Photo by Danielle Dahl
This year marks the 10th anniversary for Balzac, a restaurant that served small plates before it was the trend. They still do it in style. Balzac has a refreshingly fun vibe generated by both diners and staff. It’s a great place to go with a group or on your own. Don’t like dining alone? The bar has premium seating with a full-service dinner menu and friendly bartenders that add to the atmosphere of the evening.
Balzac has a fantastic wine list by glass or bottle as well as a few good choices on tap. I still can’t wrap my head or hand around the stem-less wine glass, but they hold a generous pour. Also available: wine by the half liter, which is nice for sharing if you don’t want a bottle.
The menu starts with “smalls” and the choices are just that—small bites ($3-$5). Smalls include spiced nuts, olives, potato tots with goat cheese and deviled egg—nice nibbles with your cocktail. The deviled egg, served in a shot glass for a fun presentation, can be ordered individually. The egg white was a bit tough and dry, but the filling was creamy and flavorful and paired well with the saltiness of the hackleback caviar on top. Soup and Salad ($5-$7) and flat breads ($11-$13) also offer nice variety and interesting flavor combinations, including the house salad of pickled carrot, goat cheese, sunflower seeds and lavender vinaigrette.
The nearly 20 selections under “small plates” take you on a taste trip around the world. The frites ($5) come with both white and sweet potatoes and house-made chipotle aioli and jalapeño ketchup for dipping. They were plentiful, crisp and as I observed, a popular menu item. The Korean meatballs ($8), made with grass-fed beef, were moist, boasting all the quintessential Korean flavors and served with spicy kimchi and a chili sour cream on leaf lettuce.
I have eaten pork belly all over our city, but Balzac’s version is one of my favorites. Theirs is heirloom pork ($9), slow roasted and then fried crispy. It was moist and had more meat than fat, a crisp exterior and was served with mashed turnips and pickled mustard seeds, all nice complements. Other well-executed dishes included slow roasted duck nachos ($7) and shrimp and grits ($13). The jumbo shrimp were sweet, perfectly cooked and paired well with the greens and an aged cheddar amaranth polenta. All of these “small plates” were not so small and a great portion size for sharing.
Under “plates” is Balzac’s signature Sac Mac ($12), built on cavatappi pasta (large and spiraled) that holds the five-cheese sauce in each curl and is topped with just enough blue cheese and bread crumbs for a perfect crust that makes me happy just thinking about it. This dish is rich and creamy with the option of adding bacon, chorizo or veggies to take it to the next level.
There are plenty of vegetarian options and with such an eclectic lineup, something for everyone, including dessert. Salted pot de crème ($6) was the perfect ending to the meal.
Balzac buys local! From butter to coffee, the prestigious list is long and includes products sourced from Rushing Waters, Grassland Diary Products, Long Arm Farm, Nueske’s Smoked Meats, Anodyne Coffee and many more.
Balzac
1716 N. Arlington Place
414-755-0099
$$-$$$
Handicapped access: Yes (patio door)
