Three Flags Tavern - Brunch

Jessie, Joe and I tried Three Flags Tavern for Brunch the other day.  It is located at the entrance to the Hill.  Jessie and Joe had been there for dinner a couple times, but never for brunch.  They are known for their brisket burger, which is on both their dinner and brunch menu.  Jessie and Joe couldn't decide between the crab eggs benedict or the burger, so they ordered both and split.  I am very decisive and chose the crab eggs benedict - great pick!

Eggs Benedict with crab meat and tomatoes

Brisket Burger and Fries

The eggs benedict were one of the best eggs benedict I've every had.  Perfect amount of crab meat and the yolk from the poached eggs seemed to run on and on forever.  Everything was delicious and we cleaned our plates. 

 

We also ordered lobster beignets and breakfast cinnamon buns as starters, which were good, but nothing to write about.  Also, the bloody mary's and mimosas weren't that good, so I wouldn't go there for the drinks.

 

I'd go back for the eggs benedict!!

Circle 7 Ranch

Last month, the family and I tried Circle 7 Ranch Bar and Grill out in Ballwin.  Circle 7 is unique because at some of the tables, they have 3 beer taps sitting in the wall that you can pour yourself.  I was really excited to check them out!

 

First, I must warn you, parking is limited and they do not take reservations.  Also, when you arrive and put your name in for a table, you MUST specify that you want a booth with the beer taps, otherwise you might be stuck with a normal table, which would be very disappointing.

 

At our table, we had a Bud Light tap, a Shocktop tap, and a Goose Island Matilda tap.  Each tap is tracked by a "scoreboard" above it, showing you how many ounces your table has poured.  They then stick you with the astronomical bill at the end of the meal.  The concept was cool, but our keg of Goose Island Matilda was empty so we had to wait for them to refill it, and then we had to pay for the 4 cups of foam that we ended up having to pour in order to warm up the keg and get actual drinkable beer.  Not the most cost friendly.

 

Beer taps at our table

 

The thing to eat when you go to Circle 7 is definitely the burgers!  They are thin patties (kind of like Steak N' Shake) and each burger comes with 2 patties.  The menu is full of fun burger combinations and it was hard to just pick one style of burger I wanted!  I went with a burger with a bacon and fried egg on top and it was amazing!  Even for thin burgers (which are usually drier than I like), they were juicy and had lots of flavor.  The runny egg yolk and tomato also added to the overall mess of the burger (the messier, the better...AMIRIGHT?!).  I apologize for forgetting to take a picture of the burger... I ate it way too fast.

 

I also have a big thing for trying mac n cheese.  On the menu, there is even a section for jacked-up mac n cheese, where you can add different meats and other toppings to it, such as buffalo chicken and pulled pork.  What really caught my eye, is that all of their mac n cheese dishes come with Cheetos on top of it.  Ryan and I decided to split a side order of the regular mac n cheese so we could try it out.  I must say, it was probably the worst mac n cheese I've ever had.  It wasn't gross or ill tasting or anything, it was just really really bland.  They must have considered the Cheetos as the "cheese" part of mac n cheese, because it was basically a little mason jar of buttered noodles with Cheetos on top.  I will not be ordering that again!

 

Mac N Cheese (aka, noodles topped with Cheetos)

 

Overall, I would go back for the burgers and perhaps to watch a Cardinals game in my own personal bar tap booth.

Turkey Burgers!

The big wedding day is less than 2 months away, time for a crash diet, right? HA! Although no crash dieting for me I am trying to avoid red meat a little more than usual so I decided to try a turkey burger for dinner. Every recipe I looked up varied so much so I decided that I would just wing it with what I thought would taste good. Here is what I came up with:

Turkey Burgers (serves 4)

• 1 pound Ground Turkey Meat (I like the when it says "lean" on there, you know, crash diet and all)
• 3/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 6 Basil Leaves, cut into tiny pieces
• 3 big fork fulls of Sun-dried Tomatoes, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 tablespoon EVOO (or I used the olive oil that the Sun-dried Tomatoes were in)
• Salt and Pepper (to taste, I messed up and forgot to add salt and it definitely needed at least a teaspoon of salt)
• English Muffins, sliced in half
• Burger toppings of your choice (We used left over fresh mozzarella pieces and sliced tomatoes)

Put all ingredients, except English Muffins and burger toppings, in a large bowl.

Everything added pre-mixing.

Mix all ingredients with your hands (after they were washed of course). Do not over mix as this will cause the meat to be tough. If the mixture feels wet add more parmesan and bread crumbs. It if feels dry add more EVOO. With your hand score the meat mixture into 4 even sections (Rachel Ray tip that works).

4 burgers all measured out.

Grab 1/4 of the mixture and form into a burger about 1/2 inch thick. Be sure to make the outside edges thicker than the inside section of the burger. When you grill the burger it shrinks up and this will keep your burger from having that big bump in the middle of it. Repeat with other 3 sections.

Notice how the insides are pushed in more.

Have your grill pre-heated to about 400-425 degrees. Place all of the burgers on the grill and close the lid. Let cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip all the burgers and close the lid again. Let cook another 5-6 minutes. Remove the burgers from the grill. Put the english muffins on the grill, cut side down, and toast quickly while the burgers cool slightly. Now make your burger and add any toppings you like...I highly recommend buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomato slices.

Completed yummy burger!

The great thing about this recipe is you can basically add ANYTHING you want to the burger mixture. Any fresh herb, finely diced bell peppers, or different cheese (I hear feta is great with a turkey burger). Experiment and have fun! Just think, these are actually WAY healthier than a normal burger!

A direct quote from Joe, an avid red meat burger lover, "Those are f'ing good!" I think that says it all about the turkey burgers.

Restaurant Review: The Fatted Calf

The Fatted Calf... wait... isn't that place closed???  Nope, it is still kickin (but not quite hoppin).

As most of you St. Louisans known, the Fatted Calf was set to close at the end of this past June due to lack of business.  After hearing the news, people in the area, and hundreds of Clayton's business people, showed up at the Fatted Calf in droves.  Some went to fight to save the 40 year old establishment, considered a historic landmark in Clayton.  Others went to say their "goodbyes" and have one last fatted calf burger with soft spread cheddar (we'll call those people pessimists ;-)).  Either way, business dramatically increased, allowing the Fatted Calf to continue past its expiration date.

When my co-workers announced that we'd be going to the Fatted Calf for lunch this week, I have to admit I had mixed feelings.  My first feeling came directly from my stomach.  I instantly started craving a fatted calf burger with a scoop of that yummy soft cheddar spread.  However, my hunger suddenly turned into a confusion of emotions... didn't I already say goodbye? (yes... I'm a pessimist) Why won't the Fatted Calf stop playing with my emotions?!??!  Well... I got over it pretty fast once I walked into the dimmed restaurant, that almost looks like a Swiss barn from the outside, and smelled those yummy burgers.  I'm glad I get another chance!  I wasn't ready to say goodbye last June!



So I ordered the usual... fatted calf burger (which is a 1/3 pound of beef) cooked medium with a soft scoop of sharp cheddar cheese (amazing!) and lettuce and tomatoes.  I usually get an order of steak fries, but I am trying to be good before Jessie's wedding, so I had to forgo those, but I didn't mind, because they do not usually have enough seasoning and I'd have to put a lot of salt on them anyway.

Medium Fatted Calf Burger with soft cheddar spread, lettuce and tomato

The burger came out amazing, nice, juicy and pink in the center.  The soft scoop of cheese melted perfectly onto the burger once I spread it out with a knife.  It was the perfect burger combination with the lettuce and tomato.

One of my co-workers ordered the chicken breast sandwich, which is seasoned with chardonnay, olive oil and herbs.  At first I thought he was crazy for not getting a burger, but he said it was actually really good.  I also heard that Ram's Quarterback Sam Bradford (who literally lives less than 100 yards from my office building in Clayton... that's less than a football field!) had gone to the Fatted Calf, tried the chicken sandwich, and said it was the best chicken sandwich he had ever had.  So if you aren't into burgers, it's definitely a valid option.

Overall, the Fatted Calf is delicious!  The only thing that bothered me was how they charge 75 cents per topping (so $1.50 for lettuce and tomato!) and 15 cents for a cup of tap water!  So my meal was more expensive that it should have been.  However, I can't get over their cheddar spread and it keeps me coming back for more.  (Note, if you are a big fan of soft spread cheddar on burgers, I also recommend Blueberry Hill in the Delmar Loop, because they have it too and they have a better overall atmosphere).  Food for thought though: Fatted Calf delivers in the Clayton area, so this may be something to take advantage of during late work nights. 

So, the ultimate question...is the Fatted Calf saved for good?  My opinion: the burst of business is probably temporary, because even 2 months later it was just as dead as before.  But as my friend Ashley said it best, I probably won't go back until it's the next time to say goodbye ;-)