900 Westport

When we knew we had a weekend in KC coming up we started to explore our 'fancy' Date Night options.  Bluestem made the shortlist pretty quick and almost certainly would have won out in the end due to the style of menu offered (it's pretty much a 5 or 10 course tasting), even though it was only 2 blocks from our Hotel.  We're also pretty sure we would have had a grand time at the runners up too...

Unassuming from outside in an almost beat up looking building.  Fortunately the bright blue colors used as part of their logo are obvious from outside so it's easy enough to find.  Inside there's a very casual lounge area with the 'fancy' restaurant bit off to the side and clearly segregated (although we thought it a little odd that the lounge people came through 'our' restaurant to get to the bathrooms - normally it's the other way around).  It's a sort of odd shape due to the shape of the building, but also because it needs a couple of steps down from the lounge.  Perhaps seats 40?  Simple decor, white table cloths, some fun antique type mirrors (that could easily be argued look out of place - but I'm not arguing that at all) made up a good portion of the wall closest to us.

We had a Primary Server (if that's fair) but the rest of the gang all contributed and answered questions as needed.  They were all polite and staid, but not snooty.  If you wanted to chat, they would chat, but they didn't seem to try to come across as chatty.  Although we'd seen the menu we still needed help understanding what was in front of us each time. Who ever was serving gave us the dissertation and although technically accurate it felt a bit like they had learned what to say more than learning the dish - just a feeling, apologies if I'm wrong.  A couple of times we had to ask for a bit of further clarification and anyone who we asked could help out.  We also got a quick chat with half the chef team.  She was walking back to the kitchen (not sure how she got out with out us seeing...), so we just said thanks with no expectation of a chat, but she stopped and did the sociable thing with us.  Thanks chef!  It's always pleasing to know that the chef (or chefs in this case) were actually out the back doing their cheffing best for us!

The designated Wine Server is actually the General Manager - makes sense in a place of this size.  I really like the way he handles the wine, and presented the wine (glasses appear on the table, he comes back with the bottle, pours, plonks it down on the table for your admiration - he doesn't leave the bottle, of course, when you're doing the tasting) and talked about the wine (but we did hear the exact same spiel for a couple of wines a couple of times around the room).  I double really like that when we congratulated him on pairing a red with a fish dish, and then returning to white for the next course that his response was that he pairs the dish with whatever is appropriate (and therefore, I interpret to mean the 'correct' pairing) and sometimes it comes out differently to what most of us have been taught to expect - I'm quite happy having unexpected wines come my way!

I love the way the menu is presented.  4 courses of 2 choices each, and a fifth with 5 choices.  It's offered as 5 courses (pick one from each), or 10 (everything but 1 dessert - perhaps my only gripe (and it's a very very very small gripe) is that we left something on the table) with a quite small note down the bottom that everything can be done À la carte if you prefer.  The wine list is relatively short, but the offer of a paired wine with each course makes the list pretty much irrelevant, and doubly so when the pairings turn out to be so great.

Our meal went a little like this:

• 10 Course Tasting Menu - not hard to argue it was really 14 courses if you count amouse bouches and that we each got a different dessert for each dessert course
  • goat cheese puff - simple and refreshing to get things started
  • salmon mousse - creamy & quite rich and almost the opposite of the puff - opposite in a good way!
  • crispy purple artichoke, asparagus, barigoule aioli, soil - one: purple artichoke was something new, two: crispy was another.  Just a fun dish that surprised us and made us smile.
    
    • Leitz Dragonstone Riesling (Germany) - of the style I look for in a Riesling - not sweet, rounded, a little bit of bite at the front of the mouth.
  • roasted beet, buttermilk lemon, pineapple, champagne vinaigrette - I guess my aversion to beets comes from those canned ones the parents would produce at just about any sort of family picnic / bbq arrangement. But when they come out like this, aversion all gone!
    
    • Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) - really good.  Our 'guy' spoke highly of it, and we have no reason to disagree.  It's everything you'd want from a Marlborough Sauv Blanc.
  • torchon of foie gras, strawberry mostarda, rhubarb, peanut, brioche - maaannnn, there wasn't enough brioche... Well, there probably was, but it was so good I may have distributed the foie gras inappropriately...  Fortunately we had some extra bread on the table (requested for random sauce mopping requirements) which still let the foie shine.  It was fun to combine it with all the little 'sides', but just the brioche would have caused no complaints.
    
    • Dr Loosen Barren Auslese Mosel (German) - a quite sweet wine that cut perfectly through the richness of the foie.  A clever pairing, bringing out a traditionally dessert type wine so early in the meal.
  • spring pea soup, crème fraiche gelee, lemon, pink peppercorn - a bit of a show to serve it, but better than any pea soup that's ever come my way before.  Something sneaky good having the peppercorns to 'play' with.
    • Scarpetta Pinot Grigio Friuli (Italy) - a funny dissertation from our 'guy' in that he said this is about the only Pinot Grigio he wants anything to do with.  We kind of like it in general, but this one was definitely up the top of the scale.  Crisp, yet full with a long finish.
  • diver scallops, fennel, cipollini, rock shrimp, mussels, smoked tomato sauce - the sauce may have been the star, but a great grouping of treats to go with it.
    • Adelsheim Pinot Noir (Oregon) - perhaps the best pairing of the meal.  No objections to red with my seafood at all, but this wine matched up with the smokey sauce perfectly.
  • escolar, braised bacon, green garlic, aji amarillo, brown butter - you could have just served the fish on it's own and everyone would be happy (perhaps confused, but happy), but when you put it with everything else everyone gets extra happy.
    
    • Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc (Alsace) - I admit it sort of a fake highlight, but I really like that they served us a red and then went back to a white.  I think the wine benefited from having the fish around.  A big nose, a gentle even finish.
  • glazed duroc pork, baby bok choy, scallion, wonton noodle, lemongrass broth - we ate some good BBQ while in town, but this was easily the best pork we saw.  The noodle was different, and got our attention as a texture contrast rather than flavor compliment.  The broth was awesome!
    
    • La Garrigue Vacqueyras (Rhone Valley) - no specific memory of this.  I think that means it was a nice safe pairing and that it didn't distract from the yumminess of the pork.
  • duo of vintage beef, asparagus, fava bean, roasted garlic potato, black garlic - two melt in your mouth cuts that would make any meat eater grin.  A fun combination of goodies to go with them.
    
    • Marques De Murietta Reserva (Rioja) - perhaps my favorite wine of the evening.  A little bit spicy in the finish, lots of nice tannins up front.  Probably don't want it without something beefy.
  • selection of artisan cheeses with accoutrements - the cheeses them self were nothing super memorable, but paired up with non-standard cheese pairing devices (one was pickled fennel, the other 2 were equally as surprising) made the plate a treat.
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny - it's been awhile since I've done the Port / Cheese thing and I might be a little bummed I let it get away from me.  If the Pinot Noir wasn't the best pairing, this was.
  • milk chocolate & black tea pot de crème, almond madeleines, rose water, cream - what?  A lot going on that turned out to all work nicely together.
    
    • Moscato d'Asti (Italy) - nice and refreshing.  Almost sad we didn't get a go at this when the amuse bouche came our way.
  • dark chocolate ice cream float, birch beer, mint whip, fried brownie - for the trivia inclined of us, this would be called a 'spider' back home, but don't ask why.  It may just be the perfect way to unwind after all that came before.
    
    • Strega Cocktail - who said my wine pairings have to be all wines?  I have no idea what Strega is, but I'm glad I got to try it.  I probably should have asked, but I got a sort of pine tree feel about it, but it was a cocktail and not a shot so other fun stuff may have been the reason.
  • lemon chiffon, strawberry, milk jam, rhubarb, candied orange, ginger - fun and light and sweet and it comes with rhubarb.
    
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny (Oregon) - sneaky serving it again, technically a sensible pairing, but the least favorite pairing we saw - but that might have been cocktail envy from across the table...

As always we don't really want to rank the dishes, but we all do...  There was no loser, just a couple of slightly better winners.  The Escolar was an easy (and agreeable) #1.  We're not quite agreed on the next couple, but a pretty good compromise is the Pork & Scallop a tie for #2, the Beef and Pea Soup at #4 and everything else pretty much equal at #6 (including the amouse bouches).  An honorable mention to the Artichoke for surprising us so nicely - which probably means it gets the #6 spot on its own.

We're definitely better off for having visited with Bluestem.  A wonderful, relaxed and tasty meal!  We're glad we went the 10 course option and not the 5 option with differing dishes.  Yes we would have seen everything, but not got the full experience by 'stealing' bits and pieces across the table.

We're perhaps a bit worse off for knowing that even though they met in Chicago, they decided to move back to his home and set up the show in KC - we bare them no grudge for making family decisions, but we're sad that it's unlikely we'll get to visit with them again.

Stay JOLLY!
D

2450 Grand Avenue (Crown Center)

On a day where we found ourselves in a Mall as we got hungry and with the goal of avoiding Fast Food type stuff as much as possible while traveling, we lucked into the Streetcar only seconds before we caved and lined up with the masses.  Ultimately a simple meal where we got to sit down, watch the tourists and relax a bit before heading off on our next adventure.

No idea the validity of the story, but apparently the section we sat in was an actual Streetcar from times past that had been relocated a couple of times before ending up as the front of a Mall Restaurant.  Perhaps it really was called Desire?  The rest of the place is just a restaurant, nothing special, nothing bad to look at.  A couple of TVs around the place, a large 'patio' out in the Mall and an arrangement of tables (most of which are designed for rearranging to meet the size needs of various parties) and booths.

Nothing complicated about the menu especially when we were barely looking past the salad and sandwich section.  It does have to be noted that we blinked more than once when our Server went through the list of Sides to join our Sandwiches and one of them was Cottage Cheese.  Umm?

Our meal went a little like this:

• Boulevard Bully Porter
• Boulevard Pale Ale
  
• Ham & Cheese - optional dressings, went with the Honey Mustard but more for French Fry dipping...
• Tuna Salad Sandwich - some of the previously mentioned Honey Mustard Dressing found it's way on to the Sandwich and everyone was happy.

It served our needs, and we sure could have done worse had we been just a little more hungry and less patient...

Stay JOLLY!
D

On the River, under the Arch!

We aren't spring chickens by any stretch of the imagination (although one of us does still get carded from time to time...) but we were aware quite quickly that we may be the youngest non-children on the boat.  Ultimately, we probably weren't, but not by much.  It's actually irrelevant to how our afternoon worked out, but we noticed...

It's a boat, and decked out very much in the style of the Riverboats of 'olden times' - the paddle on the back is just there for looks and no smoke comes out of the smoke stacks.  A couple of decks inside and plenty of room up on the roof, but if you want to just sit at your table with a cocktail you won't miss out on anything.  The buffet is on the lower level, and we assume that's where the dance floor is for the evening cruises. 

There's a 2 man band playing 'Riverboat Tunes' pretty much the whole time and although it's not unpleasant to have in the background, for me (and I'm not making any assumptions as to anyone else's take on this) I kind of felt like I needed to listen to some really heavy metal for a bit after we left the boat to undo what had been going on for just on 2 hours.

Not that it's relevant to the service we got, but boy did our Server look like one of the cousins.  Just say'n...  For what she had to do she took care of us - got our drinks, didn't lose my credit card security deposit (I think they prefer cash?), came and got us when the buffet opened up and collected our used plates promptly enough.  We did go back for seconds, and one of us would have had thirds had they not brought some cakes up to our level.

The site seeing part of the tour is not really the highlight and had this been our introduction to St Louis, we may have been a little disappointed, but seeing we'd completed our site seeing for the weekend by the time we stepped on the boat (and past the very annoying photo takers!) it wasn't the end of the world.  We expected a commentary of some sort and were a little surprised to only here the Captain chatting when he told us where to find a life vest - we didn't need one.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Screwdriver
• Chardonnay
• Brunch Buffet
  • French Toast
  • Blintzes
  • Scrambled Eggs (2 ways)
  • Sausage
  • Prime Rib
  • Shrimp
  • Stuffed Chicken Breast
  • Wild Rice Salad
  • Pasta Shells (2 ways)
  • Salad Salad
  • Fruit Salad
  • Cheese Cake
  • Chocolate Cake

We were relaxed, we got to take some fun tourist photos and we ate maybe one shrimp too many.  A very pleasant afternoon and end to our stay in St Louis.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1059 South Big Bend

When we were looking for a place for our Date Night while in St Louis I was leaning towards a couple of places much closer to our Hotel than Harvest.  I probably would not have been disappointed had we stayed close by, but I'm now very glad I capitulated and accepted the longer journey.  For the record, Harvest was on my short list so I didn't fold too badly... and it wasn't really all that far away.

They've been around for a few years now, opening in '97 we assume based on a 1997 award for Best New Restaurant.  Their philosophy is very much Seasonal product and Local whenever possible.  I really do appreciate and understand the logic of this, but I'm still not convinced it gets a better product on my plate - I accept it probably does, I just don't have that concrete proof, yet...  I'm willing to find and / or listen to arguments to sway me.  Regardless of my undefined feelings on this topic, everything that ended up on my plate this night was wonderful!

It's a fairly nondescript building from the outside, but being exactly where google said it would be made it easy enough to find.  Stepping inside and up to the host stand I was a bit anxious because it was so very dark.  The bar just off to the side was not really any brighter.  Fortunately, once we got behind the wine rack (used as a room divider) the room (split into 3 sections) was the correct amount of bright you would normally expect.  Phew!  I'm not sure what the theme is, but it's earthy colors.  Some parts are a bit abstract in shape, and others are not.  Some tables have candles, some have a light hanging over them from the ceiling.

The music was relatively low so we're not exactly sure what they were playing.  Considering the place was just about full when we arrived the level of ambient talking noise was really quite low - not sure if that was the crowd or the venue or both, but a pleasant occurrence - and if you really really really wanted to be eavesdropping, you could.

We loved our Server!  She was friendly, helpful, polite, sociable, answered non-food questions happily, offered her thoughts on which fish dish we should go with sensibly and could care less that we didn't order in the traditional 3 course style.  She even took a good great photo of us - some would argue that's a hard task given the subject material...

The owner was out and about and after we figured out (our Server helped us) who he was we learned he's very hands on.  He was the chef when they opened, but now he seems to like to be a bit of everything.  We saw him socializing, greeting, bussing tables, serving food, serving wine and he wears his kitchen apron through all this so he can help on the line if need be.  I'm not sure he could be any more involved in the nightly running of the 'show'. I'd like to think that's how I'd run my restaurant - as unlikely a scenario as that is.

The menu is straight forward enough, and you could easily navigate it without the help of your Server.  They have a section called their 'Spa Menu' which is a couple of a Appetizers and Mains designed at the very healthy end of the scale.  Although we weren't specifically looking for 'very' health we did choose one dish from this section - not surprisingly we were no worse for the experience (and arguably better off).

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Harvest Sidecar
• All for Love
• Rosemary-Onion Flatbread (asparagus, olive, tomato, fontina) - Great crust.  I suspect anything placed on it would be great, even nothing too, but the chef put together a great combination
• Carmel Road Pinot (out of California) - Nothing really memorable about this wine which in this case I'm taking as a good thing as no memories includes those of the bad kind strongly suggesting it played nicely with everything we chose.
• Crispy Crabcake (black bean corn salad, salsa verde) - it was crispy, and yummy.
• Rabbit Confit (porcini gnocchi, prosciutto, sage, arugula) - a great dish, but I may have like the gnocchi a little more than the rabbit.
• Sweet Corn Bisque (lobster ravioli) - smooth and silky and luscious without the ravioli, but a nice treat with.
• Butterfish (fingerling potatoes, champagne sabion) - our 'very' healthy dish and had we not known it was 'special' we would have enjoyed it just as much.
• Cantaloupe Gelato - probably technically not gelato, but very cantaloupey

We were taken care of, fed very well, were allowed to relax and all in very pleasant surrounds.  If we lived closer than a 6 hour drive we'd certainly return, but alas...  Although we'd tell ourselves that next time (whenever that may be) in St Louis we should try out something else, it's highly likely we'd struggle to look past Harvest.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1901 Washington Avenue

We thought it appropriate to eat at at least one venue that says they serve St Louis style ribs while in St Louis.  We weren't (and still aren't) exactly sure what makes a rib a St Louis style rib but we soldiered on gamely trusting the Restaurant to know what needed to be known on this topic.  We ended up at the first one that jumped out at us from our Where magazine.

It's a quite large place on a corner, very light from ceiling height windows on the street sides, has a big open fire place - absolutely not needed this day! and a good size bar.  Kind of 'fancy' for what you might expect of a place that has 'Barbeque' in it's name - not that this is a bad thing - with modern artwork, shiny tables, shiny bar, light shades that aren't just a bulb.  After taking all this in, it was kind of odd to be given plastic cutlery and plates.  Also a fair sized outside area on the street side with a couple of grills out there - not in action.  We can kind of see the place jamming on a Friday or Saturday evening, but for our lunch it was just us and 2 other tables.

The menu is easy enough to navigate but we didn't really take it all in focusing in on anything that said ribs.  We appreciate the variety of combo plates offered.  Our Server was friendly enough, but perhaps a little bored with how quiet the place was.  He certainly kept an eye on our drinks, but didn't say much other than to declare that this was the place to come for BBQ in St Louis.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Soda
• Lemonade
• Small Combo Plate
  • ¼ Slab Ribs - tasty dry rub, enjoyable to eat, but I would argue for a longer time in the smoker.
  • ¼ Chicken - same dry rub, cooked just right, juicy.
  • ¼ pound Beef Brisket - same dry rub (well if each thing had a different rub, we couldn't pick it), melt in your mouth good
  • Optional BBQ Sauce - on the side (which I really appreciate!) and I think I prefered everything without it.
  • Potato Salad
  • Green Beans

On another marginally hotter than stink'n hot day, we found a single Small Combo Plate to be the perfect amount of food for us to share.

If a Restaurant chooses to serve their meals to us in (on?) plastic baskets (with matching side 'dishes') and plastic cutlery we're never going to go running out the door.  It is, however, extremely unlikely we'll be back.  Smoking Joe's fits into this category.  If the place is take-out with a couple of tables (usually on the street under a beaten up umbrella) and you choose to sit their with your take-out, then baskets and disposables are quite ok.  I just don't get why it's acceptable in a primarily non-take-out place.  Sorry, just don't get it.

Stay JOLLY!
D

1200 Russell Blvd

The place was jamming!  We arrived a little before noon and there weren't a lot of empty tables from what we could see.  The crowd appeared to be non-tourists (but we didn't conduct a poll, just using their dress as a guide) so we think it's fair to say they have a very loyal local trade - good for them!

They do have an outside section, but seeing it was marginally hotter than stink'n hot we were a little surprised to be offered an outside seat (after contemplating this offer for a complete second and a half, we declined) and even more surprised to see people actually out there.  To each their own, but for us outside was never a consideration this day.  Something you don't get asked anymore here in Chicago (and many many many other places; a list which is growing all the time, right?) is if we'd like smoking or non-smoking, so it took us a bit to ruminate over what we were actually being asked since it has become such a foreign question to us.  Non-smoking is of course the answer, but we didn't notice the smoking section at all.

We could see 3 sections; the bar, our section which was made up of groups of no more than 6 (and was always close to full) and a section we didn't venture into, but based on the traffic seemed to hold the larger groups - but that's just a gut feeling.  Pictures of what we assume to be old time Ireland abound the bar area and our section had lots of stained glass - as windows, as hanging decorations and as light fixtures.  The wood work was dark and the stained glass fit in just fine.

For as busy as the place was, our Server didn't seem harried at all.  She had no specials to tell us about and gave us plenty of time to consider our choices.  She did a great job of keeping our much needed beverages topped up - thanks!

An easy enough menu to navigate and had we not just spent 6 hours in the car and not been as close to the hot and bothered end of the comfort scale we probably would have tried one or even two of the appetizers and maybe a dessert too (Whiskey Bread Pudding anyone?), but as it was, what we chose was the right amount of food on this day.

Our Meal went a little something like this:

• Lemonade
• Soda
• Bangers & Mash - Great gravy.  House made pork and potato sausage, mild in flavor but yummy as a package deal with the Mash and Gravy.
• Oven-Roasted Turkey Sandwich - Was it really a turkey club that wasn't toasted?  Tasty and satisfying.  House made crisps, not fries.

Yes, we had exactly zero beers at an Irish Pub.  In our defense, we were minutes away from doing a tour of the Brewery just up the road and we had tickets for the Cubs game (technically it was a Cardinal's game, I guess, since we were going to their park) straight after the tour.  Sometimes, it's all about priorities.

It's unlikely we'll be back to St Louis any time soon, and should that change we probably won't go back to McGurk's.  Not because anything was wrong or bad with our visit - exactly the opposite, but there are many other places we feel we should also try in this neighborhood given the opportunity.

Stay JOLLY!
D