Date of dining experience: July 3, 2015
Place: Crabb & Company
Location: 8815 Missouri T in Wappapello, MO
Appetizer 1: Stuffed Mushrooms ($7) - A Crabb original; fresh mushrooms stuffed with a cream cheese and bacon center.
Appetizer 2: Fried Okra ($6 full order) - Lightly battered, just like grandma's. And they aren't kidding! It is one of the top two places for okra in the area, with the other being River Ridge Winery.
Entree: Smoked Pork Steak ($14) - Approx. 2 lbs. of thick-sliced, hand-rubbed smoked shoulder. And it came with sides! This pork steak is probably tied with the one at Dexter BBQ for second best in the area. I'd still have to say that the best pork steak in the area is from Strawberry's, but only if you actually go there to get it.
Sides (the ones I ordered): Roasted Fresh Broccoli and Homemade BBQ Baked Beans - both delicious! You can't go wrong with some roasted broccoli and homemade baked beans are always good.
Sides (the ones Audry ordered, which I tasted): Homemade Potato Chips and Baked Macaroni & Cheese. The chips were pretty typical, but the macaroni was great! You could definitely tell it was baked and you could definitely tell it was homemade.
Wine: With the appetizers and before the meal I had a glass of Woodbridge Pinot Grigio and a glass of Woodbridge Chardonnay ($4.50 each for 8 oz. servings) - This is a reasonable price, but just keep in mind that it is Woodbridge. Don't expect it to be absolutely delicious as it's meant more to compliment the food.
Beer: With my meal I had a Schlafly Hefeweizen ($3.50) - It was a pretty good beer at a reasonable price.
Desserts: You can't go wrong with any of the desserts here because they are all made by Carmel Dare. Seriously, nothing is bad. If you want to take a look at some of Carmel's work, check out Carmel's Creations. I know she has a Facebook page and I'm sure she has a website also.
The atmosphere at Crabb & Co. is great. It feels kind of like the old Weekender's Fish House did. The only "bad" thing is that the alcohol selection is pretty limited and their Indian Hills wine selections are very overpriced (they want $6 for 6 oz. servings). But they do offer more of a variety than a lot of other restaurants in the area, so I'm not really going to complain. And if they can get $1 per oz. for Indian Hills because it is a local winery, soak up the profits!
Hmm, I mentioned four area restaurants (still open for business) in this post that I have not yet written about. I'll have to remedy that. But I digress...
Overall, Crabb & Co. is definitely worth the trip. The people are super friendly. One of the owners is a principal at Puxico and employs a lot of Puxico High School students. In fact, Indian Hills Winery (which also closes for the winter) is owned by Puxico teachers (I'm pretty sure they're both teachers), if that information might help you be able to pay $1 per oz. for Indian Hills wine (because it is vastly superior to Woodbridge).
Everyone should go check out Crabb & Co., but you better hurry because it does close down for the winter. When you do get a chance to make the trip, let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Wonton King - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 27, 2015
Place: Wonton King
Location: 8116 Olive Blvd. in St. Louis, MO
Before my good friend Leo had to board his flight to Phoenix, we decided to enjoy one more meal together. What better way than having another authentic Asian food experience.
According to Yelp, Wonton King has the best Dim Sum in the St. Louis area.
Dim Sum is a style of Cantonese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.
Drink: Jasmine Tea - this is AMAZING! If you only go to this restaurant to have the tea, it's worth it.
There were entirely too many dishes on our table to remember or take note of what all we tried (much like with the Korean Banchan), but I'll list some of my favorites!
We started with the special for the day, which was a large plate of perfectly seasoned steamed mussels. The sticky rice was delicious, and so were a few different types of beef rolls (like the siopao), shrimp wraps (like the taro puff), the spare ribs, and the egg tart. The Chinese broccoli here was better than at Wei Hong, but I think it was due to it having more sauce to counter the bitter taste. We ended the meal with a type of honey-sweetened tofu that was very tasty.
Absolute Favorite: Shark Fin. DELICIOUS! I believe the shark fin is prepared as siomai, which is an open-wrapped steamed dumpling.
Least Favorite: Chicken Feet. Though this is a traditional Chinese dish, I couldn't bring myself to try it. I did eat here a second time a month later and tried it: there is hardly any meat, but what a great experience!
Note: Dim Sum is available during the week, but only off a menu at certain restaurants. However, Wonton King serves it in the full traditional style every day of the week from 11;00 AM to 3:00 PM.
I've been to Wonton King for Dim Sum four times now and I can't wait to go back again!
If you have never had Dim Sum, you should! And you should have it at Wonton King. You will NOT be disappointed. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! Enjoy!!!
Place: Wonton King
Location: 8116 Olive Blvd. in St. Louis, MO
Before my good friend Leo had to board his flight to Phoenix, we decided to enjoy one more meal together. What better way than having another authentic Asian food experience.
According to Yelp, Wonton King has the best Dim Sum in the St. Louis area.
Dim Sum is a style of Cantonese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.
Drink: Jasmine Tea - this is AMAZING! If you only go to this restaurant to have the tea, it's worth it.
There were entirely too many dishes on our table to remember or take note of what all we tried (much like with the Korean Banchan), but I'll list some of my favorites!
We started with the special for the day, which was a large plate of perfectly seasoned steamed mussels. The sticky rice was delicious, and so were a few different types of beef rolls (like the siopao), shrimp wraps (like the taro puff), the spare ribs, and the egg tart. The Chinese broccoli here was better than at Wei Hong, but I think it was due to it having more sauce to counter the bitter taste. We ended the meal with a type of honey-sweetened tofu that was very tasty.
Absolute Favorite: Shark Fin. DELICIOUS! I believe the shark fin is prepared as siomai, which is an open-wrapped steamed dumpling.
Least Favorite: Chicken Feet. Though this is a traditional Chinese dish, I couldn't bring myself to try it. I did eat here a second time a month later and tried it: there is hardly any meat, but what a great experience!
Note: Dim Sum is available during the week, but only off a menu at certain restaurants. However, Wonton King serves it in the full traditional style every day of the week from 11;00 AM to 3:00 PM.
I've been to Wonton King for Dim Sum four times now and I can't wait to go back again!
If you have never had Dim Sum, you should! And you should have it at Wonton King. You will NOT be disappointed. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! Enjoy!!!
Wei Hong - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 26, 2015
Place: Wei Hong Seafood Restaurant
Location: 7740 Olive Blvd. in University City, MO
This place was a much better alternative to Marley's. :-)
Leo and I wanted to enjoy some more traditional Asian food, and this was the perfect place!
Vegetable: Chinese Broccoli ($8) - with oyster sauce. Chinese broccoli is similar to American broccoli, but has a slightly bitter taste up front. The oyster sauce really helps curb the bitterness.
Meats: Leo and I split a couple meat dishes. There was a delicious pork plate ($10) and a steamed whole fish. (Yes, it still had the tail, head, and bones.) The pork was fantastic, but the fish was remarkable! I never realized how much of the fish flavor you lose when it is prepared, prepackaged, and then frozen before you ever buy it!
Apparently some people really enjoy eating the eyeballs of whole steamed fish, but I couldn't bring myself to try it. If you end up trying it, please let me know how it was.
I recommend everyone try a whole steamed fish at least once, just watch out for those bones! Enjoy!
Place: Wei Hong Seafood Restaurant
Location: 7740 Olive Blvd. in University City, MO
This place was a much better alternative to Marley's. :-)
Leo and I wanted to enjoy some more traditional Asian food, and this was the perfect place!
Vegetable: Chinese Broccoli ($8) - with oyster sauce. Chinese broccoli is similar to American broccoli, but has a slightly bitter taste up front. The oyster sauce really helps curb the bitterness.
Meats: Leo and I split a couple meat dishes. There was a delicious pork plate ($10) and a steamed whole fish. (Yes, it still had the tail, head, and bones.) The pork was fantastic, but the fish was remarkable! I never realized how much of the fish flavor you lose when it is prepared, prepackaged, and then frozen before you ever buy it!
Apparently some people really enjoy eating the eyeballs of whole steamed fish, but I couldn't bring myself to try it. If you end up trying it, please let me know how it was.
I recommend everyone try a whole steamed fish at least once, just watch out for those bones! Enjoy!
Marley's - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 26, 2015
Place: Marley's Bar & Grill
Location: 500 S. Florissant Rd. in Ferguson, MO
This is my first truly negative post...
After my two weeks at a workshop in St. Louis this summer, I went to Marley's with a few friends. The only reason we went to Marley's is because Ferguson Brewing Company had burned down just a week before. Upon entering, everything smelled terrible and appeared dirty. Some of the tables were even a little sticky.
A few in our group ordered food and when it arrived I was glad I did not order anything. All of the food on the menu was heavy bar food and most of it was fried. When the orders arrived, the food appeared to be drenched with oil and grease. I don't know how they ate that junk, but I know it would have made me sick to my stomach.
My friend Leo seemed to be feeling the same way as I was, so we each had one beer while enjoying some friendly conversation and then went off to find some real food.
Beer: Big Wave Golden Ale by Kona Brewing Company (ABV: 4.4% --- IBU: 5)
Despite being served by our waitress, who appeared as if she was either high or drunk and hadn't taken a shower in a few days, this beer tasted great. This golden ale was just the right mix of hop and Belgian goodness to make a bad situation slightly tolerable, briefly.
I do not recommend this place, even if Ferguson Brewing Co. is still closed down. I think I remember seeing a sign for a wine bar near there. That would definitely be a better place to go.
If you do end up going to Marley's... Enjoy?
Place: Marley's Bar & Grill
Location: 500 S. Florissant Rd. in Ferguson, MO
This is my first truly negative post...
After my two weeks at a workshop in St. Louis this summer, I went to Marley's with a few friends. The only reason we went to Marley's is because Ferguson Brewing Company had burned down just a week before. Upon entering, everything smelled terrible and appeared dirty. Some of the tables were even a little sticky.
A few in our group ordered food and when it arrived I was glad I did not order anything. All of the food on the menu was heavy bar food and most of it was fried. When the orders arrived, the food appeared to be drenched with oil and grease. I don't know how they ate that junk, but I know it would have made me sick to my stomach.
My friend Leo seemed to be feeling the same way as I was, so we each had one beer while enjoying some friendly conversation and then went off to find some real food.
Beer: Big Wave Golden Ale by Kona Brewing Company (ABV: 4.4% --- IBU: 5)
Despite being served by our waitress, who appeared as if she was either high or drunk and hadn't taken a shower in a few days, this beer tasted great. This golden ale was just the right mix of hop and Belgian goodness to make a bad situation slightly tolerable, briefly.
I do not recommend this place, even if Ferguson Brewing Co. is still closed down. I think I remember seeing a sign for a wine bar near there. That would definitely be a better place to go.
If you do end up going to Marley's... Enjoy?
PW Pizza - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 24, 2015
Place: PW Pizza
Location: 2017 Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis, MO
PW Pizza has hosts monthly "beer dinners" where different breweries are featured. Their beers are featured with chef creations to make a wonderfully delicious coursed meal. This particular beer dinner featured the St. Louis brewery 4 Hands. The total price, including gratuity, is only $35. And it is definitely worth every penny. Some beers that you might not try on your own just explode with flavor when paired with the right food items. A pitcher of each beer is brought to each table with each course, but that's not all you get! If you run out, you can simply go to the front and they will refill the pitcher for you at no extra charge!
The only bad thing for those of us not living in the St. Louis area is that the beer dinners are always on Wednesdays. :-(
1st Course: Bruschetta - basil, red onion, tomato, cucumber, lime juice, feta, and avocado dressing.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Single Speed Blonde (5% ABV)
2nd Course: Bacon Green Apple Pizza - original crust with feta, green onion, toasted almonds, and cilantro cream.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Divided Sky Rye IPA (6.5% ABV)
3rd Course: Prime Rib Pizza - original crust with brie, potato, rosemary, and garlic olive oil.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Reprise Centennial Red (6% ABV)
Final Course: S'Mores Pizza - honey wheat crust with cinnamon.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown (5.5% ABV)
I highly recommend beer dinners and PW Pizza would be a great place to start! They have it figured out and I can't wait to go back, no matter what brewery they are featuring!
The next three PW Pizza beer dinners are:
Wednesday, September 30th - featuring New Holland Brewery
Wednesday, October 21st - featuring Schlafly Brewery
Wednesday, November 18th - featuring Six Mile Bridge Brewery
You DEFINITELY need to check this out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!!
Place: PW Pizza
Location: 2017 Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis, MO
PW Pizza has hosts monthly "beer dinners" where different breweries are featured. Their beers are featured with chef creations to make a wonderfully delicious coursed meal. This particular beer dinner featured the St. Louis brewery 4 Hands. The total price, including gratuity, is only $35. And it is definitely worth every penny. Some beers that you might not try on your own just explode with flavor when paired with the right food items. A pitcher of each beer is brought to each table with each course, but that's not all you get! If you run out, you can simply go to the front and they will refill the pitcher for you at no extra charge!
The only bad thing for those of us not living in the St. Louis area is that the beer dinners are always on Wednesdays. :-(
1st Course: Bruschetta - basil, red onion, tomato, cucumber, lime juice, feta, and avocado dressing.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Single Speed Blonde (5% ABV)
2nd Course: Bacon Green Apple Pizza - original crust with feta, green onion, toasted almonds, and cilantro cream.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Divided Sky Rye IPA (6.5% ABV)
3rd Course: Prime Rib Pizza - original crust with brie, potato, rosemary, and garlic olive oil.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Reprise Centennial Red (6% ABV)
Final Course: S'Mores Pizza - honey wheat crust with cinnamon.
Beer Pairing: 4 Hands Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown (5.5% ABV)
I highly recommend beer dinners and PW Pizza would be a great place to start! They have it figured out and I can't wait to go back, no matter what brewery they are featuring!
The next three PW Pizza beer dinners are:
Wednesday, September 30th - featuring New Holland Brewery
Wednesday, October 21st - featuring Schlafly Brewery
Wednesday, November 18th - featuring Six Mile Bridge Brewery
You DEFINITELY need to check this out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!!
Einstein Brothers - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 24, 2015
Place: Einstein Bros. Bagels
Location: On the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Lunch: Nova Lox & Bagel - You can never go wrong with some smoked salmon, cream cheese, and capers on a bagel! Delicious!
Drink: Coffee. There is just something about Einstein Bros. that makes me order coffee every time I go there, but it's always fresh and tasty!
Okay, so this is technically a chain restaurant, but if you haven't experienced Einstein Bros. yet, you should. You won't regret it. Enjoy!
Place: Einstein Bros. Bagels
Location: On the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Lunch: Nova Lox & Bagel - You can never go wrong with some smoked salmon, cream cheese, and capers on a bagel! Delicious!
Drink: Coffee. There is just something about Einstein Bros. that makes me order coffee every time I go there, but it's always fresh and tasty!
Okay, so this is technically a chain restaurant, but if you haven't experienced Einstein Bros. yet, you should. You won't regret it. Enjoy!
Mai Lee - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 23, 2015
Place: Mai Lee
Location: 8396 Musick Memorial Dr. in Brentwood, MO
Leo and I always went here together during my time in St. Louis this summer. We tried some more authentic dishes. Mai Lee is sort of an Asian fusion restaurant, offering items from multiple different Asian countries.
Cold Appetizer: Goi Cuon ($4) - Two spring rolls with shrimp and pork. This is one of my favorites appetizers at any place that sells them and they are absolutely delicious!
Hot Appetizer: Cha Gio ($5) - Two crispy egg rolls served with assorted greens, pork, and fish sauce. This dish was also delicious and I loved the fish sauce. I even dipped my goi cuon in it. But beware, it has a very pungent smell.
Soup: Pho Tai ($9) - Rice noodles with medium rare beef. This was absolutely delicious as well. In case you haven't figured it out yet, there isn't much I don't like and I'm willing to try anything at least twice!
Plate: Com Dac Biet ($11) - Crushed rice with egg cake, shredded pork, pork chop, and fried egg. I have never had anything like this before, but I liked it! I hope I get the chance to go back here soon to try more new dishes and experience more foods I've never tasted before.
Wine: Kendall Jackson Chardonnay ($24) - Tropical flavors of mango, papaya, and pineapple with a hint of toasted oak as a finish. This is pretty overpriced, but all restaurants have to make a profit. If you want to drink wine at grocery store prices, order take-out and go home. :-)
This place is really nice and clean on the inside. If you are wanting to branch out a little, but don't want to stray too far from "Americanized" places, this is the place for you to try!
Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: Mai Lee
Location: 8396 Musick Memorial Dr. in Brentwood, MO
Leo and I always went here together during my time in St. Louis this summer. We tried some more authentic dishes. Mai Lee is sort of an Asian fusion restaurant, offering items from multiple different Asian countries.
Cold Appetizer: Goi Cuon ($4) - Two spring rolls with shrimp and pork. This is one of my favorites appetizers at any place that sells them and they are absolutely delicious!
Hot Appetizer: Cha Gio ($5) - Two crispy egg rolls served with assorted greens, pork, and fish sauce. This dish was also delicious and I loved the fish sauce. I even dipped my goi cuon in it. But beware, it has a very pungent smell.
Soup: Pho Tai ($9) - Rice noodles with medium rare beef. This was absolutely delicious as well. In case you haven't figured it out yet, there isn't much I don't like and I'm willing to try anything at least twice!
Plate: Com Dac Biet ($11) - Crushed rice with egg cake, shredded pork, pork chop, and fried egg. I have never had anything like this before, but I liked it! I hope I get the chance to go back here soon to try more new dishes and experience more foods I've never tasted before.
Wine: Kendall Jackson Chardonnay ($24) - Tropical flavors of mango, papaya, and pineapple with a hint of toasted oak as a finish. This is pretty overpriced, but all restaurants have to make a profit. If you want to drink wine at grocery store prices, order take-out and go home. :-)
This place is really nice and clean on the inside. If you are wanting to branch out a little, but don't want to stray too far from "Americanized" places, this is the place for you to try!
Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Seoul Garden - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 22, 2015
Place: Seoul Garden Korean Restaurant
Location: 10678 St. Charles Rock Rd. in St. Ann, MO
My friend Leo and I went to try this place because the Yelp reviews said it was a very traditional Korean restaurant.
Meal: Leo and I split a traditional Korean beef dish and a delicious soup that you add other stuff into as you wish. The beef was seasoned very well and came out still sizzling. My favorite soup addition was the sprouts.
Banchan (side dishes): Korean meals are family-style. With every main dish automatically comes many different small bowls of side dishes, including a Korean egg custard, marinated sliced lotus root, kimchi, and many others!
Drink: Good old Coke from a can.
This place is definitely worth a try, it for no other reason than the experience of eating at a traditional Korean restaurant. I can't wait to go back with Audry so I can share the experience with her.
Caution: As Leo and I were talking, he mentioned to stay away from "all you can eat" at places like this. The food is not always as fresh and you end up getting less for your money.
Try this place out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: Seoul Garden Korean Restaurant
Location: 10678 St. Charles Rock Rd. in St. Ann, MO
My friend Leo and I went to try this place because the Yelp reviews said it was a very traditional Korean restaurant.
Meal: Leo and I split a traditional Korean beef dish and a delicious soup that you add other stuff into as you wish. The beef was seasoned very well and came out still sizzling. My favorite soup addition was the sprouts.
Banchan (side dishes): Korean meals are family-style. With every main dish automatically comes many different small bowls of side dishes, including a Korean egg custard, marinated sliced lotus root, kimchi, and many others!
Drink: Good old Coke from a can.
This place is definitely worth a try, it for no other reason than the experience of eating at a traditional Korean restaurant. I can't wait to go back with Audry so I can share the experience with her.
Caution: As Leo and I were talking, he mentioned to stay away from "all you can eat" at places like this. The food is not always as fresh and you end up getting less for your money.
Try this place out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Yummy Grill - St. Louis, MO
Date of dining experience: June 22, 2015
Place: Yummy Grill
Location: 8322 Lackland Rd. in St. Louis, MO
Appetizer: Fried Mushroom Caps. This was not what I ordered, but was still pretty tasty.
Lunch: burger and fries. The fries were perfect and the burger was honestly one of the best I've had in a while.
There is not much to write about here. I almost did not eat at this place because it was lunch time on a week day and I was the only customer. It did take a very long time to get my food, but it was all very fresh and very hot when it arrived. This is definitely a true cook-to-order local restaurant. The prices are great and the food is good, just be prepared to wait!
Try it out if you're in the area and have a little while before you'll be hungry. Enjoy!
Place: Yummy Grill
Location: 8322 Lackland Rd. in St. Louis, MO
Appetizer: Fried Mushroom Caps. This was not what I ordered, but was still pretty tasty.
Lunch: burger and fries. The fries were perfect and the burger was honestly one of the best I've had in a while.
There is not much to write about here. I almost did not eat at this place because it was lunch time on a week day and I was the only customer. It did take a very long time to get my food, but it was all very fresh and very hot when it arrived. This is definitely a true cook-to-order local restaurant. The prices are great and the food is good, just be prepared to wait!
Try it out if you're in the area and have a little while before you'll be hungry. Enjoy!
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