Water Street

We have our 12 year old grandson visiting with us this Summer and I find that my computer isn't always available, so I'm a little late in reporting on this charming place in Maplewood.

Here's the kind of small but delightful spot I really like. It's attractive, the food is interesting, the drinks are creative, and the service is friendly.

Gabe Kveton has been in the food industry for 10 years and was ready to try his wings, so he and his sister, Maria, have started Water Street. Maria does the cooking and it's excellent. Gabe is in the front of the house making sure everyone is well taken care of and happy.

They've come up with a simple, light edited menu that can be changed often. Gabe is enchanted with a book named "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" and he picks a "new" cocktail from the book every week. Try the Hemingway Daiquiri, with Rum, Maraschino Liqueur, Organic Lime and Grapefruit.

The Kvetons are dedicated to organic fruits and vegetables and it is reflected in their cocktails as well as their food menu. They also have a menu of non-alcoloic drinks that are delicious, like Elderberry Flower Cordial with Seltzer and Lime, or Muddled Organic Raspberries in their House Made Lemonade and Mint, to mention just two. On tap is 1554 New Belgium Dark Ale,  312 Goose Island Wheat Ale, Urban Chestnut' Winged Nut' and Great Divide Titan IPA, as well as bottled beers and an interesting wine list.

The food menu is divided by small and large plates. The night we were there we tried Cucumbers topped with Gorgonzola Mousse and Pancetta and Chicken Liver Pate with Pistachios. Both were delicious.
Chuck had the Mussels and Chorizo in a spicy tomato and white wine sauce, that was much to his liking-he asked for a spoon to get up the last of the liquid, and I had the Sauteed Golden Trout over Spinach with a Chilled Red Beet Salad. It was an interesting combination that worked really well.
For dessert we opted for the Brownie Butter Square with Fresh Fruit and Whipped Cream and the Mixed Berry almond Tart served warm with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream.
I recommend this very sweet place. Go soon.

Water Street
7268 Manchester Rd
St Louis, MO 63143
314-646-8355
www.waterstreetstl.com

Ka Ka O/ Chocolates and Confections

If you haven't stopped in at Brian Pelletier's new chocolate and confection shop at 7272 manchester Road, you need to do so immediately.
The shop is extremely attractive and the chocolates are amazing. We were there Friday evening; I could have "bought the store". We were on our way to dinner and the temperature was hovering around 98 degrees, so we bought some yummy chocolate barks and took them with us to the restaurant to keep them from becoming chocolate puddles.
We love dark chocolate bark which is a thin layer of dark chocolate with goodies embedded in them. Friday night we got Dark Chocolate with Toasted Pecans, Fire Roasted Tomato Bark ( when you buy this bark Operation food Search gets $1 of the purchase price), Cracked Whte Pepper and Sea Salt Bark, and a Baies Rose Bar with Pink Peppercorns.
As you can see, it's an adventure to go to ka ka o (pronounced with a short a in the first ka, a long a in the second ka , and a long o). It's a real treat. Yum.

ka ka o
7272 Manchester Road
Maplewood, MO 63143
314-645-4446

2301 South Jefferson Ave
St Louis, MO 63104
314-771-2310
www.kakaochocolate.com

half & half

It's been a while since I've entered anything on this blog. Primarily it was because we were repeating some of our favorites and secondly it was because I was not inspired to recommend some of the new places we tried during this period.

However, I now have a suggestion for a new place in Clayton that deserves your patronage. Today, Chuck and I went to half & half  ( yes, all lower case letters) on Maryland Avenue in downtown Clayton that took The Best of Everything space in the colonial strip east of Forsyth.

It's owned by Michael Randolph, the chef who also owns The Good Pie.  half & half serves breakfast and lunch from 7AM to 2:30PM Tuesday through Friday, and 8AM to 2:30PM Saturday and Sunday.

We started with the Donuts which were absolutely yummy. Hot, crisp on the outside they reminded me of the beignets in New Orleans. What a way to start the day. They are served in a big coffee cup, and there's about 4-5 in every order.

I chose the Brussels Sprout and Cheddar Omelet, mostly because I was curious to see what it would be like. It was perfectly cooked, with some moisture to the eggs and cheese that was oozing from the first forkful. I opted for the fruit instead of the potatoes that come with the omelet.
Chuck ordered the Fried Chicken Livers. If your heart will take it, that's a real winner! Everyone around us wanted o know what it was as it was placed in front of my Honey. The livers come piled up over roasted potatoes then all of that is piled even higher with French Fried Onions, Caper Aioli Sauce is drizzled over the top, plus a perfectly cooked fried egg. It's a meal and then some, but absolutely delicious.

The breakfast menu has Granola, Oven Baked Oatmeal, Pancakes two different ways, French Toast two different ways, and at least 10 egg dishes, all of which looked fabulous.

The Lunch menu has 4 different Salads, and a bunch of great looking Sandwiches, plus a "rotating coffee menu...offering two seasonal coffees in a variety of hand-crafted styles". 


The Brunch Menu on the weekends features fresh, seasonal ingredients and every time I've passed by there on a weekend, the place is jammed, inside and out.

This place is a keeper. Stop by and try your favorites. You won't be sorry.

half & half
8135 Maryland Ave.
63105
twitter.com/halfandhalfstl

halfandhalfstl.com