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| The Salted Sage at Taste |
After Taste moved spots (from Benton Park to the Central West End), we took our friends, Corey and Caitlin, there for pre-dinner drinks and snacks. Immediately, I fell in love with the huge and heavy wooden door, marking the intimate spot's entrance. The space is dim and cozy, even in the heat of July. Even though I am not particularly adventurous when it comes to cocktails, I was easily able to find some creative concoctions on the menu. The Salted Sage (tequila, salted lime syrup, lime, pineapple, and sage) was light and refreshing. Kind of like a margarita, but immensely better, of course. And the mixologists at Taste are very in touch with their ice. (Get a load of the monster cube in my Salted Sage; they melt more slowly, therefore you have a less watery drink.) We also ordered a bowl of the Pomp and Circumstance punch. Despite the menu's claim that a punch bowl serves 4-6, we had a very difficult time finishing. The pork belly and cheese board sharing plates were a great start to our night. I can't wait to return...when I can consume alcohol once again. 'Cause that's sort of the point of Taste.
2 The Block, Saint Louis [website]
Matt and I moved to Webster Groves in the middle of August, but it took us almost four months to get our butts a mile down the road to eat at The Block, a newish restaurant owned by Marc Del Pietro (Luciano's). After one loooong look at the menu (and another loooong look at the industrial-meets-farmhouse interior), I was kicking my own butt for taking that long. One sure sign I'm going to like a restaurant is if there are just too many delicious-sounding options for me to make a quick meal pick. Of course, the food has to be good, but after all of the rave reviews I'd heard, I was not skeptical. The roasted pear salad (a special that night) was a great start, and my mother-in-law and I split two appetizers: The Potted Pig (the apple and raisin chutney made me swoon) and Roasted Mushrooms and Melted Swiss. My father-in-law's steak was served with the house-made steak sauce, and it was amazing. We asked our server what was in the steak sauce, and he listed about twenty-five ingredients. I can't wait for my return trip to The Block, especially since there's outside seating, perfect for springtime lunches...with a stroller.
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| Spiced Atlantic Salmon at Herbie's |
I had three excellent meals at Herbie's in 2011. But, the first was the most memorable. I celebrated my 31st birthday with my family, and the entire experience was so fun...and tasty. My favorite place to sit at Herbie's is in the bistro section, close to the hustle and bustle of Euclid Avenue. It's warm and cozy (even sitting near the streetside windows), and we were lucky enough to dine during a calm snowfall. After celebrating my in-laws' fortieth wedding anniversary at Herbie's and also entertaining out-of-town friends there, you name it, I tried it this year. BBQ Spiced Atlantic Salmon. Lobster Mac and Cheese. Steak and Frites. Shrimp and Grits. You really can't go wrong.
4 Sidney Street Café, Saint Louis [website]
I think I predicted last year that Sidney Street would make the list again this year. 2011 marked the eleventh year in a row that Matt and I have eaten at Sidney Street with his family, as sort of a kick off to the holiday season and also to celebrate his dad's and his brother-in-law's birthdays. The restaurant has changed over the years, probably imperceptibly to most, but to us, in subtle ways that ultimately affect its charm. The entrée chalkboard menus have been replaced with paper ones. The dishes lean more toward the innovative versus the familiar. The plating is much more minimal and artful. All of this is just fine and dandy, but we can't help but notice Sidney Street's slow crawl from refined comfortableness to "cutting edge." Despite all of this, my meal at the beginning of the month was insanely different from anything I've ever had. I ordered the Smoked Sweet Potato Perogis with a fricassee of Brussels sprouts, black trumpet mushrooms, chestnuts, and pickled ramps, in a brown butter sauce. Let's not forget the three homemade sage marshmallows. No meat, and I didn't miss it.
5 The Shaved Duck, Saint Louis [website]
For a more casual affair - dinner before a show, a quick bite with friends - The Shaved Duck was my choice in 2011. Located in the Tower Grove neighborhood, the restaurant's tagline is "Barbeque, Folk, and Soul." For me, it's the three different flatbreads that are hard to ignore: duck and bleu cheese (with a bourbon glaze), pulled pork (with bacon and apple), and shrimp and andouille (with tomato jam, green peppers, and parmesan). Splurge and order the walnut and brown sugar encrusted bacon (with pears and bleu cheese) for an appetizer. I mean. There's live music every night, and three varieties of gumbo on the menu. A person can live off those two things alone.
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| Minetta Tavern's neon sign |
Okay, forget that this place is apparently good for celebrity sightings (Salman Rushdie and Aziz Ansari in one night!), despite it's crazy expensive menu, the food is really, really freaking good. Corey and Caitlin took us to Minetta Tavern during our New York visit last March. Just last night, Matt and I watched a rerun of Anthony Bourdain's new travel show, Layover, and he was knocking the Black Label Burger's $26 price tag while simultaneously singing its delicious praises. Whatever, I fell for it. I ate that $26 burger like my life depended on it (and really, it might have since it was 11:00 PM before we actually ate that night.) After pickle juice martinis and a couple of $18 glasses of red wine (I'm serious, Clark), nothing could have been better. Well, one thing. The roasted bone marrow appetizer. If you're ever in New York, make a reservation at Minetta Tavern.
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| The few light fixtures at Publican |
I might not recommend going to Publican with a group of ten. 'Cause then your party can't fit into one of the pig pen booths. And, I might not recommend going with a group of ten if there are vegetarians in said group. But, my January meal at this Chicago restaurant (selfishly) made me a very happy girl, even if paying the bill was harder than that chalkboard proof in Good Will Hunting. The interior is farmhouse- (I still heart the trend, even though it's everywhere) meets-European beer hall, the drink menu is beer-focused, and the food is described as "pristine product, simply prepared." Spicy pork rinds, sweetbreads, oysters, smoked arctic char, ahi tuna crudo, scallops, Brussels sprouts, all family style, all passed about the table. The seafood dishes were my personal favorites.
8 Bailey's Range, Saint Louis [website]
Last year's list featured Rooster, in all of its marvelous bloody mary and crepe glory. 2011's list features a new David Bailey endeavor, a riff on an old-fashioned burger-and-fries joint downtown. Except this burger-and-fries joint is special in just about every way. With a selection of sixteen different burgers, I had the same selection difficulties that I recently experienced at The Block. I settled on the PB&J, basically because of two words: tomato jam. The arugula pesto and fresh goat cheese on a house made bun also sort of made my dreams come true. And let's talk about fries. The main reason I ever order fries is because of the ketchup. If it were socially acceptable, I would bathe in a tub of ketchup. At Bailey's Range, it's hard for a ketchup addict like me to pick between all of the flavors: ginger, wasabi, chipotle... Sigh, life is tough for a girl sometimes. However, start your meal off with the cheese curds, and it gets a little easier. Accompany it with a milkshake (Maybe with cinnamon ice cream? Maybe with booze if you fancy?), and suddenly, it's smooth sailing. Top it off with homemade apple cider sorbet? Your food coma is too large and in charge to really complain about much at all.
9 Frankie's 457, Brooklyn [website]
On our last night in New York, Corey and Caitlin took us to Brooklyn for dinner. They were big fans of Frankie's 457, a "sputino," which means "an informal meal" or a "casual Italian eatery." It's owned by two friends, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli. The interior is carefully, imperfectly restored from an Italian social club to a shabby-eclectic seeming hot spot (based on our host's snobby demeanor, even with our month-long late-night reservation.) There's even a garden out back, flowers and herbs grown in an old converted garage. The four of us shared quite a few dishes, but the one I remember the best (though my red wine haze) was the Sweet Potato and Sage Ravioli. Candles cast dancing shadows on the exposed red brick walls, and the experience gave me that warm, cozy feeling that can only be had during a long dinner with best friends. After our meal, we found a cab, and I slept all the way back to the Upper West Side, content as content can be.
10 DeMun Oyster Bar, Saint Louis [website]
Leave it to us: an oyster bar opens a half mile from our condo in DeMun, and then we move. We get a $100 gift certificate from my parents, and then I get pregnant (read: no oysters, no champagne). But, my few visits to DeMun Oyster Bar at the beginning of 2011 were fun while they lasted. DeMun Oyster Bar is small and quaint (read: great ambiance but you might have trouble finding a seat on a busy night), and most articles/reviews I've read on the place highly regard the intricate, mosaic tile floor, with tiles shipped in from France. Owned by Alan Richman (Sasha's Wine Bar), the restaurant highlights a variety of fresh oysters arriving daily. And if you really aren't sure what you'd like, ask your server for an oyster flight. It's an easy way to sample the bunch and find your favorite. I can't wait to return...and wash it all down with a glass of Rosé Cava.
1 comments:
I really need to start eating out with you more often. It sounds like we have very similar tastes. Double date??
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