June's dinner took place at Truffles in Ladue. What a breath of fresh air after a disappointing May dinner. From the moment I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised with the great customer service and extraordinary experience. Why surprised? Well, I am ashamed to say that knowing the restaurant was in Ladue, I feared to be met with some snobbishness - I think I was scarred from our bad experience last month. The reality was quite the contrary. I was first greeted by a genuinely friendly host, who led me to my table. It was another big turnout so we were split between two tables, which is understandable, and they were ready for us.
First off, once again we give props to a fabulous server: Beth. She was wonderful, very knowledgeable and helpful with explaining menu options, and everything came out of the kitchen accurately.
Something that concerned me at first glance was the menu prices - but don't let this discourage you! First of all, this place is worth the expense. Secondly, upon noticing they had main options to share, I decided to go that route with two other GDC members, Tabitha and Michelle, as so much looked good, we wanted to try an array of items. And in doing this, our bill ended up quite reasonable.
First we tried this amazing cheesy melt-in-your mouth ball of spread that was served with crackers - amazing. Simply delectable. Then we went onto a pasta dish - some sort of risotto with pesto - the menu is frequently updated so I can't recall the exact names of these items. Again, heavenly. Let me tell you, by this time, we are thoroughly enjoying our dinner - the food and great company, as well as great service.
For our main dish big enough to share we selected the "Whole Roasted Chicken". They should rename this the "Wholey Cow Chicken" because that is what you'll say upon first bite - it's so good. First of all, the presentation was impressive: they brought out the whole chicken to show before taking it back to the kitchen to carve for us. It was golden brown, perfectly seasoned and juicy. The main entrees also came with two sides - this dish wasn't just big enough for two, three of us split it and then two of us took generous leftover portions home! Literally a family of four could have enjoyed this meal. For sides we went all carbs tossing any guilt out the window - a potato item and another type of gnocchi - yum and yum.
Well we just couldn't stop there. We had to get dessert - two actually (hey, there were three of us after all!). We selected the assorted cookie plate and "Bombolini" - something like doughnut holes and espresso dip...Heaven. But here's the real shocker, a more daring dinner club member and this month's host, Holly, ordered a dessert called "Peanut Butter Semifreddo with chilled rhubarb soup." Sounds really odd - and we were told it tasted like peanut butter and jelly - even odder - BUT, you'll have to take my word for it - it was the best dessert of the three, as Holly graciously offered samplings. And yes, it does taste like PB&J, but sweeter and oh so smooth.
All I can say is you'll have to try it for yourself - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. My hubby was out of town and had to miss this GDC and I immediately reported back to him saying we'll have to go there on a date night sometime in the near future. If there was a way to give this restaurant 6 out of 5 stars I would. At the very least, I give 5 out of 5 stars.
Kudos, Truffles! What do you think of Truffles? Rate & reply below!
6/21/11
May Good Dinner: Farmhaus, 5/13
May's dinner was at Farmhaus in Lindenwood Park, and boy what a turnout! We had a HUGE group. I'm not sure how many were in attendance, but at least 25. You'd think this new restaurant would appreciate the patronage, but unfortunately that was not the case.
The restaurant requests reservations be made for dinner, and we were understanding of the small space, and therefore did make reservations, and we were ok with our group being split up among various tables, but nevertheless, we felt like we were not welcome. The hostess seemed to have a hard time seating us (this might be because they got their books wrong, as my husband received a call the Friday AFTER Good Dinner Club from someone at Farmhaus wanting to confirm our reservations - 'uh, that reservation was for last week!'), and Kevin, the Chef/Owner, made his frustration apparent when he asked to have a 'word' with our President Shelby. That set things off to a bad start.
Despite this unfortunate beginning, we can't argue with good food, and it was great, most folks ranking the meal with 5 out 5 five spoons, however, many people also wished the portions were bigger. I always thought people ate hearty 'down on the farm'! I too loved the food, but my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf was also very small.
In addition, we need to give a shout-out to server Brittany. Many people mentioned what a great job she did. She was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and unlike others, welcoming. Thank you Brittany for your fabulousness!
All in all, the food was great (but could amp-up serving size a bit), however I'm not sure that will be enough to get some people back in the door. Folks like to feel welcome, and some also complained that because of the tiny space and restaurant configuration, it was very loud and hard to hear your own conversation. Granted, we were a big contributor to the ruckus, but if the layout was different, I don't think the noise would've been such a distraction. The restaurant probably didn't expect the immediate popularity it has received, so we understand the reason for the small space, but our recommendation is: Be happy for the success, and expand so you don't have to be rude when large crowds "inconvenience" you.
That's my dish. I give this restaurant a 2 out of 5 spoons. What about you?
The restaurant requests reservations be made for dinner, and we were understanding of the small space, and therefore did make reservations, and we were ok with our group being split up among various tables, but nevertheless, we felt like we were not welcome. The hostess seemed to have a hard time seating us (this might be because they got their books wrong, as my husband received a call the Friday AFTER Good Dinner Club from someone at Farmhaus wanting to confirm our reservations - 'uh, that reservation was for last week!'), and Kevin, the Chef/Owner, made his frustration apparent when he asked to have a 'word' with our President Shelby. That set things off to a bad start.
Despite this unfortunate beginning, we can't argue with good food, and it was great, most folks ranking the meal with 5 out 5 five spoons, however, many people also wished the portions were bigger. I always thought people ate hearty 'down on the farm'! I too loved the food, but my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf was also very small.
In addition, we need to give a shout-out to server Brittany. Many people mentioned what a great job she did. She was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and unlike others, welcoming. Thank you Brittany for your fabulousness!
All in all, the food was great (but could amp-up serving size a bit), however I'm not sure that will be enough to get some people back in the door. Folks like to feel welcome, and some also complained that because of the tiny space and restaurant configuration, it was very loud and hard to hear your own conversation. Granted, we were a big contributor to the ruckus, but if the layout was different, I don't think the noise would've been such a distraction. The restaurant probably didn't expect the immediate popularity it has received, so we understand the reason for the small space, but our recommendation is: Be happy for the success, and expand so you don't have to be rude when large crowds "inconvenience" you.
That's my dish. I give this restaurant a 2 out of 5 spoons. What about you?
5/19/11
Dining out for Life: 1111 Mississippi, 4/28
The good dinner club hosted a special edition dinner, in addition to our regular monthly dinners, so that we could support the St. Louis Effort for Aids Dining Out for Life fundraiser. One day a year, many St. Louis restaurants elect to help the fight against aids by donating at least 25% of any patron's check to support the work of Saint Louis Effort for AIDS.
For this event, Good Dinner Club President Shelby Watson planned a group dinner at 111 Mississippi. I was unable to attend this event, so for this time around, I'll just leave you with the comments of other GDC diners:
If you want the facts, here is how the restaurant was rated in numbers:
Service: 4.8 out of 5
Food: 4.6 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
The GDC can sometimes be hard to please, but looks like the people have spoken. I give 1111 Mississippi the first 5 out of 5 spoons rating!
What do you think? Rate & leave your comments below!
For this event, Good Dinner Club President Shelby Watson planned a group dinner at 111 Mississippi. I was unable to attend this event, so for this time around, I'll just leave you with the comments of other GDC diners:
- "A great atmosphere - lovely. Love outside area, so nice. My food - lovely, good size portions."
- "Food was perfect EXCEPT the bacon had too much fat"
- "The wine room is perfect for 'dinner clubbing'! Everything was delish!"
- "Great! Great! Great! Daniel, our super cute server was on point...polite, attentive and quick. The Halibut was fantastic! Light and delicious...lobster sauce to die for...we dined in a private wine room which was very nice, intimate and quaint."
- "Our waiter Daniel was really wonderful, attentive and got everything exactly right! We were overjoyed to be in the special wine room that is semi-private, really special. My food was wonderful! The rib eye is spectacular and the brussel sprouts will change your opinion of brussel sprouts forever!"
If you want the facts, here is how the restaurant was rated in numbers:
Service: 4.8 out of 5
Food: 4.6 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
The GDC can sometimes be hard to please, but looks like the people have spoken. I give 1111 Mississippi the first 5 out of 5 spoons rating!
What do you think? Rate & leave your comments below!
5/6/11
April Good Dinner: Araka, 4/15
April's dinner was at Araka in Clayton. I personally wasn't too thrilled about the restaurant choice, as I haven't had very good experiences there in the past. But twas host Tyler's choice, so let's roll with it. I think there was again around 10 of us in attendance. We did have a nice table set up for us and were seated on time. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and very high class in appearance - the bathroom even wows. But sadly, the restaurant reminds me of a Monet painting: at a distance, the setting looks beautiful and inviting, but when you take a closer look, it's kind of a mess.
First disappointment was the menu. I should have counted but I honestly think there were no more than 8 items to choose from, and nothing sounded all that great, especially for the price. And the menu we were given didn't match the menu shown on their website. Just as an example/warning, the online menu shows four pizza options, and in the restaurant there was only one pizza choice. In addition, our wine recommendation from Jackie Olinger was not on the restaurant menu anymore. Our server excused these errors by saying that the dinner menu had just changed that day, but I'm looking at the site now, 3 weeks later, and the menu has still not been updated. So many people like to look at restaurant menus online beforehand, this is a simple thing that can be easily updated.
Moving on, as we placed our orders, we found some things were no longer available as the restaurant ran out of ingredients - one being spinach. I can understand this to an extent, but spinach can be easily acquired from any one of the many grocers in a 5 mile radius of the restaurant. I ordered a salad and pizza.
Next up - let's eat....or maybe not...let's wait...and wait....and....wait. It took forever for us to get our food. And this has happened to our group before on a trip to Araka. I was seated at 7 p.m. and didn't leave until around 10 p.m. and that was without having dessert. I'm not sure why there is always such a wait....especially because the restaurant is never full.
The food at Araka is of high quality, but due to a lack of variety, and all these obstacles that seem to arise any time I patronize Araka, I'd rather go to any number of other local restaurants with just as, if not better, food. I have a feeling this is why Araka is always sparsely occupied. The only area that was hopping was the bar, which was packed by the time I left. This must be what is keeping Araka in business. Our server did a decent job... I almost felt pity for him, almost like he was used to the complaints and so much of the restaurant problems were out of his control. I've also heard many others complain about service at Araka, so I hate to go on and on about this, but maybe we'll inspire improvement. They have the bones for a good restaurant: quality food, beautiful ambiance, but stops short after that. So unfortunately for now, I'm going to rate them with 2 out of 5 spoons. What's your take on Araka? Let us know - rate and post comments below!
First disappointment was the menu. I should have counted but I honestly think there were no more than 8 items to choose from, and nothing sounded all that great, especially for the price. And the menu we were given didn't match the menu shown on their website. Just as an example/warning, the online menu shows four pizza options, and in the restaurant there was only one pizza choice. In addition, our wine recommendation from Jackie Olinger was not on the restaurant menu anymore. Our server excused these errors by saying that the dinner menu had just changed that day, but I'm looking at the site now, 3 weeks later, and the menu has still not been updated. So many people like to look at restaurant menus online beforehand, this is a simple thing that can be easily updated.
Moving on, as we placed our orders, we found some things were no longer available as the restaurant ran out of ingredients - one being spinach. I can understand this to an extent, but spinach can be easily acquired from any one of the many grocers in a 5 mile radius of the restaurant. I ordered a salad and pizza.
Next up - let's eat....or maybe not...let's wait...and wait....and....wait. It took forever for us to get our food. And this has happened to our group before on a trip to Araka. I was seated at 7 p.m. and didn't leave until around 10 p.m. and that was without having dessert. I'm not sure why there is always such a wait....especially because the restaurant is never full.
The food at Araka is of high quality, but due to a lack of variety, and all these obstacles that seem to arise any time I patronize Araka, I'd rather go to any number of other local restaurants with just as, if not better, food. I have a feeling this is why Araka is always sparsely occupied. The only area that was hopping was the bar, which was packed by the time I left. This must be what is keeping Araka in business. Our server did a decent job... I almost felt pity for him, almost like he was used to the complaints and so much of the restaurant problems were out of his control. I've also heard many others complain about service at Araka, so I hate to go on and on about this, but maybe we'll inspire improvement. They have the bones for a good restaurant: quality food, beautiful ambiance, but stops short after that. So unfortunately for now, I'm going to rate them with 2 out of 5 spoons. What's your take on Araka? Let us know - rate and post comments below!
4/11/11
Quarterly Council Meeting: Morton's The Steakhouse, 4/3
The Good Dinner Club is just one of many clubs organized by the Clubs Council. Quarterly, committee council members go out for dinner to discuss how our many clubs are fairing, and discuss any issues or new ideas. We do council meetings a bit differently, as instead of going to a restaurant where a host has never been, we go to one of our council member's favorite restaurants. So this time around we went to Morton's in Clayton, one of Erica Freeman's favorites. It was a small group: myself, Erica Freeman, GDC Vice President, Kendra Howard, Sergeant at Arms, Ronda, Officer of Host Affairs, Jackie Olinger, Member at Large, and GDC President Shelby Watson.
Morton's has a warm, upscale atmosphere - and it doesn't just feel upscale - it is upscale. It is probably one of the priciest restaurants in St. Louis. There are Morton's restaurants all over the U.S., and they are known for having high-quality steak and seafood, which is one reason for the high prices. For this reason, I, a notorious penny pincher, unfortunately can't tell you from personal experience how great the surf and turf is, because I ordered a salad. BUT - the salad was fabulous, and it wasn't your average salad. It consisted of huge beefsteak tomato slices drenched with blue cheese dressing & blue cheese crumbles - yum. And it was so filling I honestly couldn't even eat it all - but that might also have to do with the delicious warm bread we were provided upon being seated. I also split an order of hashbrown potatoes, which were ok, but I didn't think they were any more special than the hashbrowns I might get at a 24-hr diner. Others at the table did order more liberally and I can say that everyone was very pleased with their selections. And as far as drinks go, they have a great wine list, however, this is another restaurant with only bottled beer - no draft - is this a new trend? Given the caliber of the restaurant, this surprised me. And let me just say - my two bottles of Bluemoon were $7 each - I find that outrageous for beer. I understand the food being a higher quality and therefore demanding a higher price, but this same beer can be enjoyed for $4 at the restaurant down the street. Ok, moving on.
Morton's is also known for having great customer service. As their website itself boasts "each guest is treated like a VIP," I can attest that this is true. Jake was our server and was very nice and patient with our group, which can sometimes be high-maintenance. I especially appreciated that I was still treated in VIP-fashion even though my meager dinner order was more like that of a pauper. If Jake was disappointed that our bill, and consequently his tip, wouldn't be what he had hoped for, he didn't show it. Other restaurant staff came by our table as well and were warm and welcoming. Even the lobster, that we fondly named Larry, was gracious enough to not jump off Jake's display cart and make a run for the door to save his own claws, therefore sparing some of the ladies at my table a heart-attack.
In conclusion, I give this restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 spoons, as really my only "complaint" would be the high price, but just because the menu isn't in my preferred price-range, doesn't make it a bad restaurant. And at least with that price comes the quality of food and superior customer service you should expect, which I can't say for some other local restaurants. What do you think of Morton's? Please rate and comment below!
Morton's has a warm, upscale atmosphere - and it doesn't just feel upscale - it is upscale. It is probably one of the priciest restaurants in St. Louis. There are Morton's restaurants all over the U.S., and they are known for having high-quality steak and seafood, which is one reason for the high prices. For this reason, I, a notorious penny pincher, unfortunately can't tell you from personal experience how great the surf and turf is, because I ordered a salad. BUT - the salad was fabulous, and it wasn't your average salad. It consisted of huge beefsteak tomato slices drenched with blue cheese dressing & blue cheese crumbles - yum. And it was so filling I honestly couldn't even eat it all - but that might also have to do with the delicious warm bread we were provided upon being seated. I also split an order of hashbrown potatoes, which were ok, but I didn't think they were any more special than the hashbrowns I might get at a 24-hr diner. Others at the table did order more liberally and I can say that everyone was very pleased with their selections. And as far as drinks go, they have a great wine list, however, this is another restaurant with only bottled beer - no draft - is this a new trend? Given the caliber of the restaurant, this surprised me. And let me just say - my two bottles of Bluemoon were $7 each - I find that outrageous for beer. I understand the food being a higher quality and therefore demanding a higher price, but this same beer can be enjoyed for $4 at the restaurant down the street. Ok, moving on.
Morton's is also known for having great customer service. As their website itself boasts "each guest is treated like a VIP," I can attest that this is true. Jake was our server and was very nice and patient with our group, which can sometimes be high-maintenance. I especially appreciated that I was still treated in VIP-fashion even though my meager dinner order was more like that of a pauper. If Jake was disappointed that our bill, and consequently his tip, wouldn't be what he had hoped for, he didn't show it. Other restaurant staff came by our table as well and were warm and welcoming. Even the lobster, that we fondly named Larry, was gracious enough to not jump off Jake's display cart and make a run for the door to save his own claws, therefore sparing some of the ladies at my table a heart-attack.
In conclusion, I give this restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 spoons, as really my only "complaint" would be the high price, but just because the menu isn't in my preferred price-range, doesn't make it a bad restaurant. And at least with that price comes the quality of food and superior customer service you should expect, which I can't say for some other local restaurants. What do you think of Morton's? Please rate and comment below!
3/31/11
March Good Dinner: Yellowstone Cafe, 3/26
March's dinner was at Yellowstone Cafe in Chesterfield. It was snowing quite a bit that day, and made travel for some a bit challenging. Sreenu Dandamudi was the host but was unable to make it. But still, ten brave souls attended. Because of hazardous driving conditions, many diners were late arriving at Yellowstone, including myself, and it was brought to my attention that the hostess wouldn't seat anyone at the table until the whole party arrived - not exactly a great greeting when coming in from out of the cold. They eventually seated most of the party after Shelby could confirm that those not yet present were on their way. We understand that restaurants don't want to waste table space, but the dining room was sparsely occupied and we had called ahead with reservations. Nevertheless, our group was happily seated in the warm "outdoorsy" dining room that had decor reminiscent of the Bass Pro Shop by the time my tardy husband and I arrived.
We had a nice waitress who was quick to take drink orders as we perused the menu. Oh - which reminds me - no beer on tap - only bottles, just an FYI. I was really looking forward to a frosty cold one, however the waitress was happy to supply me with a frosted glass so I could pretend it was draft. Another quirk to mention is the bathroom. The bathroom was a single stall, unisex bathroom, located right off the dining room with just a little drywall to separate it from our table. We deducted, however, that given the restaurant location, the space was most likely retail space originally, so Yellowstone had to work with what they had, and they did seem to make the most of it, as it was nice and clean. You may just wish to ask for seating that is not so conveniently located by the bathroom if this sort of thing erks you. It didn't bother me at all, and I'm not sure if it necessarily bothered anyone else, but the topic did come up amongst the diners.
Next, appetizer orders were placed, and instead of bread and butter, the restaurant provided crackers and cheese spread, which proved quite tasty. I tried the crab cakes and they were delicious! The dinner menu was expansive and very reasonably priced, with salads, sandwiches and burgers in the $8-10 range, and entrees and pasta dishes for $15-20. I didn't hear any complaints over anyone's dinner selection. A few folks ordered the Walleye, a featured menu item, and quite enjoyed it. Some entrees were a little on the salty side, but flavorful still.
And then there was dessert. This was probably the highlight of the evening. Yellowstone had a great dessert selection of cobblers, pies, etc. and the options excited the crowd. I must say the caramel apple pie was amazing. Also available is a variety of fun-flavored coffees that are more like desserts in their own right - they at least sound amazing but you'll have to see for yourself as we opted for the fully-loaded desserts instead of drinks.
All in all, it was an enjoyable evening and the food was down-home good. I think I'd rate this restaurant with 3.5 out of 5 spoons. What do you think of Yellowstone? Rate and post thoughts below!
We had a nice waitress who was quick to take drink orders as we perused the menu. Oh - which reminds me - no beer on tap - only bottles, just an FYI. I was really looking forward to a frosty cold one, however the waitress was happy to supply me with a frosted glass so I could pretend it was draft. Another quirk to mention is the bathroom. The bathroom was a single stall, unisex bathroom, located right off the dining room with just a little drywall to separate it from our table. We deducted, however, that given the restaurant location, the space was most likely retail space originally, so Yellowstone had to work with what they had, and they did seem to make the most of it, as it was nice and clean. You may just wish to ask for seating that is not so conveniently located by the bathroom if this sort of thing erks you. It didn't bother me at all, and I'm not sure if it necessarily bothered anyone else, but the topic did come up amongst the diners.
Next, appetizer orders were placed, and instead of bread and butter, the restaurant provided crackers and cheese spread, which proved quite tasty. I tried the crab cakes and they were delicious! The dinner menu was expansive and very reasonably priced, with salads, sandwiches and burgers in the $8-10 range, and entrees and pasta dishes for $15-20. I didn't hear any complaints over anyone's dinner selection. A few folks ordered the Walleye, a featured menu item, and quite enjoyed it. Some entrees were a little on the salty side, but flavorful still.
And then there was dessert. This was probably the highlight of the evening. Yellowstone had a great dessert selection of cobblers, pies, etc. and the options excited the crowd. I must say the caramel apple pie was amazing. Also available is a variety of fun-flavored coffees that are more like desserts in their own right - they at least sound amazing but you'll have to see for yourself as we opted for the fully-loaded desserts instead of drinks.
All in all, it was an enjoyable evening and the food was down-home good. I think I'd rate this restaurant with 3.5 out of 5 spoons. What do you think of Yellowstone? Rate and post thoughts below!
3/11/11
Bacana Brasil: Restaurant's Response
Bacana Brasil read our blog and contacted me with their response. There is some good information here I wanted to pass along, although I'm still hoping they install diaper changing tables. ;)
"We are glad to be included as one of the reviewed establishments of your blog. We would like to bring to the attention of your readers that we offer a vegetarian option for $15.95 at the bar area, as well as our signature single skewer. The Signature skewer includes all you can eat hot bar and salad bar as well as a one skewer of seven of our most popular items for $18.00 at the bar area. Plus we our offering a $25 certificate of value for $10 at our website: www.bacanabrasil.com"
Please note, the certificate they refer to is only valid on dinners Sunday through Thursday, with a $35 or more purchase.
"We are glad to be included as one of the reviewed establishments of your blog. We would like to bring to the attention of your readers that we offer a vegetarian option for $15.95 at the bar area, as well as our signature single skewer. The Signature skewer includes all you can eat hot bar and salad bar as well as a one skewer of seven of our most popular items for $18.00 at the bar area. Plus we our offering a $25 certificate of value for $10 at our website: www.bacanabrasil.com"
Please note, the certificate they refer to is only valid on dinners Sunday through Thursday, with a $35 or more purchase.
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