Quincy Street Bistro - Three Strikes and You're Out

Saturday night Joe and I went to Quincy Street Bistro with two friends, Ben & Megan.  The head chef, Rick Lewis, was labeled 2013 Chef of the Year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch so we were really looking forward to trying the restaurant.  We pulled up a little before 6:30pm and had a difficult time finding parking.  The restaurant is located directly off of Gravois Road at the Quincy Street (hence the name) cross street.  We again got excited that we were about to have a great experience due to how difficult it was to park.

Source

Once we got inside we put our name in for a table of 4 and were told that we would have about a 20 minute wait.  No problem since we all wanted a drink.  Joe bellied up to the bar with a $20 bill in his hand and waited at least 10-15 minutes to place his order for two beers (Strike One).  Ben then waited his turn to order two cocktails and had a similar wait.  They did have a few local beers on draft like Perennial, Civil Life, Urban Chestnut, AB (ha!), and an out of towner with an Abita on draft that Joe tried and liked.

After waiting nearly 30 minutes we were seated in the upstairs dining room.  There is a downstairs dining room that includes the bar and then an upstairs dining room.  We were sat next to a window that was letting in quite the draft on a cold January night....close to a strike two but it was an old building so I cut it some slack.

The menu is mainly filled with comfort food that all sounded very appetizing.  We all ordered a main dish and no appetizers or desserts.

Jessie - Buttonwood Farms Roasted Chicken Leg Quarter with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, I choose a side of Mac and Cheese to accompany the dish.  I WISH I would have taken a photo of the dish when it came it. It had to be the smallest chicken leg quarter I had ever seen.  I think I only got about six bites of chicken from my serving.  To top it off the mac n cheese lacked any flavor and definitely lacked salt.  Whereas the mashed potatoes were overly salty due to the salt infused gravy.  (Strike Two)

Joe - Stuffed Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, he choose Apple Sauce as his side.  Joe was the winner of the evening as his dish was a huge portion and actually tasted delicious. Lucky Joe.

Megan - Glazed Meatloaf with Chips and Mac and Cheese.  Megan is a bit of a meatloaf connoisseur and she seemed rather disappointed in her meatloaf that evening.  She also was very unhappy with the mac n cheese and even said "I don't even taste the cheese"....not a good sign.

Ben - Buttonwood Farms Fried Chicken with mashed Potatoes and Gravy and  Mac and Cheese.  Ben's dish looked substantial but he was not overly pleased with the taste of any of the components of his dish.

Dinner service was overall average with the bar service being very poor.  The bathrooms were clean but were also freezing, not fun.  

To top everything off, one member of our dining party became ill during the middle of the night and thinks the cause was the dinner (Strike Three).  Needless to say we will not be returning to Quincy Street Bistro and we hope this post will save you from experiencing this place as well.  

Best Dishes

Last month St. Louis Magazine did a report on the best dish to order at certain St. Louis Restaurants.  Not to be confused with the best restaurants for a category of food, this concept lists restaurants and then picks items off of their menu that are the best.  Jessie and I always try to choose items on the menu that we've either heard the restaurant is known for, or dishes that we think sound the most interesting, so we decided to make our own list based on our experiences.  Feel free to use this as a guide on what to order when trying a new place.

APPETIZERS & SIDES:

LoRusso's Cucina (the Hill/South City): Flash Fried Spinach

Adriana's (the Hill): Special Side of Pasta Salad

Three Kings Public House (the Loop): Winged Nut Ale Fondue

Winged Nut Ale Fondue @ Three Kings Public House

The Shaved Duck: Loaded Smoked Potato Wedges

Remy's Kitchen and Wine Bar (Clayton): Hummus

Sidney Street Cafe: Mashed Potatoes

Salt (Central West End): Duck Fat Frites with Housemade Ketchup and Mayonnaise

Duck Fat Frites @ SALT

Flaco's Cocina (University City): Bottomless Chips and Salsa Medley

Pappy's Smokehouse (Mid Town): Side of Green Beans

The Block (Webster Groves): Jalapeño Corn Bread Muffins

Jalapeño Corn Muffins @ The Block

Sandrina's: Cheese fries

Chava's (Soulard): Fajita Nachos Appetizer (we usually order this as an entree)

Sweetie Pies (the Grove): Mac n' Cheese

The Tavern Kitchen & Bar (West County): "Bacon and Eggs" Appetizer (Pork Belly, Brioche, 1 Hour Egg)

"Bacon and Eggs" @ Tavern Kitchen & Bar

Cafe Napoli 2 (West County): Stacked Salad (stacked layers of tomato, flashed fried eggplant and buffalo mozzarella then topped with roasted bell peppers and a balsamic reduction )

Katie's Pizzeria (Clayton): Baked Zucchini Rolls with Marinara

Peel Wood Fired Pizza (Edwardsville, IL): Spinach Involtini with Dipping Sauces

Spinach Involtini with Dipping Sauces @ Peel Wood Fired Pizza

Lester's (Chesterfield, Clayton & Central West End): Sweet Potato Fries

BREAKFAST:

City Coffeehouse & Creperie (Clayton): Egg, Havarti and Bacon Crepe

Egg Havarti and Bacon Crepe @ City Coffeehouse & Creperie

Winslow's Home (University City): Rolled Omelet

Uncle Bill's (Kingshighway): 4-D (two eggs, two sausages, two strips of bacon, two pancakes)

Mud house (Cherokee Street): Breakfast Burrito add Bacon

Breakfast Burrito @ Mud House

Soulard Coffee House (Soulard): Biscuits and Gravy with Eggs

LUNCH:

Nora's (Dogtown): Weekday lunch special (sandwich, homemade soup of the day, chips and drink)

Lunch Special @ Nora's

Lion's Choice: Roast Beef Combo #1 (roast beef sandwich, fries and drink)

Araka (Clayton): Lobster BLT

Milo's (the Hill): Meatball Sandwich

Fatted Calf (Clayton): Soft Cheddar Burger (duh!)

Soft Cheddar Burger @ Fatted Calf

Adriana's (the Hill): 1/2 Sandwich (either Mary's or Theresa)

Gioia's Deli (the Hill): Hot Salami Sandwich

Mom's Deli (South City): Mom's Special

Nachomama's: Nachos Supreme with Chicken

Pappy's Smokehouse (Mid Town): Pulled Pork Sandwich

La Vallesana (Cherokee Street): Chicken Torta

Chicken Torta @ La Vallesana

Pasta Plus (Clayton): Pasta con Broccoli

Cafe Manhattan (Clayton): Meatball Sub

Papa Tom's Gateway Doghouse (Food Truck): The Bavarian Brat (Beer Braised sour kraut, spicy brown mustard, and dill pickle spear on a warm pretzel bun)

Bavarian Dog (Top) form Papa Tom's Gateway Doghouse

The Royale (St. Louis): Grilled cheese

Flaco's Cocina (University City): Fish tacos (Talapia)

Lester's (Chesterfield, Clayton & Central West End): Reuben the Great (with corned beef)

Rueben with Sweet Potato Fries @ Lester's

DINNER:

LoRusso's Cucina (the Hill/South City): Any of the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Pasta Bowl Winners

Riverbend (Soulard): Combination (shrimp & crawfish) Étouffée

Combination Étouffée @ Riverbend

Farmhaus (South City): Escolar

Acero (Maplewood): Egg Raviolo

Egg Raviolo @ Acero's

Braisserie (Central West End): Roasted chicken with Mushrooms, Bread, Jus in a cast iron skillet

Picadilly's: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Gravy

Sugo's/ Babbo's (Frontenac/Chesterfield Valley): Lasagna

Lasagna @ Sugo's

Mai Lee (Brentwood): #24 - Hoanh Thanh Mi (Egg Noodles w/ BBQ Pork and Shrimp Wontons Soup)

Bocci Bar (Clayton): Lobster Spaghetti or Lobster Pizza

Lobster Pizza @ Bocci Bar

Cunetto's House of Pasta (the Hill): Tortellini alla Bolognese

Peel Wood Fired Pizza (Edwardsville, IL): Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Francos (Soulard): Seafood Stew



DESSERT:

Harvest (Richmond Heights): Bread pudding

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (South City): Mini Oreo Concrete

Lions's Choice: Ice cream Mini-Cone

Cafe Manhattan (Clayton): Chocolate Shake

LATE NIGHT:

Broadway Oyster Bar (Downtown): Broadway Shooters (oyster shots)

Uncle Bill's (Kingshighway): 4-D (Two eggs, two sausages, two strips of bacon, two pancakes)

Courtesy Diner (Hampton): The Slinger

DRINKS:

La Vallesana (Cherokee Street): Mexican coke

Mexican Coke @ La Vallesana

BARcelona (Clayton): Sangria

Boogaloo (Maplewood): Mojito

Robust (Webster Groves): Wine flights

Red Wine Flight @ Robust

Sub Zero Vodka Bar (Central West End): Frozen Blueberry (Smirnoff Blueberry Vodka, white grape juice and champagne garnished with frozen blueberries)

Chava's (Soulard): Margarita with salt

Farmhaus (South City): House made infused vodka cocktail

Riverbend (Soulard): Abita Beer

Abita Beer @ Riverbend

GROCERY:

Di Gregorios Market (the Hill): Frozen ravioli and frozen "Mom's" pasta sauce

Dierbergs: Dill dip and Rye bread bowl

Dill Dip in Rye Bread Bowl from Dierbergs

Schnucks: Companion pretzel bread bites




Do you have any favorite dishes that you keep going back for?

Happy Mardi Gras! Riverbend Bar Restaurant Review

Happy Mardi Gras, St. Louisans!!!  One of my favorite things about St. Louis is our amazing Mardi Gras celebrations, and there is no better place to celebrate in St. Louis than in Soulard.  But if big crowds and cold weather isn't your thing, no worry, because Riverbend Bar down in South Soulard brings New Orleans cuisine to St. Louis year round.  Riverbend is almost a year old, and was started by a true New Orleanian.  It was recently listed in St. Louis Magazine, naming their shrimp and crawfish etoufee as their best dish.  Jessie, Joe and I love good, authentic, Cajun food and we knew we had to try it!

When we first got there, we noticed a neon sign in the bar window advertising Abita beer.  Jessie and Joe had just gone on a trip to New Orleans last year and they got really excited because they drank Abita when they were down there.  Nothing better than authentic New Orleans beer!

Abita Amber

The atmosphere in Riverbend is pretty much like any dive bar/restaurant, with dark wood paneling, pretty low lighting, and with seating in the front and up on a platform in the back.  They don't take reservations, but I heard the waits aren't usually long, and you can always sit at the bar while you wait.  We went on a Wednesday night (they are closed on Tuesdays) and we immediately seated ourselves up on the platform area.  Note that the single room can get really noisy and Jessie and I were literally screaming to each other just to have a conversation.  Once a couple group of people at the tables around us left it got a lot quieter though.

For an appetizer we ordered crabmeat stuffed shrimb.  It was six jumbo shrimp (tails already off!) with a dollop of toasted crabmeat in the curve of the shrimp, all sitting in a buttered sauce and lemons in a hot casserole dish.  It was delicious!!!  I definitely recommend it.  And if crab isn't your thing, I would at least get an order of the jumbo shrimp, because they were really flavorful.

Crabmeat stuffed shrimp

For our entree we ordered the dish that we came there for... shrimp and crawfish etoufee!  I would normally get crawfish etoufee, but the shrimp one sounded good too.  I just couldn't decide, but luckily I didn't have to, because you can get a combination of the two!  It was an easy decision, and a good one!  Jessie and I came to the restaurant planning to split and entree, but we took one look at the etoufee at the table behind ours and we knew we had to have our own.  It was amazing!  Tons of crawfish in each bite, the perfect amount of seasoning, but without being too spicy, and a good amount of rice packed in a small mound in the center of the plate.  I was in heaven.  It brought back really good memories of my trips to New Orleans.  Riverbend definitely does Cajun food right!

Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee

We were so happy with our meal, we decided to split their House-made Creole Bread Pudding with Whisky Sauce for dessert (for $4, it was hard to pass up!).  It was pretty good and the whisky sauce was really sweet.  It had some hidden white raisins in it, which I didn't even notice until I looked closer.  It was interesting.

House-made Creole Bread Pudding with Whisky Sauce

Overall, I highly recommend Riverbend Bar in Soulard!  It was such a great experience, and the food was amazing!  I'm always wanting to have some authentic Cajun food and I can't wait to go back and perhaps try one of their Po-Boy Sandwiches (that is...if I have the strength to not order their etoufee again).

Bar Review: Boogaloo

This past weekend, I was out with friends and we decided to end our night somewhere different.  We ended up at Boogaloo in Maplewood.  Now you may be asking, what's different about a bar called Boogaloo except it's weirdo name... Answer: SWINGS!  Yup, instead of bar stools at the main bar, there are swings suspended from the ceiling where you can sit, swing and enjoy a drink.  And the drink of choice at Boogaloo is definitely their Mojito.  So if you want something different, or you just want a really good Mojito, I'd swing by Boogaloo for a nightcap and a flashback to grade school recess time ;-)

The Josies on the swings at Boogaloo

Restaurant Review: Nora's in Dogtown

Jessie and I had to run to Dogtown for an errand over lunch one weekday, and we wanted to stop and grab something to eat nearby.  We weren't feeling Seamus McDaniels and wanted to try something new.  Luckily we discovered Nora's, which is on Tamm avenue right across from Seamus on the other side of Clayton Rd.  It's a small intimate sandwich shop with about 10 booths/tables in one single room and a large chalkboard menu on the side wall.  It is super laid back and surprisingly pretty popular for lunchtime and dinnertime.

What really impressed us was their weekday lunch special: any half sandwich, either soup or small house salad, side of chips and a fountain drink, all for $7.29.  When Jessie and I stopped by last week, the soup of the day was a crawfish chowder, which was awesome!  I ate the entire cup of soup before I even touched my sandwich and now I am really excited for crawfish season this Mardi Gras holiday!

Crawfish Chowder

Nora's sandwich selection is also impressive, and somewhat refreshing.  Jessie ordered their "For Pete's Sake" sandwich, which they are best known for.  It consists of apple smoked pork loin, caramelized onions, melted brie, bacon and apple sauce.  It was really good and the melted brie was really fun and flavorful.  I ordered a sandwich called "The Hangover Club" which has smoked turkey, genoa salami, provolone, bacon and country mustard.  It was really good and I would definitely get it again.  Both sandwiches came on wheat bread which was perfectly toasted, but still light and fluffy.  Overall, really enjoyable!

For Pete's Sake Sandwich

P.S. Jessie loved Nora's so much she took Joe there for dinner the next night (Soup of the Day: Beef Stroganoff Soup) and took her boss there for lunch the next week.  Now that's dedication! :-)

Restaurant Review: Bocci Bar

I am always excited when a new restaurant comes to Clayton, so last year when I heard the owners of Barcelona and Coastal Bistro (aka Mosaic) were adding another restaurant along Central Avenue called Bocci Bar, I knew I had to check it out.  Jessie and I first checked it out one random Thursday night early last summer.  Like most of the restaurants on Central, Bocci Bar is long and skinny, and in the warmer months they open the entire front wall of the restaurant to have patio seating.  Jessie and I got a table for two right where the wall would have been if it were a colder night.  The weather was perfect, and Thursday nights at Bocci are booming.  Luckily the service didn't suffer that night, we got a good red wine recommendation and ordered a meatball appetizer (Delicious!).  For an entree we ordered one of their specialties, Lobster Spaghetti (light, and lick your bowl clean, good!).  It was a really enjoyable experience.

Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to go back a few weeks ago for lunch with a co-worker.  In an 7 month span, things weren't looking good.  First, we walk in and there is no hostess to seat us.  I look around and notice the restaurant is over half empty and I can't even find a waiter to grab his attention.  My co-worker points out a man in a red sweater and light-washed jeans and tells me he is a waiter... um... doesn't look like one!  In fact, none of them are dressed in uniform! They are all dressed casual!  Strange...

Anyway, the restaurant is half empty yet we get sat in the very back "private room" where they keep four square tables.  We sit there forever before we have to beg someone to bring us some bread.  It finally arrives at the same time our salads arrive.  The bread is pretty good, it reminds me of Pizza Hut bread sticks (think long and skinny and coated with Parmesan cheese) but nicer.  The Bocci salad to start was good,  light and lemony, but I was saving up for the main course... Lobster BLT Pizza!  Bocci Bar's menu really has some fun lobster dishes (hence the lobster spaghetti I ordered last time) so I knew it had to be good.  The lobster pizza came with applewood bacon, tomato, crème fraiche & arugula and I could taste lobster in every bite.  Delicious but really rich; I could only take down 2 pieces.  Lobster is definitely the way to go here!

Lobster BLT Pizza

Overall, Bocci Bar's menu is really impressive, however, they lack in service (at least they do during lunch time).  What should have been a 45 minute lunch, turned into a 2 hour waiting fest with good food.  I probably wouldn't go back for lunch (since I'm never really in the mood for long lunches during the work week anyway) but I would go back for drinks and dinner on a Thursday or Friday night.  I'll probably wait until summer so I can sit out on the front patio and not get stuck in the back of that long skinny room and be forgotten about.

Bracket Challenge: St. Louis Breakfast Spots

The polls are in!  The Winner of the St. Louis Magazine online Bracket Challenge for best breakfast spot in St. Louis is Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Cafe, beating out 31 other local eateries.  In a shocking final round upset over St. Louis favorite Uncle Bill's Pancake and Dinner House, Jilly's win has proven that the cupcake craze is still going strong.  Jilly's cupcakes aren't just any cupcakes, this past summer, Jilly's also won the top prize in an episode of Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."  Click the picture below to see a close up of the winners and runner-ups.



Click to Enlarge

 Here are Jessie and my thoughts: 

• Uncle Bills should have won overall, Jilly's cupcakes are good, but way too sugary for a satisfying breakfast. 
• Where is the City Coffeehouse & Creperie on this list?!?!  That is our favorite!!!
• What is up with Rooster?!  It should have in no way beaten Brasserie (their brunch is fabulous...salty, but fabulous!)  At least Local Harvest beat it in the next round.  We love Local Harvest!
• Mud House should have at least won the first round, nobody can beat their breakfast burritos...see our previous review.
• We are glad Half & Half lost first round... see our previous review.
• I really want to try Vin De Set for breakfast now!

So what do you think...Does Jilly's deserve the crown?  Are you upset one of your go-to spots lost out?  Or is there an obvious restaurant place that you think St. Louis Magazine overlooked in their bracket challenge?

Winner of the St. Louis Bread Co. Sandwich Show Down

A month ago, we told you about the contest that St. Louis Bread Co. was having to choose a new sandwich to temporarily add to their menu.  The sandwich has been chosen!!!

Meet the BLTT: Gouda cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, apple wood-smoked bacon, baby spinach and vine-ripened tomatoes all on two slices of tomato-basil bread.  Surprisingly simple, but sounds yummy!

Head to any local St. Louis Bread Co. (sorry, Non St. Louisians, Panera will not have this sandwich) to try it out!

Restaurant Review: Half & Half

A few weeks ago, Jessie, Josie, Carolyn and I met up for brunch at Half & Half, the breakfast joint created by the owners of The Good Pie that opened up this summer in downtown Clayton.  I had been wanting to try Half & Half for a while, but it is only open until 2:30 most days, and is closed on Sundays... my most common brunch day!  Half & Half was in the news recently because it will soon be open for dinnertime, but as a completely different restaurant!!!  That's right, early next year, the restaurant will add evening hours, at which time the restaurant’s name will be changed to Medianoche and will serve Mexican cuisine.  Two restaurants in one?!?!  Insane!!!

When we walked inside, we were a little surprised with the atmosphere.  It seemed like they tore down a wall between two separate buildings, and never really meshed them together.  On the right side there were tables and an eating area, and on the left there was a big open area of emptiness, with the bar along the wall and the back side open into the kitchen.  This restaurant has been open for 4 months and it still looks like they are renovating.

Waste of Space

Luckily it was a beautiful day outside, so we could sit on the patio out on the sidewalk and not be stuck inside.  The indoor decor was not the only thing out of whack.  The entire wait staff was incredibly unprofessional, as if it was all their first day on the job.  After waiting a while, they finally brought out Josie's coffee, and luckily we were busy chatting and she didn't get a chance to taste it yet, because a few minutes later they came out and said "sorry, I think we gave you bad coffee."  Sure enough, we look down at the coffee and it has a clear ring of water around the edge of it and it is stone cold.  Rookie mistake for not such a rookie restaurant.

Thumbs down for the Coffee

Luckily the menu looked good!  Half & Half's menu changes each month, with an additional seasonal weekend brunch menu.  In addition to breakfast food, they also have a small list of sandwiches and burgers, but I was there for the breakfast!  This isn't your typical IHOP menu, it is small, and mainly focused on trendy egg dishes.  I ordered the Steak and Eggs which consisted of two sunny side up eggs, hanger steak, potatoes, hollandaise & tobacco onions.  It was really good!  Unfortunately they forgot the hollandaise sauce... but I reminded them and they brought me some on the side for dipping, which is probably how I would've preferred it anyway.  And the sourdough toast was great to sop up the egg yolk and scoop up the steak bits.

Steak and Eggs

Josie ordered the veggie hash with two sunny side up eggs, brussel sprouts, spinach, onions and potatoes.  It came out in a frying pan and looked really yummy too.

Veggie Hash

Carolyn went big and got the french toast.  It was huge and she ate every single bite!  So good!

French Toast with Berries

Overall, the food was descent and a good change from your usually breakfast spots.  However, it was a tad overpriced and the staff still hasn't really figured out how to function properly.  Unfortunately, when Carolyn went back in side to use the restroom she saw a cockroach scurry across the giant empty tile floor.  Luckily she told me after I had eaten, because I'm not sure I would've finished my meal otherwise.  I am also a little skeptical of Half & Half being a breakfast place by day and a Mexican restaurant, with a completely different name, by night.  This place needs to get its act together and start acting like a well established restaurant.

Bar Review: Three Kings Public House

So as I sit here and watch the Cardinals win Game 1 of the World Series, I am thinking about how I was without a TV all last week when the Cardinals were playing for the National League Championship!  The agony!  Luckily Josie and Eric were up for going out to grab a drink and watch game 4 of the series so I looked at my "list" of places to go and noticed a bar called "Three Kings Public House" that opened this Spring in the Loop on Delmar across from the Tivoli Theater (replacing what used to be Riddles).

None of us had ever been, so it was fun trying someplace new.  We got a great spot at a high table in the front bar area, with perfect views of the two TVs behind the bar to watch the game.  It was a Wednesday night, but because of the Cards game, the bar area was packed with fans wearing red.  Note that Three Kings just got a good review in Sauce Blog in regard to their bang-for-a-buck food, and there is also an entire dining area in the back area.

Watching Game 4 of the Cards Brewers Game

The beer menu at Three Kings was really appealing because they offered flights of 4 different beers.  I always like trying a bunch of different types of beers rather than sticking to one, so this was right up my alley.  There was a flight that had a good hoppy beer that I wanted to try, however it also came with a light wheat beer that I didn't really want to bother with.  Luckily you can mix and match any four beers that you want, plus the waiters at Three Kings (imagine young, hippy, laid-back dudes) are awesome and offered to make me my own flight, full of all hoppy beers.  What service!!!  Our waiter brought back my custom-made flight and I loved every beer choice.  Who knew that four hoppy beers could all taste so completely different.  My definite favorite was a hoppy IPA called Maharaja.  Soooo good!

Flight of Hoppy Beer

We also ordered two appetizers to snack on while we watched the game.  We first ordered the House Made Pub Chips served with Irish cheddar & "Winged Nut" ale fondue.  It was awesome!  The portion of chips was huge and the cheese dipping sauce was both smokey and a lit bit spicy, and absolutely delicious!  I could've licked the bowl clean.  We also ordered a Caprese Flatbread, which was flatbread topped with slices of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.  Really simple, and really good!  The flatbread dough was cooked perfect, so it was chewy and doughy and not burnt or too crispy on the edges.  Great game watching food!!!

House Made Pub Chips and served with Irish cheddar & "Winged Nut" ale fondue

Caprese Flatbread

Overall, I really enjoyed Three Kings (and yeah... the Cardinals winning helped a little too)  I would recommend trying it out to watch a game and grab some beer and appetizers, or to actually go there for dinner to try something more substantive on their yummy and reasonably priced menu... I'm looking at you burger with provolone cheese on a pretzel bread roll!

September Restaurant Closings and Openings

Here is an recent list found from St. Louis Magazine of recent restaurant closings and over 35 new restaurant openings around St. Louis.  Looks like we'll be having an exciting Fall to dine out!!!

Recent Closings:

• Mosaic Bistro Market: 14 N. Central, August 30
• Houlihan's, 1820 Market (Union Station): September 4
• Momoyama:1637 Clarkson, September 15
• Harry's Bar and Grill: 4940 Southwest,  September 25
• Cusamano's: 1120 Technology Dr, O'Fallon, scheduled for October 1
• Chuy Arzola's (3701 Lindell): scheduled for end of October

Recent Openings:

• Royal Kabob (El Burrito Loco): 3611 Bates, September 1
• Coastal Bistro (Mosaic Bistro Market): 14 N. Central, September 2
• Sombrero’s 636-922-1240 (Bogart's Kitchen & Bar): 1287 Jungermann, St. Peters, September 5
• Crostini Restaurant and Lounge (Mia Rosa): 4501 Manchester, September 6
• Tucci & Fresta’s Trattoria and Bar (Portabella): 15 N. Central, September 6
• The Parlour (Wicked Lady):  4534 Gravois, September 9
• Blood & Sand (Red Moon): 1500 St. Charles, September 17
• Steve’s Hot Dogs on The Hill (Cool Beans Catering): 2131 Marconi, September 17
• Frankie and Johnny's (Bella Sera): 11686 Gravois, September 20
• Kabuki Sushi & Fusion: 15015 Manchester, September 21

Coming Soon:

• Mosaic Modern Fusion: 11927 Manchester, early October 
• Dao Tien Vietnamese Bistro (Marco's Soul Food): 8600 Olive, early October
• Boodles BBQ  (Wendy's): 10024 Gravois, early October
• Baileys’ Range (City Grocers):  901 Olive, early October
• Dooley's (Shakespeare's): 601 N. Grand, early October
• Mathew’s Restaurant (Del Pietro’s): 5625 Hampton, early October
• Ya Hala (Culpepper's): 12434 St. Charles Rock Road, early October
• Old Blue Eyes (Coco’s/Reuben’s): 731 S. Lindbergh, early October 
• Pita Pit (Baladas Bistro): 200 N. Ninth, early October
• Hooked (Pho Long): 8613 Olive, mid October
• Diablito's (Iggy's): 3761 Laclede, mid October
• The Crow’s Nest (The Red Lion): 7336 Manchester, mid October
• Rhine Haus Eatery & Pub (Spyglass on the Park): 255 Union, mid October
• Filippo’s Italian Kitchen (Tribeca Lounge): 120 Chesterfield Valley, mid October
• Joanie's Pizzeria (Louie's Pizza Co):  5441 Telegraph, late October
• Pazzo’s Pizzeria (La Salsa): 140 S. Kirkwood, late October
• Desserts on the Boulevard: 3949 Lindell, late October
• Blondie’s Coffee and Wine Bar (Velvet Lounge): 1301 Washington, mid October
• Angelo's Chicago Taste (Cusamano's): 1120 Technology Dr, O'Fallon, mid October
• Agostino's Restaurant and Bar (Little Italy): 130 Ludwig Drive, Fairview Heights, Ill.,  late October
• Kelly English Steakhouse (The Range Steakhouse): 777 Casino Center, late October
• Green Bean: 232 N. Euclid, late October
• Tomo (Jive & Wail): 6101 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., October
• BrickTop’s: Plaza Frontenac, early November
• Tahoe Joe's (Home Town Buffet): 17258 Chesterfield Airport, mid November
• Tilted Kilt (Wiliker's Restaurant & Bar): 1566 Country Club Plaza, St. Charles, late November
• EdgeWild Restaurant (Bahama Breeze): 550 Chesterfield Center, late November
• J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood (PrimeBar): 17 West County Center, November
• Hamburger Mary's (Lush Nightclub): 3037 Olive, November
• Max & Erma’s (Hanley’s Grille & Tap): 79 West County Center, November
• Choice (Gourmet To Go): 7807 Clayton, November
• Epic Pizza and Subs: 1709½ S. 9th, November
• Plush: 3224 Locust, November
• Wasabi Sushi Bar: 134 St. Clair Sq, Fairview Heights, Ill., November
• Tavolo V: 6120 Delmar, early December
• Nico (Brandt's): 6525 Delmar, early December

Monday Night Football at Lesters

When the Rams played to the Giants a few weeks ago for Monday Night Football, Josie, Eric, Jessie and I went to the new Lester's that opened in the Central West End.  Lester's has two other locations, one in Ladue and one in Chesterfield, both off Clayton Road.  Jessie and I have been to Lester's a lot because it is our Dad's favorite go-to spot.  It has great food and is perfect for watching sports because it has TVs in every corner.

If you go to Lester's, you definitely need to get their "Reuben The Great" deli sandwich.  It is awesome!  We get it made with the corned beef and it comes topped with sauerkraut, 1,000 island dressing (which we get on the side), and melted swiss cheese.  The grilled rye bread it comes on is also perfect with the corned beef.  You can't go wrong with Lester's Reuben!

Reuben that Jessie and I split

Sometimes as a side I also get a bowl of Mac N' Cheese; however, I noticed that the menu had a new "Nacho Mac N' Cheese" on the menu and I was intrigued.  I asked the waitress what the Nacho part consisted of, and she said it was basically like Mac N' Cheese with rotel dip.  Interesting... I had to try it!  It was pretty cool, and different than I've ever gotten at a restaurant (then again... it could more of a thing I could just make myself at home).  It had a spicy kick from the rotel, and it was really saucy, which I love.  Pretty darn good.

Nacho Mac N' Cheese

The new CWE Lester's was really fun, despite the Rams losing, and the food was good as always!

Josie and Eric modelling the menu

TVs in Bar Area

The wonder that is PROVEL CHEESE!

If you are from St. Louis, then you are most likely obsessed with Provel Cheese.  Famous St. Louis pizza restaurant IMO's has introduced provel cheese into our lives by putting it on everything on their menu, from their yummy, thin crust, "square beyond compare" pizzas to their awesome salads.

Provel is actually a hybrid cheese, a combination of Cheddar, Swiss and Provelone (my favorites!), so it makes sense that putting together 3 awesome cheeses is going to create one Super Cheese!

This week at Dierbergs, IMO's brand Provel Cheese was on sale so I just had to pick up a bag.  By the end of his week, the entire bag is gone!  That's how good this stuff is!  Last night I used most of it by making my own IMO's style salad.  I bought Fresh Express Italian styled salad mix, added toppings, the provel cheese, and my favorite semi-homemade Italian Dressing.  It was amazing!!!

IMO's Provel Cheese

Semi-Homemade Salad Dressing by Good Seaons
(see also Jessie's post on our Mom's Pasta Salad)

You can also use Provel on many other things; for example, I've melted it over chicken before and Seamus McDaniels even offers it on top of their award winning cheeseburgers!  Delicious!!!