• Baked Brie in Puff Pastry $8.00(shared)
• Walnut crusted walleye with green beans and rice $19.00
• Warm chocolate cake $6.00 (shared)

Pierre's was a neighborhood type of place that looked to have a good following. The decor was nothing fancy and it did remind me of a bistro in France, simple decor and fairly simple food.

Unfortunately the food was not quite up to par with Paris, but it wasn't all that bad. The brie was fine, it was a fairly normal rendition of the baked brie like many do at parties and it was of that quality nothing fancy. My walleye was good, the fish was done well and the rice that accompanied was very nice. The dessert was good as well, it was your standard hot molten chocolate cake.

I would not go back, but if I lived in the neighborhood, I could see going back once in awhile to see what is happening.

• Grilled ribeye w/ peppercorn sauce, French fries, grilled tomato w/ bacon bits $22.00

Pierre’s Bistro is a neighborhood French restaurant in need of some TLC. Given the anti-French hysteria still sweeping the nation, I’m surprised it’s still open. But after dining there, it needs some help, starting with the décor. The high school French classroom posters need to be replaced. The whole dining room could use updating. Although I could barely see it and found it humorous at first, the sign warning “Beware of the Psycho Chef,” might have been truthfully ominous. I would also separate the server-kitchen window from the diners if they decide to keep all the servers. Our server was fine, but toward the end of our meal, we could hear a server make a series of frustrating comments. As we left, she berated the chefs, “This is rare. I said, “Medium. Medium. Medium!’”

The baked brie was merely adequate. The puff pastry was quite good, but the average brie inside was masked by too much pastry. That brought the overall rating of the appetizer down. The grilled ribeye was only fair; I’ve had better, more flavorful steaks for less elsewhere. The French fries were pretty good, and what I would recommend if you are already going to Pierre’s Bistro, but not enough to save the entrée. I did like the warm chocolate cake, and I liked the price. We used to think that you could not ruin this dessert (Woolley’s proved us wrong), and Pierre’s does a good job here, even though a corner of the cake broke off before getting to the table.

I would like to see more neighborhood French restaurants in the Twin Cities. I would like Pierre’s Bistro to be among that movement, but only if they straighten up their act.