OLIO

It's been a year since I've entered anything on this blog! I cannot believe it, but it's true. Primarily it was because we keep going to our old favorites, and when we do go to a new restaurant, I feel as though I need to go back to it at least one or two more times to do it justice. Then, there were times when I was so busy eating, enjoying the people that we accompanied there, that I plain forgot to give the food the attention it deserved in order to report on it.

Ben Poremba has changed all that. He has opened two excellent eating places; one, Olio, is an informal, delightful small plate establishment in a former gasoline station, and the other is Elaia, a sophisticated, elegant and exploratory dining room that shows off his considerable talents.

Today I will only tell you of my experiences at Olio. It is located just 2 blocks north of the Missouri Botanical Garden on Tower Grove Ave and McCree Street. The transformation from a filling station to a charming eatery is absolutely wonderful. I can't wait until the weather is warm enough so the sliding overhead glass door that used to be used to bring the cars in for repairs, is opened for outdoor dining.

The space as it is right now, works beautifully. There's a bar area with great looking, very comfortable stools, where you can sample the amazing wines and cocktails that are available, as well as have your choices off the menu. The adjacent space has several ice-cream marble tables that seat 2-4 people each.

The prep space is small, but, wow, what comes out of that space is remarkable. In the evenings there is a rotisserie and every evening there is a different choice of a rotisserie item to be had.

These are some of the dishes I have sampled there.  CELERY ROOT REMOULADE, julienned celery root with a lovely, light creamy dressing. I am a big fan of celery root. It is a remarkable vegetable. It looks pretty rough when it comes out of the ground or when you find it at your grocer, but the flavor is spectacular. Julienned, the texture is crunchy and truly elegant. Do try it.

I've also had the KALE AND ANCHOVY SALAD. Tiny green ribbons of baby kale that are crunchy and never bitter, are married to a dressing that is made of anchovies and a very fine olive oil. Sharing is a must, and the portions allow you to do so handsomely. Even so, I wish I had had more to enjoy of that dish after my table mates  helped themselves.

The CHARRED EGGPLANT DIP is smokey and amazing. It is served with great bread. It's a true winner. 

Soups change daily and are only available at lunch. Most recently I had the CELERY SOUP which was thick with minced vegetables and came with a soft cooked egg in the center! Lovely, lovely.

In the sandwich department there's the "FAMOUS" EGG SALAD. It is better than your mama's, I promise. It is also huge, so plan on sharing. The bread it's served on is fabulous as well. I've also sampled the MORTADELLA, BUTTER AND PICKLED ONION sandwich. Yum.

The menu has CHEESE SELECTIONS that are very different from any selections I've seen on any menu around town. There's a VEGETABLE AND SALAD group, try the MARINATED BEETS AND RICOTTA. SPREADS AND DIPS are wonderful with your first glass of wine. SALUMI AND CHARCUTERIE are all home made and cured. Ben began his food adventures in St Louis with his Salumi Beddu, first at Farmers' Markets, and then at his first establishment on Hampton Avenue. All the selections in this category are worth your interest. There's FISH AND SEAFOOD and under this title I am anxious to try the OCTOPUS SALAD WITH CHICK PEAS AND EDAMAME.

As you can see there are plenty of choices for all kinds of appetites.  After 5:30PM there are selections by the day of HOT PLATES AND ROTISSERIE.  So come and try them out.

I have never made it to dessert yet...but one of these days. 

Take a look at the menu on line at oliostl.com.

Olio 

1634 Tower Grove Ave

932-1088

RIVERBEND RESTAURANT AND BAR

We had a terrific Friday lunch at this delicious restaurant that is close to the Brewery in Soulard.  Sam and Pat Kogos have created a bit of N"Orleans and it is delicious!

 

I had read a review of it in St Louis Magazine in March and filed it away for further reference. That review was really favorable as well, so last Friday for our Friday Lunch Date, that's where we went.

We both chose the same things, not our usual practice, and I will tell you that they were both so good that I can't wait to go back and try the entire menu.

Sam's dad seated us at a nice table in the window. It was a day in the 60's and there were so hearty folks having lunch outside, but I need the mid-70's for that kind of dining.

We had the SEAFOOD GUMBO which is served on Fridays only, and I am sure glad we did. It was scrumptious. We each had a cup instead of a bowl because we wanted to try the COCHON DE LAIT PO-BOY that had been described in the STLMagazine.  All I can say is that I was disappointed when I had finished the gumbo because I wanted it to go on and on!

But then we had the COCHON (pork) de LAIT (milk) PO-BOY, which we split, because it's a big sandwich served on a hot and crusty bread made especially for them by Vitale Bakery.  YUM!

It was layered with amazingly tender and flavorful pork slices, mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles. Positively scrumptious. What a treat.

We were both full, but we couldn't leave without trying the desserts. I had the HOUSE MADE BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE  and Chuck had the TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE.  Pat Kogos makes the bread pudding and it is unlike any bread pudding I've had in St Louis. It's custardy, with golden raisins and an incredible sauce. It is served hot. The chocolate cake is also served hot! Yes, hot. It has chocolate chunks and a chocolate sauce and is moist and transportable. This cake is made by a lady in Clayton.

We were told that in the summer menu, which is about to appear, there will be a PRALINE CHEESECAKE made by Little Taste of Heaven Bakery from Edwardsville, and a CRAWFISH CORN BISQUE. You can't beat it.

As you can tell we were blown away by this meal. We will be back. And we encourage all of you to go there. It is truly a FIND!

Riverbend Restaurant and Bar

701 Utah Street

St Louis MO 63118

www.riverbendbar.com

Sidney Street Cafe

We had another wonderful experience and meal at Sidney Street Cafe Thursday night. This is one of my most favorite restaurants, as you well know if you've been reading St Louie Foodie.

The atmosphere is warm, cozy, yet sophisticated, and, dare I say, romantic. This is one restaurant where you can have an intimate conversation.

We were there with four friends and everyone agreed that the meal was delicious, the service was excellent, and the experience was one to be repeated often.

Kevin Nashan has made this St Louis favorite even better. His devotion to better food manifests his philosophy in the way he has wrapped his parking lot with raised beds of vegetables and herbs, the seeds he is sowing now for this summer, the meats he is smoking in his own charcuterie, and the jars of preserved fruits and vegetables that he canned last summer to use in his restaurant this winter.

I highly recommend this restaurant to all my good and special friends. If you haven't been to Sidney street Cafe in years, it is high time for you to remedy that. You won't be disappointed.

Sidney Street Cafe
2000 Sidney Street
St Louis, MO 63104
314-771-5777
www.sidneystreetcafe.com

Niche

Last night my husband and I went to Niche. It was a memorable experience. From the moment I walk in through the door, the atmosphere makes me feel as though I am in another city. I am not sure that this reaction is one that Gerard Craft wants, but it's there for me nonetheless. I say that because Gerard not only got the "establishment" to look at St Louis with his outstanding talent, but he is a huge St Louis booster, and he is doing whatever is in his power, to bring even more culinary interest to our city. We are blessed with talent.

Before I get to our meal, I'd like to point out that the decor, the lighting, the intimacy,  the friendliness and knowledge of the staff, all combine to make dining there delightful. I say that knowing that this Summer, Niche will be moving to new quarters in Clayton, and I hope that these qualities will not be lost.

Now to our food.
Chuck and I started our meal with Celery Root Soup. It was absolutely amazingly delicious. The texture of the broth was silken. First the warm bowl came from the kitchen with a still life of crunchy wheat berries , tiny pieces of grapefruit and tarragon. Then in a separate container the soup was poured over this assemblage in a creamy, hot stream. The flavor and the different textures on your tongue hit all the high spots; salty, sweet, tart, and crunchy. It was so good I asked Carrie, our wonderful waitress to bring spoons so I could give the people sitting next to us, whom we did not even know, a taste. Earlier, they had shared some squid ink drenched bread that had been deep fried on their choice of first course, Lobster, with Celery,Green Apple and Togarashi Hollandaise. These are the kinds of things that happen at Niche.

Next, my Honey had Wild Steelhead, with Fennel, Blood Orange, Pistachio. This is a fish in the trout family with pink flesh. The fennel was roasted and caramelized, the sauce was blood orange and a kaffir lime reduction, and the pistachio was a puree  mixed with marscapone cheese. There were what looked like very delicate potato chips that turned out to be the very thin, crispy skin of the Steelhead, that Carrie said is called pescarone. The plate was gorgeous; the pale pink of the fish, the red of the blood orange sauce, the soft green of the pistachio-marscapone and the pale golden brown of the fish skin that somehow was perched on its edges. It was not only delicious but exquisite.

My choice was Pork Duo, that consisted of Smoked Pork Shoulder, Pulled Belly, Popcorn Polenta, and Hickory Broth. Talk about flavor and texture! it was a tour de force. The pork shoulder had been smoked so that the flavor was perfect, not too smokey but delicious, and had been pulled apart into tender morsels. The pork belly was fatty and yummy. The popcorn polenta was wonderful. The popcorn had been popped in butter, pureed and mixed with the polenta which was then made into a cake and seared. To make something delicious even more so, the cake was topped with crispy pork cracklings. All of this was enhanced by a thin hickory broth that married all parts together beautifully. Amazing.

Our dessert came on a long, thin white plate. On it was Beet Micro Sponge Cake, Coconut Chocolate Crumble with Dehydrated Beets, Orange Sambucca Sorbet, Dark Chocolate Ice-Cream, Walnuts and Dill.
What a fabulous meal.

Niche Restaurant
1831 Sidney Street
St Louis MO 63104
314-773-7755
nichestlouis.com

HOME WINE KITCHEN

Tonight we had a very relaxed and delicious dinner at Home Wine Kitchen in Maplewood. I really like the ambiance in this place; it's friendly, calm, and welcoming. Which does not mean that it is not lively. It's that too.

There's just something about the blackboard behind the bar with the wines by the glass listed on it-reds on the right, whites on the left signified by their logo, which is a house inside a circle, lighter for the whites, darker for the reds, that somehow pleased me visually. All the wines by the glass are the same price, $7.

Their menu changes weekly. You can sign up on their website to get it my email, which I recommend. The chef is Cassandra Vires and she is very talented. She is co-owner with Joshua Renbarger, who is the "wine guy", and he really knows his stuff. The combination of these two and their philosophy of asking you to come into their "Home", "Kitchen", "Wine Bar", really works.

Tonight Chuck had the White Mackerel made with saffron, lemon, gold potatoes that had been slightly smashed with their skins still on, white wine and herbs.  I had the Pork Fillet which consisted of two hearts of the pork chop wrapped in speck( bacon) fig, and white wine served with roasted Brussel Sprouts in balsamic vinegar. It was excellent.  The perfect Fall meal.

For dessert I chose Sea Salt Shortbread Biscuits with Fig Jam and Humboldt Fog Cheese and Black Walnuts. The combination was perfect, but it wasn't "sweet" so my Honey didn't much care for it.  i loved the cheese which is creamy and woodsy.

I recommend this place for all my friends to try.  They serve lunch as well and are closed on Tuesdays.
Take a look at their website for more information.

HomeWineKitchen
7322 Manchester Road
314-802-7676
homewinekitchen.com

Side Door at Liluma

Want to have some fun? Try Liluma's Side Door. We went there last night before the Symphony and tried a bunch of things on the Side Door menu. We had a blast.


First, the menu starts off with a statement by the owner, Jim Fiala : "'You really ought to do something with that back room' has been the suggestion of many caring customers at Liluma since we opened. Let's make it simple, fun and fresh. I have not described the dishes, so you must just trust me. I promise you'll like them all."

Well, we didn't try all of them, but we tried a variety and I'll tell you about the ones I liked. The menu is divided between "Bites" $4, "Pillows"$7, and "Snacks"$10, plus "Afterthoughts"$5.

From the "Bites" menu, I chose Shitake Custard and Crostini, which reminds you of the yummy Blue Cheese Soufflé at The Crossings. This was every bit as good, I loved it. My Honey had the "Fried Green Tomato" and pronounced it yummy. Friends of ours had "Squash and Bacon" and thought it was terrific.

From the "Pillows"(which turn out, not surprisingly, to be home made ravioli), I had "Squash and Nuts", a combo of butternut squash and pistachios, really good. Chuck had "Vichyssoise" a potato and leek combination with a pesto topping, he liked it a lot.

"Snacks" turn out to be slightly larger proportions and we tried"Surf and Turf", which was a large grilled scallop and spaghetti squash ( veggies come from the "turf", get it?) and that was quite good. We also tried "Fish and Chips" which was grilled Tilapia and homemade potato chips, also good.

There's a lot more to choose from, so go take a shot at it. You'll have fun and it's a great way to share. It's nice to be surprised, and the Side Door does that with a great deal of humor.

www.fialafood.com

ACERO

We returned to ACERO last night after going to see Red at the Repertory Theater (which was excellent) and got a warm welcome from the hostess and Sam Foley, the manager. It always seems warm and friendly there and I'm so grateful for restaurants like ACERO. I'm obviously not alone, the place was full and the customers looked happy.

 I can't seem to go there and not have their BRUSCHETTA with CARAMELIZED ONIONS, GORGONZOLA AND A TOUCH OF HONEY. Not only that, but I had RAINBOW TROUT, ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, SPRING ONION, LEMON AND CAPERS again, too! So instead of duplicating my last blog on this terrific Italian restaurant, I will tell you about my companions' dinners.

Two of our friends had the L'INSALATA MISTA, which is made with BLUE CHEESE, DRIED CRANBERRIES, MISSOURI PECANS, PEAR AND RED ONION. How does that sound?
One of them had the CROSTINI FEGATINI, MARSALA CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE, which was a generous portion served spread on a wonderful ciabatta bread slice. He followed that with the SPAGHETTI CHITARRA AMATRICANNA, which can be ordered with a fried egg on top for a slight charge, but he ordered extra red sauce, because he likes it that way.

Our other friend ordered the GRILLED TUNA WITH CELERY ROOT PUREE AND RED WINE SAUCE. The tuna was done to perfection and celery root is a delightful change from mashed potatoes plus it really complimented the tuna.

My husband ordered the Chef's Menu which was 4 courses.  He started with BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP, then had the CROSTINI FEGATINI, and followed that with the GRILLED TUNA, but instead of the celery root, which he doesn't care for, ADAM GNAU, the chef, fixed it with ROASTED CAULIFLOWER and it worked really well. For dessert he chose, no surprise, the WARM CHOCOLATE TART with VANILLA ICE CREAM.

Our server, Maggie, was terrific. The room was crowded but not noisy, so you could have a conversation with your table mates and not have to raise your voice. I keep going back to ACERO, you should too.

ACERO
7266 Manchester Road
63143
314-644-1790 www.fialafood.com