From the President:
I was excited to try Private Kitchen. It had received excellent reviews from various food writers around town. When we called to make the reservation we learned that food was purchased and prepared fresh every day which I figured our group would really appreciate.
Private Kitchen is located in a strip mall. Parking was easy and the exterior was fairly nondescript. The decor inside is nicely done but nothing elaborate. It is much nicer than the exterior would indicate.
Diners gave Private Kitchen 3 1/2 stars for a fairly nice atmosphere.
Because we had to order in advance things were a little difficult making arrangements for our entire group. We ended up getting two entrees and one vegetable. Dinner is served family style. This is something I do not prefer but I know some feel it makes a dinner at a unique restaurant like Private Kitchen easier to enjoy. We were a large group split between two tables so I imagine service was difficult as Private Kitchen is run entirely by the husband and wife team per the previous reviews we read. Some diners felt there was a staffing issue that impacted our service.
Diners gave Private Kitchen 3 stars for fair service.
I thought the food was absolutely excellent. I basically chose the menu so it is of course no surprise that I was really happy with what was served. Everything had great flavor. We had drunken chicken, a shrimp dish and a stir fry broccoli dish. Diners complained that the drunken chicken was too cold but everyone raved about how perfect the rice was. In general, the restaurant was lauded in the reviews for having really authentic food. I think that it was a little too authentic for most of our group's taste. Diners complained that the shrimp was not deveined and did not find the presentation replete with head and legs very appetizing. Diners really enjoyed the chinese broccoli.
Diners gave Private Kitchen almost 3 stars for having fair food.
While the average numbers of our diners rated Private Kitchen with less stars than I agree with, it is important to note that among the 10 diners who reviewed the restaurant they seemed to either love it or hate it. I think the more adventurous diners will not want to miss out on such delicious food but if you prefer your shrimp shelled and beheaded then this is probably not your spot. I also think that not being able to order what each diner would have preferred if they could have ordered individually polarized the diners' opinions.
Overall diners gave Private Kitchen almost 3 stars for being a fair restaurant.
7/28/15
May Good Dinner: Avenue
From the President:
I was looking forward to dinner at Avenue. It is the newest restaurant from the owners of Pomme Restaurant and Pomme Cafe. While I did not often dine at Pomme, I remembered the food was excellent so I was excited to try Avenue. It was my turn to host, I have to admit that I later decided to change my choice after making a reservation at Avenue. But when I called to cancel the person that I spoke to was so pleasant and genuine that I decided to stick with Avenue.
Parking was easy, the new location on Meramec has street parking as well as a lot across the street. With the closing of the bar nearby, there does not seem to be much competition for parking. Furthermore, there was a very nice young woman who was handling the valet service offered. The host (who I later learned was the manager) was polite and I enjoyed sitting at the bar until the rest of the party arrived. The decor is modern and elegant. However the brightly colored ceiling suggests an element of whimsy that we did not find in the menu, food or vibe of Avenue. Aesthetically I would have preferred a pop of one or two of the colors on that ceiling but there were too many for my taste. We were able to have a comfortable conversation at our table as the noise level was comfortable. As the sun set the light became uncomfortable for various tables. The staff was quick to adjust the shades to alleviate the diners' discomfort. The specials of the day were presented on a small folded card on the table. The presentation seemed awkward and quite informal. I would prefer to hear the specials presented by the waitress rather than to have them listed on the table as they are at some chain restaurants.
Diners gave Avenue 4 stars for having a good atmosphere.
The quality of service we received was mixed from one extreme to the other. I have already mentioned the warm and polite service we received from the manager who was acting as host and who I now presume was the pleasant man who unknowingly convinced us to dine at Avenue. He truly is the bright spot in the service at Avenue. Our waitress was pleasant but had little knowledge of the food. Ordering was labored as she had to continuously ask questions about the ingredients. At the end of our meal, when I asked whether the Apples for Olivia contained nuts, she told me they did not. While technically that was true, I feel it would have been appropriate to mention that the dessert did contain pine nuts. Once we were able to order, service moved along smoothly. Once finished with our entrees, we requested boxes to take our leftovers to go from the man who cleared our table. There was some confusion as to whether the chef/co-owner would allow us to box our own food to go. Ultimately he came out to address the issue with us and unfortunately that discussion did not go well and he waved at us dismissively and walked away in the middle of our conversation. We were allowed to box our own dishes but felt humiliated and insulted by the way we were treated. It seemed that after that happened we received no further service. Although we wanted to order dessert, the waitress promptly brought us our check, our water glasses were never refilled and our entree dishes were not cleared from our table until they had been there so long that the manager came to clear them. It was at that time that we shared our displeasure with our experience to the manager who did everything he could to make us feel better about things. While he offered to try to get authorization to treat us to our desserts, I declined and simply asked him to have our waitress bring us the dessert menu so that we could complete our dining experience. If there was anything that could have made me return to this restaurant it was this gentleman.
I had recognized the chef/co-owner in the dining room greeting customers as we waited for our food. While I think that is a really nice touch, it went a little awry at Avenue. There were not that many tables in the restaurant that night so it did not take long for the chef to make the rounds. Our party had become engaged in a serious and intimate conversation and I noticed in my peripheral vision that the chef was waiting for a break in our conversation so that he could approach our table. It felt like he was lurking over us and we would have preferred the he return at another time or perhaps, even miss our table. When he did come over the conversation was inconsequential as he simply asked if our food was good. This was fine as we were anxious to get back to our conversation (which he may have picked up on) but I would normally expect the chef to speak a little about the concept of the restaurant, his own background and make an attempt to get to know the customers in hopes they will return.
Diners gave Avenue almost 3 stars for service that was slightly disappointing..
The menu was described in reviews of Avenue as the menu from Pomme with a few additions. In fact, the additions were a little strange ranging from Italian dishes to schnitzel and the bar menu (also available in the dining room) had American entrees. I would have a hard time describing the cuisine at Avenue. The best I could say would be that they have a little bit of everything. The menu severely undersold the offerings. For example my schnitzel came with this delicious lemony sauce that would have sold me on the dish but when I ordered I almost got a different entree because there was no such enticing description.
The food, however was delicious as I had expected. This chef does an excellent job with the food and quite frankly our experience at Avenue would have been entirely different if he had remained in the kitchen. He truly has created some well-crafted dishes with balanced flavors. I really enjoy strong flavors and his were truly a delight. While my favorite, as at Pomme, remains the Apples for Olivia, I could definitely do without the pine nuts. I have no criticisms about the food and would return for the dessert if our experience with the service had not been so disconcerting. I do want to mention that the chef reached out to our Twitter account two days later after I tweeted that we had a poor experience. I felt this review should be based on our dining experience at the restaurant that day so I did not allow him to further discuss the issues we had.
Diners gave Avenue 4 1/2 stars for having really good food.
Overall, we will not be returning to Avenue because of the way that we were treated by the chef/co-owner. The restaurant otherwise is a good one but the way we were treated was unacceptable and our decision is one of principle. It is interesting how the components of our review sometimes factor into the overall impression of the dining experience. In this instance we had some really good food in a pretty restaurant but the experience we had with the chef/co-owner truly tainted our dinner. We really did not have a good dinner at Avenue and left feeling hurt and angry.
Diners gave Avenue 2 1/2 stars because overall we had a fairly disappointing dining experience there.
I was looking forward to dinner at Avenue. It is the newest restaurant from the owners of Pomme Restaurant and Pomme Cafe. While I did not often dine at Pomme, I remembered the food was excellent so I was excited to try Avenue. It was my turn to host, I have to admit that I later decided to change my choice after making a reservation at Avenue. But when I called to cancel the person that I spoke to was so pleasant and genuine that I decided to stick with Avenue.
Parking was easy, the new location on Meramec has street parking as well as a lot across the street. With the closing of the bar nearby, there does not seem to be much competition for parking. Furthermore, there was a very nice young woman who was handling the valet service offered. The host (who I later learned was the manager) was polite and I enjoyed sitting at the bar until the rest of the party arrived. The decor is modern and elegant. However the brightly colored ceiling suggests an element of whimsy that we did not find in the menu, food or vibe of Avenue. Aesthetically I would have preferred a pop of one or two of the colors on that ceiling but there were too many for my taste. We were able to have a comfortable conversation at our table as the noise level was comfortable. As the sun set the light became uncomfortable for various tables. The staff was quick to adjust the shades to alleviate the diners' discomfort. The specials of the day were presented on a small folded card on the table. The presentation seemed awkward and quite informal. I would prefer to hear the specials presented by the waitress rather than to have them listed on the table as they are at some chain restaurants.
Diners gave Avenue 4 stars for having a good atmosphere.
The quality of service we received was mixed from one extreme to the other. I have already mentioned the warm and polite service we received from the manager who was acting as host and who I now presume was the pleasant man who unknowingly convinced us to dine at Avenue. He truly is the bright spot in the service at Avenue. Our waitress was pleasant but had little knowledge of the food. Ordering was labored as she had to continuously ask questions about the ingredients. At the end of our meal, when I asked whether the Apples for Olivia contained nuts, she told me they did not. While technically that was true, I feel it would have been appropriate to mention that the dessert did contain pine nuts. Once we were able to order, service moved along smoothly. Once finished with our entrees, we requested boxes to take our leftovers to go from the man who cleared our table. There was some confusion as to whether the chef/co-owner would allow us to box our own food to go. Ultimately he came out to address the issue with us and unfortunately that discussion did not go well and he waved at us dismissively and walked away in the middle of our conversation. We were allowed to box our own dishes but felt humiliated and insulted by the way we were treated. It seemed that after that happened we received no further service. Although we wanted to order dessert, the waitress promptly brought us our check, our water glasses were never refilled and our entree dishes were not cleared from our table until they had been there so long that the manager came to clear them. It was at that time that we shared our displeasure with our experience to the manager who did everything he could to make us feel better about things. While he offered to try to get authorization to treat us to our desserts, I declined and simply asked him to have our waitress bring us the dessert menu so that we could complete our dining experience. If there was anything that could have made me return to this restaurant it was this gentleman.
I had recognized the chef/co-owner in the dining room greeting customers as we waited for our food. While I think that is a really nice touch, it went a little awry at Avenue. There were not that many tables in the restaurant that night so it did not take long for the chef to make the rounds. Our party had become engaged in a serious and intimate conversation and I noticed in my peripheral vision that the chef was waiting for a break in our conversation so that he could approach our table. It felt like he was lurking over us and we would have preferred the he return at another time or perhaps, even miss our table. When he did come over the conversation was inconsequential as he simply asked if our food was good. This was fine as we were anxious to get back to our conversation (which he may have picked up on) but I would normally expect the chef to speak a little about the concept of the restaurant, his own background and make an attempt to get to know the customers in hopes they will return.
Diners gave Avenue almost 3 stars for service that was slightly disappointing..
The menu was described in reviews of Avenue as the menu from Pomme with a few additions. In fact, the additions were a little strange ranging from Italian dishes to schnitzel and the bar menu (also available in the dining room) had American entrees. I would have a hard time describing the cuisine at Avenue. The best I could say would be that they have a little bit of everything. The menu severely undersold the offerings. For example my schnitzel came with this delicious lemony sauce that would have sold me on the dish but when I ordered I almost got a different entree because there was no such enticing description.
The food, however was delicious as I had expected. This chef does an excellent job with the food and quite frankly our experience at Avenue would have been entirely different if he had remained in the kitchen. He truly has created some well-crafted dishes with balanced flavors. I really enjoy strong flavors and his were truly a delight. While my favorite, as at Pomme, remains the Apples for Olivia, I could definitely do without the pine nuts. I have no criticisms about the food and would return for the dessert if our experience with the service had not been so disconcerting. I do want to mention that the chef reached out to our Twitter account two days later after I tweeted that we had a poor experience. I felt this review should be based on our dining experience at the restaurant that day so I did not allow him to further discuss the issues we had.
Diners gave Avenue 4 1/2 stars for having really good food.
Overall, we will not be returning to Avenue because of the way that we were treated by the chef/co-owner. The restaurant otherwise is a good one but the way we were treated was unacceptable and our decision is one of principle. It is interesting how the components of our review sometimes factor into the overall impression of the dining experience. In this instance we had some really good food in a pretty restaurant but the experience we had with the chef/co-owner truly tainted our dinner. We really did not have a good dinner at Avenue and left feeling hurt and angry.
Diners gave Avenue 2 1/2 stars because overall we had a fairly disappointing dining experience there.
7/15/15
April Good Dinner: Three Flags Tavern
From the President:
Sherry chose Three Flags Tavern for our April Good Dinner
Club. We love city restaurants so I was
glad to support a new restaurant in the area near the Botanical Garden.
That area on Southwest Avenue does not seem to be too busy after
5pm so parking was fairly easy. Three
Flags Tavern has street parking available along with a very small parking lot
if I remember correctly. The building was
non-descript, an average bar and grill – nothing to indicate how sophisticated
the food would be. The inside was warm
with lots of wood. Otherwise the décor was
not remarkable. The restaurant was small
and a little tight but was certainly clean and pleasant.
Diners gave Three Flags Tavern 4 stars for having a good
atmosphere.
Our server was very pleasant. She was able to answer all of our questions
on the various ingredients and entrees offered. Some diners felt our service was
slow, both in getting our food and in paying our check.
Diners gave Three Flags Tavern 4 stars for good service.
The menu offered a few different things that sounded good. The table seemed excited about the lobster
beignets. I did not have anything that I
would rush to return to Three Flags Tavern for but my food was good.
Diners gave Three Flags Tavern 4 stars for good food.
Overall, we had a really good dinner at Three Flags Tavern. Good atmosphere, good food, good service and
good company – there is not much left to say.
Diners gave Three Flags Tavern 4 stars for being a really
good restaurant.
7/14/15
March Good Dinner: Element
From the President:
I was anxious to try Element although there did not appear
to be much on their menu that suited my taste. I had been to the bar previously and the
flatbread had looked good and the reviews of Element had been impressive.
Element is an interesting location, a stone’s throw away
from the old St. Louis City Hospital which is now The Georgian condominums. There is a spacious
parking lot available across the street from the building that houses Element. Unfortunately one of our diners suffered a
broken rear windshield while we were dining so our party definitely had
concerns about the security of the area. There is a rock climbing facility in the front
of the building so it is an interesting walk through the building to the
restaurant. The restaurant is modern and
well-decorated. I really like an open
kitchen but other diners were not impressed. Overall look was very attractive, sleek and
sharp. Unfortunately that lack of sound
absorbent material does not lend itself to a comfortable dining experience. The restaurant was very loud and we could not
really carry on a conversation across the table.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for a fair atmosphere.
Our waiter was very pleasant, attentive and accommodating. There was some displeasure with the delay in
getting the bill after we asked for the check to be split, but I am always just
grateful when a restaurant makes it easy on the customer to pay in a group like
ours.
Diners gave Element 3 ½ stars for pretty good service.
I believe that we all felt that the food was not anything for
which any of us would be compelled to return. There were complaints about the temperature of
some of the dishes when they came out to our table. Diners gave good remarks on the drinks.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for having fairly good food.
Overall I was glad to have had the chance to try Element and
would not be opposed to returning. The
bar was a really great space to enjoy drinks with friends so I would be more
likely to return there over the restaurant.
Generally diners felt the food was not worth the price and they were not
likely to return to the restaurant.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for being a fairly good restaurant.
7/10/15
Clubs Council Meeting: Bricktop's
From the President:
Jackie chose Bricktop's for our Clubs Council Meeting because it was one of her favorites. I had also been to Bricktops before and was looking forward to a tasty meal and Jeni's Ice Cream for dessert.
The restaurant is nicely decorated but not remarkable. Thee is a comfortable outdoor patio which is a really nice feature. There is an open kitchen concept which is always nice (although probably not as comfortable for the staff). Our diners had complaints about the noise from the bar and from our surrounding tables. Bricktop's could use some additional sound absorbent elements. We literally could not carry on a conversation across the table from each other in the dining room.
Diners gave Bricktop's 2 1/2 stars for a somewhat disappointing atmosphere.
Our waitress was attentive, pleasant and accommodating. I had quite a few special requests and everything came out accurately. We were enjoying each other's company and did get a little silly. The waitress was a charming addition to our good time.
Diners gave Bricktop's 4 starts for good service.
Reviews of the food were a bit mixed. There are things at Bricktop's that I have really enjoyed in the past. The tempura shrimp was different in February (and again a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to visit Bricktop's again). I am not enough of a cook to know if the shrimp was low quality or if it was overcooked but the texture of the meat was dry, even leathery. My chicken was tasty as always. I just wish it was a thinner piece of meat, more delicate, more of a scallopine. While they still carried Jeni's ice cream in February, it was not available at my most recent visit because of the recent issues with production at Jeni's. I hope Bricktop's will bring it back when available, their ice cream is truly delicious. Diners loved the deviled eggs with sugar bacon. But other diners felt there was not much special offered at Bricktop's.
Diners gave Bricktop's 3 stars for having a fair menu offering.
Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves at Bricktop's. I know that Bricktop's remains among some of the diners' favorit restaurants.
Diners gave Bricktop's 4 stars for being a good restaurant.
Jackie chose Bricktop's for our Clubs Council Meeting because it was one of her favorites. I had also been to Bricktops before and was looking forward to a tasty meal and Jeni's Ice Cream for dessert.
The restaurant is nicely decorated but not remarkable. Thee is a comfortable outdoor patio which is a really nice feature. There is an open kitchen concept which is always nice (although probably not as comfortable for the staff). Our diners had complaints about the noise from the bar and from our surrounding tables. Bricktop's could use some additional sound absorbent elements. We literally could not carry on a conversation across the table from each other in the dining room.
Diners gave Bricktop's 2 1/2 stars for a somewhat disappointing atmosphere.
Our waitress was attentive, pleasant and accommodating. I had quite a few special requests and everything came out accurately. We were enjoying each other's company and did get a little silly. The waitress was a charming addition to our good time.
Diners gave Bricktop's 4 starts for good service.
Reviews of the food were a bit mixed. There are things at Bricktop's that I have really enjoyed in the past. The tempura shrimp was different in February (and again a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to visit Bricktop's again). I am not enough of a cook to know if the shrimp was low quality or if it was overcooked but the texture of the meat was dry, even leathery. My chicken was tasty as always. I just wish it was a thinner piece of meat, more delicate, more of a scallopine. While they still carried Jeni's ice cream in February, it was not available at my most recent visit because of the recent issues with production at Jeni's. I hope Bricktop's will bring it back when available, their ice cream is truly delicious. Diners loved the deviled eggs with sugar bacon. But other diners felt there was not much special offered at Bricktop's.
Diners gave Bricktop's 3 stars for having a fair menu offering.
Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves at Bricktop's. I know that Bricktop's remains among some of the diners' favorit restaurants.
Diners gave Bricktop's 4 stars for being a good restaurant.
7/6/15
February Good Dinner: Olio
From the President:
I had a delicious dinner at Olio's sister restaurant, Elaia, at September's dinner so I was excited to try Olio. I had drinks at Olio before dinner at Elaia and was excited to have more of the delicious cider beer I had. The vibe was warm and they were playing Michael Jackson's Thriller album, that's right -- album. That is all it took to win me over.
The night we dined at Olio they were playing Ray Charles on the record player. Another big hit for me! Diners' sentiments about the music were varied. One diner felt the music was too loud. A few diners remarked as to how much they liked the decor. I would prefer a sleeker touch but the charming decor is perfectly in line with the identify of the restaurant. When entering to dine at Elaia, I felt the entrance was poorly designed as it was confusing to know where to go if the hostess was not standing there. This time, going to Olio, it seemed perfectly situated. Parking was tough as the lot is super tiny. Street parking is available and a valet is on-site for convenience.
Diners gave Oilio 3 1/2 stars for a pretty good atmosphere.
Our waitress was knowledgeable and accommodating. Diners gave Olio 4 1/2 stars for really good service.
The food was good in my opinion. Our diners were disappointed in the limited menu selection and would have enjoyed more hearty entree options that were not sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised by the acidity offered in what otherwise would have been a fairly boring sandwich. My sandwich, however could have used some sauce as it felt a bit dry. I was really disappointed to learn that not only did they not have the cider I had enjoyed in September but Olio no longer had any cider beers at all! As I mentioned, the food was good but there is nothing for which I was anxious to return.
Diners gave Olio 3 1/2 stars for pretty good food.
Overall, this was a good dinner. Diners gave Olio 4 stars for being a good restaurant!
I had a delicious dinner at Olio's sister restaurant, Elaia, at September's dinner so I was excited to try Olio. I had drinks at Olio before dinner at Elaia and was excited to have more of the delicious cider beer I had. The vibe was warm and they were playing Michael Jackson's Thriller album, that's right -- album. That is all it took to win me over.
The night we dined at Olio they were playing Ray Charles on the record player. Another big hit for me! Diners' sentiments about the music were varied. One diner felt the music was too loud. A few diners remarked as to how much they liked the decor. I would prefer a sleeker touch but the charming decor is perfectly in line with the identify of the restaurant. When entering to dine at Elaia, I felt the entrance was poorly designed as it was confusing to know where to go if the hostess was not standing there. This time, going to Olio, it seemed perfectly situated. Parking was tough as the lot is super tiny. Street parking is available and a valet is on-site for convenience.
Diners gave Oilio 3 1/2 stars for a pretty good atmosphere.
Our waitress was knowledgeable and accommodating. Diners gave Olio 4 1/2 stars for really good service.
The food was good in my opinion. Our diners were disappointed in the limited menu selection and would have enjoyed more hearty entree options that were not sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised by the acidity offered in what otherwise would have been a fairly boring sandwich. My sandwich, however could have used some sauce as it felt a bit dry. I was really disappointed to learn that not only did they not have the cider I had enjoyed in September but Olio no longer had any cider beers at all! As I mentioned, the food was good but there is nothing for which I was anxious to return.
Diners gave Olio 3 1/2 stars for pretty good food.
Overall, this was a good dinner. Diners gave Olio 4 stars for being a good restaurant!
7/5/15
November Good Dinner: Baiku Sushi Lounge
From the President:
I was excited to choose Baiku Sushi Lounge for our November Good Dinner because it seems we rarely visit ethnic restaurants. Baiku was the latest installation at Hotel Ignacio. God Dinner Club began at neighboring affiliated restaurant Triumph Grill so it seemed appropriate to try out the latest addition.
The space is modern and attractive. It is a bit of an odd space as it is adjacent to the hotel lobby, where you also can eat. The restroom is unisex, which is off-putting to some. It also has an open space there those in the lobby can see through a waist-high horizontal strip into the restroom. It is an interesting feature although it somewhat limits the degree of mirror-primping that one can engage in before returning to the table.
Diners gave Baiku 4 1/2 stars for a good atmosphere overall. One diner mentioned that it is a great spot to grab some dinner and drinks before another event. Certainly appropriate for the Grand Center location.
The staff was pleasant and accommodating. Because it was the night the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown murder was announced, the restaurant began clearing the candles and things from our table so that the restaurant staff could go. We were assured, however, that we could stay as long as we wanted. A few of our diners felt this was off-putting, nonetheless. One diner did note that when a tardy diner arrived there was no wait staff in sight with whom she could place her order. I would say that at certain points in the evening, they were less than attentive.
Diners gave Baiku 3 stars for fair service.
I was really glad to be able to order my Triumph favorite: the asparagus tempura. It was delicious as always. The Baiku menu selections, however, were not held in such high esteem by our diners. My hot and sour soup was pretty good but my noodle stir fry was fairly unremarkable.
Diners gave Baiku 3 1/2 stars for pretty good food.
It was a tough night; not only was it an extraordinary circumstance, but our diners were not in the best of moods. overall, diners felt there was nothing that we tried that would entice us to return to Baiku over Triumph Grill.
Diners gave Baiku 3 1/2 stars for being a pretty good restaurant.
I was excited to choose Baiku Sushi Lounge for our November Good Dinner because it seems we rarely visit ethnic restaurants. Baiku was the latest installation at Hotel Ignacio. God Dinner Club began at neighboring affiliated restaurant Triumph Grill so it seemed appropriate to try out the latest addition.
The space is modern and attractive. It is a bit of an odd space as it is adjacent to the hotel lobby, where you also can eat. The restroom is unisex, which is off-putting to some. It also has an open space there those in the lobby can see through a waist-high horizontal strip into the restroom. It is an interesting feature although it somewhat limits the degree of mirror-primping that one can engage in before returning to the table.
Diners gave Baiku 4 1/2 stars for a good atmosphere overall. One diner mentioned that it is a great spot to grab some dinner and drinks before another event. Certainly appropriate for the Grand Center location.
The staff was pleasant and accommodating. Because it was the night the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown murder was announced, the restaurant began clearing the candles and things from our table so that the restaurant staff could go. We were assured, however, that we could stay as long as we wanted. A few of our diners felt this was off-putting, nonetheless. One diner did note that when a tardy diner arrived there was no wait staff in sight with whom she could place her order. I would say that at certain points in the evening, they were less than attentive.
Diners gave Baiku 3 stars for fair service.
I was really glad to be able to order my Triumph favorite: the asparagus tempura. It was delicious as always. The Baiku menu selections, however, were not held in such high esteem by our diners. My hot and sour soup was pretty good but my noodle stir fry was fairly unremarkable.
Diners gave Baiku 3 1/2 stars for pretty good food.
It was a tough night; not only was it an extraordinary circumstance, but our diners were not in the best of moods. overall, diners felt there was nothing that we tried that would entice us to return to Baiku over Triumph Grill.
Diners gave Baiku 3 1/2 stars for being a pretty good restaurant.
10/30/14
October Good Dinner: Planter's House
A message from the PR Representative Brady:
This month Jerina had chosen Planter's House in Lafayette Square District for our October GDC. I have to admit the menu is less than impressive with a very small sampling of options. I was quite afraid that I would not find a selection to my liking because of the lack of choices. The menu offered a beef, fish, chicken, and vegetarian dish, but only one selection of each. I selected the peppercorn encrusted steak, which was very flavorful, but almost too flavorful with the amount of peppercorns that were presented on the dish. If the dish had a little less spice it would have been abosultely delightful.
Parking was difficult, since Mississippi Avenue is very busy with residential and business parking. The atmosphere had a warm inviting feel, but the noise level was a little too much for a dinner conversation. The seating is very cramped and a little too crowded for my taste.
The service was good and the staff was attentive, but for the amount of patrons it could have been better. Our waitress always had a smile on her face, and was willing to explain any dish that we had questions about. The seafood dish that one of our guests ordered was not prepared in a traditional manner and seemed to be missing the accompaning pasta side. But overall the food was good, I just don't think I would personally visit more than once for dining. This venue seems better fitted for cocktails and socialization.
Overall the food was good. Diners would give the Planter's House 2.75 out of 5 spoons for a unique meal and experience!
This month Jerina had chosen Planter's House in Lafayette Square District for our October GDC. I have to admit the menu is less than impressive with a very small sampling of options. I was quite afraid that I would not find a selection to my liking because of the lack of choices. The menu offered a beef, fish, chicken, and vegetarian dish, but only one selection of each. I selected the peppercorn encrusted steak, which was very flavorful, but almost too flavorful with the amount of peppercorns that were presented on the dish. If the dish had a little less spice it would have been abosultely delightful.
Parking was difficult, since Mississippi Avenue is very busy with residential and business parking. The atmosphere had a warm inviting feel, but the noise level was a little too much for a dinner conversation. The seating is very cramped and a little too crowded for my taste.
The service was good and the staff was attentive, but for the amount of patrons it could have been better. Our waitress always had a smile on her face, and was willing to explain any dish that we had questions about. The seafood dish that one of our guests ordered was not prepared in a traditional manner and seemed to be missing the accompaning pasta side. But overall the food was good, I just don't think I would personally visit more than once for dining. This venue seems better fitted for cocktails and socialization.
Overall the food was good. Diners would give the Planter's House 2.75 out of 5 spoons for a unique meal and experience!
September Good Dinner: Elaia
From the President:
I was not very excited when Sheena chose Elaia. I had heard that it was overrated and was not really looking forward to dinner. In my opinion, it turned out to be an excellent choice and I tried to get everyone I knew to go back with me as soon as possible before they changed their menu.
Elaia and its sister restaurant are connected by a passway. Elaia is actually located in an old house and Olio is what I remember to be some sort of automotive service business. There is very little parking on their lot so your choices are to either park on the street or to allow their valet to park your vehicle. It is very unclear where guests are supposed to enter the restaurant. Luckily, when I arrived the hostess was right there at the entrance to let me know where to go. Others were not so lucky. Olio serves as the bar for Elaia and it is wonderful. The staff there was pleasant and I thoroughly enjoyed my drinks before dinner. In fact, after dinner I wanted to stay because they were playing Michael Jackson and that is always a charmer for me. The restaurant itself was nicely decorated. We did not love the art but the piece by our table was definitely a conversation piece. The furniture was nice and I loved that they offered the small stools for the ladies' purses. The stools for the purses did become a bit of an issue, however, more on that later. Diners gave Elaia 4 spoons for a good atmosphere.
I thought the service was pretty good but there were some difinite issues along the way. It is clear that Elaia intends for your dinner to be an experience. We were told at the outset to relax because we had the table all night. I enjoyed a lot about our service. At each course, a description of each item was presented to the table. I thought that was a really nice touch. However, generally, diners were displeased with how long the dinner took. Holding to the course presentation really caused the dinner to drag. Ther also seemed to be a general sentiment that the waittress assigned to our table was a bit condescending and at at times expressed outright displeasure with some of the concerns of our diners. The first complaint I heard was that hostess who led us to our table was upset that one of the diners went up the stairs before the hostess did. When one diner questioned his wine, the waittress stuck her nose into his glass to give it a good sniff. While I understand that this is part of evaluating the wine, it is a bit inappropriate to then return the glass to the guest. The waittress then spoke to the sommelier and they agreed to give the displeased diner something different. That, however did not quite make up for the fact that most of the table felt she should have taken the glass with her and offered a different choice right away. It was like an investigation into his claim which I do not expect at a fine dining restaurant. There was confusion as to the 1/2 glass - full glass pricing on the menu. The confusion could have been solved with a simple lable at the top of the wine list identifying what the price represented. The waittress was very clearly argumentative and annoyed at this point (characteristics that I do not expect to see from employees at this type of a restaurant). The last issue was with the purses. As I mentioned above, the staff was nice enough to offer us these lovely cork stands so that no one's purse had to be on the floor. I thought that was a really great touch. However, at one point, one of our diners was engaged in a conversation and instead of interrupting the conversation to invite the woman to place her purse on the stand, the gentleman simply picked up her purse and placed it on the stand. Other diners were shocked and appalled that anyone would touch a woman's purse without permission. I personally had no issue with his action but it was a problem for about 1/2 of the diners at our table. Diners gave Elaia almost 2 1/2 spoons for somewhat disappointing service.
The food, however, was ABSOLUTELY excellent! I had the whitefish croquettes with black garlic puree. They were so delicious that I ordered another dish of croquettes. My duck felt a little plain without any sauce but when I sent it off at the end of our meal, a friend tried to stop me so that he could eat the remainder because he enjoyed it so much. I think I would have enjoyed it if I had just thought to ask for some lemons to add some additional flavor. Some more of that black garlic puree would have made me very happy but I did not think of it. I ended up taking the olive oil cake home the next day and it was simply wonderful - moist and full of flavor without being too sweet. Every element of each of our courses was obviously carefully prepared and I cannot say enough about the quality of the food at this restaurant. The only complaint I heard from any of the diners was about the small portion sizes. I have to say that I am shocked that diners gave Elaia only 4 spoons for good food.
I really want to give this restaurant 5 spoons but I cannot ignore the service issues. This was the best food I have had in a long time. The chef and I seem to have a real agreement in the importance of the level of acidity in the food. I cannot wait to return for another delicious meal. Overall diners gave Elaia 3 spoons as a fair restaurant.
I was not very excited when Sheena chose Elaia. I had heard that it was overrated and was not really looking forward to dinner. In my opinion, it turned out to be an excellent choice and I tried to get everyone I knew to go back with me as soon as possible before they changed their menu.
Elaia and its sister restaurant are connected by a passway. Elaia is actually located in an old house and Olio is what I remember to be some sort of automotive service business. There is very little parking on their lot so your choices are to either park on the street or to allow their valet to park your vehicle. It is very unclear where guests are supposed to enter the restaurant. Luckily, when I arrived the hostess was right there at the entrance to let me know where to go. Others were not so lucky. Olio serves as the bar for Elaia and it is wonderful. The staff there was pleasant and I thoroughly enjoyed my drinks before dinner. In fact, after dinner I wanted to stay because they were playing Michael Jackson and that is always a charmer for me. The restaurant itself was nicely decorated. We did not love the art but the piece by our table was definitely a conversation piece. The furniture was nice and I loved that they offered the small stools for the ladies' purses. The stools for the purses did become a bit of an issue, however, more on that later. Diners gave Elaia 4 spoons for a good atmosphere.
I thought the service was pretty good but there were some difinite issues along the way. It is clear that Elaia intends for your dinner to be an experience. We were told at the outset to relax because we had the table all night. I enjoyed a lot about our service. At each course, a description of each item was presented to the table. I thought that was a really nice touch. However, generally, diners were displeased with how long the dinner took. Holding to the course presentation really caused the dinner to drag. Ther also seemed to be a general sentiment that the waittress assigned to our table was a bit condescending and at at times expressed outright displeasure with some of the concerns of our diners. The first complaint I heard was that hostess who led us to our table was upset that one of the diners went up the stairs before the hostess did. When one diner questioned his wine, the waittress stuck her nose into his glass to give it a good sniff. While I understand that this is part of evaluating the wine, it is a bit inappropriate to then return the glass to the guest. The waittress then spoke to the sommelier and they agreed to give the displeased diner something different. That, however did not quite make up for the fact that most of the table felt she should have taken the glass with her and offered a different choice right away. It was like an investigation into his claim which I do not expect at a fine dining restaurant. There was confusion as to the 1/2 glass - full glass pricing on the menu. The confusion could have been solved with a simple lable at the top of the wine list identifying what the price represented. The waittress was very clearly argumentative and annoyed at this point (characteristics that I do not expect to see from employees at this type of a restaurant). The last issue was with the purses. As I mentioned above, the staff was nice enough to offer us these lovely cork stands so that no one's purse had to be on the floor. I thought that was a really great touch. However, at one point, one of our diners was engaged in a conversation and instead of interrupting the conversation to invite the woman to place her purse on the stand, the gentleman simply picked up her purse and placed it on the stand. Other diners were shocked and appalled that anyone would touch a woman's purse without permission. I personally had no issue with his action but it was a problem for about 1/2 of the diners at our table. Diners gave Elaia almost 2 1/2 spoons for somewhat disappointing service.
The food, however, was ABSOLUTELY excellent! I had the whitefish croquettes with black garlic puree. They were so delicious that I ordered another dish of croquettes. My duck felt a little plain without any sauce but when I sent it off at the end of our meal, a friend tried to stop me so that he could eat the remainder because he enjoyed it so much. I think I would have enjoyed it if I had just thought to ask for some lemons to add some additional flavor. Some more of that black garlic puree would have made me very happy but I did not think of it. I ended up taking the olive oil cake home the next day and it was simply wonderful - moist and full of flavor without being too sweet. Every element of each of our courses was obviously carefully prepared and I cannot say enough about the quality of the food at this restaurant. The only complaint I heard from any of the diners was about the small portion sizes. I have to say that I am shocked that diners gave Elaia only 4 spoons for good food.
I really want to give this restaurant 5 spoons but I cannot ignore the service issues. This was the best food I have had in a long time. The chef and I seem to have a real agreement in the importance of the level of acidity in the food. I cannot wait to return for another delicious meal. Overall diners gave Elaia 3 spoons as a fair restaurant.
9/3/14
Clubs Council Quarterly Meeting: Sen Thai Asian Bistro
From the President:
I was excited when Sheena identified Sen Thai Asian Bistro as one her favorites and the location of our Clubs Council Quarterly Meeting. Sen Thai has always been a favorite among downtown St. Louis employees. I had not been there in years despite the fact that I practically live across the street from the restaurant.
Parking was surprisingly easy. I arrived late and was able to get a spot directly in front of the restaurant albeit also directly in front of three homeless people laid out on the sidewalk. The restaurant is nicely decorated but nothing elaborate. Unfortunately there was an extremely large party who was extremely loud to the point that we could not carry on a conversation at our table at some points during our meal. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 spoons for a good atmosphere.
Our server was attentive and accommodating. I believe she got each order correct and we did not experience any undue delay. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 spoons for good service.
The food was well-prepared. I enjoyed my plum wine cocktail as well as my shrimp and vegetable tempura but did not like the taste of the beef noodle dish I had ordered as an entrée. It had a smokiness that I did not prefer but it was also well-prepared. I heard no other complaints from other diners about the food. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 5 spoons for excellent food.
All in all, Sen Thai has remained consistent as a good restaurant. My only disappointment in a change was the removal of the tonkatsu from the menu. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 ½ spoons for being a really good restaurant.
I was excited when Sheena identified Sen Thai Asian Bistro as one her favorites and the location of our Clubs Council Quarterly Meeting. Sen Thai has always been a favorite among downtown St. Louis employees. I had not been there in years despite the fact that I practically live across the street from the restaurant.
Parking was surprisingly easy. I arrived late and was able to get a spot directly in front of the restaurant albeit also directly in front of three homeless people laid out on the sidewalk. The restaurant is nicely decorated but nothing elaborate. Unfortunately there was an extremely large party who was extremely loud to the point that we could not carry on a conversation at our table at some points during our meal. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 spoons for a good atmosphere.
Our server was attentive and accommodating. I believe she got each order correct and we did not experience any undue delay. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 spoons for good service.
The food was well-prepared. I enjoyed my plum wine cocktail as well as my shrimp and vegetable tempura but did not like the taste of the beef noodle dish I had ordered as an entrée. It had a smokiness that I did not prefer but it was also well-prepared. I heard no other complaints from other diners about the food. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 5 spoons for excellent food.
All in all, Sen Thai has remained consistent as a good restaurant. My only disappointment in a change was the removal of the tonkatsu from the menu. Diners gave Sen Thai Asian Bistro 4 ½ spoons for being a really good restaurant.
8/26/14
August Good Dinner: Barcelona Tapas
Hello from your new PR Representative Brady:
One of our newest members Karin had chosen Barcelona Tapas in Claton for our August GDC. When first reviewing the menu I was a little apprehensive, because the menu is not a typical selection. I was pleased to say that once the food started to hit the table the everyone was smiles and laughter. The sheer delight from the delicious menu choices was apparent to all that attended. The many selections to choose from left no one out in our party, from the devout of vegetarians to the most adventurous of foodies.
Parking was a little more difficult, since Clayton can be very busy any night of the week. The atmosphere had a warm inviting feel, but the benches needed a little extra padding for long meal times. We were seated at two tables that kept our group together, but at the same time we were not too crowded.
The service was great and the staff very attentive. Our waitress always had a smile on her face, and was willing to explain any dish that we had questions about. The only item that stood out as room for improvement, was that a few of the same dishes came out at variable tempratures. I know this is a tapas place and dishes are served at intervals, but I feel that because they tried to serve our food together, the consistency of temprature was a little off.
Overall the food was outstanding! Everyone that I personally asked if they liked their entree said it was delicious. I especially loved the filet of beef with sauteed spinach and blue cheese, it was a delight! Diners would give the Barcelona Tapas 4 1/2 spoons for a delightful meal and experience!
One of our newest members Karin had chosen Barcelona Tapas in Claton for our August GDC. When first reviewing the menu I was a little apprehensive, because the menu is not a typical selection. I was pleased to say that once the food started to hit the table the everyone was smiles and laughter. The sheer delight from the delicious menu choices was apparent to all that attended. The many selections to choose from left no one out in our party, from the devout of vegetarians to the most adventurous of foodies.
Parking was a little more difficult, since Clayton can be very busy any night of the week. The atmosphere had a warm inviting feel, but the benches needed a little extra padding for long meal times. We were seated at two tables that kept our group together, but at the same time we were not too crowded.
The service was great and the staff very attentive. Our waitress always had a smile on her face, and was willing to explain any dish that we had questions about. The only item that stood out as room for improvement, was that a few of the same dishes came out at variable tempratures. I know this is a tapas place and dishes are served at intervals, but I feel that because they tried to serve our food together, the consistency of temprature was a little off.
Overall the food was outstanding! Everyone that I personally asked if they liked their entree said it was delicious. I especially loved the filet of beef with sauteed spinach and blue cheese, it was a delight! Diners would give the Barcelona Tapas 4 1/2 spoons for a delightful meal and experience!
8/25/14
July Good Dinner: Trattoria Marcella
From the President:
I was really excited when Brady chose Trattoria Marcella for July GDC. It is always on everyone’s list of favorites yet I had not been in years.
Parking was easy, but crossing Watson was a bit trickier. The restaurant was decorated just fine, but nothing outstanding. We were seated in a more private room that was very nice and seemed a bit more quiet. Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 spoons for good atmosphere.
Service was great. Nothing less than I would have expected from such a St. Louis landmark. The waiter did arrive with my entrée while I was still finishing up my appetizer (a big pet peeve of mine), but overall, the staff was accommodating and attentive. Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 spoons for good service.
The food, as always, was outstanding! I think everyone found their food to be delicious. My calamari over flash fried spinach was well seasoned. My pasta Bolognese was creamy and flavorful. I remember hearing good things about the hummus and certainly no complaints! Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 ½ spoons for really good food.
Overall, the restaurant was as it always has been: a great restaurant. They could probably use some sprucing up, but what restaurant that stays so busy has time for that? In general, diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 ½ spoons for being a really good restaurant.
I was really excited when Brady chose Trattoria Marcella for July GDC. It is always on everyone’s list of favorites yet I had not been in years.
Parking was easy, but crossing Watson was a bit trickier. The restaurant was decorated just fine, but nothing outstanding. We were seated in a more private room that was very nice and seemed a bit more quiet. Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 spoons for good atmosphere.
Service was great. Nothing less than I would have expected from such a St. Louis landmark. The waiter did arrive with my entrée while I was still finishing up my appetizer (a big pet peeve of mine), but overall, the staff was accommodating and attentive. Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 spoons for good service.
The food, as always, was outstanding! I think everyone found their food to be delicious. My calamari over flash fried spinach was well seasoned. My pasta Bolognese was creamy and flavorful. I remember hearing good things about the hummus and certainly no complaints! Diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 ½ spoons for really good food.
Overall, the restaurant was as it always has been: a great restaurant. They could probably use some sprucing up, but what restaurant that stays so busy has time for that? In general, diners gave Trattoria Marcella 4 ½ spoons for being a really good restaurant.
7/28/14
June Good Dinner: Juniper {A Southern Table and Bar}
From the President:
I was a bit leary of Juniper {A Southern Table and Bar}. Another officer of Good Dinner Club had expressed a desire to eat there so I had already checked out the menu a few months beforehand. Nothing really sounded good on the on-line menue so I was not very excited about trying the fairly new (or renewed) restaurant. I was really pleasantly surprised at the sophistication of the food being offered and how delicious it was.
Parking was easy enough. Even though it was just street parking, there were plenty of spaces available. The atmosphere of the interior of the restaurant was not remarkable on first glance. However, as diners had time to examine the restaurant, they noticed the unique art on the walls and the southern details. Unfortunately, the cotton blooms that served as centerpieces at the table did not go over well with our African-American diners and we asked our server to take ours away. Cotton has an association with the history of slavery that is not so comforting to all of us. Southern comfort was not quite achieved but if the restaurant was going for more avant garde effect to go with the art on the walls, then that was accomplished. Diners gave Juniper 3 1/2 spoons for having a good atmosphere.
Our server was very nice and the staff overall was very accommodating. I think diners felt service was a bit slow, but we were having a good time so I did not mind so much. Diners gave Juniper 3 1/2 spoons for good service.
The menu was not any more appetizing when I arrived than it had been on-line months before. Even worse, the waittress announced at the outset that no mashed potatoes were available, an important accompaniment to fried chicken in my opinion. However, there were also small treats that were not on the menu that were just as delightful such as the ramp butter. Furthermore, just about everything that I ate was really really good. I got some sort of fried shrimp for an appetizer that was out of this world! My fried chicken was good as were my greens. However, the greens tasted as if they had been cooked with maple syrup. Although I understand that typical southern style is to add some sugar to everything, I really hate the flavor of maple syrup so I did not love them. Diners seemed so pleased with the bread basket that I had to order at least just one biscuit to try with the delicious ramp butter. The drinks were really really tasty and I felt Juniper gave us a decent serving of alcohol in each cocktail. Diners gave Juniper almost 4 1/2 spoons for excellent food!
Overall we had a good experience and a good meal. I would definitely return but there is not anything that I have to have again as soon as possible. Overall, diners gave Juniper almost 4 spoons for being a really good restaurant.
I was a bit leary of Juniper {A Southern Table and Bar}. Another officer of Good Dinner Club had expressed a desire to eat there so I had already checked out the menu a few months beforehand. Nothing really sounded good on the on-line menue so I was not very excited about trying the fairly new (or renewed) restaurant. I was really pleasantly surprised at the sophistication of the food being offered and how delicious it was.
Parking was easy enough. Even though it was just street parking, there were plenty of spaces available. The atmosphere of the interior of the restaurant was not remarkable on first glance. However, as diners had time to examine the restaurant, they noticed the unique art on the walls and the southern details. Unfortunately, the cotton blooms that served as centerpieces at the table did not go over well with our African-American diners and we asked our server to take ours away. Cotton has an association with the history of slavery that is not so comforting to all of us. Southern comfort was not quite achieved but if the restaurant was going for more avant garde effect to go with the art on the walls, then that was accomplished. Diners gave Juniper 3 1/2 spoons for having a good atmosphere.
Our server was very nice and the staff overall was very accommodating. I think diners felt service was a bit slow, but we were having a good time so I did not mind so much. Diners gave Juniper 3 1/2 spoons for good service.
The menu was not any more appetizing when I arrived than it had been on-line months before. Even worse, the waittress announced at the outset that no mashed potatoes were available, an important accompaniment to fried chicken in my opinion. However, there were also small treats that were not on the menu that were just as delightful such as the ramp butter. Furthermore, just about everything that I ate was really really good. I got some sort of fried shrimp for an appetizer that was out of this world! My fried chicken was good as were my greens. However, the greens tasted as if they had been cooked with maple syrup. Although I understand that typical southern style is to add some sugar to everything, I really hate the flavor of maple syrup so I did not love them. Diners seemed so pleased with the bread basket that I had to order at least just one biscuit to try with the delicious ramp butter. The drinks were really really tasty and I felt Juniper gave us a decent serving of alcohol in each cocktail. Diners gave Juniper almost 4 1/2 spoons for excellent food!
Overall we had a good experience and a good meal. I would definitely return but there is not anything that I have to have again as soon as possible. Overall, diners gave Juniper almost 4 spoons for being a really good restaurant.
7/23/14
May Good Dinner: Small Batch Whiskey and Fare
From the President:
I served as host this month and chose Small Batch Whiskey and Fare. It is a relatively new restaurant and is part of the Bailey's family of restaurants so I figured it would be good. I'm not sure at what point I figured out that it was "quietly vegetarian" but I did not immediately notice as there were quite a few things on the menu that sounded good.
The restaurant is located in mid-town but parking was really not an issue. I think there was plenty of street parking close by and no one had to walk very far. The restaurant is starkly decorated in black and white. It is warmed a little with the vintage pictures on the walls. As a diverse group, however, it was noted that there was no diversity in the people in the photographs which is always a little disappointing. Diners gave Small Batch an average of 4 spoons for good atmosphere.
I felt that for the most part the waitress was attentive and pleasant. I did feel that she became less attentive towards the end of the meal. A few diners had asked for their checks so I'm sure she thought we were leaving but the rest of us wanted to continue to drink and talk. She also brought the checks out before offering dessert which is always a miss. A few diners, however, felt the service was disappointing overall: slow and inattentive. Apparently the waitress had to be reminded to take some of the menus away and to refill the water glasses. Diners gave Small Batch 3 spoons for fair service.
I thought the food and drinks were excellent! Everything I had was delicious and full of flavor. The frito misto was great with the tempura batter and the accompanying sauces were tasty, especially the garlic aioli. My pasta was wonderful. I always love fresh pasta and the lemon sauce is right up my alley. My only complaint is that the chef seemed to be pretty heavy handed with the pepper. One diner ordered the curry potato soup and could not eat it because it was so spicy. I had to make a real effort to avoid all of the pepper over my pasta dish. Certainly there was some grumbling once everyone realized that the restaurant was vegetarian but I thought everyone enjoyed their food. Diners gave Small Batch 4 spoons for good food.
Overall, we certainly had a good time at Small Batch and I think the majority of us enjoyed our food but would have liked the addition of some meat to the menu. I enjoyed it so much that I have already been back. Diners gave Small Batch 3 1/2 spoons overall; a fairly good restaurant.
I served as host this month and chose Small Batch Whiskey and Fare. It is a relatively new restaurant and is part of the Bailey's family of restaurants so I figured it would be good. I'm not sure at what point I figured out that it was "quietly vegetarian" but I did not immediately notice as there were quite a few things on the menu that sounded good.
The restaurant is located in mid-town but parking was really not an issue. I think there was plenty of street parking close by and no one had to walk very far. The restaurant is starkly decorated in black and white. It is warmed a little with the vintage pictures on the walls. As a diverse group, however, it was noted that there was no diversity in the people in the photographs which is always a little disappointing. Diners gave Small Batch an average of 4 spoons for good atmosphere.
I felt that for the most part the waitress was attentive and pleasant. I did feel that she became less attentive towards the end of the meal. A few diners had asked for their checks so I'm sure she thought we were leaving but the rest of us wanted to continue to drink and talk. She also brought the checks out before offering dessert which is always a miss. A few diners, however, felt the service was disappointing overall: slow and inattentive. Apparently the waitress had to be reminded to take some of the menus away and to refill the water glasses. Diners gave Small Batch 3 spoons for fair service.
I thought the food and drinks were excellent! Everything I had was delicious and full of flavor. The frito misto was great with the tempura batter and the accompanying sauces were tasty, especially the garlic aioli. My pasta was wonderful. I always love fresh pasta and the lemon sauce is right up my alley. My only complaint is that the chef seemed to be pretty heavy handed with the pepper. One diner ordered the curry potato soup and could not eat it because it was so spicy. I had to make a real effort to avoid all of the pepper over my pasta dish. Certainly there was some grumbling once everyone realized that the restaurant was vegetarian but I thought everyone enjoyed their food. Diners gave Small Batch 4 spoons for good food.
Overall, we certainly had a good time at Small Batch and I think the majority of us enjoyed our food but would have liked the addition of some meat to the menu. I enjoyed it so much that I have already been back. Diners gave Small Batch 3 1/2 spoons overall; a fairly good restaurant.
5/14/14
April Clubs Council: Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine
From the President:
For our Clubs Council dinner the host is supposed to choose a restaurant that is one of his or her favorites. Unfortunately I learned too late that Sreenu had actually never been to his selected restaurant, Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine. He just could not take the time to read the second sentence of my two sentence email to him. He is a busy man. However, I learned that a number of my colleagues from work really love this place so I was interested to give it a try.
We did have some service issues. At first we felt a bit rushed but eventually it became clear that we were encouraged to relax and enjoy our food an wine. Our server, Blythe, was very sweet but she made some mistakes. She forgot to enter one person's entree. This mistake was not recognized until the entrees were brought out and one of us had nothing to eat. By then, the restaurant had run out of the entree that person had ordered. Because of the time it took to make the desserts, we also ordered our desserts at the time of our meals. She did not put any of those in so by the time that was noticed, they had run out of what most of us had ordered. In fact, when a couple of us arrived at 5:30 for drinks before our meal, they had already run out of 2 or 3 items on the cocktail menu (which I thought was prepared daily). The good thing was that the manager or owner came over to apologize and insisted on paying for our meals. Things are always going to go wrong here and there at a restaurant, we are all human. What makes all of the difference about how you feel about a restaurant is how they take care of the problems. In this instance I thought the owner or manager went overboard to make sure we were taken care of and I appreciated her concern. That being said, however, diners gave Veritas a disappointing 2 spoons for service.
There are several menus available at the restaurant which all had interesting and tempting options. Everything that I had was delicious and I have been raving to my colleagues about the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich I got as my entree. Diners agreed that the food was good and gave it a solid 4 spoons.
The restaurant is fairly small but I think they have made good use of the space. It is sectioned off into a more casual bar area, the formal restaurant area, a small retail area and a bar that overlooks the kitchen. Some of us sat at the bar overlooking the kitchen. I was surprised at how much we enjoyed watching the food preparation. The restaurant was warmly decorated. We did ask to switch tables because the chairs at our first table were uncomfortable. Parking was easy. Diners thought the atmosphere at Veritas was good and gave it 4 spoons.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal and the cocktails were pretty good. I believe our group had a good time. Diners overall gave Veritas a fairly good rating at just under 4 spoons.
What do you think of Veritas? Please rate and review below!
For our Clubs Council dinner the host is supposed to choose a restaurant that is one of his or her favorites. Unfortunately I learned too late that Sreenu had actually never been to his selected restaurant, Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine. He just could not take the time to read the second sentence of my two sentence email to him. He is a busy man. However, I learned that a number of my colleagues from work really love this place so I was interested to give it a try.
We did have some service issues. At first we felt a bit rushed but eventually it became clear that we were encouraged to relax and enjoy our food an wine. Our server, Blythe, was very sweet but she made some mistakes. She forgot to enter one person's entree. This mistake was not recognized until the entrees were brought out and one of us had nothing to eat. By then, the restaurant had run out of the entree that person had ordered. Because of the time it took to make the desserts, we also ordered our desserts at the time of our meals. She did not put any of those in so by the time that was noticed, they had run out of what most of us had ordered. In fact, when a couple of us arrived at 5:30 for drinks before our meal, they had already run out of 2 or 3 items on the cocktail menu (which I thought was prepared daily). The good thing was that the manager or owner came over to apologize and insisted on paying for our meals. Things are always going to go wrong here and there at a restaurant, we are all human. What makes all of the difference about how you feel about a restaurant is how they take care of the problems. In this instance I thought the owner or manager went overboard to make sure we were taken care of and I appreciated her concern. That being said, however, diners gave Veritas a disappointing 2 spoons for service.
There are several menus available at the restaurant which all had interesting and tempting options. Everything that I had was delicious and I have been raving to my colleagues about the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich I got as my entree. Diners agreed that the food was good and gave it a solid 4 spoons.
The restaurant is fairly small but I think they have made good use of the space. It is sectioned off into a more casual bar area, the formal restaurant area, a small retail area and a bar that overlooks the kitchen. Some of us sat at the bar overlooking the kitchen. I was surprised at how much we enjoyed watching the food preparation. The restaurant was warmly decorated. We did ask to switch tables because the chairs at our first table were uncomfortable. Parking was easy. Diners thought the atmosphere at Veritas was good and gave it 4 spoons.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal and the cocktails were pretty good. I believe our group had a good time. Diners overall gave Veritas a fairly good rating at just under 4 spoons.
What do you think of Veritas? Please rate and review below!
April Good Dinner: Annie Gunns, 4/11
From the President:
I was excited when Sreenu chose Annie Gunns for our April dinner. I work close by and my co-workers are always raving about how great it is. I often purchase sandwiches and other goodies at their Smokehouse Market next door and they have some amazing selections. It's far west out in Chesterfield so I knew we would not have many of our regulars but we had a good group.
The atmosphere at Annie Gunns is unimpressive. It is dark inside and just looks like your basic pub. We were seated in a portion of the restaurant that was an enclosed patio which would have been much nicer had the weather been warm enough to open it up. Diners, however, gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for a nice atmosphere.
I thought the service was great from our time at the bar through the dinner service. Our waiter, Bryce, was generously accommodating with special requests without hesitation. However, diners gave the service 3 1/2 spoons for fair to good service. I believe there was some confusion as the servers respectfully waited for us all to finish our first courses. We had a really lively conversation going so there was a delay before I realized and asked them to go ahead and serve the entrees despite the fact that I was still finishing my salad. I wouldn't rate the service at closer to 4 1/2 or even 5 spoons.
I had not realized it was really a steakhouse and that was about all that they had: beef, beef and more beef. I just did not feel like a heavy meal so I opted for soup and salad. A couple of additional options on the menu would have rounded it out perfectly for diners such as myself. Their "world famous potato soup" was okay as was the salad. Based on other diners' experiences, Annie Gunns does best with their focus: the beef. Other diners commented that their steaks were the best they had ever had. While drinking at the bar beforehand the bartender introduced me to his off the menu creation which was delicious. Diners gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for good food.
Overall, Annie Gunns did not live up to my expectations. However, I realize that I put myself at a disadvantage by not giving one of their steaks a try. Also, for the pricing, I expected a more effort in the decor. However, other diners were impressed with the quality of meat being offered and we all certainly had a great time. Diners gave Annie Gunns a solid 4 spoons overall, a good restaurant.
What do you think of Annie Gunns? Please rate and review below!
I was excited when Sreenu chose Annie Gunns for our April dinner. I work close by and my co-workers are always raving about how great it is. I often purchase sandwiches and other goodies at their Smokehouse Market next door and they have some amazing selections. It's far west out in Chesterfield so I knew we would not have many of our regulars but we had a good group.
The atmosphere at Annie Gunns is unimpressive. It is dark inside and just looks like your basic pub. We were seated in a portion of the restaurant that was an enclosed patio which would have been much nicer had the weather been warm enough to open it up. Diners, however, gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for a nice atmosphere.
I thought the service was great from our time at the bar through the dinner service. Our waiter, Bryce, was generously accommodating with special requests without hesitation. However, diners gave the service 3 1/2 spoons for fair to good service. I believe there was some confusion as the servers respectfully waited for us all to finish our first courses. We had a really lively conversation going so there was a delay before I realized and asked them to go ahead and serve the entrees despite the fact that I was still finishing my salad. I wouldn't rate the service at closer to 4 1/2 or even 5 spoons.
I had not realized it was really a steakhouse and that was about all that they had: beef, beef and more beef. I just did not feel like a heavy meal so I opted for soup and salad. A couple of additional options on the menu would have rounded it out perfectly for diners such as myself. Their "world famous potato soup" was okay as was the salad. Based on other diners' experiences, Annie Gunns does best with their focus: the beef. Other diners commented that their steaks were the best they had ever had. While drinking at the bar beforehand the bartender introduced me to his off the menu creation which was delicious. Diners gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for good food.
Overall, Annie Gunns did not live up to my expectations. However, I realize that I put myself at a disadvantage by not giving one of their steaks a try. Also, for the pricing, I expected a more effort in the decor. However, other diners were impressed with the quality of meat being offered and we all certainly had a great time. Diners gave Annie Gunns a solid 4 spoons overall, a good restaurant.
What do you think of Annie Gunns? Please rate and review below!
4/24/14
March Good Dinner: I Fratellini, 3/21
Located in Clayton, I Fratellini is just walking distance from my office, and yet I had never noticed it before! So, since it was my turn to pick a venue, this was my choice - and boy was I glad. The quaint restaurant had great charm, everyone was genuinely warm and glad to have our patronage, and the food was to die for. I had the lobster ravioli and I was incredible, as was my dessert - a sort of berry tart. I was only sad my hubby was out of town and not with us, as I think this place is more suited for an intimate date night, so I will definitely be dragging him there another day.
Madam President will continue from here:
I never get tired of good Italian so I was looking forward to dinner at I Fratellini. The venue is small so it was frustrating making the reservations as our group was forced to split into 3 tables. However, I think we all had a great meal and a great time.
From the time we arrived we were treated like the most welcome guests one could imagine. Both the manager and our waiter were absolutely excellent and made our experience really fantastic. Our waiter was attentive with a great sense of humor. The food arrived quickly yet we did not feel rushed. Diners gave I Fratellini 5 spoons for excellent service.
The food did not disappoint. My salad was perfect and our waiter was happy to provide us with extra cheese in generous amounts. The entree was just as good. Other diners seemed to enjoy their dishes. My only complaint was that the dessert menu was not tempting but other diners seemed to enjoy the desserts they ordered. Diners rated I Fratellini 5 spoons for excellent food.
Parking was definitely difficult at this location. However, in my opinion, it was worth the hassle. The decor was fine, not particularly remarkable but well appointed. The restaurant, however was noisy and it was hard to carry on a conversation across the table. They could use some absorbent material to bring down the noise level. In general, it was a fairly charming and intimate restaurant. Diners gave I Fratellini 4 1/2 spoons for great atmosphere.
While some diners expressed that I Fratellini had become their new favorite restaurant here in St. Louis, diners gave the restaurant overall 4 1/2 spoons as a great overall restaurant.
What do you think of this best-kept secret of Clayton? Please rate and review below
Madam President will continue from here:
I never get tired of good Italian so I was looking forward to dinner at I Fratellini. The venue is small so it was frustrating making the reservations as our group was forced to split into 3 tables. However, I think we all had a great meal and a great time.
From the time we arrived we were treated like the most welcome guests one could imagine. Both the manager and our waiter were absolutely excellent and made our experience really fantastic. Our waiter was attentive with a great sense of humor. The food arrived quickly yet we did not feel rushed. Diners gave I Fratellini 5 spoons for excellent service.
The food did not disappoint. My salad was perfect and our waiter was happy to provide us with extra cheese in generous amounts. The entree was just as good. Other diners seemed to enjoy their dishes. My only complaint was that the dessert menu was not tempting but other diners seemed to enjoy the desserts they ordered. Diners rated I Fratellini 5 spoons for excellent food.
Parking was definitely difficult at this location. However, in my opinion, it was worth the hassle. The decor was fine, not particularly remarkable but well appointed. The restaurant, however was noisy and it was hard to carry on a conversation across the table. They could use some absorbent material to bring down the noise level. In general, it was a fairly charming and intimate restaurant. Diners gave I Fratellini 4 1/2 spoons for great atmosphere.
While some diners expressed that I Fratellini had become their new favorite restaurant here in St. Louis, diners gave the restaurant overall 4 1/2 spoons as a great overall restaurant.
What do you think of this best-kept secret of Clayton? Please rate and review below
February Good Dinner: Franco, 2/10
From the President:
February's dinner took us back to Franco, located in Soulard a stone's throw from the farmer's market, and where we had an excellent dinner in the past.
Such a large group attended that we had to split into two tables. I thought we had the same server for both tables but there were mixed reviews about the service so I believe each table may have had a different experience as to the service. While some diners indicated the service was attentive and accommodating, others said the service was disappointing and inattentive. Overall, diners gave Franco 4 stars/spoons on service.
The atmosphere at Franco is modern. Brick walls and high ceilings remind you that you are in a historic building with that downtown lofty feel. The rest of the decor is pleasant. Parking is fairly easy on the street outside the restaurant with a lot that I believe is available for diners just across the street. Diners gave Franco 4 1/2 stars/spoons for atmosphere.
Most importantly, the food: I always feel like the list of entrees at Franco is a bit limited. The onion soup, as always, was delicious however. Everything was tasty, especially my apple tartin dessert. One of the diners received an entree with nuts despite having advised the waiter of a nut allergy. Despite that hiccup, I think most of our group was pleased. Diners gave Franco 4 1/2 stars/spoons for food.
Overall, it was a great dinner, good food and good company. That is what Good Dinner Club is all about. Diners gave Franco 4 stars/spoons overall. Something tells me Good Dinner Club will return next year.
What do you think of this Soulard star? Please rate and review below
February's dinner took us back to Franco, located in Soulard a stone's throw from the farmer's market, and where we had an excellent dinner in the past.
Such a large group attended that we had to split into two tables. I thought we had the same server for both tables but there were mixed reviews about the service so I believe each table may have had a different experience as to the service. While some diners indicated the service was attentive and accommodating, others said the service was disappointing and inattentive. Overall, diners gave Franco 4 stars/spoons on service.
The atmosphere at Franco is modern. Brick walls and high ceilings remind you that you are in a historic building with that downtown lofty feel. The rest of the decor is pleasant. Parking is fairly easy on the street outside the restaurant with a lot that I believe is available for diners just across the street. Diners gave Franco 4 1/2 stars/spoons for atmosphere.
Most importantly, the food: I always feel like the list of entrees at Franco is a bit limited. The onion soup, as always, was delicious however. Everything was tasty, especially my apple tartin dessert. One of the diners received an entree with nuts despite having advised the waiter of a nut allergy. Despite that hiccup, I think most of our group was pleased. Diners gave Franco 4 1/2 stars/spoons for food.
Overall, it was a great dinner, good food and good company. That is what Good Dinner Club is all about. Diners gave Franco 4 stars/spoons overall. Something tells me Good Dinner Club will return next year.
What do you think of this Soulard star? Please rate and review below
2/10/14
January Good Dinner: Prasino, 1/13
January's dinner was at St. Charles' Prasino, selected by host Porscha. The restaurant has a warm and unique atmosphere, created from using recycled materials and reclaimed wood, blending together to give off a modern winery feel. The only complaint was that the acoustics made it hard to enjoy conversation as it was a busy night and created a loud environment. The atmosphere score averaged to 4.5 spoons. On service, Prasino also got 4.5 spoons, with two servers attending to the table with timeliness and accuracy. The only setbacks were minor, such as servers not knowing the soup of the day.
Onto the best part: food was rated ALL 5s! One diner said, "My and shallot soup was lick the bowl fantastic! (although of course I did not). Three of us got the short ribs. The portion was enormous and the sauce it came with was really flavorful and delicious. None of the desserts struck my fancy after such a big meal but if I go back I will be giving the gooey butter cake with white chocolate and cranberry a try. All of their food is locally grown and organic - don't really care about that but some people do." I personally love the locally grown and organic aspect, and its great that everyone was well-pleased with the food, because if your going to have a restaurant boasting these qualities, your going to get some pretty particular foodies, so you better be on your A-game. Well done Prasino.
Overall, Prasino also got all 5s, so there is really nothing left to do but give this restaurant the converted 5-spoon rating. Have you dined at Prasino? What do you think of this west-side wonder? Please rate and review below!
1/22/14
December Good Dinner: Broadway Oyster Bar, 12/11
From the President....
The Broadway Oyster Bar has been a favorite after work spot for as long as I can remember. It has a certain charm and a loyal clientele. As far as Oyster Bar's go, it is no comparison to the selection and quality of oysters at the Demun Oyster Bar. However, you get the sense that the Broadway Oyster Bar is not trying to be anything more than exactly what it is: a Cajun restaurant where customers can unwind and have a great meal at the same time. The music starts later so you can really make a night of an experience at the Broadway Oyster Bar if that is what you choose to do.
The restaurant is rustic to say the least. The building is cavernous with different rooms for diners. Hard to tell how big the inside really was. Our dining room was pretty cramped but there weren't very many other parties so it worked out well for us. Our diners rated the atmosphere at 3 1/2 spoons.
In general the restaurant was very accommodating. They do not take reservations but promised to make sure we would have a table since we were dining on a week night. What was annoying is that they also do not separate the check so we were forced to figure the bill out on our own. With the technology available with today's restaurant software, I do not understand restaurants that inconvenience their diners in this way. However, as far as the actual dinner service, I could not ask for better. I made a special request for a different type of pasta and when it came out wrong, our waitress had it corrected immediately. The dining room we ate in is small so she was never far away in case we needed anything. Diners rated the service at 4 spoons.
Lastly, the raison d'etre: the food. In general, everyone enjoyed their food. Everything had a Cajun kick, however, that all of us were not expecting. One diner was unable to eat much of her food because of the level of spice. That makes sense for a Cajun restaurant but its nice to be able to accommodate diners with differing palates. Drinks were tasty. There were some nice fruity options. However, these are not the sophisticated creative drinks you might find at an upscale bar but more of the fruit punch variety.
Overall, diners gave the restaurant 4 spoons. Good food, good drinks, good friends, a good time was had by all!
The Broadway Oyster Bar has been a favorite after work spot for as long as I can remember. It has a certain charm and a loyal clientele. As far as Oyster Bar's go, it is no comparison to the selection and quality of oysters at the Demun Oyster Bar. However, you get the sense that the Broadway Oyster Bar is not trying to be anything more than exactly what it is: a Cajun restaurant where customers can unwind and have a great meal at the same time. The music starts later so you can really make a night of an experience at the Broadway Oyster Bar if that is what you choose to do.
The restaurant is rustic to say the least. The building is cavernous with different rooms for diners. Hard to tell how big the inside really was. Our dining room was pretty cramped but there weren't very many other parties so it worked out well for us. Our diners rated the atmosphere at 3 1/2 spoons.
In general the restaurant was very accommodating. They do not take reservations but promised to make sure we would have a table since we were dining on a week night. What was annoying is that they also do not separate the check so we were forced to figure the bill out on our own. With the technology available with today's restaurant software, I do not understand restaurants that inconvenience their diners in this way. However, as far as the actual dinner service, I could not ask for better. I made a special request for a different type of pasta and when it came out wrong, our waitress had it corrected immediately. The dining room we ate in is small so she was never far away in case we needed anything. Diners rated the service at 4 spoons.
Lastly, the raison d'etre: the food. In general, everyone enjoyed their food. Everything had a Cajun kick, however, that all of us were not expecting. One diner was unable to eat much of her food because of the level of spice. That makes sense for a Cajun restaurant but its nice to be able to accommodate diners with differing palates. Drinks were tasty. There were some nice fruity options. However, these are not the sophisticated creative drinks you might find at an upscale bar but more of the fruit punch variety.
Overall, diners gave the restaurant 4 spoons. Good food, good drinks, good friends, a good time was had by all!
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