Saturday, March 15, 2025

Commonwealth on Grand 2-22-25

 This is in the Arts Hotel just one block up the street from the Fox Theater.  The restaurant has changed hands several times and had some famous chefs go through there.  

I do have to say that this night we went, I was not feeling well.  I was in the throws of a cold/the flu.  So, I was just trying to make it through the night and enjoy the show.  

Bonnie and Charles we with us, so that was nice.  I just wished I felt better.

I ordered the scallops.  They were prepared well and came with a side salad.  They were on a bit of sweet potato puree, but I thought the lack of any real side vegtable was odd.  The scallops saved well, but the salad died and I had to throw it out.  



Mike ordered a steak.  It had mushrooms on it, which he gave to me.  He said the steak was good. 



I didn't even think to take pictures of what Bonnie and Charles got.  I remember Bonnie got some kind of chicken.  I think they liked it.  As you can see, I was rather out of it. 

I think we may have to try this place some other time when I am feeling better.  

Bartolino'sTwin Oaks 3-8-25

 I had heard that Bartolino's had opened a new restaurant at the corner of 141 and Big Bend.  The area is called Twin Oaks.  It is kind of a new development.  There is a big apartment complex and shopping center there and the Bartolino's is the bottom floor of the aprartment complex.  

Mike had tried to get us a reservation on Resy and they didn't have any times until later in the evening, so he called them on Friday night and the lady who answered said "Yes, they had an opening at 6."  Well, we didn't get any kind of a confirmation text (we didn't know we were supposed to get a confirmation text).  So, when we got there, they didn't have us in the system at all and it was kind of a mess.  So, it ended up we went to the bar and had a drink.  I had some kind of a berry sour margarita and it was quite good.  Mike had a gin and tonic, of course.  We got a table in about 25 minutes.  



The tables all seem to be around the center bar area and that tends to make the entire place rather loud.  When we mentioned that to our server, he said we actually were there on a quiet night, because they often have live music in the bar area and it is loud in the whole restaurant.  

We started with the arencini appetizer.  They were really good.  The rice was super smooth and almost seemed like mashed potatoes rather than rice.  I wonder if it was mashed rice??  The sauce was a pink sauce, not my favorite, but it was good.  



We ordered a bottle of Decoy, which we knew we liked.  It was funny, there were two couple dining right next to us who ordered a bottle of Decoy almost at the exact same time as us.



I ordered eggplant parm with angel hair pasta.  It was really very good.  The egg plant was cut very thin and fried.  I could have done without all the basil on top, but that's ok.



Mike had veal parm with a side of rigatoni.  He wished he could have had spaghetti instead of rigatoni, but that's ok.




We finished with a trio of canolli.  They were crisp and good.  Mike had coffee.  



This is closer than the Bartolino's that is on Hampton on the way to the Hill.  It is nice to be able to make a reservation.  I'd go back.  

Peppe's Apt. #2 in Kirkwood 3-1-25

 It has been a few years since we have been to Peppe's Apt. #2.  It is quite a unique place.  It is in an old house off of Geyer in Kirkwood.  It has a small parking lot in the back and there is some street parking.  We were going to the Fox, so we had very early (5 pm) reservations, so we parked in the lot in the back.  It probably only has a dozen or so tables on the main floor.  There is a 2nd floor that has some bigger tables and I think it might have a meeting room.  It's a class place with nice china, chandeliers on the ceiling, experienced wait staff.  

I read online that this restaurant was started by a guy named Peppe and he is still the guy that greets you at the door.  The food is mostly old world Italian.  

Mike and started with a cocktail and then ordered the shrimp scampi appetizer.  It is something we got the first time we came and it is really good and we have ordered it every time since then.  

We ordered a bottle of Italian Valpolicella.  It was good, but not as good as a California cabernet.  



I ordered the linguini putanesca.  It had black olives and capers.  It was good, but the twangy sauce was just OK.  I'd hoped for more spice and less twang.  



Mike had chicken parm.  It was good.  



For dessert we split a piece of some kind of chocolate torte.  It was a nice bite of sweet at the end of the meal.  Mike had coffee.  

This place is never the BEST food in the world, but it is consistently good and it is a nice place to eat in quiet elegance.