Forepaugh's

Dinner in Your Own Private Mansion. My husband and I went here to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on a Sunday night. It was still moderately busy with a wedding party and a couple other anniversary celebrations but service was excellent. I'm a little confused as to some of the recent reviews regarding the lack of service. We had an exceptional waitress that was very helpful and friendly but perhaps we didn't need to rely on her too heavily; we already knew exactly what we wanted. We ordered the samosas for an appetizer, my husband got the strip steak, and I got the 6 oz. filet. Everything was incredibly delicious, including the sides and sauces we ordered (I got the grown up mac and cheese, he got the fries). Service was considerably slower than your usual "in and out" restaurant but that was exactly what we wanted. We never felt rushed and no waitress was hovering over us to move us along to the next course. The room was cozy and intimate and there was only one other couple there for the majority of the time. It truly felt like we were getting a delicious and homemade dinner in our own private mansion. They offered us some sparkling juice and a free dessert (best chocolate cupcake on the planet!) for our anniversary and I was touched by the gesture.

Downsides: Pretty much nothing to complain about but again, we came at a slower time. I liked that our waitress told us what was going on with her "schedule" to the extent that she alerted us to a large wedding party coming in. That way we could put our order in sooner and that was greatly appreciated. My husband noted that his fries were a little "over fried" and rather salty. I agreed but I can't say it was a deal-breaker. I ordered my filet medium and admittedly it came out a little more medium-well, but again that was just fine with me. Perhaps that'd be too much for a food snob, but it was secretly that perfect spot between the two that I love. I highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic evening and when you want to enjoy each other's company for a couple hours!!…

Best Place to take your Client. If your looking for something special or need to entertain your best client look no further. Forepaugh's has got it all. Best food, service, and ambience you can find anywhere in the Twin Cities. Down the street from the Xcel Energy center it is a perfect meeting place for a quick appetizer before the event.…

So, so wrong!. We'd been to Forepaugh's for the first time just after they'd acquired new management, but never returned. That usually means we didn't like it, but because we wanted to go somewhere near our downtown hotel for our anniversary, we decided to give it another try. Our first mistake.

From the moment we walked in, the servers, bartender and host seemed flustered, yet it didn't look overly busy. Even so, you want to project an image of calm, don't you, even when (especially if?) Rome is burning? We were told our table would be ready in a few minutes and we could wait in the bar. I never say no to a drink, but what's the point of ordering a drink and then being ushered to your table before it arrives? There's no proper waiting area, not to mention a very unattractive sight right next to the host's desk of unwashed dishes and what I think is the dumbwaiter.

Aside: who in the hell is drinking their Martinis on the freaking rocks? Please stop! Bartenders apparently need to be reminded every time I order one that I'd like it up.

Our waitress was very sweet, but she looked like she was going to cry from the get go. I'd overheard her telling another table that the food was on its way. Our appetizer of "foie gras carbonara" was soupy and unimpressive and skimpy on the foie gras. My Wellington, and the food in general, seemed to be salty and underseasoned at the same time: not sure how you accomplish that.

The worst was the icky side of sauteed cilantro, a veritable bed of it. Someone needs to sit the chef down and have a heart to heart. Not all of your amazing ideas are amazing. Stop the madness. Additionally, but sadly, not surprisingly, my husband's plate was missing the duck leg confit. He was already done with his meal before they could bring it out. I have to say that he is one of the slowest eaters on the planet.

On the way out, the host asked how everything was. I said it was okay, and he inquired further. I told him that a duck leg was missing from the plate, and he said, yes, that they'd removed it from the bill. I had already thanked the waitress for that, and again thanked him. Then he made the fatal error of explaining why things had gone wrong: it was prom night, these kids had shown up late, etc., etc. Frankly, they all looked out of their league from the minute we walked in.

Such a sad experience: it's such a lovely old house but the food and service is really sub par. When we go out, we really don't look for "value," but in this case, the prices were not commensurate with the food at all. I really liked the description of if as Norma Desmond: faded and sad.

I'm writing this with management and the chef in mind: take a look at your competitors (WA Frost, even the St. Paul Hotel Bar and Grill) and up your game. No one can rest on their laurels for long, especially in this economy.…

Far exceeded our hesitant expectations.. We booked a Valentine's day reservation and were worried that the service would be extremely busy to provide us a good experience. Thankfully, that was not the case. We were very satisfied with the level of service we got, water was always full and the waitress had time to explain the menu and answer our questions, some of which were not menu related, but small talk.

To be sure, we spent several hours there (not ideal if you are looking for a quick meal) and worked our way through each course, from appetizer to dessert, including 1 drink each, and spent just over $100. But we knew the cost going in and had observed the menu on the website.

I can see how people would have mixed experiences here, but if you know what you are getting into before hand, with costs, timing and menu offerings, I think you will have a GREAT experience. We were fortunate to be in one of the best looking rooms, make a request by a fireplace if you can. The food was tasty, but some offerings were unusual and there is not a ton of variety, only 8-10 offerings. The portions might be small if you do not add the salad or soup (both very good) or an app. Value is not necesarily a strong word here, but the experience is top notch. Preperation is key, forwarned is forarmed. Service was great for us, but may be uneven depending on timing and capacity. Too bad, consistency should be guaranteed for this price, but I would not be willing to guarantee excellence, though we certainly experienced it. We even got a short private tour of the wine cellar on this busy Valentine's night, and we are not even wine snobs! Great for us, recommend making reservations at an early time 6-7 to ensure service and put in a request for a good seat.…