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The “Seven Servings” traveled to Erté in Northeast
Minneapolis on a brisk Tuesday night. What we discovered was excellent
service, creative, yet classic cuisine, and a great pre-dinner bar area
to mingle with friends. Down the block from Erté lies Modern
Café and down the road The Sample Room, two amazing NE restaurants,
making this area a must-stop destination!
Ambiance:
Minnesota Mod: Hipster Alert! The dark wood and subtle lighting at Erté
is very modern and the Peacock Lounge is reminiscent of a French bistro.
One word — Swanky! It pays homage to the Northeast Mpls Arts District
with ever-changing exhibitions from local artists. The Contemporary
Quilts that were on display during my visit complimented the chic Minnesota
twist on traditional cuisine. This scene is perfect for relaxing with
friends or romantic interests, but would be the ultimate venue for those
hard-to-impress out-of-town guests. Think prime-rib potluck in a primo
locale! — Alex
Drinks:
Erté mixed one of the better martinis I have had in some time.
I like my martinis a little dirty, shaken and up. Although it seems
like such a simple drink to make, so few bartenders are actually able
to pull it off successfully. When done properly, there should be small
ice crystals on the top of the glass and taste should be very crisp
and smooth, which was exactly how I received it. The only way that the
drink could have been improved had been if the bar had offered cheese-stuffed
olives, but I won’t hold that against them. With dinner I had nice
glass of pinot noir that the waitress recommended would go with my steak.
Overall the wine menu was good. Also, for those wine connoisseurs on
a budget, Erté offers half-price bottles of wine on certain nights.
— Jon
Cuisine:
To be honest, it is a rare occasion when the vegetarian choice gets
the most positive response. Everyone was served their hunks of high
class beef and slabs of flaky fish but when my dish arrived, heads turned
(and not for my cleavage revealing top)! My Funghi Risotto was a beautifully
presented dish that was simply delicious. It was rich but not too heavy.
The mushrooms were tender and just right. The bleu cheese crumbles introduced
the creamy element inducing the flavor that made the entrée come
alive. I did nibble on the vegetarian sides of my dinner companions,
however. My favorite was the squash mashed potatoes that were served
with the whitefish — deliciouso! An elegant and colorful twist
on the American classic. — Kiki
This was our first “American” supper club location. Since
I knew I was strictly reviewing the food, I made it a point to try all
of my friend’s dishes (twice) — the house steak, bowstring
walleye, forest mushroom risotto and chicken saltimbocca. As a non-Minnesotan-native,
I thought it was time to taste my first walleye. … Sadly, I found
this version to be very dry and tasteless. The sauce helped the dryness
slightly. The House was a decent cut of meat at a very reasonable price.
The chicken was fine, nothing spectacular. The risotto however, was
AMAZING. By far the best of the four choices due to its creamy, mushroomy
deliciousness. It definitely wasn’t a light choice, so it might
be something to share if you’re worried about that kind of thing.
The highlight of the dining experience for me was the complimentary
olive dish starter we received. The food we had that night was unremarkable.
But, I would definitely go back as there were some other things on that
menu that I think I need to sample… — Jenn
Service:
Customer service is always a top priority for me whether it is at Walgreen’s,
Subway or a great restaurant such as Erté. Our waitress, assigned
to almost half of the intimate, yet spacious room, handled our crew
brilliantly. When ordering a bottle of pinot noir, she immediately recommended
their house pinot instead — “Cheaper,” she said, “yet
much more flavorful.” You gotta love a good “behind the scene”
deal! Our food came out all at the same time and hot (key), she gave
us menu recommendations before we could even ask (love that confidence)
and any additional requests such as “dressing on the side”
were honored without any ridic rude sneers. Great service = great tip,
which is what she got! — Betsy
Value:
Frankly, I am the worst person to write about “value” if you
think it is strictly about how much you care about the dollars spent
on something. I spend money twice as fast as I make it. But if you think
value is about what you get for what you spend, then I’ll try to
be your guy. So did I get value from Erté? Easily. Dollars wise,
I spent about $50 for three cocktails, a salad, and a monster steak
… pretty good in my eyes. But that fitty also got me a chance to
hang out in a very cool and unique space that was not just charming,
but also eclectic. That five dimes also got me the pleasure of ordering
drinks from some pretty cool bartenders who knew how to pour a drink,
and that half Benjamin came with courteous, almost perfect, and honest
service with a smile from the staff. In the end, Erté was a great
value, giving me the perfect place to have a few drinks, laugh with
my friends, and enjoy a nice meal. — Lee
I stereotyped Erté as a French restaurant long before the accent
on end of its title had a chance to prove itself otherwise. And in value-related
terms, French restaurants n’est pas bon, at least personally, where
portion size greatly outweighs a rare fungus thrown into the ingredients.
The first evidence to the contrary was Erté’s fantastic
selection of half-priced happy hour tap beer and wine that awaited my
indulgence. The second was a perfectly cooked coulotte (thick) cut sirloin
that sat on plate like a large brown brick. Never before had I experienced
such a succulent $17 steak. The only drawback was that any side orders
came with an extra charge. On the other hand, this a la carte service
could also be seen as quite reasonable — giving the customer a
chance to judge (after seeing the large brick) if there is even a need
for extras. Add on two glasses of an unidentified pinot noir and I was
more than willing to shell out a mere $35 for a meal that I will be
revisiting expeditiously. Erté ain’t French, it’s Nordeast.
— Brian
Overall:
Erté is a vision of class and elegance. It does BOTH seafood
and steak extremely well — and doesn’t forget the vegetarians
either! With middle-of-the-road prices and a sophisticated menu, Erté
offers more than a quality meal in NE Minneapolis. Take a first date
or long time companion to Erté and you won’t be disappointed.
Love is in the air with the enchanting environment and sexy fare!
Ratings Restaurant: 3.5 (out of four stars)
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