Todd Lannom's Profile
STL-Monarch to reopen Balabans
I only moved to St. Louis in 1991, so missed all of the 70's hoopla. Contrary to several earlier posts, the most recent ownership (Brendan Marsden and partners) was my favorite. I totally appreciated his efforts to make the bar non-smoking, and spent more money there during his one-year run than the previous 16 years combined. I was there last Friday evening for about an hour, and hung my suit on my balcony to air it out when I got home. I'm eating in the cafe tonight, and look forward to trying the new menu created by the Monarch team.
Help choose - Cincinnati area
I'd certainly add Boca to the list:
http://www.boca-restaurant.com/
STL: What's new and worthy? A StL-born Boston Hound wants your recs...
Niche (on Sidney Street), Frazer's (on Pestalozzi), Five (on Manchester), Sidney Street Cafe (on Sidney Street), and Balabans (on Euclid).
Recommendations for St. Louis!
Kirk Warner, the former King Louie's Executive Chef, has not been cooking at Savor since June 1, 2006. I dined at Savor (with full knowledge that Kirk was no longer in the Kitchen) two weeks ago, and was very disappointed with my meal, as was my dining partner. His absence is noticeable.
Press release: http://www.travelingkitchen.com/pdf/KTK_PR.pdf
Recommendations for St. Louis!
While Niche is not downtown, it is only a 10 minute cab ride, so it should be considered a viable option. It's the only place already listed (in my opinion) that can be labelled both intimate and romantic. And the food is amazing, with portions that aren't overwhelming, which allows you room for their noteworthy desserts. Reservations are a must, so we always eat at the bar.
Best Arancini in St. Louis?
Trattoria Marcella does indeed have excellent arancini, but I discovered that Vito's on Olive (near SLU) does a fine job as well. And they deliver to the CWE, so that's a plus...
St. Louis pre-Symphony Eats
I recommend King Louie's, too. We even sat next to Izaak Perlman there once. Look for his signed stoneware plate on the "wall o' plates" in the bar area.
