After her impressive run at Corner Table came to an end in 2019, chef Karyn Tomlinson devoted two years to the fits-and-starts process of launching her own restaurant. After landing a lease near St. Catherine University in St. Paul, she named the place after a hospitality-minded character in "Les Misérables."
First look: St. Paul's buzzy new restaurant Myriel is a team effort
Karyn Tomlinson, former chef at Corner Table, runs a tiny kitchen on the power of her team.
September 9, 2021 at 3:00PM
Location: 470 S. Cleveland Av., St. Paul, 651-340-3568, myrielmn.com. Open 5-9 p.m. Wed.-Sat.
The vibe: The former Bar Brigade (and, before that, the longtime home of Ristorante Luci) is now outfitted with pale Venetian plaster walls, brass-trimmed lighting fixtures, a herringbone tile floor and other timeless touches, a spare backdrop that complements rather than competes with the kitchen's handiwork. The elbow-to-elbow dining room remains one of the Twin Cities' most intimate venues (caution: the sound level is easily cranked up), and the adjacent, similarly snug bar defines "cozy." The sidewalk accommodates a handful of cafe tables.
The food: Tomlinson and her gifted team — Shawn Fischer, Isaac Kirkpatrick and Emily Howard, all colleagues from her former Corner Table and Borough days — are performing minor miracles in what might be one of the metro's tiniest commercial kitchens. The ever-changing menu demonstrates their intense curiosity toward and commitment to ingredients on the local-seasonal spectrum. The result? Quietly dazzling cooking.
On an August visit, pink-tinted Great Lakes trout, seared in the pan, was paired with a gossamer broth that radiated sweet corn's summery essence. The earthiness of succulent lamb was accentuated with roasted, sesame seed-crusted eggplant. Rye flour inserted a ruddiness into gnocchi and a colorful salad made ingenious use of gorgeous heirloom carrots, from roots to greens. Even zucchini, surely the garden's wallflower, came to vivacious life in a cold soup accented with the breezy flavor of pine.
Kirkpatrick's charcuterie (a voluptuous liver mousse, a gloriously fatty and intensely porky terrine) and Howard's crusty breads and pristine fresh cheeses and are reason enough to visit. Oh, and dessert! Tomlinson reaches back to her pastry chef days — and many happy hours in her grandmother's kitchen — to produce pies of genuine distinction, piling peak-performance fruit into flaky, lard-laden crusts.
Drinks: The bar program, the work of Mark Warren, features a half-dozen understated cocktails. Wines focus primarily on traditional European sources (Spain, Italy, France) but make occasional excursions to Slovenia, Armenia, Oregon and New York.
Cause for celebration: A tasting menu begins at 7:30 p.m., covers 12-plus courses and runs roughly 2 ½ hours. Cost is $135 per person; beverages and gratuity are extra.
Service: Warmly engaging. Reservations suggested.
Prices: On the a la carte menu, first courses $6-$15, second courses $12-$17, third courses $23-$28, dessert $9. Cocktails $13-$15. Fifteen wines by the glass average $13, 16 wines by the bottle average $64.
Calendar note: Myriel is taking a weeklong pause and will reopen on Sept. 15.
Rick Nelson • @RickNelsonStrib
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.
