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!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
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!
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!
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Dhafer's - Dexter, MO
Date of dining experience: April 14, 2015 (I apologize to those of you who care that this post and the previous one about River Ridge Winery are out of order.)
Place: Dhafer's Mediterranean Steakhouse
Location: 117 S. Locust St. in Dexter, MO
I have already written two posts about Dhafer's that included four different visits, so I was going to skip writing this post (which is why it is out of order with River Ridge). I even ate here back in February and on April 7, 2016, but didn't write about them because both times I had the always-great tuna, which I have already written about twice.
I realized I have mentioned multiple times that Dhafer's has the absolute best seabass, but I haven't eaten it and written about it since I started this blog! So...
Bread: hot and fresh, as usual.
Salad: I have really taken a liking to the strawberry orange salad with a mixture of two of the dressings, raspberry vinaigrette and poppy seed.
Entree: SEABASS! I don't know exactly what he does that makes this taste so amazing, but Dhafer really knows how to prepare seabass! Maybe it's the garlic, I don't know. Add in some of the ever-tasty green beans and roasted red potatoes - wow. Every time I leave the restaurant I start looking forward to my next visit.
Wine: White Merlot with the salad and Chardonnay with the entree. Both very good, and both appropriate pairings for their respective dishes.
Coffee: always fresh and perfectly drinkable black or "fixed up" (if you do that kind of thing).
Dessert: The strawberry cheesecake is pretty good, but if creme brulee happens to be an option - GET IT!
I still believe Dhafer's is the best restaurant in the area. If you haven't tried it yet, you are really doing yourself a disservice. Hopefully they have seabass when you visit so you can taste exactly what I'm talking about. It's not on the regular menu, so be sure to check the specials when you visit.
Try this place (and the seabass) and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: Dhafer's Mediterranean Steakhouse
Location: 117 S. Locust St. in Dexter, MO
I have already written two posts about Dhafer's that included four different visits, so I was going to skip writing this post (which is why it is out of order with River Ridge). I even ate here back in February and on April 7, 2016, but didn't write about them because both times I had the always-great tuna, which I have already written about twice.
I realized I have mentioned multiple times that Dhafer's has the absolute best seabass, but I haven't eaten it and written about it since I started this blog! So...
Bread: hot and fresh, as usual.
Salad: I have really taken a liking to the strawberry orange salad with a mixture of two of the dressings, raspberry vinaigrette and poppy seed.
Entree: SEABASS! I don't know exactly what he does that makes this taste so amazing, but Dhafer really knows how to prepare seabass! Maybe it's the garlic, I don't know. Add in some of the ever-tasty green beans and roasted red potatoes - wow. Every time I leave the restaurant I start looking forward to my next visit.
Wine: White Merlot with the salad and Chardonnay with the entree. Both very good, and both appropriate pairings for their respective dishes.
Coffee: always fresh and perfectly drinkable black or "fixed up" (if you do that kind of thing).
Dessert: The strawberry cheesecake is pretty good, but if creme brulee happens to be an option - GET IT!
I still believe Dhafer's is the best restaurant in the area. If you haven't tried it yet, you are really doing yourself a disservice. Hopefully they have seabass when you visit so you can taste exactly what I'm talking about. It's not on the regular menu, so be sure to check the specials when you visit.
Try this place (and the seabass) and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Friday, April 15, 2016
River Ridge - Commerce, MO
Date of dining experience: April 15, 2016
Place: River Ridge Winery
Location: 850 Co. Rd. 321 in Commerce, MO
Appetizer: My favorite appetizer here is the fried okra, but on this visit Audry and I split the olive plate over a bottle of Rose. The Rose this year is very good! It is a little darker than in the past and slightly less sweet.
Food: Southwest Chicken Panini. I wanted to try something new and different. This was definitely it! The jalapeno-cilantro-cumin sauce made it very delicious! Beware: this is a little on the spicy side.
Wine: All of the wines at River Ridge are so good. My wife and I tend to start with a bottle of Rose (semi-dry) and move to a Cabernet Sauvignon (Fall/Winter) or Chardonnay (Spring/Summer) once our food arrives. On this particular visit, we just stuck with the Rose and ordered a second bottle. My favorite River Ridge wine is probably the Villard Blanc (semi-dry). We did buy some bottles to take home (mostly whites because we don't have many in the wine fridge and it is starting to warm up outside): 2 Villard Blancs, a Lucky Dog, a 10 Spot, a Nooner, and a Cabernet Franc (dry red). The Cabernet Franc is a 2009 vintage that I cannot wait to open!!
Audry and I really enjoy dry wines and drink mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay because they are the most consistent throughout all the brands. If I had to choose my favorite wines from all the possible options in the world (that I have tried so far), I would probably choose Sauvignon Blanc for white and Cabernet Franc for red. A Sauvignon Blanc is pretty common, but the consistency of taste can vary greatly depending on year, region, and brand. A Cabernet Franc, for some reason, is a lot harder to find. But if you get a chance to try it, I think you'll agree it is delicious. I would place it on the scale somewhere between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec.
River Ridge is my favorite Missouri winery. The people are fantastic, the wine is extremely good for Missouri, the atmosphere is wonderful, and the entertainment (when provided) is always great. I highly recommend this winery.
If you have never been to River Ridge you need to go, now! They are open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Make sure you go inside to the tasting room as well. Let me know what you think once you try it. Enjoy!
Place: River Ridge Winery
Location: 850 Co. Rd. 321 in Commerce, MO
Appetizer: My favorite appetizer here is the fried okra, but on this visit Audry and I split the olive plate over a bottle of Rose. The Rose this year is very good! It is a little darker than in the past and slightly less sweet.
Food: Southwest Chicken Panini. I wanted to try something new and different. This was definitely it! The jalapeno-cilantro-cumin sauce made it very delicious! Beware: this is a little on the spicy side.
Wine: All of the wines at River Ridge are so good. My wife and I tend to start with a bottle of Rose (semi-dry) and move to a Cabernet Sauvignon (Fall/Winter) or Chardonnay (Spring/Summer) once our food arrives. On this particular visit, we just stuck with the Rose and ordered a second bottle. My favorite River Ridge wine is probably the Villard Blanc (semi-dry). We did buy some bottles to take home (mostly whites because we don't have many in the wine fridge and it is starting to warm up outside): 2 Villard Blancs, a Lucky Dog, a 10 Spot, a Nooner, and a Cabernet Franc (dry red). The Cabernet Franc is a 2009 vintage that I cannot wait to open!!
Audry and I really enjoy dry wines and drink mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay because they are the most consistent throughout all the brands. If I had to choose my favorite wines from all the possible options in the world (that I have tried so far), I would probably choose Sauvignon Blanc for white and Cabernet Franc for red. A Sauvignon Blanc is pretty common, but the consistency of taste can vary greatly depending on year, region, and brand. A Cabernet Franc, for some reason, is a lot harder to find. But if you get a chance to try it, I think you'll agree it is delicious. I would place it on the scale somewhere between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec.
River Ridge is my favorite Missouri winery. The people are fantastic, the wine is extremely good for Missouri, the atmosphere is wonderful, and the entertainment (when provided) is always great. I highly recommend this winery.
If you have never been to River Ridge you need to go, now! They are open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Make sure you go inside to the tasting room as well. Let me know what you think once you try it. Enjoy!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Michael's Pizzeria - Bloomfield, MO
Date of dining experience: March 30, 2016
Place: Michael's Pizzeria
Location: 18699 Crowley Ridge Dr. in Bloomfield, MO
Entree: Tortellini with Alla Panna sauce. I must say that I really enjoyed this dish. The Alla Panna sauce at Michael's is better than the one at Morina's, but that's about all this place has over Morina's.
Other: I also ordered a chicken alfredo pizza to take home and eat for lunch the next day. It was very good as well and kept nicely in the refrigerator.
Wine: For this place to truly be successful, they will need to increase their wine list. They need to add more varities of wine, especially Chianti, and keep multiple bottles of each type of wine in stock. You can really taste it when a Cabernet has gone bad or has been open for a week (if it's one of those cheap, big bottles from the dollar store). After all, in any restaurant business like this, alcohol is a huge money-maker. They need to push for people to have wine with their meals, but in order to do that they need to have more options, and better options.
This restaurant used to be a small shack in the middle of town. It is now an actual restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a meal. Michael's is located in the Bloomfield Country Club and is open to the public. You do not have to be a Country Club member to attend. This is definitely not the worst restaurant in southeast Missouri and over time, as things are tweaked, it will get better and better.
Pet Peeve: I'm not the world's greatest typist and I may have an error or two here and there as I am writing these blogs, but these are not making me any money and I'm not entirely sure if anyone even reads them. That being said, Michael should really hire someone to proofread his menu. I have not read the entire menu, but there are multiple errors in the list of wine offerings alone!
Overall, it's worth a visit. Try this place out for yourself and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: Michael's Pizzeria
Location: 18699 Crowley Ridge Dr. in Bloomfield, MO
Entree: Tortellini with Alla Panna sauce. I must say that I really enjoyed this dish. The Alla Panna sauce at Michael's is better than the one at Morina's, but that's about all this place has over Morina's.
Other: I also ordered a chicken alfredo pizza to take home and eat for lunch the next day. It was very good as well and kept nicely in the refrigerator.
Wine: For this place to truly be successful, they will need to increase their wine list. They need to add more varities of wine, especially Chianti, and keep multiple bottles of each type of wine in stock. You can really taste it when a Cabernet has gone bad or has been open for a week (if it's one of those cheap, big bottles from the dollar store). After all, in any restaurant business like this, alcohol is a huge money-maker. They need to push for people to have wine with their meals, but in order to do that they need to have more options, and better options.
This restaurant used to be a small shack in the middle of town. It is now an actual restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a meal. Michael's is located in the Bloomfield Country Club and is open to the public. You do not have to be a Country Club member to attend. This is definitely not the worst restaurant in southeast Missouri and over time, as things are tweaked, it will get better and better.
Pet Peeve: I'm not the world's greatest typist and I may have an error or two here and there as I am writing these blogs, but these are not making me any money and I'm not entirely sure if anyone even reads them. That being said, Michael should really hire someone to proofread his menu. I have not read the entire menu, but there are multiple errors in the list of wine offerings alone!
Overall, it's worth a visit. Try this place out for yourself and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Scrambler Marie's - Detroit, MI
Date of dining experience: March 26, 2016
Place: Scrambler Marie's
Location: 27909 Orchard Lake Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI
Meal: Uncle Moose's Manhandler ($9) - bacon, ham, sausage, onions, and melted cheese, topped with two basted eggs; served with choice of bread. I chose a pancake for my bread. This dish was delicious. Almost everything you could ask to have for breakfast, all rolled into one simple skillet!
Coffee: Really good! The great thing about this place is as you sit down they put an entire carafe of coffee on the table, so you never have to wait to freshen up your cup!
Much like The Bluebird Restaurant in Fort Wayne, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. If you in the area, and perhaps ate at Craft Breww City the night before, check this place out. You won't be disappointed! Enjoy!
Place: Scrambler Marie's
Location: 27909 Orchard Lake Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI
Meal: Uncle Moose's Manhandler ($9) - bacon, ham, sausage, onions, and melted cheese, topped with two basted eggs; served with choice of bread. I chose a pancake for my bread. This dish was delicious. Almost everything you could ask to have for breakfast, all rolled into one simple skillet!
Coffee: Really good! The great thing about this place is as you sit down they put an entire carafe of coffee on the table, so you never have to wait to freshen up your cup!
Much like The Bluebird Restaurant in Fort Wayne, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. If you in the area, and perhaps ate at Craft Breww City the night before, check this place out. You won't be disappointed! Enjoy!
Craft Breww City - Detroit, MI
Date of dining experience: March 25, 2016
Place: Craft Breww City
Location: 27843 Orchard Lake Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI
Appetizer: Pretzel + Three-Cheese Queso ($9) - warm braided pretzel loaf. This was a great starter. The pretzel was truly great, but I stand firm that it would have been better with beer cheese instead of queso.
Entree: Grilled Herb-Marinated Chicken ($14) - grilled herb-marinated chicken breasts, broccolini, and smashed potatoes. Well, they were out of smashed potatoes, so I ordered the Brussels Sprouts with bacon and walnuts as my second side. I don't normally order chicken at a restaurant, but it was really good and exactly what I was in the mood for.
Beer Samplers:
Atwater Whango - Witbier - 5.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Namaste - Witbier - 4.8% ABV and 20 IBU
Brouwerij Kappittel Blond - Blonde Ale (Belgian Blonde/Golden) - 6.5% ABV
Founders Mango Magnifico - Fruit Beer - 10.0% ABV
OddSide Ales Colossal Oversight - American Barleywine - 12.0% ABV
Short's Soft Parade - Fruit Beer - 7.5% ABV and 15 IBU
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down - American Strong Ale - 9.5% ABV and 66 IBU
Flying Dog Tropical B*tch - IPA/Belgian - 8.0% ABV and 55 IBU
Flying Monkeys Chocolate Manifesto - Triple Chocolate Stout - 10.0% ABV
I do love a good sampling of beers, and this one was great! If you are ever in the area, look up this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. When you try it, let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Place: Craft Breww City
Location: 27843 Orchard Lake Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI
Appetizer: Pretzel + Three-Cheese Queso ($9) - warm braided pretzel loaf. This was a great starter. The pretzel was truly great, but I stand firm that it would have been better with beer cheese instead of queso.
Entree: Grilled Herb-Marinated Chicken ($14) - grilled herb-marinated chicken breasts, broccolini, and smashed potatoes. Well, they were out of smashed potatoes, so I ordered the Brussels Sprouts with bacon and walnuts as my second side. I don't normally order chicken at a restaurant, but it was really good and exactly what I was in the mood for.
Beer Samplers:
Atwater Whango - Witbier - 5.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Namaste - Witbier - 4.8% ABV and 20 IBU
Brouwerij Kappittel Blond - Blonde Ale (Belgian Blonde/Golden) - 6.5% ABV
Founders Mango Magnifico - Fruit Beer - 10.0% ABV
OddSide Ales Colossal Oversight - American Barleywine - 12.0% ABV
Short's Soft Parade - Fruit Beer - 7.5% ABV and 15 IBU
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down - American Strong Ale - 9.5% ABV and 66 IBU
Flying Dog Tropical B*tch - IPA/Belgian - 8.0% ABV and 55 IBU
Flying Monkeys Chocolate Manifesto - Triple Chocolate Stout - 10.0% ABV
I do love a good sampling of beers, and this one was great! If you are ever in the area, look up this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. When you try it, let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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