After months of pleading, I finally convinced Roger to go to the Strip Club last night (although with the name of the place I didn’t think it would be that hard!). Roger had a misconceived notion that the restaurant was of the Kincaids variety—special occasion steakhouse only. However, once I told him the St. Paul restaurant was by the same owners of our favorite Town Talk Diner, he perked up a bit and we made our way through some of the … ahem … shadier areas of St. Paul to find the restaurant at about 7th and Maria—on the bluffs overlooking downtown St. Paul.
Without reservations, we sat at the bar (although it was just 5:30 p.m.), but knew we were at the best seats in the house when owner Tim Niver greeted us and offered us a drink. (We’d experienced Tim’s hospitality on our first visit to Town Talk, which was the sole reason we returned just a week later!) I was convinced that Town Talk made one of the best sidecars in town, but last night’s cocktail at the Strip Club was, without exception, one of the best I’ve had. Our starters included a plate of artisan bread, soprasetta (salami) and crucolo (cheese) that was enhanced with, surprisingly, clover honey. The deviled eggs – one pickled in beet juice for a lovely purple color—delivered a kick. For our entrée, we shared the rib platter for two, with a side of slaw and the most crumbly, tender corn muffin on the planet. We then topped off our meal with a rhubarb tart, which was, sadly, the lowlight of the evening (slightly too tart for my taste, although the pastry crust was quite good, and I certainly had no problem finishing it!).
Of course, the evening became more lively as additional libations were poured by Tim and his incredibly experienced bartender, Dan. The woman next to me got in on the fun and bought me a drink; Tim mixed enough that five of us were able to toss back her coffee, cream, vanilla vodka and crème de cocoa concoction. As drinks were poured for other patrons, she and I were the lucky recipients of the leftovers, meaning I sampled more than my fair share of drinks paid for. Both Tim and Dan obviously take pride in the work they do behind the bar, as they should. Their mixed drinks are exquisite, topped only topped by their gracious hospitality.
Sadly, I am afraid that the two of us will not go back. What, you say, with such a glowing review? Well, Roger and I seem to have the terrible habit of falling in love with a place and patronizing it just a week later because it was so good the first time. Of course, the second time never lives up to our expectations … and, it will certainly be hard to top an evening as lovely as last night’s. However, we may be willing to take that chance; the Strip Club is far too good not to visit again.
