All it takes to fall in love with St. Genevieve, a contemporary French bistro in Lynnhurst, is sinking your teeth into chef-owner Steve Brown’s generously sugared, hot-out-of-the-fryer beignets. It’s the most indulgent way to kick off a meal—not that we’d ever say no to his grilled oysters or Emmentaler-blessed little gem salad, either.
Abundant natural light and a pretty Frenchified interior (penny tile on the floor, pressed tin on the ceiling, white marble tabletops) make the restaurant a fabulous choice for lunch or brunch. The kitchen does a mean quiche, wine-y mussels, a tartine with delectable Red Table Royal ham and melty Raclette, and what may be the Twin Cities’ most irresistible frites-and-Béarnaise combo.
But dinner is when the big guns come out. The lights are dimmed, the romance is on, and the waitstaff drop hits left and right: beef tartare with smoked egg yolk and brown butter aioli, braised oxtail agnolotti, duck à l’Orange with charred endive. (You know, like the fancy stuff you’d never make at home.) Dessert is a knockout, too, thanks to the inspired whimsy of pastry chef Leah Izenson. We polished off a recent visit with her beautifully plated rhubarb terrine, all gussied up with fennel jam and seedy shortbread.
FYI: Sunday Suppers are a thing at the Saint. Served from 5 to 9 p.m., you can order à la carte or partake in a classic dinner for two ($55) featuring a whole roasted chicken with little gem salad and Aligot potatoes. Toss in a bottle of wine for $20 and it’s a fine, fine way to end a weekend.
St. Genevieve
5003 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN; 612-353-4843.