Gazing up at the four story Victorian mansion that houses Forepaugh’s, I knew I was in for an elegant treat. Beautiful details such as elaborate chandeliers, intricate molding, dark fireplaces and intimate dining spaces make it near impossible to be disappointed in this restaurant’s décor. But little did I know that despite its traditional appearances, Forepaugh’s is anything but. It is haunted not only by an old ghost named Molly but also by a new executive chef who manages to put comfort and spice together in new American-French dishes with a touch of Latin influence.
But wait…a ghost? Legend has it that the former owner’s maid and mistress named Molly hung herself in one of the fourth floor rooms. According to one waitress, Molly’s presence is experienced through glasses breaking, silverware clanging to the floor, and lights mysteriously turning on by themselves. Do I believe in ghosts? I don’t know. Do I love the thought of eating in a restaurant haunted by one? Definitely. It all adds to the experience for me.
The only phenomenon that we experienced that night, however, was the menu’s many tempting options. Not only does Forepaugh’s menu manage to appeal to my need for comfort food, but it also has a spicy twist presented in an upscale, traditional way that nearly paralyzed me of making a decision. After careful planning at the table, we managed to put in an order that would allow us a sampling of many of the items.
Our first course consisted of butternut squash soup with spicy chorizo and an apple and manchego cheese fritter (Seriously…butternut squash, chorizo and manchego cheese? I’ve died and gone to food heaven), bacon wrapped shrimp with fresh herbs and a chili lime and coconut cream sauce (the combination of all the flavors just about put me over the edge), and the classic Waldorf salad with the not-so-classic addition of celery root and white truffle oil (the apple, honey and truffle oil mix was earthy and fresh…yum!). Looking down at my empty plate after the starters, I was a little sad that that course was over.
But we had to move on. Our entrees were the three-way lamb, New York strip with herbed butter and poutine (code for French fries and cheese curds in a chili glaze and gravy), beef Wellington, and the French onion braised short ribs. Unfortunately my beef Wellington did not stand up to my high expectation for this intricate dish. Instead, I thought the star was the French onion braised short ribs. Tender pieces of short ribs paired with caramelized onions and topped with a crusty layer of greyere cheese…it just doesn’t get any better than that.
We finished our meal with two desserts—autumn gingercake with maple pecan gelato and banana cream pie. My favorite was the banana cream pie, which was presented as layers of hazelnut praline crust, vanilla custard, caramelized bananas with a maple drizzle artfully arranged on the plate. Perfect.
Although I wasn’t convinced of the ghost that is said to haunt this beautiful restaurant, I left Forepaugh’s convinced of the quality food, service and ambience of this St. Paul charmer. It’s a special occasion type of restaurant and I look forward to having a special occasion in the future so I can return.
Katie Cannon is the blogger behind Camacho Watcho as well as an up-and-coming Twin Cities photographer. She both works and plays in the Mill District of downtown Minneapolis.
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