Heartland Contemporary Midwestern Restaurant

08/09/09

Great food, normal portions

by dagcoag

Had a large group after a Mac graduation. The servers easily accommodated the group, didn't even add an automatic tip for a large group. My beef entree had enough Morel mushrooms to share among four people. Both "flora and fauna" are well represented, and all dishes I tasted were wonderfully and differently flavorful. Excellent wine selection at a reasonable price. At the end of an extended meal we were satisfactorily full. We were not rushed, and the experience will bring us back from out of town.

• Pros: Bread, appropriate portions, wonderful sides
• Cons: Left standing at the front door for awhile

06/10/09

Not my top pick for a TC wine bar (Wine bar review only.)

by lke326

Really craving a glass of crisp white wine last night, the hubby and I headed out to try a new wine bar (new for us anyway). We ended up at Heartland Wine Bar in St. Paul which offered us quite an experience. Located off St. Claire in St. Paul, it’s a cute, little place, tucked in next to the neighborhood dry cleaner, giving it a nice, neighborhoody feel. There was a small lot adjacent to the restaurant itself and plenty of parking on the street as well.

The restaurant and wine bar themselves do not open until 5:30, so don’t ask for the happy hour menu, there isn’t one. We were the only patrons in the place at 5:30 and the next guests didn’t show for another hour. The “wine bar” area itself is long with 10 or so spots with a handful of tables in the back. Very quaint atmosphere, quiet, with low lighting, although I would have liked a couple of windows or at least better decorating as I felt wedged into their back hallway. I guess they certainly make due with the space they have.

The wine list was impressive with a lot of unique choices. Although I love when wine bars offer flights, as it’s a great way to sample a nice variety, and Heartland doesn’t offer any. We settled for four full glasses of wine and eventually ordered a bottle of Albarino from Spain. This was the recommendation of our server/bartender and the pick was spot on, we really did enjoy it! We also ordered the cheese sampler, which again was an excellent pick, with three cheeses from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

It was a wine and cheese night, so I can’t speak to their full menu, but overall we really enjoyed ourselves. I would certainly recommend this spot, but for $8/glass for their cheapest glasses and no happy hour specials, the bill adds up quickly.

• Pros: Great wine selection, very helpful server
• Cons: Wish they had wine flights

01/13/09

who knew?

by maryjoy66

This was my first visit to heartland after hearing years of hype. We were disappointed to find when we arrived that the dining room was closed and only the wine bar was open, this is apparently the case on Monday nights. I didn?t even know there was a wine bar and was surprised to find this hidden gem. The atmosphere was cozy, nice lighting and music, but small. The menu seemed a little over the top and we were unfamiliar with many of the wines on the menu. Our server was very knowledgeable and was patient with my boyfriend and I and our many questions regarding the food and wine. We ended up sharing a few things and everything was seriously delicious and beautifully presented. Keep in mind that the portions in the bar are smaller plates, our server told us this and we ended up getting just the right amount of food and with great suggested wine parings?our bill was still less than $80 for the two of us. We were so happy to find this place and now knowing that the menu changes and is updated on their website daily, we will definitely be back!

• Pros: great food & service
• Cons: small space

12/14/08

I Don't Get All The Fuss

by mryuck

I went here a second time because the first time I felt like I must have missed some exciting dish that makes everyone go bananas for this place. Nope, second time was the same let down food and lame atmosphere.

• Pros: Sausage
• Cons: Parking

09/02/08

A fine, unique TC restaurant

by pollysigh

Six of us dined here on a recent evening. All enjoyed it. The menu contains many unusual items in unusual combinations, and changes frequently. An obvious effort is made to utilize local sources. Here are some we consumed: the lake trout gravlax, watermelon-cucumber gazpacho, hierloom tomato salad with blue cheese, Romano flat beans with walnut dressing, wild sturgeon with crayfish butter, and a chicken breast prep (details escape me now). All were pronounced excellent. I can say the sturgeon, one of my favorite aquatic foods, was outstanding, not only for the quality of the fish but for the sauce. Interestingly, the prosaic flat beans were wonderful. The only disappointment was the bird-like portion of the trout gravlax appetizer. It was $10 but, given the Lilliputian quantity, should've been $6. About six miniature potato chips and a barely detectable sauce accompanied it. I'm seeing this more and more: Extremely small appetizers costing more than they should. Better to increase the size and keep the price. Desserts may have been a bit over the top in terms of combinations; good, but they left us thinking about Cafe Latte's sweet offerings a short ways away. Food and wine prices are reasonable for a restaurant of this caliber. Decibel level when full was still conversational. Our server was fine, but she apparently expected us to tell her at the outset that we wanted the bill split in half. This is a very good restaurant and the beneficiary of one of New Jersey's finest exports, the chef and owner(?) Lenny Russo.

• Pros: Unique menu, interesting ingredients and combinations
• Cons: Not much; one appetizer (trout gravlax) was tasty yet miniscule

04/03/08

One of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities

by kls486

Heartland is a great restaurant for a special occasion. The food is delicious, and reasonably priced for the quality of ingredients. The staff was very friendly and helpful when asked questions about food and wine recommendations. I will definitely be back, and have highly recommended Heartland to many people.

02/16/08

Fun and Delicious

by Otoki

My boyfriend and I have gone to Heartland four times now. Each time has been a treat. We enjoy high-quality food made from high-quality ingredients, and the price at Heartland is very reasonable for a special-occasion dinner. Having read some customer reviews complaining about the portions, I'm rather curious as to how much they manage to eat, because we leave there happily full every time. The last time we went was on the 13th with three other friends for a non-romantic Valentines day dinner, and everyone had a great time. All three of them called later to thank us for introducing them to such a wonderful place.

One thing the place thankfully lacks is the pressure to be formal. It's gourmet food without the pretentious attitude. I have never felt uncomfortable or out-of-place, and the servers have been nothing but kind, helpful, and efficient.

If you ever happen to go there as a couple, try the wine bar. Lenny's wife is awesome, and she made that night our best anniversary dinner to date.

11/29/07

Please, just a bit more food, I am very hungry

by thegracekelly

In keeping with my theme of buying local, my husband takes me to a well reviewed Heartland restaurant, St Clair Av, that is based on local food. I do not recommend the Heartland restaurant.

When we go in, the place is empty (not a good sign for a business). I look at the menu, it is twice the price of my favorite restaurant , however there is a bountiful list of food listed on each item. We splurge, we take the three course meal. The waitress will substitute ice cream for the third course, since I have food problems. Now, where I come from, bread is served with every meal. So the joke of a bad meal is that you have to live on the bread. Well, at Heartland you have live on the bread, which is served first and I can't eat. Then came an appetizer the size of a quarter (I am not joking), served on a big plate. Oh that is just complimentary. The real appetizer comes next, a 3-4 inch diameter of food on a big plate, about 1/4 of what I would expect. It was good, or maybe I was just very hungry. Then the main course comes out, 4 thin slices of lamb hiding a tiny tiny amount of potatoes and carrots. I ask the waitress if I could have more potatoes and carrots, she says there would be a surcharge. I decline. It was good, or maybe I was just very hungry. Even in Europe I had more of a serving for lunch. Then desert came, four small scoops of ice cream. It was good, or maybe I was just very hungry. I think I could have gotten more food walking around the taste testers at Sam's club. My husband was there, or I would have gone begging to kitchen. "Please, just a bit more food, I am very hungry".

• Pros: the food was good
• Cons: Food Servings are incredibly miserly, the price was high

08/13/07

Could be the best ever.

by notsofunny

One word for this restaurant is "PERFECT". Stop wondering if you should try this restaurant just GO you wont be disapointed.

• Pros: everything
• Cons: nothing

08/06/07

Fabulous food and great service

by bettybuckley

Heartland was an oasis in the middle of our road trip from Washington to Maine. I thought we'd be stuck with fast food or potatoes and over-cooked meat for days but I was wrong. We ate ala carte and enjoyed everything from appetizers to dessert. The menu includes very fresh fish and twists on old home cookin' recipes. Lenny, the chef and owner, came out and joked with us that "contemporary Midwestern is almost an oxymoron," something he's trying to change. They have a great selection of wines by the glass so we were able to enjoy champagne before dinner and wine with dinner. Our total bill was $109, which is amazing for so much great food.