April Good Dinner: Bristol Seafood Grill, 4/22

April's dinner was Sunday at Bristol Seafood Grill, the Creve Coeur location. Bristol treated the group well, providing the "VIP Booth," which was a nice touch. Overall, GDC'ers seemed to enjoy the surf & turf being served up. Food and Service received all 4's and 5's on a scale of 1-5. The Lobster Bisque was a favorite, however the Lobster Mac & Cheese was a bit cold. The partaker of the Meyer Ranch Braised Boneless Shortribs - pictured above - thought the ribs were too bland and too sweet (not sure how that can occur at the same time, but I digress). Sure does look pretty though!  Let it be known, prices are on the higher side, but entrees do come with sides. Bristol had good overall marks on atmosphere as well, but one diner thought the decor could use some updating. In the end, I'll give Bristol 3.5 out of 5 spoons. I think you might find it worthwhile to find out for yourself - check it out. Or, already been? Rate & comment below!

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March Good Dinner: Market Grill, 3/30

March's Good Dinner restaurant was Market Grill in Soulard. Another eatery focused on serving the freshest locally grown food. Unfortunately, life has been busy and the diva missed out on this. March's diners gave Market Grill 4 and 5 stars for service, all 4 stars for food, and all 3 stars for atmosphere. The Grill was liked overall, and our patrons would go back, but nothing exceptional of note to write home about (of course, you don't have to write about it - just direct folks to this blog!). The Grill's prices are reasonable, but portions are on the small side as well. One diner said the Asparagus Soup was delish - I commend this person for even trying something called Asparagus Soup - apparently it's worth the risk. I'll give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 spoons. What do you think of this new Grill? Rate & leave comments below!

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February Good Dinner: Salt, 2/29

I know, I know, bad, bad blogger! I've once again kept you in suspense as to what the GDC has been up to lately. Why, eating, of course! Unfortunately I had to miss the February Good Dinner, and it seems I missed a good one. February's dinner was at Salt, a new Central West End establishment. Salt is another restaurant taking on the trend of featuring locally grown food, keeping dishes fresh and simply delicious. This restaurant got great reviews by GDC members, which says a lot, as we generally have a discerning palate. Six diners provided reviews. For service, Salt received three 4 stars, and five 5 stars; for food and atmosphere alike, one 4 star, and the remaining five gave 5 stars. Not too shabby! Some additional comments included great, delish drinks, great fried chicken, "super cute" ambiance, and awesome bathrooms. Props also goes to Frank the server, and the knowledgeable bartender (sorry we don't have your name!) - both got good mentions. Now this sounds like one to try - if for no other reason to see what's so special about this bathroom! I'll give Salt 4.5 out of 5 stars based purely on my colleagues reviews, whom I trust entirely. Have you been to Salt? What are your thoughts? Rate & review below!

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January Council Meeting: Sidney Street Cafe, 1/28

January's club council meeting dinner was held at Soulard's Sidney Street Cafe. Club President Shelby's parents and niece joined us so that was delightful. Sidney Street is very upscale. It has a cozy atmosphere in a renovated old building, which I always appreciate.
I personally really enjoyed my meal. I had the Filet Bearnaise stuffed with lobster, and served with mashed potatoes. My husband enjoyed his meal as well -he ordered the Missouri Lamb Trio. Other diners opinions varied. Two people had the Pan Roasted Skate and gave it rave reviews. But other people gave the food three's on a scale of 1-5.
Service was pretty good. Our server Leslie was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu items, but service was slow - maybe on purpose for that "fine dining you have to wait for something this good" vibe. Not a fan of that. Diners beyond myself gave the atmosphere ratings of 2 and 3. This kind of surprised me. I think I'd personally give a 4 in this category. The venue is nothing that wows, but I found it to be unique and comfortable.
I can't write this review without acknowledging Shelby's major disappointment. Shelby was in love with an appetizer: Blue Cheese Tartlets. Because of these, Sidney Street had been Shelby's favorite restaurant. Shelby discovered they no longer had the wonder tartlets on the menu nor a comparable substitute, and was extremely disappointed. The server explained that they could be requested if given 24 hours notice prior to a dinner reservation, but that didn't satisfy. The tartlets were a hit with many - confirmed by our server who said many people request them - so why not keep a sure thing on the menu? Apparently the restaurant has undergone new management. Suffice it to say, this is no longer Shelby's favorite restaurant. Bummer. Major bummer.
That was for you Shelby. For myself - I can't close this review without mentioning the price. It's pricey. Like I've said before - if you're going to be pricey, the food better be worth it. My food was good, but given other reviews, it's apparently not a sure thing.

Are you willing to take the expensive bet? What do you think of Sidney Street Cafe? Please rate and review below!

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January Good Dinner: Trattoria Branica, 1/26

January's dinner was at Trattoria Branica in Frontenac, a St. Louis restaurant serving up fine Italian dining. I, however, had to miss this dinner unfortunately (Lord knows I love pasta!). Yet - maybe not so unfortunate. Reading diner reviews, this place sounded like somewhat of a letdown. The average food rating was fair and service was slow. The atmosphere didn't win over any hearts either - one person mentioned a loud disruptive drunk being one of the few other patrons in the restaurant, and another person called the decor "geriatric" - ouch. I will say, this is the original Trattoria Branica location. They have since opened Kirkwood and Chesterfield locations, and from the website's photos, the atmosphere of those locations seem to be more en vogue. However, they might want to try updating the first location before opening two new locations - seems this venue has been overlooked. That's all I've got for you. I'll have to check it out myself sometime...or, maybe not. What's your take on Trattoria Branica? Rate and reply below!

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December Good Dinner: Mad Tomato Italian Kitchen, 12/20

December's good dinner was at Mad Tomato in Clayton, and it was Good Dinner Club President Shelby's pick. The Tomato just opened this May, and is a restaurant with a conscience, serving local and organically farmed food and sustainable fish and seafood. We didn't do the group evaluations this time around, so I'll share with you my impression of the restaurant and some overall impressions from the group.

The Mad Tomato is a small quaint corner restaurant. I liked the restaurant's atmosphere overall, especially the big butcher block farm table we sat at, however we were right by the front windows (seated there b/c our group makes for some good eye candy I'm sure :)), and it was kind of drafty. That may sound a bit snooty, but honestly it's hard to really enjoy a meal when you can't quite get warm.

December's group was small, most likely because of the hustle of the holiday season, and although I too had a personal to-do list set aside for this outing, I am glad I took the time to dine in good company with good food. For my entree I selected the Lobster Ravioli, and Oh. My. Gosh. - it was sooooo good. This is one of those meals I'm sure to have cravings for in the future. The ravioli was in a bisque-like creamy sauce and the food just melted in my mouth! And for desert - get this - a goat cheese cheesecake topped with walnuts, apple slices and caramel. My resolution to eat healthy over the holidays got kicked out the door and down the street, but it was worth it, at least until I get on my scale. The restaurant is certainly doing something right with its commitment to fresh quality food and ingredients. You can taste the difference.

One issue, however, experienced by my hubby, the Dinner Club's Chair of Alcohol Affairs, was a lack of a varied drink selection. I think he requested about 4 different drink mixes before the waitress could affirm they had the drink ingredients on hand. That seems like kind of a silly thing for a restaurant to lack. Alcohol as far as I know has a pretty long shelf life, so buy a bottle of something so you at least have it on hand ... and in case you were wondering, it wasn't like he was requesting some vintage "circa" something drink. It was also comical that we were told there was just one serving of the lamb meatballs left, if anyone wanted it. That however, I understand, as it's harder to stay stocked up on something like that. This isn't McDonalds with a crate of frozen patties sitting in back.

As far as service at the Tomato goes, it was ok. Nothing to write home about, and at one point I think our server might have gotten annoyed with our requests, but she came around. Ok, one more thing actually: We were provided some flavorful bread rolls while waiting for our entrees, and it was kind of funny as we weren't offered butter or olive oil - we had to ask for some. That along with the drink limitations, I got a little vibe of "stinginess." Good thing the food was incredible, as that saved this experience for me. Most other diners were happy with their meal, but a couple people said their entrees were bland. Seems like when the Mad Tomato chefs get something right, they get it really right, but other items may fall short.

So I'm giving this Tomato 3 spoons. That's it for me. What do you think? Rate and post comments below!

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November Good Dinner: Tavern Kitchen & Bar, 11/22

November's Good Dinner was selected by Allison, and we went to Tavern Kitchen & Bar in Valley Park. Tavern opened in the Fall of 2010 and has gotten rave reviews since. In fact, St. Louis Magazine named it the 2011 Restaurant of the Year. Known for having "exquisite comfort food," this place lived up to the tag line. There was a large group of us this time around the dinner table, probably about 12, and we were seated at this long tall oak table in the front of the venue. The place had great ambiance and we had wonderful service by our awesome server Josh. Service got the highest ratings. Out of the 9 folks who submitted evaluations forms, 7 people gave service 5 spoons, and 2 gave 4 spoons. Most people were very happy with their food, and if not thrilled with there selection, there was a general excitement buzzing about the uniqueness of meal options. For food, three people gave 5 spoons, 2 gave 4.5, 3 gave 4 spoons, and one gave 3 spoons. I am proud to post our first food photo! This picture displays the Oak Plank Taster, consisting of Beef & Barley Stew, Chicken Saltimbocca, Pork Tenderloin and Filet 'Loco Moco' (I believe the filet has the egg on top). Talk about presentation! Folks were also impressed with the Pineapplitinis, a pineapple/vodka infused vodka & Malibu mixture. I chose a lighter fare this time around, having the Iceberg salad with bacon bits and candied pecans with a side order of the Cream 'Less' Corn. The corn was delish! On to atmosphere. Most liked the digs, with 7 diners giving 4 spoons, and 2 gave 3 spoons. The main drawback was the location actually. This is not the type of restaurant you expect to see in a strip mall behind a Taco Bell, which, unfortunately IS where you find it. But overall, a unique and cozy experience is what you find once you enter in. Overall, 2 people gave this Tavern 5 spoons, 3 people gave 4.5 spoons (ok, one person gave 4.25 spoons, but come'on people! Has anyone ever seen a quarter or half spoon?! I digress...). And 4 people gave 4 spoons. Personally, I'm going to give Tavern Kitchen & Bar 4 out of 5 spoons. Looking forward to a repeat visit. What do you think? Rate & leave your comments below!

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