I was having a day the other week so instead of letting me sulk, husband took matters into his own hands and pulled together an impromptu dinner at a place we had never been: Estelle in St. Paul. What can I say, after almost 6 years together he knows that food, drinks, and a new restaurant has a 100% success rate of improving my mood 😂.

Snacks:

Bacon Wrapped Dates: Feta, truffle honey, oregano

They have a pintxos section on their menu which means “finger foods” in the Basque Country of Spain (thank you, Google 😂). I had my heart set on the bacon wrapped dates, but after seeing that it was only $4, we put two and two together that it was a pretty small portion and also got the goat cheese.

Goat Cheese: Sherry onion jam membrillo, chevre, baguette

Both of these were absolutely delicious. The bacon wrapped dates had just enough sweetness without it feeling like a dessert, and the goat cheese was balanced really well so it wasn’t overpowering. I’m not a goat cheese fan usually, but would happily eat this again.

Mezzaluna: Smoked mussels, stuffed pasta, marine sauce, roasted oyster mushrooms, sea beans

My mezzaluna was absolutely delicious. To be fair, there is never a stuffed pasta I don’t love, but the flavor combination was truly unreal.

Fried BBQ Piri Chicken: Amish chicken thighs potato salad, zucchini, chorizo

After watching 2 other people around us get the fried BBQ Piri Chicken, husband decided that it was clearly a crowd favorite. This chicken was honestly the best I’ve ever had. It had a perfect crispness, the flavoring was perfection, and the potato salad underneath was the ideal pairing.

At the end of our meal we also had a fun little dessert surprise and delight with these chirro inspired morsels!

Drinks:

It’s Good For Yah! Charred rosemary vodka, plum honey shrub, orange, ginger, lemon #12 cider, angostura bitters

Return of the Mac Old Fashioned: Henry mckenna bourbon, old overholt rye, house spice syrup, house orange sassafrass bitters, cherry, orange

I wasn’t sure I’d like the It’s Good For Yah!, but this felt like the right place to step out of my comfort zone and I’m glad I did. It was really good, plus came with the added bonus of a fire show when he set the rosemary on fire 😂.

Husband started off with the Old Fashioned, but after the bar manager learned he was up for trying anything with rye whiskey, he started making him his own version of a whiskey Manhatten, which husband absolutely loved.

Atmosphere/Service:

We didn’t have a reservation, but lucked out with a couple at the bar letting us know they were leaving and we could snag their seats (in case I don’t say it enough, I absolutely love Saint Paul and the people who live there). The bar manager was our server and he was very knowledgeable, not to mention it was very convenient for us to get cocktails haha.

I’m excited to go back with actual reservations next time to see what the rest of the venue looks like, but I was very pleased with our experience. It’s also good to know that they also have a built in 20% service charge, however additional tips are not expected (albeit appreciated).

To close out the review, please allow me a moment of narcissism as I’m very proud that I was able to look presentable even with 3 day unwashed hair and 10 minutes to get ready…like I said, husband knows the best way to get me to smile is to feed me ❤️

Estelle
1806 St. Clair Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
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