Is Pierre’s Bistro on its last legs? A reader wrote in to tell me that things look bad: “Pierre’s Bistro on 50th and Penn has had a tough time keeping viable with the construction on 50th the past couple of months,” wrote Chris B. “So much so that the owner, Pierre Gardien, recently let the kitchen staff go. He’s projecting that if things don’t change, he’ll be closing the doors in 60 days. I am doing what I can to keep this great little place around for people to enjoy by encouraging family and friends to return to Pierre’s or give it a shot if they’ve never been. It would be really sad to lose another chef-driven place in town.”
It would be sad. I was hoping Chris was mistaken, or at least exaggerating, but I called Gardien and, indeed, he told me that things look dire: “Business is so bad, it’s been bad the last six months” sighed Gardien. “For some time it’s been a drag to get here, with all the construction, but at this rate I don’t have much to go here. It’s critical.”
What terrible news! I know that lots of people in Southwest Minneapolis and Edina adore Pierre’s. I know this because they’ve written to me over the years singing the praises of Gardien’s traditional French food and his intimate, cozy restaurant. Well, it’s time to put an APB out: If you care about Pierre’s, the time to go is now—or, sadly, you may never get the chance.
Pierre’s Bistro
2221 W 50th St., Minneapolis
(612) 928-0582
www.pierresbistromn.com
