Citizen Kane's in Kirkwood 12-19-24

Overall I think I'd give this place a 3/5 

We haven't been to Citizen Kane's in so long, that I completely forgot where it was.  I had no idea that it was in Kirkwood down by the Magic House and very close to several other restaurants we frequent.  I think the fact that it is just off the main road makes me forget it.

We had tickets to the Fox to see Straight, No Chaser.  So, we made early reservations (5 pm).  I was very surprised to see that there were a lot of other diners at this time.  That is unusual for a Thursday night at 5 pm.  

We were seated in the upstairs room and in the entire upstairs they had all the ceiling fans turned on.  It made for a cool breeze.  I saw an older lady across the room put her coat back on.  As we walked out, later, I commented to Mike how the temperature in the downstairs was easily 5+ degrees warmer.

The menu is not much for someone who doesn't want a steak.  There is one piece of salmon or the shrimp scampi pasta.   I decided to do the shrimp dish and should have maybe done the salmon.  

The dish was some linguine with a creamy sauce that had been flavored with garlic.  It very much reminded me of cream of chicken soup.  It was just a big bowl of pasta with four shrimp on top.  It wasn't very warm when it arrived and with the ceiling fans, it cooled off way too quickly.  This made it even less appetizing.  I ate the luke warm shrimp (they had been cooked nicely) and a few bites of the pasta, but it wasn't worth eating.  I was given a "side" with my entree.  I could have ordered a baked potatoe (I always think this is odd with a pasta dish).  I ordered some green geens with almonds.  They were good, but they were too long to eat daintily.  Since I didn't have a plate, I couldn't cut them with a knife.  That was awkward. 

Mike had steak, of course.  This was the reason we came here.  He ordered a filet.  It was done as he wanted.  He said it was good.  He got a baked potatoe with it. 

I know Mike's steak was good, but the fact that they really don't have anything on the menu that I like will probably keep us from coming back here again any time soon.  The wait staff was good, but the room was cold and I didn't like the food. 

 

 

Billy G's in Chesterfield 12-13-24

 Billy G's in Kirkwood is a place we've thought about trying several times.  Last Friday I needed to run an errand in Chesterfield, so I suggested we find a place to eat supper in that area.  

I noticed that a new Billy G's had opened at the corner of Clarkson and Baxter.  When I looked online I was surprised by the menu.  They had breakfast and sandwiches and pizza and pasta.  It was all different kinds of foods.

When we arrived, we were surprised to see they had taken over the entire area that used to be Balaban's and Which Which and Noodle & Co.  It was totally remodeled but it wasn't anything like the Billy G's in Kirkwood.  It was shiny chrome.  It was diner tables and chairs.  It looked like a breakfast place.  

They still had the Italian dishes of their heritage, but they had sooo many other things.  

We each got a drink (Mike got a beer and I got a glass of wine).  It just felt weird to be drinking in a place that felt like a breakfast place.  

I got spaghetti and meatballs and Mike got lasagna.  We both thought they were good but the ambiance was just odd.  

Maybe they decided that this area could use a diner.  Maybe they are open for late night partiers and early morning diners.  

Who knows??  I don't think Mike and I will be back to this location

Kreis' Steakhouse

 Kreis' is a staple.  It is always nice and it is always good.

We got reservations just a week earlier, so we didn't have the "best" seats in the house.  We were in the basement dining room.  That bugged Mike.  Our waiter was good, but he was spread a little thin.  

We had a cocktail, and the vodka collins was just OK.  No one knows to blend it and make it foamy like Cunnetto's does.

We ordered a bottle of Ferrari Carano Siena red wine.  It was pretty good.  

The special appetizer of the evening was crab stuffed shrimps.  They were good.  We ordered 2 each.  They were something like $5-10 a piece!

For dinner I ordered the scallops.  They were OK (they could have used more seare), but the rice pilaf they were served with was not.  It was slightly greasy and not warm.

Mike got a large piece of prime rib.  We both got big baked potatoes.  

It was a nice meal in a nice setting.  

Trattoria Marcella 11-16-24

 It has been years since we've been to Trattoria Marcella.  All I remember is that they have lobster risotto.  

We arrived at about 4:55 and there was an entire family of about a dozen people (all in one group) waiting outside to get in in front of us.  You could see the people inside, but they let us all wait for the full 5 or 6 minutes (in the cold) before opening the doors.  That is not a great first impression.

Then, we were put in a way back room.  Mike didn't like that.  We were some of the first people there and we by-passed the main dining room.  I don't know why.  

Our waiter told us that one of the specials for the night was the lobster risotto.  As I get older, stuff with cream sometimes makes me have a stomachache, so I decided against it.  We had a cocktail.  I ordered some Italian kind of orange martini.  It was OK, it was too strong alcohol taste.  

Then we asked for a bottle of Edge cabernet to be opened.  It was good, we liked it...but red wine goes so well with red sauce (and chocolate dessert)!

Mike ordered a salad, and that was fine. Then he got the spaghetti and meatballs.  He said it was OK, but when he went to eat the leftovers 2 days later, he said he had decided that he didn't really like their sauce and we didn't need to go back there.  

I ordered the eggplant parm appetizer as my entree.  I usually love eggplant.  This was their "new" way of preparing it.  It was layered with cheese, like a lasagna.  It was not near as good as it would have been if it had just been fried and put out on the plate.  I also don't understand how this is supposed to be an appetizer.  It was totally unsharable.  I took 1/2 of it home for leftovers and ended up not eating it.  

The most redeeming thing of the night were the desserts.  Mike and I usually split dessert.  He gets one and I eat 2 bites and I'm done.  But he wanted tiramissou and I wanted the chocolate creme brule.  So, we each got dessert.  His was very coffee forward.  He liked that.  Mine tasted just like my mom's chocolate pie (which I love).  So, the food wasn't our favorite, but the desserts we a nice end to the meal.

Brasserie by Niche 11-9-24

 It has been several years since we have been at Brasserie.  It was pouring rain when we arrived and parked on the street.  They do have valet parking, just don't have a 5:00 reseration and expect the valet to be up and running yet.  He gets going by about 5:15.  

We started with a cocktail and then ordered a bottle of red French wine called Volcae.  It was good.  

Our waiter was super great.  He was about our age and he was super knowledgeable.  Mike ordered the braised beef with mashed potatoes and jus.  My photo of it sucks but he loved it.  He said it is just like really well cooked roast with a great jus.  I got the mussels.  They were good as always.  

Then we decided to get dessert.  They have a "black and white" creme brullet.  It has a chocolate ganache on the bottom of the ramiken.  Then the cream mixture is poured on top.  The entire thing is topped with a classic black and white cookie.  It was really yummy!

Sam's Steakhouse 10-26-24

 It had been years since we'd been to Sam's Steakhouse in South St. Louis county.  It was nicer than I remember.  It definitely has a following.  We ended up getting a table that was off of the bar area (we could see into the bar area).  Mike didn't like that, he would have rather been in the main dining area.  We watched the musician guy set up and sing a little.  He was just a guy with a computer and a mic.  He was just OK, but the regulars thought he was amazing.  

Sam's is mostly a "nice" place and people there are 40+ age.  For the most part they were dressed up.  I saw a few people in jeans, but not many.

We had cocktails and bread.  It is such a St. Louis thing to think of the bread as an appetizer.  I wanted to save my bread to eat with my dinner, but the bus boys kept trying to take our bread away before our dinner arrived. 

We ordered a bottle of kind of expensive cabernet call The Counselor.  It was good, but when you get to ratings like 4.2 and 4.3, the extra cost is kind of lost on Mike and me.  We don't have sophisticated enough palates to tell the difference once it gets past 4.0.

For dinner Mike chose the prime rib (of course) and I got crab cakes.  Our food was good and I'd say we would come back here again.  We just need to remember that we like this place.  

Annie Gunn's 8-3-24

 I don't know that I need to write ANOTHER review of Annie Gunn's but I did have something different on the menu, so what the heck.

I usually over eat and then am mad at myself because I ate too much and spent too much on dinner.  So this time, we got the cheese plate and I only got soup for dinner.  Much better plan!

I didn't take a photo of the cheese plate, it was great as usual.  Mike got steak frites and I got their famous potato soup.  It was really good and enough to be a meal.  

Annie Gunn's...good as always.  

Napoli Sea (Streets of St. Charles) 7-11-24

 It was my birthday and I got to pick, so, of course, I picked seafoo

We had a fun time at Napoli Sea.

We had never been there before, but when looking online I found out that you have the option of making reservation for upstairs or downstairs.  The upstairs has a glass bannister, so you look out over the rest of the restaurant and bar.  That is kind of cool.  So, we had a table for two right on the bannister.  

The restaurant is much smaller than I thought it was by looking online.  The upstairs probably only has 6-8 tables.  Downstairs the bar fills about 1/2 of the entire restaurant.  I know it was a weeknight, but there was a nice crowd.  I can see that it might be difficult to get a reservation on a weekend, as there just aren't that many tables to fill.  I would say sitting at the bar and ordering would be a good option if you can't get a reseravation.

So, they bring you a pretzel bread appetizer while you wait.  

They have some crazy cocktails, so we each tried one.  Mike got the "Doc" of the Bay which has Blue Curacao, Midori, light rum, pinapple juice, club soda and a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry

I don't remember what I got, but I do remember that they had cool ice cubes that had scuba gear on them. (see photo below) 

I ordered the ceviche appetizer.  It was way too big for one person, but it was super yummy and had these lovely buttered crackers that were warm.  As I was eating it, one of the servers realized I had some ceviche left and was going to run out of crackers, so they ever so quietly placed on my side of the table a small dish that had about 5 more warm buttered crackers.  THAT is a good serving team!

They do have actual menu items, but they have a large platter that they can show you all the fresh fish items they have and tell you all the ways they can prepare that.  I got the scallops, which were lovely.  Mike got a lovely fried grouper, which he actually liked.  

Just because it was my birthday and because I wasn't driving, I decided to try one more cocktail, because it was just too intriguing on the menu.  It was a pepperoncini martini.  It is exactly what it sounds like.  It was made with pepperoncini juice.  It was spicy and very full of alcohol and if I would have had any more alcohol, I would have not been standing!  

Because it was my birthday they would have given me a small piece of cake, but we don't really like cake, so we ordered a key lime tart and they put the candle in it.  I was almost too full and I'd had too much alcohol (because we also had wine with dinner!) to eat much of this, but it was tart and good.  

The food here is good.  The wait staff it good.  It is expensive, but I'd definitely come back. 

Buzzetta's in Chesterfield 6-14-24

 I am writing this MONTHS after the actual meal...so I'm going going with memories that the photos evoke.

This restaurant was an Italian restaurant for years and got taken over by new owners about a year ago.  

The seating hostess is an older lady.  I believe her son is the chef and her husband work in the kitchen.  He comes out a lot and checks to see how things are going but doesn't seem to have a well defined job.  He acts like he runs the place but the son/chef is really in charge.

It was busy and we waited a bit for a seat.  When we were seated we got kind of a crappy table up against a wall right by the entrance.  Mike asked if we could wait for another table and the older lady seating hostess said no.  I think she was flustered but that ticked Mike off.  

We stayed at our seat.  We had wine.  It was fine.  Mike had chicken parm with a side of pasta.  I don't know where the photo of my meal went, but I had eggplant parm.  It was odd, as all the eggplant was cut up in small pieces and then fried and then tossed with the pasta and sauce.  It tasted OK, but larger pieces of eggplant is what I was wanting.

On the way out, Mike felt it necessary to tell the seating hostess and her husband that we liked their food but didn't like that we were told we couldn't wait for a better table.  

The Bellwether 4-26-24

 I have had The Bellwether on my radar for a long time and we finally made it there.

It is set in an old building that also houses rock climbing??  The restaurant is on the 2nd floor.  It does have outdoor dining, but the night we were there it was VERY windy and no one was dining outdoors.  they have a funky vibe with industrial old building feel jazzed up with funky chandeliers and big draping curtains.  

We talked to our server a few minutes about drinks and Mike asked about all the kinds of gin they had on hand...well, that started a whole thing.  The bartender came over and got into a huge discussion of gins with Mike.  They discussed gins that taste like evergreen trees.  This bartender thought those were so old fashioned.  Dad didn't want to mention it, but those are the kind he likes...old fashioned ones like Beefeater.  So, any way, Dad had a whole gin tasting party with this bartender.  They weren't terribly busy, as it was early in the evening (5:30ish) and they spent a lot of time explaining things to us. Dad ended up having a Gin and Tonic with some botanical gin.  It was OK, but he will go back to the old fashioned kind.

I had a drink called The Fifth Season.  Here are its ingredients.  It was good.  haku vodka, svöl danish aquavit, leopold bros. fernet, spiced pomegranate syrup, lemon juice, bittercube trinity bitters

We also opened a bottle of Cabernet Franc.  The waiter was good enough to warn us that Cabernet Franc isn't the same as Cabernet.  We gave it a try anyway and he was right.  This was cheaper and just didn't have much to it. 

With our drinks we had a cheese board.  I didn't take a photo of it. It was nothing special...a typical cheese board.  We had a choice of 3 different cheeses, so we tried all 3.  We took some of it home (which is always a mistake, as we don't eat it fast enough and it gets bad).

For dinner I had the seafood ravioletti.  It was good.  The seafood broth was yummy.  The portion wasn't too big.  The pastas were small and homeade, but the filling didn't have much taste.  The pasta seemed a little heavy for the dish.  

Mike had the filet.  It was cooked well and he liked it.  He liked the added sauce.

For dessert we shared piece of chocolate torte.  It was rich and good...a nice end to a nice meal.

This place is interesting and has a good cocktail menu.  We may come back.  

Ruth's Chris-Chesterfield 4-13-2024

 We have been to the Ruth's Chris is Clayton years ago, but this new Ruth's Chris in Chesterfield is huge!  The waiter told us it is the largest Ruth's Chris in the country.  They have 3 floors.  The top is a huge outdoor patio.  

It is a typical Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  The menu is not very large and heavy on steak.

We each started with a cocktail and then had a bottle of wine opened.  They have a huge wine list, it comes on an ipad.  I had read the wine list online ahead of time.  Most of the wines were out of our price range.  I ordered a Decero Malbec from Argentina.  I figured Argentina people know red meat and should be able to pair wine with red meat.  It was good not great.  

For dinner I had the fish special of the night, which was a salmon in a terriyaki preparation with green onion and red peppers.  It was good.  

They tell you that their plates come at 500 degrees and not to touch them.  I don't actually think this is such a good idea.  It literally is continuing to cook your food from the bottom.  It also sometimes overcooks the stuff on the plate and makes it not look so nice.  

Mike ordered a filet.  It was expensive, but it was done correctly.  See how it kind of looks like a cooking pan on the bottom of the plate??

So, the weird thing about Ruth's Chris (and it is an expensive thing, too) is that none of their entrees come with a side.  You have to order your sides a la carte.  The side are huge, so you need to find something you both like to share.  We ordered hashbrown potatoes.  They look like an entire skillet of hashbrowns was prepared in oil and butter.  Mike asked for them to have cheese and sour cream on them.  They were good, the outside was crispy and the inside was soft, but boy did they have a lot of butter.  I had indigestion later in the evening because of them.

We decided to split a dessert.  Mike got his usual cappucino and we split a creme brule.  It was good, but typical of a steakhouse.  

This is a fancy, expensive place that rich people like to frequent.  The parking sucks.  They have valet and VIP parking out front (which was filled with Lambroginis and Ferraris!).  Super rich people who frequent this place have lockers in the front of the restaurant where they can keep their bottles of wine/alcohol and cigars.  I'm sure it is where people like Cardinal baseball and executives of big companies go.  It is not a place we will frequent, but now we know what it is like and I won't be wondering about it every time I go by.  

Madrina in Webster Groves 3-9-24

I would give this place a 3/5

I had read about a new Italian restaurant opening up in Webster Groves.  I had read the reviews in the St. Louis newspaper.  Everyone seemed to love Madrina.  I just can't decide what kind of Italian restaurant it is.  I don't know if it is because it is only a few minutes away from all the Italian restaurants on the hill, so it has to carve out its own identity, or what, but other than having Italian names on the courses, having a bunch of Italian wines and serving 3 (that's right, only 3) pasta dishes, it didn't seem very Italian.

I will have to say that I really thought they'd done a nice job on the interior of this space.  It isn't very big, but it didn't feel cramped.  We had reservations for 6 p.m. but we arrived at 5:45 and used the valet parking, so we were inside early.  We got a drink at the bar.  When our table was ready it was actually only a few steps from the bar.  Usually you'd think this would be a louder area...not so.  It was just fine.  

The menu is rather sparse.  They have fish and steak specials but don't have traditional Italian pasta dishes.  We started with the Misto Fritto, which is fried calamari, shrimp, artichokes and some fried fennel.  This dish was very good, the items were lightly dusted with a seasoned flower and flash fried.  I'd never had fried fennel before and it was yummy.  It was served with a buttermilk ranch dressing.  Meh. 

Mike ordered a salad that was called House on the Hill.  It was mostly iceberg lettuce with way too much rope provel cheese.  It has some artichoke hearts and tomatoes off to the side.  The dressing was supposed to be a vinagrette but it didn't have much taste and it seemed to separate as there was a pool of watery leftovers under his lettuce when he finished. The artichoke hearts weren't pickled in a vinegar.  They must have been pickled in something with water??  I ate one and it just tasted blah. 

They had a big wine list with both domestic and Italian reds.  I also give them kudos because I think they may have had a sommalier  on staff, as I saw a lady helping a couple tables with their wine selections.  Good for them.  We chose a California cabernet called In Sheeps Clothing.  It was kind of blah.  It was not fruit forward.  I thought it was a little smoky when I first tasted it, but those tastes seem to die when you tried it with food.  Not bad, but not one of our favorites.  

For dinner you order an entree and everything (like sides, etc.) is a la carte.  Which I've always thought is kind of a pain.  So, Mike ordered the special of the evening which was a beef spedini and then he ordered some fried fingerling potatoes.  He liked the beef, but it is difficult not to overcook little cubes of meat on a stick.  It wasn't overcooked, but it wasn't medium any longer, either.  It had a sort of chimichurri made out of basil and garlic that Mike scraped off and he said it overpowered the flavor of the meat.  The sauce was brown soy based sauce.  

I had a simple bowl of linguini and clams.  There just weren't that many pasta choices and I had heard their scallops were great, but we were at an Italian restaurant and I wanted to try their pasta.  It was fine.  There just isn't much to linguini clams.  The pasta tasted homemade, so that's good.  The clams were fine.  There really wasn't much sauce/broth.  There really just isn't much to this dish: linguini, clams, garlic, clam juice and a little olive oil and parsley.  It's simple and not very complex.  I wonder why they chose this as one of the 3 pasta dishes.  

They only offered 2 desserts: tiramisu and cannoli.  That's it.  They literally bring over a dessert menu with 2 things on it!  Mike chose tiramisu.  It was actually quite good.  It wasn't a coffee tiramisu and it wasn't an amaretto tiramisu.  It was just custard, whipped cream and lady fingers.  I don't know what they used to soften the lady fingers but it was a nice simple custard dish.  

Because they have such a small menu, I just don't know that we feel the need to come back here.  There are better places for steak and fish, and there are definitely better Italian restaurants.