Speaker 1: Hello again and welcome to Arch Eats. My name is
Speaker 1: George Mahe and I'm Cheryl Beer. And today we're gonna
Speaker 1: be picking up where we left off last time. Just
Speaker 1: call it part two of our restaurants with great patios edition.
Speaker 2: This episode of Arch Eat is sponsored by Westport Plaza.
Speaker 1: Today, we're gonna discuss the hidden gems and a handful
Speaker 1: of honorable mentions and we'll end up with another patio
Speaker 1: related micro rant that we're calling missed opportunities. But before
Speaker 1: we get into that, it's what I can't stop thinking
Speaker 1: about this week, to be honest with you, the thing
Speaker 1: I can't stop thinking about is chef Mike Risk, who
Speaker 1: everyone calls Mikey at O and O pizza. So his
Speaker 1: eggplant parmesan is
Speaker 1: one of the best things to eat in the city
Speaker 1: of ST Louis, period. But that's not breaking news, you know? Ok,
Speaker 1: I had this dish. It's wonderful. Everyone knows it's wonderful.
Speaker 1: The thing that really struck me about my dinner, there
Speaker 1: was the appetizer of pancetta meatballs. They were absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1: What he does is he takes beef and he infuses
Speaker 1: them with pancetta.
Speaker 1: So when they cook up, you get that sweetness of
Speaker 1: the pork in there and just a little bit extra fat.
Speaker 1: That really just kind of makes the outside this like
Speaker 1: glistening crispy exterior. So he's rendered the pancetta before. You know.
Speaker 1: That's a good question. I'm going to have to double
Speaker 1: check on that. Probably just cooked it all too. That's
Speaker 1: what I'm thinking. That's what the texture. How big are
Speaker 1: these bad boys? They're Mandarin orange,
Speaker 1: bigger than a golf ball. Mandarin orange size. It just
Speaker 1: worked so beautifully. We were blown away. I ate so
Speaker 1: many of them that I ended up taking three quarters
Speaker 1: of my eggplant parm home. So, you know, if something,
Speaker 1: which isn't a bad thing, it reheats very well. But
Speaker 1: you know, if something can go toe to toe with
Speaker 1: the most perfect dish,
Speaker 1: it's a good one. So can't stop thinking highly recommended
Speaker 1: O and O pizza, which might as well be called
Speaker 1: O and O pizza pasta and other good stuff because
Speaker 1: it's all that and more. Uh, again, Mikey Risk is
Speaker 1: the chef there. And one little known fact about Mike Risk,
Speaker 1: he also owns the Mac down on Macklin. Did you
Speaker 1: know that? So, not too many people know that, I
Speaker 1: don't know, he spends a lot of time down there,
Speaker 1: but he's a pretty well versed guy, just a great guy.
Speaker 1: And I truly believe that O and O is one
Speaker 1: of the best Italian restaurants.
Speaker 1: No question, no question. And one that people don't think
Speaker 1: about that often. And exactly. So here we go again
Speaker 1: with what I can't stop thinking about. And once again,
Speaker 1: I've surprised my co-host and placed something in front of her.
Speaker 1: She's looking at it. Not quite sure what it is.
Speaker 1: That is a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf that
Speaker 1: comes from sore. This is there, say no more steamed
Speaker 1: by me this morning.
Speaker 1: A little early morning steaming. Anyway, this is the tamal Colado.
Speaker 1: This is Alex Henry's tamale from Sos at City Foundry again,
Speaker 1: Alex was raised in the Yucatan. This is a Yucatec tamale.
Speaker 1: And what's different about it is the preparation of the masa.
Speaker 1: As you can see, it's not kind, it's not that grainy,
Speaker 1: not at all, not like corn meal or like a
Speaker 1: corn muffin. A lotto means strained and that's exactly what
Speaker 1: he does to the masa to get it very fine
Speaker 1: and very delicate and it's just something that's, that's different
Speaker 1: and they cook that masa with lard before he wraps it.
Speaker 1: But anyway, cut into it and you'll see that it's
Speaker 1: stuffed with cochinita pibil, which I know is one of
Speaker 1: your favorite things. I just threw my fork down. That's
Speaker 1: what people don't see it. It really is. I have
Speaker 1: to tell you it's one of my favorite things and
Speaker 1: he does it better than anyone in town and he should.
Speaker 1: I mean, that's the, the, the national dish of the Yucatan.
Speaker 1: He was raised in the Yucatan. And
Speaker 1: if anybody should do it. Well, he does so that
Speaker 1: the salsa that goes on it is what he calls
Speaker 1: salsa frita, which just means fried or cooked. So that
Speaker 1: is the sauce that goes on it. And there is
Speaker 1: a rocket fuel hot sauce next to it that you
Speaker 1: see there. Cheryl that looks like danger. But anyway, that
Speaker 1: is just an outstanding dish and it's available at Sores.
Speaker 1: It's about 15 bucks. It's easily a meal
Speaker 1: uh in itself again, it takes about an hour and
Speaker 1: a half to steam that the, the preparation time for,
Speaker 1: you know, tamales in general is a long time. They
Speaker 1: take days to prepare. That's why you only see them
Speaker 1: a lot of the time at, at the holidays in,
Speaker 1: in Mexican homes, you know, the, the grandmothers get together
Speaker 1: and make tamales. But anyway, at, at crete, they're making
Speaker 1: them every day. And I should also mention at their
Speaker 1: other restaurant, they being Alex and his brother Jeff Henry,
Speaker 1: who they own El Molino Del Cree, which is
Speaker 1: an outstanding restaurant in its own, right? A little bit newer,
Speaker 1: they serve a little bit different tamale there, but they
Speaker 1: do have the tamale there. So anyway, I guess my
Speaker 1: point with all this is if you want to get
Speaker 1: away from Tex Mex and you want some real Yucatec
Speaker 1: and cuisine, go to Creste or El Molino del Creste.
Speaker 1: So what's the verdict on that? Tamale? First of all,
Speaker 1: you know, when you look at this. It's almost like
Speaker 1: as smooth as like a flan or something.
Speaker 1: It's just almost creamy, creamy looking and really creamy tasting
Speaker 1: because what that process does is hydrates that corn so
Speaker 1: that it gets creamier and loses some of that graininess.
Speaker 1: But what's so interesting is you look at it and
Speaker 1: you don't realize maybe it's just the color. I, I
Speaker 1: don't know, but you don't realize how much of a
Speaker 1: flavor it's going to pack. It has this just nutty
Speaker 1: roasted flavor to it. It's like this perfect distillation of
Speaker 1: like cooked corn. It's so wonderful and it's, and it's huge.
Speaker 1: We should mention this thing is pillow shaped and giant.
Speaker 1: It's not one of these cylindrical guides that you can
Speaker 1: knock about three of them down before you get full.
Speaker 1: This is, this is limit one for sure. And I
Speaker 1: just think it's just a really unusual dish. He puts
Speaker 1: some onion and some tomato and some ezo in there,
Speaker 1: which is AAA Mexican herb that
Speaker 1: is very common but not real common in this country.
Speaker 1: It's kind of a very complex flavor to it. You
Speaker 1: taste that there's a lot going on in that tamale
Speaker 1: besides the, the masa,
Speaker 1: she, she's knocked down half of that thing while we speak.
Speaker 1: So that is what I can't stop thinking about this week.
Speaker 1: And now you too. It's so wonderful. And I have
Speaker 1: to tell you, you are not lying about that hot sauce.
Speaker 1: I had to go off mic for a second because
Speaker 1: it did take my breath away for a minute in
Speaker 1: a good way. Like some dynamite underneath. It's fiery but
Speaker 1: it's so bright. It's so piquant. It's complex. And I
Speaker 1: think
Speaker 1: that is the key to a great hot sauce. It's
Speaker 1: not that you can't handle heat. I find that a
Speaker 1: lot of hot sauces can just be so blunt. It's
Speaker 1: just heat for the sake of heat without flavor. You know,
Speaker 1: just as if people are trying to prove something and it,
Speaker 1: it just kills your taste buds and then you're done
Speaker 1: and you might as well just stop what you're doing
Speaker 1: because your taste buds are done. So this is different.
Speaker 1: It's so multi-layered and because of like that canvas of
Speaker 1: that masa on there, it's just perfect with it.
Speaker 1: And so while Cheryl finishes up the last of that tamales,
Speaker 1: we're gonna try to get into part two of, of
Speaker 1: this whole patio thing again, reviewing these are the hidden
Speaker 1: gems with patios, uh a handful of honorable mentions and
Speaker 1: quick hits. I mean, we could have done a whole
Speaker 1: series on this. Right, Cheryl. I mean, and we, we
Speaker 1: condensed it to two episodes and, and we thought, you
Speaker 1: know what, each one could have its own episode. Absolutely.
Speaker 1: I mean, this was one of those projects where you
Speaker 1: get into it and
Speaker 1: you don't realize how many there are and the thing
Speaker 1: is so many of them are wonderful. I mean, that's
Speaker 1: why you can't. We had 100 and 70 that's why
Speaker 1: we had 100 and 75. I mean, we all know
Speaker 1: the obvious ones that we talked about last week. But
Speaker 1: these hidden ones, these ones that you just don't think of,
Speaker 1: you know, we are so lucky to have so many
Speaker 1: wonderful places to eat outside and tis the season for sure.
Speaker 1: I'll start off with Pop, which is uh, Dave and
Speaker 1: Kara Bailey's restaurant
Speaker 1: in Lafayette Square. It's the former Bailey's chocolate bar. You
Speaker 1: walk outside to that porch area and under the eaves
Speaker 1: of the porch are a bunch of tables where you
Speaker 1: can dine. It was the same with the chocolate bar.
Speaker 1: It was, it's this rustic romantic area that is just very,
Speaker 1: very special and that hasn't changed with the new iteration
Speaker 1: with pop, which by the way is a champagne bar.
Speaker 1: So, I mean, you can eat downstairs and then go
Speaker 1: up to Bailey's chocolate bar and have a chocolate martini
Speaker 1: for dessert. Bailey's chocolate bar is still there. It's just upstairs.
Speaker 1: So it's the embodiment of all that's charming about Lafayette Square.
Speaker 1: It is. And you sit there and you're looking around
Speaker 1: and you look across
Speaker 1: the brick wall and there's more people on another patio
Speaker 1: across the way and it's like what the heck's going
Speaker 1: over there? That's 33 wine bar and just a little
Speaker 1: tip about that place. They just started food service. There
Speaker 1: a more, a more expanded food service which is long overdue.
Speaker 1: So there's a couple of places right in a row
Speaker 1: there and just
Speaker 1: don't forget about them. You know, they're both hidden gems.
Speaker 1: Uh Another one I, I love this place. It's called
Speaker 1: Oliva Cafe. It's part of Oliva on the hill, which
Speaker 1: is a, a venue that's operated by catering Saint Louis
Speaker 1: and they serve lunch at Oliva on the hill. I
Speaker 1: forget what it is. I think Tuesday through Saturday maybe.
Speaker 1: But my favorite part of that patio is
Speaker 1: on Wednesday afternoon. They call it wind down Wednesday. Everybody
Speaker 1: I've ever taken to this said, why haven't you told
Speaker 1: me about this place sooner? I, I am. It's a
Speaker 1: weekly party. It's always a good time. This patio and
Speaker 1: courtyard kind of sprawls and winds around and you know,
Speaker 1: if the weather gets lousy, they move it indoors, have
Speaker 1: lunch there, but don't forget about wind down Wednesdays.
Speaker 1: And another place that's been around for 32 years is
Speaker 1: Big Sky Cafe. It overlooks the train tracks and there's
Speaker 1: nothing more charming than when those freight trains come by.
Speaker 1: You think you're out in the Washington, Missouri or somewhere
Speaker 1: way out. It's one of those places that ticks the
Speaker 1: box for great food and not that expensive. And I
Speaker 1: can name those places on about five fingers in this
Speaker 1: town
Speaker 1: and Big Sky Cafe is one of them. It's an institution,
Speaker 1: but it still feels relevant it's just a great place.
Speaker 1: Those entrees are priced in the twenties, which is unusual
Speaker 1: and they've got half portions as well. They do a
Speaker 1: Saturday brunch, not a Sunday brunch. They just do things
Speaker 1: a little bit differently there and it's just an awesome
Speaker 1: place and patios. Not big. And it's kind of at
Speaker 1: the end of a,
Speaker 1: you know, you're, it's like where the heck are we going?
Speaker 1: We're gonna go across these railroad tracks. No, you stop
Speaker 1: at Big Sky. So that's one that, that's 32 years
Speaker 1: old and going strong. Yeah. Well, one that, I guess
Speaker 1: it used to be an institution in its old location
Speaker 1: and now it's moved. So this to me is one
Speaker 1: of the most unexpected patios, I don't know in town, period.
Speaker 1: And this is Ricardo's on Broadway. So
Speaker 1: Ricardo's was a long time, Lafayette Square. Just kind of that,
Speaker 1: like that casual midpoint Italian restaurant there, I think red
Speaker 1: checked tablecloth, Chianti bottles on tables. Just really that, that
Speaker 1: classic feel. And they closed in 2015. But then they
Speaker 1: reopened just last July. I think it was, it was
Speaker 1: definitely last summer in. You would never believe it.
Speaker 1: North riverfront. I mean, we're talking, if you're on your
Speaker 1: way to the city tow yard, maybe you'll stop and
Speaker 1: get some spini at Ricardo's. It looks like where there
Speaker 1: was an interesting choice of where to put that. It's
Speaker 1: the old shady Jacks, if you know, for reference point.
Speaker 1: That biker bar. Yeah, there forever. But the thing that's
Speaker 1: so funny, they have this interior courtyard. And I'm telling
Speaker 1: you when I
Speaker 1: walked in there, I thought that this is like New
Speaker 1: York City. I feel like I'm in Little Italy. It's
Speaker 1: in between these multi story brick buildings. You have the
Speaker 1: black painted wrought iron fire escapes. And what they've done
Speaker 1: is they've strung twinkle lights, you know, over those, those
Speaker 1: like really beautiful lights, they have tables in there. You think?
Speaker 1: Where am I? You are at? Ricardo's, I promise you,
Speaker 1: it is an unexpected and worthwhile experience. They were known
Speaker 1: for their quality Italian cuisine at a very reasonable price.
Speaker 1: They're also known for a really good wine list. And
Speaker 1: I think both of those have made the switch up
Speaker 1: to this new location. Ricardo's on Broadway, all the same family,
Speaker 1: everyone's still involved, you know. So if you're missing your
Speaker 1: Ricardo's in Lafayette Square, sit on their patio on Broadway. Now,
Speaker 1: my other one, I'm going over to Saint Charles with
Speaker 1: and that is Shay's Creole smokehouse at the old mill stream. Now,
Speaker 1: I know that's a long long name. But, um, the
Speaker 1: old mill stream is this classic bar that's been there
Speaker 1: forever in, you know, right off main street in ST
Speaker 1: Charles and a gentleman named Shay is actually doing the
Speaker 1: food out of their kitchen there for them. Now, so,
Speaker 1: first of all,
Speaker 1: it's some of the best barbecue you'll get in the region. His,
Speaker 1: his food's outstanding, has a little bit of a creole
Speaker 1: influence to some of it. So that's just great. Anyway,
Speaker 1: but their patio is gorgeous. It is exactly what you'd
Speaker 1: think for main street, Saint Charles, cobblestone floor
Speaker 1: babbling Brook going through there, it's below grade. So it
Speaker 1: feels hidden, completely covered in trees that fits the category,
Speaker 1: hidden from sight and relatively unknown. And there's actually one
Speaker 1: of those old sawmills that you know, is
Speaker 1: like it's an old mill. Yes, it really is. So this,
Speaker 1: this is the place where you go, you get some
Speaker 1: brisket and you just sit on this patio and watch
Speaker 1: the day go by wonderful and watch the water go by. Exactly.
Speaker 1: We'll be right back.
Speaker 2: The iconic Westport Plaza event series parties on the plaza
Speaker 2: is back and better than ever, the parties will rock
Speaker 2: the new green space in the center of Westport Plaza
Speaker 2: every third Thursday from May through October from 430 to
Speaker 2: 7:30 p.m. Enjoy high energy live music from local ads
Speaker 2: including Doctor Che Vegas, no dignity, big rigs and more
Speaker 2: bar service and food and beverages from Westport's popular restaurants
Speaker 2: that surround the green space. Admission is free and open
Speaker 2: to all ages. Visit Westport stl.com/events to learn more
Speaker 1: and now back to the show,
Speaker 1: I feel like we just had some places that we
Speaker 1: just need to mention. We don't have to go, you know,
Speaker 1: into major detail, but you know, they just have to
Speaker 1: be mentioned here. So ones I've got the royal that
Speaker 1: outside patio at Royal, I could have been on a patio.
Speaker 1: It could have been an OG. Exactly. It really could.
Speaker 1: And you know, when I think of the Royal, not
Speaker 1: only do I think about fire pits and Pergolas and
Speaker 1: quirky decor, but I also think they have that subcontinental
Speaker 1: cocktail there, which is the gin and the lime and
Speaker 1: the cucumber juice. You want to talk about the drink
Speaker 1: to have sitting outside in the summer. That's the one
Speaker 1: my other quick hit. Speaking of drinking outside. Oh, you
Speaker 1: have something about the Royal. The Royal. I was just
Speaker 1: there the other day actually, idly enough and I was just, again,
Speaker 1: it's starting to come into bloom. You've got those vines that,
Speaker 1: that go over the Pergola over the fire pit area.
Speaker 1: But what I guess I've never noticed that much is
Speaker 1: those vines continue across his fence across the sidewalk. He's
Speaker 1: got a little like Pergola built
Speaker 1: across the public sidewalk and he's got grape vines out there.
Speaker 1: He's growing trees, he's growing herbs and it's all just,
Speaker 1: you know, he's got stories to tell about all this stuff.
Speaker 1: Everything about that place is cool and the inside, you've
Speaker 1: got the, there's that big hedge and you've got that
Speaker 1: brick wall with that from mural and they've got those
Speaker 1: two ealier trees there that are spread out on the
Speaker 1: brick wall for such a kind of a funky place.
Speaker 1: A lot of thought went into it.
Speaker 1: It's a great place. Another place that I love it.
Speaker 1: I mean, you talk about this oasis in the middle
Speaker 1: of the city is the gin room and salve of
Speaker 1: Syria right there on South Grand. They have this side
Speaker 1: patio there that here we are with the grapevines. Again,
Speaker 1: it's covered in grape vines. It's hidden from the street
Speaker 1: landscaped, gorgeous and they have this covered outdoor bar. You
Speaker 1: want to talk about the best seat in that entire restaurant.
Speaker 1: You sit at that outdoor, I think they call it
Speaker 1: the garden bar. Um, you sit there and it's, it's magical.
Speaker 1: You know, you're sipping on some house made tonics, the
Speaker 1: best Gin collection you'll probably ever witness in your life
Speaker 1: and it's real close quarters out there. You'll learn
Speaker 1: something about drinks. You'll definitely have some drinks, but you'll
Speaker 1: learn something about it. That's a lot of fun. Um,
Speaker 1: my couple other quick hits, you can't mention patios without
Speaker 1: Broadway Oyster bar. That is, you know, great food. The
Speaker 1: music is why you go there. I mean, it's, you
Speaker 1: talk about these places where you just have a party.
Speaker 1: I mean, it's a party that bring people from
Speaker 1: town because it's, it's always a party. Absolutely Golden Hoosier.
Speaker 1: It's got the campground theme. I mean, you feel like
Speaker 1: you're at a state park concession stand when you're there,
Speaker 1: which is super fun. It's great picnic tables and those
Speaker 1: shelters out in back. It does, it feels like you're
Speaker 1: in a state park. It really does. Do you have
Speaker 1: a couple? I have a couple more but I feel
Speaker 1: like I'll let you interject here. I'm
Speaker 1: swing way out into town and country at the corner
Speaker 1: of Clayton and Mason Road. Like where Strobs is. There's,
Speaker 1: there's a development there. A strip center that's all clad
Speaker 1: in rustic wood. It looks like it's been there forever,
Speaker 1: but it's brand new. It's called Blacksmith Grove. And in
Speaker 1: Blacksmith Grove is Clever and cocktail restaurant. And right next
Speaker 1: door to it, a place called Wild Crush Wine Barn.
Speaker 1: And these, again, it's the whole thing's nondescriptive. There's not
Speaker 1: much signage there. It's like, what is this place? And
Speaker 1: you walk in
Speaker 1: and of course, the spaces are nice. But boy, you
Speaker 1: walk out onto that patio and it takes your breath away. You're, again,
Speaker 1: you're above it. It overlooks seven acres. There's a lake,
Speaker 1: there's a park, there's a walking path, there's a fountain,
Speaker 1: there's a, the theater, there's a waterfall and you're listening
Speaker 1: to all the animals go and you swear you're in
Speaker 1: Augusta 45
Speaker 1: and you're the, you're right in the middle of the
Speaker 1: town and country and again, the clever and cocktail, the
Speaker 1: dry aged meats. They're doing a great job out there.
Speaker 1: And the wine bar next door is really cool because
Speaker 1: it's self tapping self serve wine situation there. Go to
Speaker 1: both of them. It doesn't matter what order you do
Speaker 1: it in. But they both have these outside patios that
Speaker 1: join one another and it's spectacular. Another place I like, uh,
Speaker 1: back in Webster
Speaker 1: is Frisco. They've got maybe again one of the best
Speaker 1: designed patios in town. It's just beautiful out in the back,
Speaker 1: especially because you kind of walk through and it just
Speaker 1: kind of pops open right in front of you. But
Speaker 1: upstairs that whole second floor is kind of hidden a
Speaker 1: little bit. There's a house bakery up there. There's kind
Speaker 1: of a, it looks like dad's den area up there
Speaker 1: and then there's a private room up there that holds
Speaker 1: 20 people. But they've also got tables outside, you can
Speaker 1: overlook Webster and have dinner at the same time. And again,
Speaker 1: a lot of people have eaten there a lot of
Speaker 1: times and don't know that that patio, that upstairs patio exists. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's a great spot. I love Taco Buddha in University City,
Speaker 1: I think, I mean, a bumper sticker. Yeah. Right. Exactly.
Speaker 1: It probably is. I think they probably do have that,
Speaker 1: you know, when they first opened they were just some shotgun,
Speaker 1: like four table restaurant and they just, I mean, they took,
Speaker 1: they took over the entire corner, it's covered. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1: The margaritas are fantastic.
Speaker 1: That's a place that you must go to. I think
Speaker 1: they have one of the best outdoor seating areas and
Speaker 1: they have one of the warmest outdoor, those heaters work,
Speaker 1: crank it out. I mean, in the dead of winter
Speaker 1: that place is comfy, cozy. Yeah, they really, they do
Speaker 1: a great job out there. I've just got a couple more.
Speaker 1: I promise you, you know, you can't mention patios without
Speaker 1: the central west end. So I'm putting Bar Talia and
Speaker 1: Brasserie both in there as my honorable central west end.
Speaker 1: You want a cosmopolis
Speaker 1: and dining experience? That's where you go Italian ones for. Exactly.
Speaker 1: I'm going to go way out West County to Bishop's
Speaker 1: Posts which you want to talk about water features and the,
Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I mean, it's like you might as
Speaker 1: well go swimming. It is. It's a two story waterfall there. Gosh,
Speaker 1: if memory serves me correctly and they've got, it used
Speaker 1: to be wide open and a couple, two or three
Speaker 1: years ago they put a big structure in there. So
Speaker 1: a lot of the tables are covered and a lot
Speaker 1: of them are still not. So,
Speaker 1: yeah, it's breathtaking. Absolutely. And then last, but not least
Speaker 1: on my list, my fluorescent roots have to come out.
Speaker 1: I have to give a shout out to Hendel's. It
Speaker 1: was opened in a historic general store. It's kind of
Speaker 1: the fluorescent gathering place. They have a gorgeous back patio
Speaker 1: outside of this historic building. It's just a great place.
Speaker 1: I used to sneak over there when I went to
Speaker 1: grade school next door and get penny candy during recess.
Speaker 1: So
Speaker 1: it's a special place in my heart. A place that
Speaker 1: I sneak over to because it's near my house in Clayton.
Speaker 1: And it's the last one I think on my list
Speaker 1: here is Tony's and that Tony's patio, they spent a
Speaker 1: lot of money out there. They did a really good job.
Speaker 1: That roof they have is louvered. So it's open to
Speaker 1: the elements or closed if it starts to rain, which
Speaker 1: is super cool. There's a water element that goes the
Speaker 1: whole length of the patio. It completely deadens. The sound
Speaker 1: of Hanley Road. You're about 10 ft from Hanley Road
Speaker 1: and you have no idea because of the placement and
Speaker 1: the placement of this waterfall. It's got everything. It's just,
Speaker 1: there's a bar out there, there's TV. S even the
Speaker 1: floor is heated. You wouldn't expect anything else from them.
Speaker 1: A surprise to you, Cheryl. I have a few more
Speaker 1: quick hits here and I swear I'll be brief. Did
Speaker 1: you know that eclipse at the top of the moonrise
Speaker 1: hotel is the only place in town you can see
Speaker 1: an unobstructed summer sunset with no buildings, just trees. Oh, wow.
Speaker 1: I did not know that as far as that's what
Speaker 1: my research has told you. Very nice. Did you know
Speaker 1: that Dominic's on the Hill has a handful of tables
Speaker 1: outside that face Herford Street, the side street
Speaker 1: that I didn't know I haven't been there, but every
Speaker 1: time I drive by, I want to do it and
Speaker 1: speaking of fine Italian dining on the hill, Charlie Jets
Speaker 1: was gonna cover that patio. I think I talked to
Speaker 1: you about that. They decided not to because a popular
Speaker 1: demand or just people like me, please don't do that.
Speaker 1: Charlie and they decided to leave it open to the
Speaker 1: air another place. I don't know that anybody knows about
Speaker 1: this
Speaker 1: and I guess they will because it's right between Visa
Speaker 1: and Taqueria Marita, the new Taqueria Marita. It's the Wxyz
Speaker 1: bar in the Aloft Hotel. I had not heard of that,
Speaker 1: which is a Marriott property and this is a second
Speaker 1: floor rooftop bar. You know, it's in the cortex district
Speaker 1: there faces south. It's got a great orientation again before event,
Speaker 1: before a play before the ball game. It, it opens
Speaker 1: it
Speaker 1: or there's cocktails, there's bar food. It's one of those
Speaker 1: places that if every place in town is packed, check
Speaker 1: that out because a lot of people don't know about.
Speaker 1: I had no idea. And this is what we do
Speaker 1: for a living. This is what we do. And I
Speaker 1: guess the last place and I just thought about this
Speaker 1: place to have a cow, cattle company. That place is
Speaker 1: something we forgot about that. Yes, we did. It's a
Speaker 1: breakfast and lunch spot,
Speaker 1: the gate district on Lafayette. Their patio is a flagstone
Speaker 1: patio behind a split rail fence. It looks like you're
Speaker 1: out on the farm. So all I can say is
Speaker 1: just go there and thank us later. It's a really
Speaker 1: cool experience. The food's good. The vibe's good and it's like,
Speaker 1: you know, there's a tractor out in front. It's like,
Speaker 1: what the heck is this place? So that's have a
Speaker 1: cow cattle company. And George, we forgot one, we forgot.
Speaker 1: Bowed by nie.
Speaker 1: I mean, how can you tell Patty is? It's so obvious.
Speaker 1: You almost forget it. Right. Well, it broke my heart
Speaker 1: when they closed for dinner and I just hope that
Speaker 1: they can bring that around. And that's, that's kind of
Speaker 1: why I left it off the list just because of that.
Speaker 1: I guess I'm still like, yeah, but still one of
Speaker 1: our favorite places for sure to buy plants and everything else.
Speaker 1: And I guess
Speaker 1: there's one more. The Seven Gables Inn in Clayton, that
Speaker 1: courtyard patio is just spectacular and it's surrounded on all
Speaker 1: sides by the hotel. There's no wind, there's no issues there,
Speaker 1: but it's been closed for, for a while. It used
Speaker 1: to be the, the restaurant was called seven and Seven
Speaker 1: has closed. The courtyard is still closed, but I'm told
Speaker 1: that they're both gonna open in May 24 after a
Speaker 1: re
Speaker 1: branding and a name change. Look forward to that in Clayton. Yes.
Speaker 1: Uh Well, clearly we have a lot to talk about
Speaker 1: with these. There's just so many. Again, we, we did
Speaker 1: compile this list. I'm sure we didn't mention everybody's favorites,
Speaker 1: but I bet they're on our list of 100 and
Speaker 1: 75 which can be found at Sto mag.com. So check
Speaker 1: that out. We'll be right back.
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Speaker 1: So that concludes today's list of patios, which is by
Speaker 1: no means inclusive, but we'll do more at some other time.
Speaker 1: We promise. But uh we're gonna end today with a
Speaker 1: micro rant about patios that we're calling missed patio opportunities. Cheryl.
Speaker 1: I know you, you share this. How many times have
Speaker 1: you driven up to this beautiful restaurant? And you,
Speaker 1: you see this bare bones patio, no greenery, no life,
Speaker 1: no action and and nobody there really with, with cheap
Speaker 1: looking tables and chairs and it looks like my patio
Speaker 1: at home, but it's not what you want when you're
Speaker 1: trying to attract people. You know, you want some curb appeal.
Speaker 1: I mean, nothing, nothing attracts diners into a restaurant
Speaker 1: in the spring and summer and fall like a welcoming patio.
Speaker 1: So I just don't understand why restaurants don't spend a
Speaker 1: few bucks to make a few bucks. This is rent
Speaker 1: free space for them. Why don't they maximize it? And
Speaker 1: I agree with you, but it really is a, a
Speaker 1: missed opportunity, as you said, because
Speaker 1: it's not that difficult to throw a couple potted plants
Speaker 1: and some nice lighting. Some, some of those cool plastic
Speaker 1: wicker chairs, planter boxes that I've seen. I, you know,
Speaker 1: I saw some, I think it was at Katie's. It
Speaker 1: was really well done. She has these real long tables
Speaker 1: like picnic tables and there's planter boxes on the tables
Speaker 1: that they can shift up or down to kind of
Speaker 1: accommodate a deuce or a for top. They just move
Speaker 1: the planter boxes to accommodate the different parties. Something as
Speaker 1: simple as that is all you need. You know, maybe
Speaker 1: some soft seating that is the perfect eye magnet from
Speaker 1: the curb. You can do little bud vases on the tables.
Speaker 1: All these simple things. What I really like now are
Speaker 1: those little led lamps that are about a foot tall
Speaker 1: that you see on all these
Speaker 1: patios. And it's just, you know, they like three level led.
Speaker 1: They're just so darn charming and add tremendously to the
Speaker 1: appeal and you just drive by and go wait, let's
Speaker 1: stop and eat there. They do. I mean, the whole
Speaker 1: point of a patio is to give you this transport
Speaker 1: of feeling and even something like a little bit of
Speaker 1: soft lighting and a bud vase. I mean, that's, that's enough.
Speaker 1: Sometimes so many simple things, inexpensive things. That's all you
Speaker 1: need to do. So, please do them restaurant owners.
Speaker 1: So that is it for this week, best dishes and
Speaker 1: see you next time. Be sure to follow us and
Speaker 1: share with your friends. And we always provide links in
Speaker 1: the show notes for everything you heard about today.
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Speaker 1: Cheryl Hebert. If you loved what you heard, show us
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Speaker 1: best dishes and see you next time.