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!

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!

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

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

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!

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!

December Council Meeting: 1111 Mississippi, 12/7

For December's Clubs Council dinner, we went to Erica's restaurant of choice, 1111 Mississippi. A club favorite, it did not disappoint. The unique and lively atmosphere, along with impeccable customer service makes this St. Louis original a must-do. I ordered the special, which was a pan-seared tuna. While my server made sure it was prepared to my liking, this selection was a risk for me, as I think this was my first time having a tuna entree. While it wasn't my favorite, it was well-prepared, and I don't think my opinion on this one should be a concern for more "acquainted" turf lovers. Everything else was delicious, and the rest of the table was also pleased. Another diner said, "The Ribeye was excellent as always and the tillamook potatoes authority gratin was the perfect accompaniment." The only true critique raised was that parking can sometimes be challenging, as it's generally a battle for curb space, and it is not clear if patrons are allowed to park in the northside lot. So, yes people, I'm going to do it: Five spoons! Let me just say, customer service goes a long way, and other restaurants could learn a thing or two from 1111's example. Short and sweet this time around, but the 5 spoon rating sums it up. I highly recommend checking out this city gem if you have yet to get there. What do you think of 1111 Mississippi? Please rate and review below!