Photo by Jason DeRusha
Sometimes a restaurant just feels right. Brand new, yet it feels like it’s been there for years. Warm and cozy, yet modern and impressive. Bustling bakery by day, sexy glowing bistro by night. Bellecour’s North Loop location had some soft open practice meals prior to opening Saturday night, I was there for a first look and first taste of the new, tightly constructed dinner menu.
With talk of seafood towers and escargot, I expected a much more expensive and fancy Bellecour 2.0—the original incarnation opened in Wayzata in 2017 and closed in 2020 during the pandemic. It’s not inexpensive: the Dirty French Burger is $19, the Seafood Tower is $72 (half-dozen oysters, three shrimp, three mussels, and tuna crudo). But you can and should get a trio of perfect Fried Duck Wings, à l’orange, for just $14. Confit the duck, lightly fry the skin, glazed in an orange sauce. These are a Wayzata menu item that like a divorced, rich, Lake Minnetonka 45-year-old, made the move to the North Loop. (Well, with more flavor and style.)
When I’m in a French bistro, I’m going to order the pâté, and Kaysen’s is a humble version—Pâté Grand Mère translates as “Grandma’s pâté”—great texture, more meaty than flabby, with texture from pistachio, cornichon, and a zing from the mustard ($15).
I loved the delicate, light flaky cod with taut green lentils in a delicate vadouvan curry sauce. A standout, and only $27. I think a lot of you will order the Cod and the Steak Frites—a flat iron steak from Snake River Farms, in a pepper sauce, with a heaping of thin, crispy fries. This is French bistro eating for $32.
We had a phenomenal server, Erika, who nailed the fun yet professional vibe, which fits the menu. This isn’t formal dining, even though the elegance of the room at night might make you feel like it is. It was designed by local powerhouses SHEA with tons of personal touches and guidance from Linda Kaysen, Gavin’s wife.
From 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Bellecour is a bakery, and the counter you’ll see when you walk in is the home for pastry and baked goods. When the restaurant reopens at 5 p.m., that counter will become dining space. A shadow box to the right displays Kaysen’s mentor’s chef’s coat, signed by Paul Bocuse. You’ll see a gallery wall near the bar with photos of Place Bellecour in France, photos of Daniel Boulud and Gavin’s family.
I’m particularly excited about the wine focus at Bellecour—I sent the list to a friend of mine last night and he immediately called the restaurant and tried to get in. You can drink one of my all-time favorite champagnes from Selosse for $1,150, or you can buy a bottle and share it with me. But you can also have A.R. Lenoble champagne for $130. A fantastic Aligote for $69 from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, all of France is represented on the bottle list. The glass list includes an option for a carafe, and these are really lovely wines—get the $13 glass of Gamay or the $15 Alsatian Gewurztraminer and thank the new Head Sommelier for all of Kaysen’s restaurants, Zachary Byers. Zach was hired from Denver and has experience at Michelin-starred restaurants The Wolf’s Tailor and Beckon.
Cocktails are as you would expect from national award-winning cocktail genius Jessi Pollak—fun, interesting, approachable. Cognac and tonic is a great idea, all $15. Nice selection of nonalcoholic tonics and drinks as well.
Bellecour only seats 50 people, and I suspect it’s going to be a hot reservation. It formally opens Saturday night, Dec. 6.
Bellecour, 107 N. Third Avenue, Minneapolis, 612-452-6700, bellecourmn.com
