The former Sofitel hotel in Bloomington is now operating under the Sheraton banner and on a traffic-laden Thursday evening I decided to stay in, do some work and eat at Colette’s. Last January I spent a few nights at the Sofitel and enjoyed some of the preparations from the staff at Colette, while others fell flat, so I was a bit apprehensive when I entered the restaurant.

I was immediately seated and the staff quickly arrived, asked for my drink order and offered two varieties of bread, slices of sour dough and a multi-grain mini-roll. I asked for one of each. Both breads were cold but delicious, great flavors and texture.

I ordered the escargot for my appetizer and the Beef Bourguignon for an entrée with a side of asparagus. I was forewarned that the escargot would take 20 minutes, which was not an issue for me.

The escargot dish arrived ten minutes later, there were six escargot, each topped with parsley-garlic butter. They were scalding hot (a head’s up to others). My first bite brought déjà vu from my previous visit. The escargot were cooked perfectly, soft without being chewy, but the chef again shied away from any salt in the presentation. I added a pinch of salt to each and it elevated all of the flavors. What started as a bland dish, ended with great flavors.

The Beef Bourguignon arrived in its own cast iron pot. It contained three good sized pieces, smothered in a deep colored sauce, bacon, mushrooms and baby pearl onions. The first bite was fantastic. The meat was slowly braised for several hours, incredibly tender and absorbed a lot of the rich flavors from the wine sauce. The bacon added a high level of smokiness to the sauce and the onions were sweet, releasing all of their natural sugars. The asparagus were also prepared to create just a mild bite in texture. The Hollandaise sauce was a little mild and did not add anything to the dish. Overall it was a delicious entrée.

For dessert I ordered the Crème Brulée, a large portion served in a deep bowl, versus the traditional flat ramekin, with a thin layer of torched sugar and a few berries. It was extremely smooth and not overly sweet, and when paired with the caramelized sugar created the perfect balance of sweetness.

Overall I was very pleased with this visit to Colette. As a restaurant within a hotel it delivers a delicious alternatives to guests; as a stand-alone option for Bloomington, Edina and Eden Prairie, it offers an excellent choice for a special dinner.