Jake’s family looked on, in horrified amusement, as I slurped the green sauce with my fingers. Our waiter motioned to collect my plate and I instinctively guarded it, begging for him to wait until I had licked the remaining smears of the sauce. It was that good and the onlookers were incredibly amused. Or horrified.
Soon after, my roasted lamb arrived. The menu described this course as “lamb roast, golden potatoes, Brussels sprouts, smoked tomato-goat bacon sauce.”
The dish contained thick slices of roasted lamb, roasted to a plush pink. The meat was tender and silky.
I gingerly bobbed for caramelized halves of roasted Brussels sprouts and chunks of potato that lay beneath the lamb.
I audibly exclaimed my delight at my first taste of the smoked-tomato-goat bacon sauce. It was glisteningly reduced and perfectly salty, umami-filled and complex.
I dodged Jake’s flying utensils and elbows and quickly stole a few small bites of his ribeye. It was cooked to the requested medium-rare and richly beefy. Steak juice coated my palate and each bite was tender. I enjoyed the gravy that clung to the steak, though I preferred my tomato-goat bacon sauce. Jake noted the steak was trimmed to include just enough fat to be enticing. Again, I revealed my “un-ladylike” tendencies by sucking on the fat he had pushed to the side of his plate.
The steak perched a top roasted potatoes and caramelized, green cauliflower.
Jake, formerly wary of beets, ordered a side of pink, roasted Chiaggia beets studded with roasted hazelnuts and coated in an apple cider reduction. Further proof that fresh, garden-fresh beets can break down anyone’s beet-hating barriers. The beets were tender, hazelnuts, toasty, and the reduction, sweet and sour.
Our waiter graciously investigated my query to replace the dessert course with a small cheese plate. I was given choice between three different types of cheeses and randomly chose the middle option.
I could smell this beautiful plate of a washed-rind cows milk cheese, crackers, honey, and berry preserves as it approached our table.
As the smell intensified, my heart sank. It smelled exactly like the stinky cheese I bought from the deli on a previous weekend and had a difficult time consuming. I described this pungent, washed-rind cheese as “butt cheese,” mortified when our waiter overheard my endearingly crude term. One of these days, people are going to stop taking me places.
Forgoing the my past experience, I re-tried this cheese, mostly enjoying it atop Heartland’s tasty choice of crackers, dripping with sweet preserves and honey. Jake expedited the process by consuming an entire slice of cheese in one bite. We all cringed every time his breath singed our noses.
By golly, Heartland had gone out of their way to create a thoughtful cheese plate and we were going to eat it. And we did in its entirety.
In Closing
Our meal at Heartland was memorably delicious and hardly overrated.
I’m not exaggerating when I claim our proteins were flawlessly cooked, the sauces well-balanced, and elements carefully seasoned. The service was smooth and notably patient.
A truly beautiful sendoff from my beloved hometown.
Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct
289 E 5th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-699-3536
I love Heartland! As far as food photos in dim light, crank your ISO as high as it will go and hold very steady! I use a Nikon for all of my shots on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog. Worth the upgrade for better pics!
You did pretty well for the lighting situation IMO and wrote a wonderful review. Nice!
Thank you Kristi. I can’t wait to upgrade my camera. Your photos are beautiful.
And Bill, thanks again. I enjoyed reading your review on Dandelion Kitchen!
I love this review so much. My lady and I have been trying to find time to get to Heartland, but haven’t made it yet. This will certainly re-stoke the fire. And thank you for all your wonderful reviews. Hopefully, you can maintain the blog in Fargo so I will have some sort of reference if I ever make it there. You will be an invaluable resource to the entire region!
thanks for the compliment. i’m going to do my best to maintain my own blog while coordinating for the local alternative paper. ufdah. will look forward to reading your blog from ND!