Aubergine ToDoTC.com To Do in the Twin Cities Restaurants

	Aubergine Date: June 12, 2026 525 Selby Ave St Paul, MN 55102 Phone: (651) 242-1362 www.restaurantaubergine.com

The French has a saying je ne sais quoi there is something special about that person, place. We have all have witnessed it. We don’t know why that person is so attractive or we like that place but we know we do. That can be both positive and negative.

About once a month E get’s excited about a place we are going to. Aubergine was one of those places. Aubergine is located on Selby a few blocks from the St Paul Cathedral. Near by is La Grolla, The Curling Club, the Gnome, WA Frost. Only in the North Loop can you find an area with such a location pedigree.

So after our Friday night wine tasting we went on 94 to Dale in St Paul. and then to Selby to Aubergine and parked across the street. When we entered Augergine we had great expectations. The place was clean, smelled great and was conversational quiet. But it simply did not have that special something.

The table was clean and had water and utensils. And had no napkins keeping legs stable. The menu was readable with reasonable prices. We did notice an 18% surcharge to all the prices, which we were not thrilled about.

The wine list was fine, it included a Noir, a Sangiovese Blend, a Syrah and a Gamay Blend a bit non-traditional but fine. E had a Willamette Noir $21, we did a week in Willamette tasting Noirs a few years ago. We are discovering Italian wines so I had the Sangiovese for $17. The wine was fine but neither was outstanding.

E asked for our usual bread basket which was good, no charge. Our server Anna brought us two bread baskets. We then asked Anna what was good? She suggested an appetizer sampler for $24. It had smoked trout, fresh cheese, boeuf on mayo & chips. The appetizer was perhaps the best course of the night. We find great restaurants create great art. It’s just not enough these days to just taste good, it needs to look incredible too. This course was fine, just not something to write home about.

For an entree we shared the walleye with sorrel, cream & asparagus for $36. It tasted good but again just was not the presentation art in food we are used to seeing at similar Twin City restaurants.

Then the bill came for $109. We were told about an 18%, which we hate surprises. Charge us the amount you need to, and after seeing the 18% surcharge statement on the menu then not on our bill we can only assume the menu price is 18% higher, which is our choice. If we desire to have that at that price, which $36 for an entree is a common price point, that is fine.

I started this piece with the French has a saying: je ne sais quoi there is something special. There is simply NOT something special about the Augergine. Not something we had hoped for. What made it Not Special? As the French would say we just can not put it into words they had good food & service the place was just not great. As opposed to the Tiki Bar Leela we went to the week before that we absolutely fell in love with. Sometimes we simply have no words for how we feel.

Will we be back to Augergin, which by the way is French for Egg Plant? Nope! But in the next month we will be blocks away at La Grolla, the first place we went after the pandemic, Gnome down the street and WA Frost a block or two away. We LOVE most of the restaurants of Selby Dale.

Contact us Dennis@ToDoTC.com