Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to Arch Eats with me. As always
Speaker 1: is my co-host and cohort Cheryl beer.
Speaker 1: This episode of Arch Eat is sponsored by Saint Louis
Speaker 1: symphony orchestra.
Speaker 1: In this episode that we've dubbed the Love Connection Cheryl
Speaker 1: and I are going to discuss our picks for the
Speaker 1: most romantic restaurants in town as well as where we
Speaker 1: spend a romantic breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then we'll end
Speaker 1: up as we always do with a rant. This one
Speaker 1: on to go boxes. There's a right way and a
Speaker 1: wrong way to do it in our opinion. But first,
Speaker 1: we always start off with what I can't stop thinking
Speaker 1: about and I'm gonna butt right in line as I
Speaker 1: usually do here and go. First,
Speaker 1: I had a caprese salad uh not long ago just
Speaker 1: to see how the wintertime tomatoes tasted because I'm not
Speaker 1: a big fan. You broke the rules. I know, but
Speaker 1: these were really good, not, you know, summertime, mid July
Speaker 1: good but really good. And I found out that they
Speaker 1: came from Tony White A K A Tony Tomato. Tony's
Speaker 1: family farms who he's, he's all around town. He sources
Speaker 1: in the off season. He sources hydroponic tomatoes from a
Speaker 1: nearby grower until his gardens get going and growing in
Speaker 1: the springtime. But those of you that have eaten wintertime
Speaker 1: tomatoes around town at some of the better restaurants have
Speaker 1: had Tony's tomatoes. Uh, the crossing Westchester, an guns twisted tree.
Speaker 1: Tony supplies all these and you see a big fat red,
Speaker 1: ripe
Speaker 1: tomato in the wintertime we have Tony tomato to thank. Ok.
Speaker 1: How is that for alliteration? Tony tomato? Well, I
Speaker 2: was wondering about that because I have been seeing them
Speaker 2: on a lot of menus around town and that's, I mean,
Speaker 2: it just goes against everything you're told about eating in
Speaker 2: season and all of that. But basically because they're just
Speaker 2: typically not good this
Speaker 1: year.
Speaker 1: Yes. But I saw a flat of Tony's cherry tomatoes
Speaker 1: in the winter time on the vine and it smelled
Speaker 1: like summertime. It smelled like that tomato smell and it
Speaker 1: was amazing. I mean, it took me right back to
Speaker 1: the middle of summer, you know, thank you, Tony tomato.
Speaker 1: And uh I did talk to him the other day
Speaker 1: and I found out this is kind of interesting. He's
Speaker 1: building a series of hoop houses, you know, that's a
Speaker 1: fabric covered kind of quonset hut looking structure
Speaker 1: that, that speeds growing and ripening in the springtime. And
Speaker 1: the bottom line of that is Saint Louis will soon
Speaker 1: be seeing heirloom tomatoes in May instead of in mid
Speaker 1: July that's
Speaker 2: he's doing
Speaker 1: the Lord's work. I know, I mean, anything you can
Speaker 1: do to extend the tomato season in Saint Louis is
Speaker 1: a great thing because we're stuck in the middle of
Speaker 1: the country.
Speaker 2: No, this is great.
Speaker 1: What's on your plate?
Speaker 2: Somewhat related. If we're talking about tomatoes, I'm going into
Speaker 2: something with tomato sauce. So I hadn't been to Trotter Marcella,
Speaker 2: which is the, um, it's just an iconic ST Louis
Speaker 2: Italian Institution been around forever. Gosh, how long now it's
Speaker 1: got to be 30 years. It's the flag
Speaker 1: of the Krick Brothers. They've got another restaurant, but this
Speaker 1: is their main game. Yeah,
Speaker 2: just a titan of the Saint Louis Italian scene. And it,
Speaker 2: you know, honestly, it had been a while since I've
Speaker 2: been there and uh you know, you just, you find
Speaker 2: yourself going to other places here and there. Um But
Speaker 2: I was there for dinner this past week and I
Speaker 2: had
Speaker 2: lasagna there that it blew, it blew my mind. Have
Speaker 2: you ever had their lasagna?
Speaker 1: No, but there's a lot of good lasagnas in town. Now,
Speaker 1: I have another one for the list.
Speaker 2: Well, this, it was just outrageous. First of all, it
Speaker 2: could feed about four people, which I've been told they've
Speaker 2: actually cut their portion. So, so
Speaker 1: is it the size of a brick or is it
Speaker 1: give me some rough,
Speaker 2: bigger than the size of a brick? Maybe like the
Speaker 2: size of a football cobblestone. It's so luscious. It's so rich.
Speaker 2: It almost kind of
Speaker 2: um, it's the cousin of the, um, the Roman Yoko
Speaker 2: at lo it kind of give me that same feeling because, well,
Speaker 2: it has Italian sausage and ground beef. So you get
Speaker 2: this kind of sweetness and rich flavor from both of
Speaker 2: those ground meats and then they do the tomato sauce,
Speaker 2: they do the, an Italian bechamel. So it just has
Speaker 2: that richness to it. Cheese. Of course, I thought I
Speaker 2: had died and gone to heaven. So I, I can't
Speaker 2: stop thinking about it.
Speaker 1: And when I go there, one of the things that
Speaker 1: I always have is their toasted ravioli. One of the
Speaker 1: best in clearly handmade. They're all kind of different shapes
Speaker 1: and you can tell that someone has crafted these things
Speaker 1: and they didn't get punched out of a machine. That's
Speaker 1: how I start every meal at Rey Marsala. That it's
Speaker 1: just a great place. It's wonderful and always has been,
Speaker 1: always will be. And uh they've had staffers there that
Speaker 1: have been there like since the inception, I think there's
Speaker 1: two or three or four of them, I think
Speaker 1: between them they've got over 100 years of service at
Speaker 1: that one
Speaker 2: restaurant. Yes. I mean, I, we had, that was another
Speaker 2: thing I commented on and I'm so sad that I
Speaker 2: forgot her name. But our server, it was some of
Speaker 2: the best service I've had. Gosh, in, in memory she
Speaker 2: was on it and everyone from the server assistants to
Speaker 2: the server to the host. It was just top notch
Speaker 2: across
Speaker 1: the place. It's a, it's a destination restaurant and a
Speaker 1: neighborhood restaurant all in one. Absolutely.
Speaker 1: We'll be right back.
Speaker 1: Join your Saint Louis symphony orchestra and the in unison
Speaker 1: chorus for a one of a kind celebration of Black
Speaker 1: History Month featuring Grammy and NAACP Image award winning vocalist
Speaker 1: BB Winans. Don't miss this joyful celebration of unity, freedom
Speaker 1: and black musical expression on February 23rd at Steel Theater.
Speaker 1: Get your tickets today at slso.org
Speaker 2: and now back to the show.
Speaker 1: So today, the idea for the Love Connection show was
Speaker 1: that Cheryl and I would both pick our five top
Speaker 1: romantic places in town
Speaker 1: and we'll go through them one at a time and
Speaker 1: it wasn't an easy choice. We had a little bit
Speaker 1: of a list that we had to whittle down from.
Speaker 1: We
Speaker 2: did well. And before we begin, I must acknowledge that
Speaker 2: you are wearing red today for the occasion. And I
Speaker 2: do feel like I missed an opportunity here. So I do.
Speaker 2: You are especially festive and I certainly appreciate it after
Speaker 2: you were
Speaker 1: dressed up for that Christmas show. I thought I better,
Speaker 1: I better style up myself.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Come is Cupid the next time we do this.
Speaker 2: But no.
Speaker 2: Oh, you're right. We did. I mean, I think it's
Speaker 2: very interesting that Saint Louis does when you think about
Speaker 2: it has a lot of really cozy intimate spots that
Speaker 2: would be perfect.
Speaker 1: And, and, and we kind of started off with this
Speaker 1: master list and I started like checking them off and
Speaker 1: I noticed a pattern. So I'll, I'll go ahead and
Speaker 1: kick this off and some of mine are a little
Speaker 1: bit more old school and I'm not exactly sure why
Speaker 1: that is, except some of these places are darker cozier,
Speaker 1: candle lit,
Speaker 1: um, rick walls. Uh I think the quintessential place is
Speaker 1: Sydney Street Cafe. If you ask, you know, 10 people
Speaker 1: in Saint Louis, the most romantic place. Three or four
Speaker 1: of them I think will see Sydney Street. It just
Speaker 1: feels wonderful in there again. It's the, it's the brick
Speaker 1: walls and that, that kind of Benton Park vibe to
Speaker 1: it and great food all the time. High quality consistent.
Speaker 1: Kevin Nash is very creative. He changes that menu a lot,
Speaker 1: but he will do and he's kept, you know, for
Speaker 1: the traditionalists, the, you know, the lobster turnovers and that
Speaker 1: peppercorn tenderloin and the, what is the steak tartare?
Speaker 1: Anyway? Uh a great place. And uh there's my, I
Speaker 1: even have a favorite table there. It's a deuce on
Speaker 1: the elevated area that they call the balcony. It's table
Speaker 1: number 30. And as we go through these, I'll probably
Speaker 1: just put these in the show notes, but I have
Speaker 1: table numbers. That's how geeky I am and romantic. I am.
Speaker 1: I have table numbers at each one of my places.
Speaker 1: I love
Speaker 2: it. Well, I couldn't agree with you more. His food
Speaker 2: had just has such an elegance to it. And I
Speaker 2: think that adds to it
Speaker 2: also the way the server comes out and actually explains
Speaker 2: the menu to you, that kind of adds to this
Speaker 2: intimacy there. So, no,
Speaker 1: I couldn't. And it's one of these places that's been
Speaker 1: around so long that people forget about it and, and
Speaker 1: writers like us tend not to write about it because
Speaker 1: everybody wants to know the newest buzz you chasing the
Speaker 1: shiny new thing you are. And it's, and it's a
Speaker 1: shame because places like this have been around will be around,
Speaker 1: but it's still, it remains one of the most romantic
Speaker 1: places in town along the same lines
Speaker 1: is for me, pal monos,
Speaker 2: they're lamb chops on
Speaker 1: my list, you know, old school class, you know, table
Speaker 1: side finishing everywhere. Even Paul Mono himself is, he's always there.
Speaker 1: He'll either be wheeling out these carts and I've seen
Speaker 1: him actually wait on tables just to kind of take
Speaker 1: the pulse and stay in touch with the,
Speaker 1: you know, with the diners. It's fun to see the
Speaker 1: owner working a table. So uh he's
Speaker 2: just one of those people who hospitality just radiates from it.
Speaker 2: It was like he was born to do this job. Absolutely.
Speaker 1: He's, he's so good at what he does. And, and
Speaker 1: that's a, again, that's kind of a,
Speaker 1: I won't call it a neighborhood place, but you see
Speaker 1: a lot of regulars there, you know, including Frank Sinatra
Speaker 1: who's on the walls and in your ears. Right. He's
Speaker 1: ever present. But, uh, you know, you mentioned the rack
Speaker 1: of lamb legendary their lasagna. I'll vouch for that really
Speaker 1: good lobster ravioli sea bass. There's so many things there
Speaker 1: that are, that are so great and they're all finished
Speaker 1: table side with a side of pasta that's
Speaker 1: set on a hot plate and it's rip roaring hot
Speaker 1: and it's hot to the last bite. That's the best
Speaker 1: part about places that have that kind of table side
Speaker 2: finishing. And here's a pro tip for there. You can
Speaker 2: actually get the special pasta of the day as your
Speaker 2: side dish. I think there might be
Speaker 2: like a minimal upcharge for it. But a lot of
Speaker 2: people think, oh gosh, I don't know what I want
Speaker 2: to do if I want this special pasta or that.
Speaker 2: So you get the rack of lamb with the side
Speaker 2: of pasta and the
Speaker 1: other, I guess it's a pro tip. But it's a suggestion.
Speaker 1: I remember the first time I went in there and
Speaker 1: it was so I was so excited and I, I
Speaker 1: really agonized over what I wanted to have. I decided
Speaker 1: on exactly the item it was. And then the server
Speaker 1: comes up and rattles off about 10 specials. Every one
Speaker 1: of them delicious. And I would have eaten it. And II,
Speaker 1: I literally remember like fake throwing the menu over my shoulder,
Speaker 1: like I don't need this anyway. Paul Manno's out in Chesterfield.
Speaker 1: Wonderful place. Well, let's, let's hear a couple of years. Yes.
Speaker 2: So, um, kind of along those lines of like a,
Speaker 2: a quintessential classic Saint Louis restaurant. And it's funny we're
Speaker 2: thinking of, of this is such a classic right now,
Speaker 2: but it's Brasserie Gerard Crafts, lovely French restaurant in the
Speaker 2: central west end that been there for a long time. Now,
Speaker 2: I would say it's kind of, um,
Speaker 2: in a way it's almost like this flagship of, of
Speaker 2: what he's doing at this point. And I don't know
Speaker 2: if it's just because it's French and it just leans
Speaker 2: into that quintessential, you know, Parisian Brasserie,
Speaker 1: it's a flagship French bistro, probably the best
Speaker 1: we have in this time.
Speaker 2: And there, you know, you talk about legendary dishes, their
Speaker 2: roast chicken. I mean, he's told me in the past
Speaker 2: that if he were to take that off the menu,
Speaker 2: he would have riots in the street. And I
Speaker 1: think that's a pressed, I think they press that. It's
Speaker 1: like a brick pressed chicken. So there's some
Speaker 1: additional char that gets imparted by whatever he, whatever weight
Speaker 1: he sets upon it. But it's really, really good. You
Speaker 1: get the
Speaker 2: crispiness on the outside. The meat is so juicy it is.
Speaker 2: You know, you, you always feel like you're, um, it's
Speaker 2: a cop out to order the chicken at places. Sometimes
Speaker 2: this is not that
Speaker 1: good people never order chicken. Accepted.
Speaker 2: Brasserie. Exactly.
Speaker 1: And this time of year they, they have cale on
Speaker 1: the menu. One of the bistro favorites,
Speaker 2: maybe the best winter time
Speaker 1: is short of a, maybe a lamb shank. But anyway,
Speaker 1: the thing I like about brasserie too, it's in true
Speaker 1: brasserie fashion. They've got a Croque Monsieur on the menu.
Speaker 1: They've got a burger on the menu.
Speaker 1: Really, really good burger. So, you think you should go
Speaker 1: and have, you know, Cote de Boeuf or something? But no,
Speaker 1: have a brasserie burger because it's really good.
Speaker 2: And a glass of French wine with it. You can't
Speaker 2: think of a, with that. Exactly. Exactly. While we're on
Speaker 2: the French kick your mindset here. Bistro la Floris on
Speaker 2: the Galena place. You know, I know a lot of
Speaker 2: people were really, um they mourned the loss of Zoe Robinson,
Speaker 2: you know, a esteemed Saint Louis restaurants who are veteran
Speaker 2: of the business when she closed bar Le Frere on
Speaker 2: Y down. I think a lot of people thought my gosh,
Speaker 2: how are we ever going to capture what she did
Speaker 2: there in another place? And the Galena have done such
Speaker 2: a good job. They've put their own identity on it,
Speaker 2: but they've definitely stayed true. I think to the ethos
Speaker 2: of this immersive
Speaker 2: French dining salon sort of experience, I would say, rather
Speaker 2: than being super sultry like Zoe's Place, it's more pretty
Speaker 2: but
Speaker 1: it is, it's prettier, but it is, it's wonderful. It's,
Speaker 1: it's Barley Frere. I used to call it BLF. And
Speaker 1: this is another Blff on is another BLF. So it's
Speaker 1: not entirely different. But, and what I like to do
Speaker 1: there is go to the bar that
Speaker 1: doesn't seat. Very many people have a French 75 who
Speaker 1: flew to champagne and, you know, start off with those
Speaker 1: gouge or those, those financier that they have there.
Speaker 2: It's, it's just life
Speaker 1: changing. It isn't that a wonderful thing? It's a wonderful
Speaker 1: way to start. They've got things like that at their
Speaker 1: spritz hour I think, which goes from, I want to
Speaker 1: say 5 to 6. But anyway, great place. Very romantic.
Speaker 1: Perfect for this time of year.
Speaker 1: Romance knows no season. So go there at any time
Speaker 1: of the year and that, that, that the terrace, the
Speaker 1: terraced patio they have is like the best in town.
Speaker 1: Just hang out on the different levels there. That's one
Speaker 1: of my favorite
Speaker 2: patios. And I'll also tell you and I think we
Speaker 2: need to be clear on this. I don't think what
Speaker 2: we're talking about as far as romance and things of
Speaker 2: that sort are limited to, um, you know,
Speaker 2: to romantic relationships. I had one of the best meals
Speaker 2: of my life at Bier La Flore on with two
Speaker 2: of my dear girlfriends and we are still talking about
Speaker 2: that and it's just, you know, we went on our
Speaker 2: nice lady date and we had an excellent time there. Yeah,
Speaker 2: it was great
Speaker 1: and it's tough over there because that's like restaurant row.
Speaker 1: There's like five good restaurants, really good restaurants within a
Speaker 1: stone's throw of one another at that.
Speaker 1: What is it White Down? And Hanley and another one
Speaker 1: is on your list. Yes.
Speaker 2: A car. Love it. Bernie Lee's delightful. It's so intimate.
Speaker 2: This is the restaurant Bernie Lee was supposed to open
Speaker 2: because he is just this. Um
Speaker 2: I would say it's not, I mean hospitality, of course
Speaker 2: he nails that, but it's less about, you know, this
Speaker 2: kind of restaurant level hospitality. And again, this intimacy of
Speaker 2: him throwing a dinner party for you.
Speaker 1: Exactly. And his place, if you remember the initial, the
Speaker 1: original was 12 seats in that patio. Absolutely. And he
Speaker 1: went through the pandemic with that. How he survived the
Speaker 1: pandemic on 12 seats on a patio. I'll never know.
Speaker 1: But he did.
Speaker 1: And about a year ago he acquired that space next door, right?
Speaker 1: Uh the hair salon and you've been there, I assume it's,
Speaker 1: it's magical. It's a magical
Speaker 2: room. It's magical. I mean, that's the thing, Bernie. Uh
Speaker 2: You know, we have a couple, we have, I would
Speaker 2: say we have a handful and this might be something
Speaker 2: to explore at some point of these very stylish restaurateurs.
Speaker 2: I would put Kevin Brown
Speaker 2: in there. I would put Ben Pemba, Bernie Lee. Zoe
Speaker 2: Robinson was definitely one of them where they, um they
Speaker 2: take as much care in putting together an experience as
Speaker 2: far as like the decor and the feel of the
Speaker 2: place as they do in the food.
Speaker 2: And I think that's what Bernie just nails so well.
Speaker 2: But also I'm not saying that's take away from his food.
Speaker 2: His food is delicious. I feel like he's been an
Speaker 2: under kind of the radar chef here in ST Louis
Speaker 2: for a while and we just need to be singing
Speaker 2: his
Speaker 1: praises. Not a big menu but a really good menu.
Speaker 1: It's all, uh, some of Malaysian dishes and dishes from
Speaker 1: his travels across the world. And
Speaker 1: for those of you that remember the former spot, you know,
Speaker 1: that you can't get in because it's too small or
Speaker 1: it's too busy. Nobody goes there. The new space is,
Speaker 1: I think, triple the size and that one banquet, all
Speaker 1: those tables are great. It's really, it's a really cozy
Speaker 1: space and there's also a four top I think in
Speaker 1: the window that do you know about this? He does
Speaker 1: not reserve that. He said that that's his table of
Speaker 1: the mall.
Speaker 1: And it's one of those things that if you feel like,
Speaker 1: you know, kind of on a random thing, I've got
Speaker 1: three people is that table. It's the C NBC table
Speaker 1: and I wish I knew the table number, but I don't.
Speaker 1: But anyway, that's another thing that Bernie has going over there.
Speaker 1: Just one of the, he's just one of the city's
Speaker 1: just loveliest people for
Speaker 2: sure he is. And what's funny about this is as
Speaker 2: we're talking,
Speaker 2: uh, should we dub that stretch of why? Down Romance Row?
Speaker 2: I mean, you have a couple of places on your
Speaker 2: list too. Yeah, you
Speaker 1: probably could for sure. And, uh, this is one Cheryl
Speaker 1: that might surprise you. Ok. Most people talk about Bailey's
Speaker 1: Chocolate Bar when they talk about romantic restaurants, Bailey's Chocolate Bar.
Speaker 1: You know, it's, it's legendary for its desserts and its
Speaker 1: chocolate martinis and all these fun things.
Speaker 1: But if you remember a couple years ago, it moved
Speaker 1: upstairs when the first floor became a restaurant called Pop,
Speaker 1: a Champagne bar slash restaurant.
Speaker 1: So that's one of my picks is go to pop
Speaker 1: start off in the bar along that banquette. You know,
Speaker 1: you know, the one I'm talking about with the little
Speaker 1: round pillows and the tufted leather upholstery. It's just the
Speaker 1: Coziest little bar in town, have some champagne, have a
Speaker 1: little light dinner and then head upstairs and have a
Speaker 1: chocolate martini and some. So you can basically have, you know,
Speaker 1: uh appetizers, dinner and dessert all in the same building.
Speaker 1: And
Speaker 1: I just thought it was a great idea. Everybody loves champagne.
Speaker 1: The Bailey's, that's one of the things they said they
Speaker 1: have in common. And that's something that they've always wanted
Speaker 1: to do was do a, a champagne restaurant. I
Speaker 2: also put the Bailey's on that list of, you know,
Speaker 2: restaurateurs who really get kind of creating this stylish vibe there.
Speaker 2: And I think that's kind of a common theme we're
Speaker 2: seeing here in our discussions is the food is definitely
Speaker 2: an essential component. But it's, it's that feeling when you
Speaker 2: walk into a place,
Speaker 2: feel something by the,
Speaker 1: it was very intentional by, by those guys. I remember when,
Speaker 1: when Dave opened the place, he said, this will be
Speaker 1: a place to have a first date or a 5/100. And,
Speaker 1: you know, I think he's right there. It's, it's a,
Speaker 1: it's a place. He said, what did he say to
Speaker 1: pair bubbles with food or more bubbles? You gotta like
Speaker 1: that attitude. So that's, you know, slash Bailey's chocolate bar. I'll, I'll,
Speaker 1: we'll throw those both in as one.
Speaker 2: I love it. Well, I think we all know my
Speaker 2: love of rights Tavern. Rights Tavern to me is just,
Speaker 2: you know, and here we are in Roman, I am,
Speaker 2: I'm stuck on that corner. I can't someone get me
Speaker 2: an Uber somewhere else. So I was just going to
Speaker 2: say that because I will take my Uber to Fox
Speaker 2: and the Hound. Um You know, so rights, let me
Speaker 2: just go ahead and say, I think rights is um
Speaker 2: maybe it's the lighting, the dark walls, the way the
Speaker 2: light is dancing off these glasses, they're set on the tables,
Speaker 2: the oysters, the fire from the kitchen
Speaker 1: and the history of the place. It was Fellini, which
Speaker 1: was one of the most romantic restaurants in town and
Speaker 1: one of the most beloved. So he just picked up
Speaker 1: that baton
Speaker 1: and ran with it.
Speaker 2: Yes. So I'm going to cheat a little bit and
Speaker 2: I'm going to do a combination one here because I
Speaker 2: want to give my love to write up my sleeve.
Speaker 2: I know we can't help ourselves, but I'm going to
Speaker 2: move a little bit further east and I'm going to
Speaker 2: go to Fox and the hounds, which has been around forever.
Speaker 2: The way I've always described it is if it's, you know,
Speaker 2: you think of like closing like a backroom deal and
Speaker 2: you're drinking brandy out of sniffers and smoking cigars. And
Speaker 2: I think there's a dogs playing poker on the wall,
Speaker 2: think fireplace, a
Speaker 1: real fireplace, a wood burning fire.
Speaker 2: The only kind and the only acceptable kind that place
Speaker 2: to me, uh,
Speaker 2: it just embodies that, like, I'm gonna have my dinner,
Speaker 2: you know, it maybe writes or wherever and then I'm
Speaker 2: going to just sink into one of these couches, sit
Speaker 2: by the fire. Have I, I usually get port when
Speaker 2: I go and drink there. So,
Speaker 2: I mean, it just doesn't get better. That's
Speaker 1: a perfect winter time drink by the fire. As is
Speaker 1: an Irish coffee, which is another thing in those footed mugs.
Speaker 1: You know, those Irish coffee just like you'd expect to
Speaker 1: see in a place like that. Yeah, that is a
Speaker 1: quintessential romantic winter time bar when it's really cold and
Speaker 1: nasty outside, snuggle up by the
Speaker 2: fire. I don't think there's anywhere cozier. It's my favorite
Speaker 2: bar in ST Louis period and winter time it doesn't
Speaker 2: get better. Love it.
Speaker 1: Uh, speaking of bars and speaking of what you were
Speaker 1: talking about, you're talking about Brasserie. Just a great, and
Speaker 1: I love brasserie in the summertime. Sitting outside on that,
Speaker 1: that patio was the best. But next door to Brasserie
Speaker 1: is the former taste by Niche, which they have dubbed
Speaker 1: Brass Bar.
Speaker 1: Pretty much the same. It's, it's not the same as Brasserie.
Speaker 1: It's the same as the other place was. It's a
Speaker 1: little darker cozier, candlelit tables and it serves, you know,
Speaker 1: three purposes. I think you can go there for a
Speaker 1: little apper TIF before dinner. You can go there for
Speaker 1: a nightcap after dinner and you can have dinner there
Speaker 1: too and it's Brasserie's menu. So it's a little,
Speaker 1: you know, Brasserie's pretty rowdy and pretty fun and this
Speaker 1: is a little bit, it's scaled back a little bit.
Speaker 1: So if you want a little bit more privacy and
Speaker 1: a little bit more, you know, table time, uh, you know,
Speaker 1: intimate table time, I should say with one other Brass
Speaker 1: Bar is, is, is a good way to go. And
Speaker 1: the thing about it that people go there and don't
Speaker 1: even know about it up that up the stairway is
Speaker 1: that little loungey, soft seating lounge up there with, with
Speaker 1: those couches. And that is
Speaker 1: a really good place to wind down with an after
Speaker 1: dinner drink. You
Speaker 2: walk in, into that space. And it's one of those
Speaker 2: places where the door closes behind you and you are
Speaker 2: instantly like, just the rest of the world falls away
Speaker 2: and you just sink in and, you know, you just
Speaker 2: immerse yourself in it. It's,
Speaker 1: it's a, it's a great place and, and it's overlooked
Speaker 1: because everybody's thinking. Brasserie. Brasserie. But, uh, the next door
Speaker 1: neighbor is pretty cool too.
Speaker 2: Yes. Well, and I guess, um,
Speaker 2: you know, I'm a creature of habit or geography or
Speaker 2: whatever because
Speaker 1: we're not, we're
Speaker 2: actually going right around the corner from Brass Bar. Yes. So,
Speaker 2: speaking of places where you walk in, close the door
Speaker 2: and you're somewhere else. My last pick is Mainlander.
Speaker 2: I am so obsessed with Mainlander. I love this place tremendously.
Speaker 2: Recent James Beard award nominees for the national category of
Speaker 2: best new restaurant, I must say. So. Blake and Gordon. Congratulations.
Speaker 1: They are. That's a big deal.
Speaker 1: Yes. It's a huge deal. A national anything James Beard is,
Speaker 1: is huge. National attention is huger. And they were on
Speaker 1: there with the 19 other restaurants. So I wish them
Speaker 1: the best talk about it because it's, it's a, a
Speaker 1: transport of experience that is, you almost have to do
Speaker 1: it to, to appreciate
Speaker 2: it. You really do. It's, you can't even describe it. It's,
Speaker 2: you walk through the doors. You are in a mid
Speaker 2: century modern dinner party. It's, I am
Speaker 2: in 1963. Let's say I'm in, you know, someone's home,
Speaker 2: they've invited me there somewhat kitschy, home, kitschy home. You know,
Speaker 2: think tiki glasses, think velvet artwork. You know, you name
Speaker 2: it this play. They had one of those silver rotating
Speaker 2: trees for the holidays, those old, like,
Speaker 2: you know, Christmas trees that they change colors as the
Speaker 2: color wheels on them. And my grandma had one of
Speaker 2: those in her house and
Speaker 1: they start the meal with a,
Speaker 1: a kind of a platter of goodies again. Keeping with
Speaker 1: the Polynesian theme. But they call it a poo poo platter.
Speaker 1: Right on a lazy Susan, right. They play off the
Speaker 1: mid century restaurant items like uh Ruma and baked Alaska.
Speaker 1: And you see Riffs on all these things be Wellington
Speaker 1: or Tenderloin Wellington. There's all these, these uh and a
Speaker 1: lot of them are very
Speaker 1: uh immersive as far as watching and they're, they're carved
Speaker 1: and cut at the table and it's, it's just an
Speaker 1: experience like no other and everyone this is bar none. And,
Speaker 1: and this is pretty rare. Everyone I've talked to that
Speaker 1: goes there loves it. Has loved it. I haven't heard
Speaker 1: one bad thing about it and everybody said I can't
Speaker 1: wait to go back when he changed the menus a
Speaker 1: month at a time. Can't wait to go the next time.
Speaker 1: 18 seats.
Speaker 2: That's it. I've never heard anyone say
Speaker 2: what's interesting about it is you can explain what you
Speaker 2: love about it. You can try to explain, I guess.
Speaker 2: But it's just hard to capture it because it's just
Speaker 2: so transported. And I think part of that has to
Speaker 2: do and, and this is why I put it on
Speaker 2: my romantic list is because you walk in there like
Speaker 2: I went in there with my partner and he and
Speaker 2: I just, I felt like we time traveled together and
Speaker 2: it just,
Speaker 2: we were on this little journey together and it just
Speaker 2: felt like the two of us were, you know, sitting
Speaker 2: at this table and we were just, it was like
Speaker 2: we were on vacation but not,
Speaker 1: and it's like one of those uh all inclusive things
Speaker 1: because you've paid in advance. There's no like signage except
Speaker 1: for the logo. You don't really know where you're going
Speaker 1: and you walk in and, and everything. So you don't
Speaker 1: really have to worry about anything. And that was designed
Speaker 1: purposefully by the two owners
Speaker 1: when I first talked to Blake about it. And I thought, man,
Speaker 1: this is, this is pretty far out there. I'm not
Speaker 1: sure if this is gonna go and it was uh
Speaker 1: it's just not just a home run but a grand
Speaker 1: slam home run. And again, he's been recognized nationally
Speaker 2: and I can't take away from, you know, Blake is
Speaker 2: brilliant in that kitchen there. I cannot take away from
Speaker 2: his partner Gordon's hospitality. That's another thing that I would
Speaker 2: put the romantic, you know, the romantic needle kind of
Speaker 2: moves in that direction
Speaker 2: because he is just, he's so warm, he's so gracious.
Speaker 2: He just, you feel like you're the only person in
Speaker 2: the room when he's talking to you.
Speaker 1: It's, it's a, it's a great experience. Speaking of wonderful chefs,
Speaker 1: chef Lou Rook the third out and Annie Guns has
Speaker 1: been there,
Speaker 1: um, for a long time, long, long, long time legend.
Speaker 1: And uh he's been running that kitchen for decades and
Speaker 1: the reason and, and it's been consistent for decades. And
Speaker 1: that's one of the reasons I recommend that restaurant all
Speaker 1: the time. And you walk in, especially that front room.
Speaker 1: It's very clubby. It's very, uh, you know, almost ski loungey.
Speaker 1: They've got the fireplaces there and, and it's just very homey.
Speaker 1: And, uh, I, I love those, there's a couple fireplace
Speaker 1: tables there that are just, I just love, love it
Speaker 1: when I can get one of them. I've got those
Speaker 1: table numbers too. You can see them on the show
Speaker 1: notes later inside. And, uh, but they also have these things,
Speaker 1: they call snugs and, and I've never heard anybody call this,
Speaker 1: but it's a, a room with a little pocket door, uh,
Speaker 1: summer seat up to eight. But the one that, that
Speaker 1: I like for two people seats up 2 to 4
Speaker 1: and it's small. It's not like you're in this massive room.
Speaker 1: But anyway, it's, it's a really cool way to, to
Speaker 1: have a romantic evening. And, you know, I didn't say
Speaker 1: this before but it doesn't have to be Valentine's Day.
Speaker 1: You know, it can be romance knows. No season. You can,
Speaker 1: you can call folks at all these restaurants and say,
Speaker 1: you know, I'd like to set up something a little special.
Speaker 1: Can you throw a tablecloth on that table that you
Speaker 1: don't throw a cloth on? Can I arrange for some,
Speaker 1: you know, uh votes to be put on the table?
Speaker 1: You know, I'm not talking like Liberace candle A I'm
Speaker 1: just talking about little subtle things like that. Uh You know,
Speaker 1: rose petals, if that's your thing, you know, there's all
Speaker 1: kinds of little touches that, that you can do that.
Speaker 1: Restaurant folks don't mind doing. You've asked, that's their business,
Speaker 1: that's their thing. And if they can make your night memorable,
Speaker 1: that's what they do. So there's a lot of little just,
Speaker 1: just think out of the box, you don't have to
Speaker 1: accept the, you know, the base offering there. You can
Speaker 1: customize it, you can change it to however you
Speaker 2: want to, if you give notice and you ask kindly,
Speaker 2: you know, they're in the hospitality business, they want
Speaker 2: to do these things. I used to, I used to
Speaker 2: love doing things like this for people. It's what we
Speaker 2: live for.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And anyway, that's, that's the part that again, we,
Speaker 1: we're in a, a Valentine's day time, but you can
Speaker 1: turn any night into a romantic night. You just have
Speaker 1: to think about it a little bit. I talked about
Speaker 1: this one time on the radio, on the radio host,
Speaker 1: I was telling him all these things you could do
Speaker 1: and he gives me kind of the side eye and
Speaker 1: he goes, do people really do that. He didn't say
Speaker 1: stuff but he said, do people really do that.
Speaker 1: And I, I took a second, I said the smart
Speaker 1: ones do. Exactly. And I left it at that and
Speaker 1: he shook his head and said, ok, but anyway, there
Speaker 1: you go.
Speaker 2: Can you talk to mine, please?
Speaker 1: Ok. Before Cheryl and I get into our picks for
Speaker 1: a romantic day out, I want to give a shout
Speaker 1: out a Valentine's day. Shout out to Rick Lewis of
Speaker 1: Grace meet and three for his out of the box
Speaker 1: thinking
Speaker 1: you probably know what I'm talking about, Cheryl. He has,
Speaker 1: he does a bouquet of chicken tenders.
Speaker 2: This is outrageous. The best bouquet ever to receive. And
Speaker 1: he puts it in a florist box that you can
Speaker 1: see through along with some carnations and that's his thing
Speaker 1: and you can pick it up, you can order in
Speaker 1: advance and pick it up at, at Grace meet and three.
Speaker 1: It's the coolest funniest kitt. But it's, you know, give
Speaker 1: him credit
Speaker 1: for thinking out of the box. He, he, he one
Speaker 1: upped it this year
Speaker 2: or I guess he's thinking in the box. He's putting
Speaker 2: the gingers in the box.
Speaker 1: Right. Yeah, it's on a little stick. It's just, it's
Speaker 1: just the best. So this year. He's done something that
Speaker 1: he's never done. I've never heard of. You see these
Speaker 1: seafood towers and all these, he's done a fried food
Speaker 1: tower at Grace Mean Street just available on Valentine's Day.
Speaker 1: It's over 100 bucks, but he's got
Speaker 1: chicken tenders as well as tender lobster. He's got fried catfish.
Speaker 1: He's got a calamari and crawfish. Frito Misto. He's got caviar,
Speaker 1: which is obviously not fried. But anyway, it's available on
Speaker 1: Valentine's night
Speaker 1: and he's just trying this. He said, you know, I'm
Speaker 1: just gonna see what happens and it's literally on a tower.
Speaker 1: And he said, if it goes over, well, you'll see
Speaker 1: it from time to time at Grace Meet and Three
Speaker 1: Happy Valentine's Day. I love it.
Speaker 2: He is the king of comfort. I'll tell you. So I,
Speaker 2: I bet that's gonna be wonderful.
Speaker 1: I tasted it the other day. I tasted a sample.
Speaker 1: Lots of fun.
Speaker 1: So we'll move on to the next part of the
Speaker 1: show where Cheryl and I just thought we'd take a day,
Speaker 1: a breakfast, lunch and dinner and say, let's do a
Speaker 1: romantic breakfast, midday snack or lunch and dinner. I thought
Speaker 1: that was, that was your idea. Actually, I thought it was,
Speaker 1: I thought it was really fun.
Speaker 2: We were thinking of our ideal day out. You know,
Speaker 2: if we wanted to celebrate Valentine's
Speaker 1: Day, it doesn't have to be Valentine's Day. Romance knows
Speaker 1: no season. Did I say that before? I think
Speaker 2: so? I think Susan is a lucky lady here. We'll,
Speaker 2: we'll see. But, um, so my romantic day out,
Speaker 2: I'm, and, you know, these aren't even necessarily like these stereotypical,
Speaker 2: you know, Romancy intimate restaurants because I would probably start
Speaker 2: mine out with Songbird Songbird. Um, it's a restaurant in
Speaker 2: the grove. It's on show do,
Speaker 2: um, Christine Meyer, the owner is revered by the Saint
Speaker 2: Louis restaurant community. She's been around for a while and
Speaker 2: she's awesome. She
Speaker 1: was one of her cohorts one time said that Chris
Speaker 1: Meyer has an MB A in hospitality and I love that.
Speaker 1: That's a great, I don't have to say anymore. Yeah.
Speaker 2: And you know, when you think of some of the
Speaker 2: names who can
Speaker 2: to her among the graves, I mean, Matt Maguire of
Speaker 2: Louis and Wrights says she's top of the game. So
Speaker 2: if he's giving his seal of approval, it's, I mean,
Speaker 2: that's like the good house guy. He says
Speaker 1: she was tops a top notch front of the house
Speaker 1: person and that's not even kind of what she's doing
Speaker 1: at this place. She's more the che Yeah, she
Speaker 2: is. But there's such, I think the reason I put
Speaker 2: songs
Speaker 2: on my list besides the fact that the food is
Speaker 2: so good is there's such a sweetness to this place.
Speaker 2: I love it. It's just, it's sweet, it's light, it's,
Speaker 2: it's beautiful that I don't know. I just, I love
Speaker 2: going there. I feel great when I go there. Probably
Speaker 2: because
Speaker 1: I I know what you're getting. Yeah, I am. I
Speaker 1: hope I do.
Speaker 2: Yes, I am eating her combo breakfast sandwich. It is
Speaker 2: my favorite breakfast sandwich in town. It's one of my
Speaker 2: favorite sandwiches in town.
Speaker 2: Very simple, sourdough bread, fried egg, white cheddar cheese, aged
Speaker 2: white cheddar cheese, smoked bacon. And, uh, well, I guess
Speaker 2: that goes without saying applewood smoked bacon. And, um, you know,
Speaker 2: she puts a little bit of sea salt on it,
Speaker 2: but then she puts a little bit of honey and
Speaker 2: a lot of people say, oh, I don't know. Can
Speaker 2: you leave the honey off? She's like, I promise you,
Speaker 2: please please put the honey on there. It's,
Speaker 2: it just takes it to this different level
Speaker 1: and nothing says romance like a sloppy breakfast sandwich.
Speaker 2: Exactly. Right. Exactly. Well, honey on there, you know, honey, honey,
Speaker 2: and then you wash it down. Well, I don't know
Speaker 2: if you're washing it down more like you're kind of
Speaker 2: immersing yourself in the indulgence of her Songbird latte, which
Speaker 2: it's a latte, but she uses, she uses salted caramel
Speaker 2: and a little bit of smoked maple in there. So
Speaker 2: you're just getting this like
Speaker 2: sweet brown, sugary caramelly richness to it and it's balanced
Speaker 2: because of that little bit of the salt in there.
Speaker 2: So
Speaker 1: great. She's a
Speaker 2: genius. I'll tell you. Where do you go for lunch? So, lunch,
Speaker 2: I am going to Asada Del Sur, the South American
Speaker 2: Grill in Maplewood. And I think there's just something about
Speaker 2: the idea of, like, grilled South American meats, like a
Speaker 2: beach barbecue. That, that just makes me,
Speaker 2: makes me feel like it's appropriate for this sort of experience.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a, uh, Daniel and Maria, uh, own that place.
Speaker 1: They're again, two of the nicest, loveliest, most hospitable people
Speaker 1: in town. I think he sources his skirt steaks and things,
Speaker 1: things like that from different places. It's, it's, it's a
Speaker 1: cut above stuff. And, uh, what I, I remember he
Speaker 1: told me he said, uh,
Speaker 1: that the lobster bisque there is, he goes and I've
Speaker 1: tasted lobster bisque all over the world and this one
Speaker 1: is the best in the world. And I went, oh,
Speaker 1: that's pretty high. Pretty bold. But so anyway, I'm here,
Speaker 1: I'll tell you that it's really good bisque. It
Speaker 2: is so good. And speaking of like romance and I
Speaker 2: would have a love affair with this chimichurri sauce. Their
Speaker 2: chimichurri is the best I've ever had. I love it. So,
Speaker 2: a sor del Sur is where I'm going
Speaker 1: for nice little booths in there. It's a cozy little place,
Speaker 2: kind of cozy, warm. You know, I think it's, that
Speaker 2: exposed brick vibe adds to the mystique there. Drinks. I
Speaker 2: am going to have drinks. I mean, you have to
Speaker 2: have drinks
Speaker 1: after lunch. Romantic day out for God's sakes. We got
Speaker 1: to have drinks. Exactly.
Speaker 2: Exactly. I mean, I think there's always a reason for
Speaker 2: them but in this particular occasion we're going to have
Speaker 2: our afternoon drinks at 21 C at the bar right
Speaker 2: there by Idle Wolf, the hotel, the museum hotel
Speaker 2: that opened in midtown. Um First of all, the space
Speaker 2: is gorgeous, the drinks are delicious and then you can
Speaker 2: actually take your drink and wander around the entire hotel.
Speaker 2: It's a museum. It's as much a museum and art
Speaker 2: gallery as it is a hotel and restaurants.
Speaker 1: It really is special. There's a lot going on there
Speaker 1: and it is a hotel and it's a spa and
Speaker 1: a health club. So it's got staycation
Speaker 1: possibility. Speaking of romance that we can't neglect either and
Speaker 1: I'm sure over Valentine's Day there's going to be a
Speaker 1: lot of folks walking around that hotel and through the
Speaker 1: museum with their cocktails. Doesn't that sound charming? I
Speaker 2: think it would be especially fun too is if the
Speaker 2: person that you were meeting, maybe you didn't go together
Speaker 2: but you met there. There's something about, you know, meeting
Speaker 2: at the hotel bar that I don't know, it just
Speaker 2: adds to, I know it adds to the experience there. So,
Speaker 1: so you go from idle wolf, you're just having cocktails there.
Speaker 1: But you could, I could, I could turn that into
Speaker 1: a romantic meal too, but I don't want to butt
Speaker 1: in because I do that too
Speaker 2: much. No, you're great. Well, I probably wouldn't turn down
Speaker 2: some snacks. I mean, I think cocktails always have to
Speaker 2: go with snacks. So I'd probably, they had this sober
Speaker 2: Sada toast there that is, um, whipped. I think it
Speaker 2: was whipped goat cheese in this, um, paprika
Speaker 2: and garlicky spread Spanish sausage. And here we are a
Speaker 2: little bit of honey drizzled on there. Um, I mean,
Speaker 2: you twist my arm, I'd have a snack. There might
Speaker 2: never leave. Exactly. But I would, because I think I
Speaker 2: would end with dinner at Mainlander. We're back to Mainlander.
Speaker 2: I just, I can't get enough. That's probably where I
Speaker 2: would go. I would say I don't either go to
Speaker 2: Mainlander or rights for dinner.
Speaker 2: Sounds good to me. Yeah, that's, that's my night out. Uh, my,
Speaker 2: I hope my partner's listening. He can take notes.
Speaker 1: So I would start out my romantic day at Ivy
Speaker 1: Cafe in Clayton. Their specialty is tarts. You know, that's
Speaker 1: just basically an open face toast. Theirs are quite tall, uh,
Speaker 1: open face sourdough toast. Uh, the owner makes the sourdough.
Speaker 1: The owner also makes some of the
Speaker 1: pottery there, which is, I mean, Julie can do everything.
Speaker 1: They
Speaker 2: have little messages on the bottom of it.
Speaker 1: So cute. It's so to watch when you turn that
Speaker 1: plate over that you don't dump anything like that. But anyway, they, they,
Speaker 1: they have great uh, toasts. Obviously, they're all named after
Speaker 1: the streets in Clayton, which is kind of cute, but
Speaker 1: they also have sourdough pancakes and this is something on
Speaker 1: the menu that I've seen that I want to try
Speaker 1: and I have and coconut milk
Speaker 1: sourdough, French toast with berries and cream cheese butter blend.
Speaker 1: Are you there? Doesn't that just sound like the best?
Speaker 1: I mean, you
Speaker 2: can just stop right there. You've had a great day.
Speaker 1: So, speaking of great lattes, lavender honey latte. They have
Speaker 1: an iced dream sickle latte. Anyway, this is just this
Speaker 1: light airy space. They have a lot of green plants
Speaker 1: in a, in a green wall and it's just charming
Speaker 1: little bistro tables on all these.
Speaker 1: It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast goes until 11.
Speaker 1: But that's where I would go. Uh, I think in
Speaker 1: the morning and then I'd run down to bow wood
Speaker 1: by Niche for lunch. How could you not? And, and
Speaker 1: just a great place. It's, um, it's in a nursery
Speaker 1: as most people know. And there, there's three rooms, really
Speaker 1: three experiences. The main room is, uh, floor to ceiling
Speaker 1: window and it's just light and airy and the food
Speaker 1: is so good.
Speaker 1: And then they've got outside kind of in the retail area. Um,
Speaker 1: another cafe kind of, it's a totally different vibe out there.
Speaker 1: And then, you know, if the weather's nice, you go
Speaker 1: outside onto that patio and you're literally dining among the
Speaker 1: plants and trees that are for sale. Again, the menu
Speaker 1: is small but it is just, everything's very well executed
Speaker 1: and it really feels celebratory. It feels like you're almost
Speaker 1: in a different city. It's that
Speaker 2: cool. So, my two pro tips for are just, you know,
Speaker 2: things to note about going to bow wood. Number one,
Speaker 2: you will walk out with a plant, you will be
Speaker 2: taking
Speaker 2: plant home with you. It is impossible to go in
Speaker 2: that place. I'm not even a plant person and I
Speaker 2: walk out with a plant every time I'm there. So
Speaker 2: just be aware it's going to happen. They're going
Speaker 1: fine left and right, you're done. I'll take one
Speaker 2: of those and they're so beautiful. It's, you want to
Speaker 2: be a plant person when you're there. And the second thing,
Speaker 2: don't sleep on the oatmeal. I know. Oatmeal. Sounds like
Speaker 2: a very weird
Speaker 1: thing. I sleep on oatmeal all the, all the time.
Speaker 2: Sleep on it.
Speaker 1: I'll eat it at home.
Speaker 2: It's like baked. It's served in this, like, beautiful crack
Speaker 2: with all these like nuts and goodies on it. So,
Speaker 2: I'm telling you their oatmeal. What I usually do is
Speaker 2: I order the oatmeal and then share it with somebody
Speaker 2: so I can get something else too.
Speaker 1: And when they're eating you go buy your plant. Exactly.
Speaker 1: Pretty much so, b it's cool. Um, it's a great
Speaker 1: place for brunch lunch. Uh, they're not,
Speaker 1: they open for dinner anymore. They're just open for private events.
Speaker 1: It was a great place for dinner too while it lasted.
Speaker 1: But for dinner, I thought about this long and hard
Speaker 1: and I think I would end up on your corner
Speaker 1: at Bar
Speaker 2: Morrow. How can you not end up on that corner?
Speaker 1: I think it's for my money. You know, it's like
Speaker 1: its predecessor. The walls are black. There's, you know, they're
Speaker 1: real candles, you know? Not those ones with the, with
Speaker 1: the lights in them,
Speaker 1: you know, soft. I mean, it's the sex, I think
Speaker 1: it's the sexiest restaurant in town. And again, it's a
Speaker 1: Ben Pumba restaurant. He, he really sets the table with,
Speaker 1: with all kinds of, uh, very studied items you sit
Speaker 1: at the bar that looks like it's somewhat cluttered, but
Speaker 1: it's cluttered that way on purpose. You know, there's Iberico
Speaker 1: ham on top, there's some plates stacked over here, sit
Speaker 1: at the bar. It's a, it's a lovely experience or,
Speaker 1: you know,
Speaker 1: no one of the tables is fine too. There's a
Speaker 1: table by the window that I really like and the
Speaker 1: menu is, is, uh, again, somewhat adventurous. There's some different
Speaker 1: things on there, but there's servers to help you through.
Speaker 1: There's a lot of tinned fish which a lot of
Speaker 1: Saint Lucians aren't familiar with. There's, uh, I think a
Speaker 1: gin and tonic menu with six gin and tonics on it.
Speaker 1: There's a vermouth and a sherry menu again. I, I
Speaker 1: don't know my Vermouth and sherry. So I said, you know,
Speaker 1: how do I do this? And
Speaker 1: there's, there's pairing. So if you're gonna have that you
Speaker 1: should have this sherry. I go really? Or this Vermouth.
Speaker 1: I go. Oh, ok. Anyway, great, great suggestions. Some of
Speaker 1: the best I've ever had with some things that I
Speaker 1: wasn't familiar with. So, uh, it's an adventure. It's sexy
Speaker 1: from start to finish.
Speaker 1: And again you can go there late night too. They're
Speaker 1: open later and you can go grab a basque cheesecake
Speaker 1: and some pork. The best thing in the world,
Speaker 2: sexiest restaurant in town,
Speaker 1: I'll end my day
Speaker 2: and nothing sexier than a, uh, and I'm not even
Speaker 2: joking than a big, you know, thing of ham on
Speaker 2: the bar.
Speaker 1: So after all this, all this romance and all these
Speaker 1: wonderful places, we're gonna get down a little bit to
Speaker 1: end the segment and talk about to go boxes
Speaker 1: and specifically to go boxes that are dropped at the table.
Speaker 1: You know, I want to say, can't we just return
Speaker 1: to the time when the plates were cleared? They'd take
Speaker 1: them into the back and they'd bring the to go
Speaker 1: stuff back in little boxes and, and put it in
Speaker 1: a little bag and, and boom, you're good to go.
Speaker 1: You know, I think when COVID came along, I understand
Speaker 1: that there were some changes to that, but now that
Speaker 1: COVID is in the rearview mirror, I say, you know,
Speaker 1: let's do all that stuff in the back. If you
Speaker 1: leave it on the table for me to do, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna have splashes and spills. And the last thing I'm
Speaker 1: gonna remember is, you know, the sauce that I spilled
Speaker 1: on my shirt, putting loading up my to Go box.
Speaker 1: Are you, are you with me on this or do
Speaker 1: you like to, or, or do you like to fill
Speaker 1: it up at
Speaker 2: the table? I could not be more with you on this. My,
Speaker 2: you know, former front of house self
Speaker 2: and you know, I've managed places too. If I saw
Speaker 2: my server drop off a to Go box, I would,
Speaker 2: I just lose my mind about it. And I mean,
Speaker 2: we're not talking about you're at a diner. I mean,
Speaker 1: I'm not talking about the super casual.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm in a super casual place and they drop
Speaker 2: stuff out. Ok. That's fine. I'm talking places where I'm dropping,
Speaker 2: you know, like serious money and this is an elegant
Speaker 2: elevated restaurant and they're like throwing it to go box and,
Speaker 2: you know, telling me to have at it. Oh my gosh,
Speaker 2: it's just, it's a step of service that I feel
Speaker 2: like
Speaker 1: is essential. I totally agree. You know, don't make us
Speaker 1: do the work. That's why we're here to not work. Right.
Speaker 2: Next thing we're going to be cooking. I mean, as
Speaker 2: a server you're taking the plates back to the kitchen anyway. Right. Exactly.
Speaker 2: So whatever.
Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Arch Eats. Be sure to
Speaker 1: follow us and share with your friends because we put
Speaker 1: out new episodes every other Friday and we always provide
Speaker 1: links in the show notes for everything you heard about
Speaker 1: today
Speaker 1: and don't forget to hit that subscribe button and follow
Speaker 1: along on Instagram at Saint Louis Mag and feel free
Speaker 1: to give us a follow personally at George Mahe and
Speaker 1: Cheryl Hebert.
Speaker 2: If you loved what you heard, show us some love
Speaker 2: by rating and reviewing us on Apple podcasts. And if
Speaker 2: you're hungry for even more content, you can subscribe to
Speaker 2: our dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local
Speaker 2: restaurant and culinary scene. That's
Speaker 1: it for this week. Best dishes and see you next time.