Restaurant Week: Kincaid's

Another quarter, another Restaurant Week! My cohorts in all things "gastronomic excess," Hannah and Kyle, ventured over to my neck of the woods in Saint Paul on Wednesday of the last Restaurant Week for a three-course dinner at one of my favorite places: Kincaid's! 

My family's been coming to Kincaid's for as long as I can remember, and now that I work practically across the street, it's easier than ever for me to stop in for a Maytag Bleu Cheese salad or lobster bisque for lunch in the bar (Um, yum). Their Restaurant Week menu had some of the pricier entrΓ©e options I've never sprung for, and I was so excited to try it all out!

For starters, let me just state that Kincaid's does two things very, very well: their wine list, and their bread. We split a bottle of delicious cabernet, and easily chomped through two baskets of the buttery, garlic-studded, lightly salted focaccia before we even placed our orders. 

Unlike our July expedition to Haute Dish, I only obnoxiously photographed my meal choices, instead of every dish any of us enjoyed, because although their food is delicious, Kincaid's presentation isn't as big a deal as Haute Dish's was. Here we go!

Course 1: Butternut Squash Soup with cracked pepper and creme fraiche. It was silky, creamy, savory perfection. I'm a huge sucker for squash soup in any form, but the creme fraiche really made it. The presentation didn't hurt either...the bowls arrived with just the creme fraiche in them, and the soup was poured tableside from a soup boat. Super hot, super yummy. 

Course 2: Chicken Dijon with garlic mashed potatoes and warm wilted greens with bacon vinaigrette. Look at that portion! So generous. I didn't finish it, despite my most valiant efforts...the chicken was crispy-crunchy outside, but under the crunchy breading there was a thin, creamy layer of dijon mustard sauce before the tender, perfectly-cooked chicken. The mashed potatoes were just the right amount of garlicky. And if I could bathe in that bacon vinaigrette...well, I'm not saying I wouldn't. (Kyle's short ribs and Hannah's salmon were also apparently noteworthy, considering they did power through and eat every bite!)

Course 3: Key lime pie. Hannah and Kyle had pumpkin creme brulee, which we didn't know was pumpkin until it arrived or else I probably would have ordered it too. That said, the key lime pie was delicious. I really needed something palate-cleansing after the rich chicken and soup, and the pie didn't disappoint. It was tart but not too sour, and the crust was really good too. I'd order it again. 

I'm already looking forward to next quarter's Restaurant Week!