Aubergine had been a gleam in the eyes of industry pros Megan and Bjorn Jacobse for, like, forever, fueled by pop-ups here and there. After many a “Wait for it … it’s coming!” email to fervent foodies, it’s finally open, ready to put St. Paul’s Selby Avenue back on the food map where, decades ago, it reigned.
First off, it’s pretty. The couple resuscitated a storefront previously occupied by Revival, I’m told. Its airy, two-room interior (one with fleeting view of the busy kitchen) is brushed with tones of black and cream, accented by low café curtains shielding diners from Selby’s passing parade. Well-spaced tables stand ready to serve 44 diners. On the night of our dinner, tables didn’t turn; guests were welcome to linger for hours. Good thing because, during the soft opening, service proved funereally slow. (I’m counting on them to pick up the pace as routines evolve.)
The 14-item menu ($15 for a green salad to $70 for the lamb mixed grill, which we viewed on an adjoining table) speaks with a decided French accent, recalling the bustling, informal bistros lining a Parisian sidewalk. Start, perhaps, with the appetizer sampler ($21, meant for sharing) starring a sliver of rich roasted marrow forked from within its sturdy bone. It’s accompanied by a mound of beef tartare that’s robust and sweet, plus an oeuf en gelée, which translates to a hard-boiled egg encased in meaty-flavored gelatin. (Q: Why do the French consider this interesting?) It’s presented with slices of rich brioche on which to spread the lusty tartare, which proved to be the tastiest member of this starter trio…