eat + drink

This review of Jay's Cafe in St. Paul isn't for everybody.

It has come to my attention that some of you (present company excluded) look at the star ratings first and, if the restaurant receives less than three stars, you don't even bother to read the review, much less visit the restaurant.

Ordinarily, this attitude is very annoying to us restaurant critics, because we spend hours sweating over hot entrees to offer a nice meal for you, and you can't even sit down and take the time to appreciate it? This is the thanks we get?

Plus, it tempts us to give every restaurant we like at least three stars so that you will give it a try. Of course, this is Minnesota, where all the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the restaurants are above average.

Not. (It's worth remembering that in New York City, where the level of gastronomy is much higher than in Minnesota, a two-star rating from the New York Times is cause for celebration.)

In the case of Jay's Cafe, though, I don't mind a smaller audience. Jay's is basically a breakfast and lunch nook that recently started serving dinner Thursday through Saturday, and only has 36 seats (squeezed a little too closely together), so a horde of star-struck diners probably wouldn't experience this modest neighborhood cafe at its best.

And its charms are modest: The menu is creative, but not dazzlingly original, the cuisine solid but not brilliant, the ambience low-budget and low-key. Prices are very reasonable: The appetizers and pizzas are $8 or under, and most of the entrees are under $15. Think of a smaller version of the Modern Cafe in northeast Minneapolis.

Chef Jay Randolph's dinner menu is very limited: three starters, a couple of pizzas, a few salads and half a dozen entrees. The coarsely chopped shrimp cakes, bathed in a feisty creole Hollandaise, are a smart departure from the usual. So is the lemon-artichoke dip, which isn't really a dip, but rather a molded artichoke heart salad -- just as tasty as the goopy kind, but without all the calories and cholesterol. I also enjoyed the thin-crusted bacon, basil and blue cheese pizza, though the pungent cheese tended to overwhelm the other ingredients.

My favorite of the entrees was the beef tenderloin stack: two tender and juicy slices of meat sandwiched between crusty croutons of toasted bread, with sliced tomatoes and a rich tarragon-scented Bearnaise. The portion of beef was modest, but the combination of tender and crisp, juicy and creamy worked beautifully. I'm terminally bored by the usual factory chicken breast, but Jay's version, pan roasted with skin on and bone in, was a moist and flavorful delight.

The pecan-crusted rainbow trout was a little heavy on the nut crust, but still a pleasant dish, as was the curried lamb with mint pesto -- chunks of tender meat in a very mild sauce, served over a potato, cauliflower and kale cake. I ordered the portobello mushroom roast out of a sense of professional duty, and was surprised at how much I liked it. It's a big mushroom cap stuffed with baby artichokes, spinach, feta, mushrooms and roasted tomatoes, served on a savory bed of red lentils.

Of the desserts, neither the apple crisp nor the lemon cheesecake (served in a cup) was anything out of the ordinary, but the chocolate roule, when available, is spectacular.

Jay's is also worth visiting for breakfast and lunch. The morning menu runs the gamut from a waffle of the day to a veggie breakfast burrito (all under $10), while lunch offerings include sandwiches, salads, a couple of pizzas, a pasty of the day and a chicken and smoked Gouda crêpe, all for under $9.

Part II: What's a critic to do?

I've made several recent visits to Anemoni -- the new sushi bar attached to Azia -- and had a feeling of deja-vu all over again. There were certainly some high points, such as the very fresh big-eye tuna sashimi and the selection of raw oysters. And there are some interesting novelties, such as the steamed monkfish livers with sake and ponzu, which tasted a little like an oceanic foie gras. And presentation is exquisite.

But a lot of other items we sampled, such as the seafood egg custard soup, the rainbow roll and the oshizushi (pressed sushi with tuna, salmon, shrimp and snow crab) seemed ordinary, or didn't measure up against versions I've had elsewhere. The passion fruit mojito martini was wonderful, though, but $12 for a cocktail on Eat Street? What's the world coming to?

Then -- maybe as I was contemplating the little statues of Buddha mounted on the wall as candleholders -- a voice spoke to me. "Lighten up, fella, and stop being such a Consumer Reports type." And I took a deep breath, and did. I looked around the darkened room, at the weathered brick walls and the shimmering rays of light on the stamped tin ceiling, and all that criticalness just washed right out of me.

The truth is, the place is just so sexy that my right brain overpowered my left and I got swept away. Maybe it will happen to you, too.

Jay's Cafe ** 1/2