Written by Deb P. on October 23, 2005
My friend and I came there for dinner last night and it was fabulous. I can't say enough. The Cajun Pork cutlet, the salad dressings, and the wonderful peanut butter chocolate cake. And after a day of shopping the atmosphere was so inviting. :-) We need one in the twin cities............. Deb P.

From Edible Twin Cities Magazine summer 2005 edition

Keeping in mind that Wisconsin has a "pay on contact" law for speeding tickets, we slowly drove into Red Wing to locate the Oar d'oeuvre restaurant. Nick Anderson at Rush River had advised us this restaurant and beverage bar serves their microbrews and since, in my opinion, you can never drink too much of a good thing, this was clearly our only choice for lunch… We found the Oar d'oeuvre easily, and settled in for a surprisingly delightful meal. The restaurant specializes in fresh food, great wines and spirits, and offers diners an ever-changing menu, serving lunch and dinner six days a week. The focus of the menu is on their numerous house specialties, their unique signature hors d'oeuvres, which include the "Capsized" artichoke and prosciutto gratin baked with Swiss and Asiago cheeses, topped with toasted almonds and served with crostinis, and the "Scuttlebutt" savory green chili cheesecake topped with mango salsa and served with blue corn tortilla chips… There is also homemade pâté, grilled beef or chicken skewers, spicy shrimp, and an olive and tomato tempanade, to name a few…it all sounded too fabulous. After ordering an ice cold tankard of Rush River BubbleJack IPA, I determined the healthiest choice for me would be the special Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, and my partners in crime sampled the sliced pear and candied pecan salad, as well as a Cajun pork cutlet melt and a gourmet burger…all were fabulous. Chef/Proprietor Marie Mikel visited our table, and we learned that she is on her third and final career change - we wish her much success in this exciting new venture. Marie attempts to source local ingredients as much as she can, and we roared when she told us she sends her kids to the farmers' markets up in the Cities, and "do ya think they can figure out what basil looks like - no!" The Oar d'oeuvre has a calendar of events printed up for 2005, and after perusing it I determined that I may have to temporarily relocate to Red Wing in order to enjoy "Something Different Nights." These are offered once a month, and usually include a six-course dinner paired with a different wine or beer tasting… Marie had just done a tasting night with Rush River's brews, where each course included beer in its ingredients, such as beer in the vinaigrette, beer in the BBQ sauce, beef beer stew, etc… In August they will celebrate their one-year anniversary, and I would advise you to get thee to Red Wing for this party!