First Watch - St. Louis, MO

Date of dining experience: May 22, 2016

Place: First Watch - The Daytime Cafe

Location: 742 N. New Ballas Rd. in Creve Coeur, MO

Those of you who know me know that I love to try new things, especially when a restaurant offers a seasonal menu. This place is no exception! Technically, this restaurant is a chain, but your not going to find them everywhere.

Entree: Italian Benedict - Scrambled cage-free eggs, thinly-sliced prosciutto, and house-roasted tomatoes on a toasted artisan Ciabatta, drizzled with parmesan cream and fresh herbs. Served with lemon-dressed greens. This is a wonderful take on the old Benedict classic. It has everything you want out of a nice breakfast (or brunch): eggs, meat, bread, and cheese! Mix it all together, throw in some tomatoes and a salad, and you have a very nice dish that will make your mouth water!

Coffee: The coffee here was exceptional. I must have had four or five cups of it. In fact, it was so good that I bought a bag of it! Unfortunately, they only sell it ground (no whole bean). However, when I went to grab a bag by the counter there was only one left, so you know other people love it as well! The coffee is called Sunrise Select Premium Blend and is made exclusively for First Watch restaurants. This coffee is a proprietary blend of high-grown Panamanian, Mexican, and Columbian coffee beans that is slow-roasted to create a unique, rich, and delicate flavor. It was developed in partnership with highly-regarded coffee expert Coffee Analysts and is roasted and distributed by First Watch's vendor-partner Royal Cup Coffee. The only way to have this coffee at home is to buy it from the restaurant, at only $6 a bag! Be sure to take one home with you after your meal!

Can you tell I really enjoyed this coffee? :-)

If you are going to make a trip to this restaurant, which I highly suggest, don't wait around! This restaurant is only open from 7:00am until 2:30pm every day. I'd hate for you to be in the St. Louis area and miss out on this place because you wanted to eat there for dinner! (However, if you are going to eat in the St. Louis area for dinner and want some suggestions of good places, text me.)

Try this place out for yourself and let me know what you think about it! I know you'll like it. Enjoy!

P.F. Chang's - St. Louis, MO

Date of dining experience: May 21, 2016

Place: P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Location: 25 The Boulevard Saint Louis in Richmond Heights, MO

Entree: Chicken Pad Thai ($14) - Bold Thai spices wok-tossed with rice noodles, egg, tofu, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, crispy shallots, and cilantro. This was absolutely delicious! Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes at places that offer it. I just can't seem to remember to order it a little spicy. Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful as it is. I just prefer my Asian foods to have a slight spice to them.

Wine: A nice Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough that was a little dryer than most I've tried. The dryness gave the wine a bit more crispness than usual and went well with the Pad Thai. I'm not sure a normal (slightly less dry) Sauvignon Blanc would have gone as well with the dish, so I'm glad I ordered the one I did. P.F. Chang's offers three pour sizes for their wines: glass, glass and a half, and bottle. I ordered a glass and a half of this wine and it was just the right amount (and only $11 for a glass and a half pour).

Yes, this is a chain restaurant, but it was so good I wanted to write about it. If you have only ever experienced P.F. Chang's frozen foods from the grocery store, you are doing yourself a disservice and should add this restaurant to your list of places to eat this summer!

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Enjoy!