December Good Dinner: Vin de Set, 12/18

December's dinner venue was selected by host Jerina: Vin de Set in the Benton Park/Lafayette Square area. I was sad to have to miss this dinner at the last minute, stuck at home with a sick child. I've only enjoyed a happy hour at Vin de Set before, and have yet to dine there. It seems this spot has really gained much popularity. Unfortunately, we had a small turn out for this December dinner, which happens around holiday seasons. Those that attended thought the service was excellent and everything else - food, ambiance - was ok. I've heard reviews of this spot on both ends of the spectrum - some absolutely love it, others, not so much. A close friend of mine's husband actually got food poisoning from a visit! I'd say if you haven't been, you should go and see for yourself. I'll give Vin de Set 3 out of 5 spoons based on the Club's review.
What do you think of Vin de  Set? Please rate & comment below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

November Good Dinner: Nico, 11/30

November's dinner was at Nico, a somewhat new restaurant in the Delmar Loop featuring Mediterranean Cuisine. My husband was the November host, and I'm not surprised he chose Nico, as it is owned by those who developed Franco, a Soulard gem we've always enjoyed. And Nico didn't disappoint. For starters, there is free valet, which in the Loop especially, is a great perk. We experienced friendly and quick service by a knowledgeable waitress. The ambiance is somewhat stark, but it fits the urban trendy vibe that envelops the loop. On a scale of 1-5, most everyone gave 4's on everything from service, food & atmosphere. There was nothing particularly spectacular to make me want to run back there, but if someone invited me to dine with them at Nico in the future, I'd gladly attend, and be able to rest assured it would be pleasurable experience with quality food. I give Nico 4 out of 5 spoons.
Have you dined at Nico? What did you think? Please rate & comment below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

October Good Dinner: Matthew's Kitchen, 10/30

October's Good Dinner venue was Matthew's Kitchen, located in my south-city neighborhood of Southhampton, and why not? I was the host after all! Matthew's Kitchen recently look over the old Del Pietro's location, and I was glad to see the charming brick building stay in use. Matthew's seemed to call my name every time I drove by it - it looked so inviting! Needless to say, I was excited to finally have the opportunity to check it out, and who else better to share in a detailed investigation other than our Good Dinner Club?
By the time my husband & I arrived, daughter in tow, most everyone else was already seated upstairs at a long table nestled in the back of a quiet but large room. Everyone from the hostess, to the wait staff was very warm and welcoming, and seemed genuinely glad we had decided to dine with them. The ambiance was very warm & inviting. We had plenty of room to spread out at our table, and yet were still able to hear conversation well enough from end to end. Of course, we were eating on a weeknight, one night prior to Halloween, and there were few other diners present at the time, so I can only speak from our experience.
Our server aimed to please, and although he was initially a little slow on drink orders (which is somewhat expected with a larger group, and maybe he had to go downstairs to get them), everything quickly progressed at a comfortable pace.
Onto the menu: it was mouthwatering, and full of some unique items you don't generally come across, like Pig Wings, as opposed to chicken wings, which of course my husband had to try out, so we got them as our appetizer and did enjoy them. Matthew's is also distinct in that it's a far cry from normal uppity eatery trends these days boasting all-natural, cage-free, free-range, locally produced, organic, animal friendly terminology. I'm not saying Matthew's food isn't fresh or any of those things (I really don't know), but for example they fry some food and serve it up homestyle, and aren't ashamed to say it. I for one ordered the Shepard's Pie served in a cast-iron skillet. It was good, but I did have some foodie remorse, because their were so many good choices, and when I saw my fellow GDCer served some Shrimp & Grits in the most presenting of fashions, I was downright jealous. Everyone seemed pretty pleased with their selections overall, and in reviews, one noted the baked potato soup and generous serving of short ribs were both delicious.
I concur with the words of another who said "Enjoyable food and overall experience. Was very pleased with my drink, appetizer and dessert, and look forward to trying other dishes I saw served. I will definitely go back, and would gladly recommend to others." I am proud to report that we all seemed to enjoy my restaurant selection. In reviews, Matthew's got unanimously 4 out of 5 spoons for service, 4 & 5 spoons for food, mostly 4 spoons for atmosphere and another unanimous 4 spoons for overall experience. So it's safe to say I give this quaint south city spot a solid 4 spoons, and you should definitely check it out.

Have you been to Matthews? What did you think? Please rate & review below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

September Good Dinner: Tavolo V, 9/24

GDC President Shelby was host of our September dinner, and she selected Tavolo V, a restaurant new this year to the Delmar Loop. An Italian restaurant featuring mainly pizza & pasta with some additional surf and turf entrees, I really liked Tavolo V's curb appeal. A great open restaurant which spills out onto the sidewalk. If the weather had been nice, I would've loved to have sat outside. Not too busy the evening we attended, we were seated upon arrival, and the server was friendly. However, after that, service was a little slow. After one GDC'er ordered the calamari, and after seeing how good it looked, Shelby ordered her own, but this turned out to be her first disappointment. In her own words, "My drinks were absolutely delicious but my food left much to be desired. I ordered a calamari appetizer after another diner's looked so good. Mine ended up overcooked and under seasoned. I ordered chicken scaloppine which just seemed way to thick to be a scaloppine and wasn't very well seasoned either." For the rest in attendance, the food was ok, but nothing spectacular. The same was true of the risotto I ordered. Maybe we should've tried the pizza? They did have Shock Top beer on tap which was enjoyed.

Have you tried Tavolo V? What do you think of this new Loop locale? Rate & review below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

September Council Meeting: Blood & Sand, 9/13

The September Club's Council dinner meeting was at Blood & Sand, a members-only restaurant and bar downtown, which Ronda hosted. Council members in attendance really appreciated the outstanding service and great food. I had to miss this meeting, but B&S got all 4 and 5 spoon ratings except one 3-spoon rating for ambiance. It seems the overall impression is you get what your membership pays for: great food and great service. One Council member said, "I loved it! The excellent service and personal attention is the cherry on top of the scrumptious food. A fav for sure." However, not everyone was so eager to pay a monthly membership fee for this.

Sounds like while this restaurant got mostly high scores, the membership deal isn't for everyone, so I'll give this unique restaurant 4 out of 5 spoons.

Have you been? Would you pay to join? Rate & review Blood & Sand below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

August Good Dinner: Jim Edmond's Fifteen, 8/23

The August Good Dinner locale was selected by host Earl: Jim Edmond's 15, a downtown steakhouse. I had to miss this dinner due to a family vacation. Unfortunately, it looks like I didn't miss much and it might be best I saved my money this time around. As for service, our diners gave the waitress an average 3 spoon rating. Apparently, it seems she was really nice and trying hard but new and not well trained, which reflects poorly on management and seems the slow/inadequate service might be due to understaffing. To further back this hypothesis, patrons were greeted by a server at the door instead of a hostess, and there was no bartender working the bar at 6:30pm. Hmmm. As far as the food goes, folks were excited about the menu which sounded promising, but somewhat disappointed in the quality upon arrival, especially for a menu with a higher price-point. In addition, one diner felt what may be called an upscale restaurant wasn't reflected by the ambiance - which I'm gathering was lack-luster and maybe not fully conceived. Overall impression was this restaurant isn't horrible, but didn't leave GDC'ers any reason to rush back. I'll give them far less than 15 for sure: 2.5 spoons out of 5, trusting my fellow diners' sincere reviews.

Have you been to 15? What did you think? Rate & review below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.

July Good Dinner: Franco, 7/24

July's dinner was at Franco's in Soulard. I love Franco's, and it has a special fondness in my heart because my hubby and I went there once for our anniversary dinner and the owner treated us to a complementary champagne toast, which was really thoughtful. So I was glad our host Sheena chose this unique eatery. Seated in a reclaimed old brick building steps from Soulard Market, Franco's serves French cuisine with a modern twist. In addition, they pride themselves on serving locally grown produce and locally raised meat. The freshness is tastable (is this a word?). July's good dinner was a quaint group, I believe 6 of us in all, circled around a nice corner table. I love the ambiance of this place. Once again Franco's did not disappoint. Almost everyone gave the restaurant straight 4 spoons out of 5 in service, food, atmosphere & overall. One diner said "The french onion soup is one of the best I have ever had in my life and my apple tarte tartin was really tasty." I can't promise they'll have these same items when you go, as Franco's is always switching things up, but I can tell you whatever you get, it's sure to be good.

I'll gladly comply with my GDC'ers and give Franco 4 heaping spoons out of 5. How about you? What do you think of Franco? Rate & leave comments below!

NOTE: To comment, click on red "comments" text below this blog box.