A little background
Barbette is a casual, eclectic French Bistro located on the corner of Lake Street and Irving Ave. S. in Uptown. The owners of Barbette are a collaborative bunch. They work with local farmers, organizations supporting local and organic agriculture, local brews and spirits, and other restaurants supporting local foods. It’s because of these relationships that Barbette is able to provide its guests with an incredibly fresh menu that changes with the seasons. Chef Sarah Master’s background in French bistro cuisine and skills in “nose-to-tail” concepts with meats and produce contribute to success and outstanding creations of Barbette.
In addition to creating a menu with selections that are out-of-this-world good, Barbette is heavily involved in the arts and culture scene in Uptown. The inside walls are used to display the work of local artists. Stop by, take a look, and you won’t be disappointed. In addition to supporting the arts, Barbette throws a huge bash every year in between Lake Street and Lagoon in Uptown to celebrate Bastille Day. (Of course a French restaurant should throw a party on this day!) They invite vendors and pretty decent musicians to come out and join the festivities.
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My thoughts
I’ve got to let you know, this wasn’t my first time visiting Barbette. Since stopping there for lunch, a few months ago, I’ve become a repeat customer and fan of the thriving atmosphere they cultivate in all of their endeavors. Since my last post on Barbette, I’ve participated in Bastille Day festivities and their course night (more to come on that in a different post). I’m going to give credit to one of my closest friends, Sarah, for this visit. She gave Tony and I gift cards to some of our favorite places and Barbette happened to be one of them. We decided to go for dinner, yes married people still know how to have awesome date nights! Here’s what we got:
I went for the Shrimp with Sweet Corn Risotto (sweet corn, peas, pea tendrils, and parmesan crisp). Tony ordered a full entree of the risotto and, to be honest, that was a smart decision. The risotto was probably the most delicious dish I’ve had in a very long time. The risotto was very creamy with a subtle sweetness thanks to the corn and peas. Both Tony and I couldn’t help gobbling this up in a hurry, concluding that we have to reorder it the next time we are in. Yes, the risotto is that good.
Now that I’ve gushed about the risotto, I’ll touch on the shrimp. Yes, the shrimp was fantastic as well. I actually loved the smokey flavor to complement the sweetness of the risotto. They came out nice and hot and were easy to take out of their outer shell. The chefs at Barbette definitely know their stuff!
If you couldn’t tell, I would highly recommend going here and ordering this dish. Trust me, you won’t go wrong with Barbette’s Shrimp with Sweet Corn Risotto. Top this off with a glass of wine and you’re all set!
Minnesota Munch 