell apart which each cut of the fork. It had a subtle crisp shell on the outside, with a fine salty flavor that I liked to coat with the light mustard sauce decorating my plate. The salmon sat on a small bed of baked, and cut fingerling potatoes and stems of broccoli, while the three spears of asparagus laid next to the salmon, cooked perfectly; it had a fresh crunch while maintaining a soft texture.
The lobster linguine clearly had a light and foamy tomato base, which I do not find satisfying in any restaurant, and hence never order it. Because of this, I would be doing a disservice to offer any critique of this dish. The piece of lobster I had was rich and executed very well though. Bob and David both seemed to enjoy it as well, so that’s what matters.
A bottle of wine and four entrees later, we ordered chocolate cake with espresso ice cream for dessert. One order simply could stretch for four people (much unlike the insanely large chocolate cake featured at Bonfire), so we ordered two servings of it. The cake itself was small, dense and quite rich. It was topped off with a large dollop of heavily whipped cream, while the espresso ice cream was seated next to it. To finish it off, a scattering of cocoa stylized the plate. The espresso ice cream was my favorite and of course everything mixed well together in a elegant dessert.
Oh! And I nearly forgot: the three little balls that you see are small, liquored cherries which added a burst of flavor and texture to an otherwise sweet, sweet dessert. Call it a “grown-up” chocolate cake experience if you will.
Everyone was very pleased with their respective meal, wine and service. Some reviews painted the servers as uneducated about the wine menu and meals, but I found the opposite in my experience. Not only was our server polite, and helpful, but she was attentive to water, and took the plates away in a timely, no-rush manner. It was an excellent experience and one that I will attend to again.
If you don’t believe me and my review, check out these reviews here, here, and here.
Sounds delicious, great photographs.
We’re moving to Minneapolis in January (yes, I know, January!), so I’ll try and remember to check this place out – I like the sound of the Sea Bass. I’m off to have a good nose at the rest of your blog now ;0)