Old St Louis Chop Suey - St Charles - St Louis Missouri

You can find Old St Louis Chop Suey at 12454 Saint Charles Rock Rd, Bridgeton, MO 63044 near the Lambert International Airport and right of the St Charles Rock Rd exit from I270. The restaurant is in the middle of a shopping center and is fairly distinctive - park in the lot out front.

This is an old-school "swag" Chinese restaurant - your basic Americanized Chinese cuisine. We stopped on the way to my flight out of St Louis with the promise that this place was super fast and indeed the time between ordering and food-on-the-table was just a few minutes. I believe the owner or at least the guy being the small ordering window, was Vietnamese and like so many before him, he's got a restaurant featuring food outside of his own culture. The restaurant's interior isn't much to write home about - very simple with rows of tables and just a few Chinese accents.

Menu items include all the usual Chinese you find in similar restaurants all across the US. Prices were super, super reasonable with most "Combo Playyers" ranging between $5.45 and $6.15 and the chef specials between $8.95 and 12.95 (Seafood Delight). My only complaint is that there weren't any Vietnamese dishes included as that cuisine is one of my favorites.

I ordered the Hunan Chicken - it came on a platter with an inverted bowl of fried rice and an egg roll. The ingredients were quite fresh, if a little lacking in heat/spice. The food was quite palatable and it worked well with the hour-long upcoming flight.

Service was done by the same guy behind the counter - not surprising and typical of these mom-and-pop type restaurants - the guy was quite pleasant, answering all our questions and delivering our food quickly - in all, quite good.

-- John

(also Posted to Yelp)

Carmine's Steakhouse - St Louis Missouri

You can find Carmine's Steakhouse in downtown St Louis at 20 S 4th St, St Louis, MO 63102, this is about a block away from the famous Gateway Arch and convenient to the Old Courthouse and Busch Stadium, as well as the junction of I64 and I44.

Carmine's is an old-school steakhouse featuring aged cuts of beef and an ambiance that would work well in New York or Chicago. There's an expansive bar, plenty of seating and also a patio for those wanting to people watch during lunch. 

We came to Carmine's from Scottrade watching the Blues loose to the Flyers - great action at an exceptional venue. Carmine's was recommended to us by the cab driver and a fine recommendation it was.

Our server was prompt and handed us a couple of menus - the alcohol menu was fairly extensive with four pages covering the various wines, house drinks and beers - I selected a quite good Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout and my dining companion went for a glass of red.

The food menu featured some interesting appetizers, Salads, Chicken, Steaks/Chops and Seafood. What intrigued me was the local favorite fried ravioli and we decided to split the appetizer (note that I had been warned that this local treat was "disgusting" - not my words). After trying it, I'm sorry but I simply can't recommend it here (and I'm betting that it's very well done at Carmine's). For me, the issue with the fried ravioli is that it contains beef - I think that if it were chicken or something a bit less fatty it would be fine. As it is, when you cut into the ravioli you're greeted by a greasy meatball surrounded by a lightly breaded ravioli pasta. The marinara did little to cut the grease and after eating one I couldn't stomach a second. Oh well, I was warned!

For dinner I selected the 10 oz Filet Mignon, inquiring about getting it black-and-blue (cold, rare guts with a bit of char on the outside). For a side I chose the broccoli sans the cheese sauce. The steak, while it could have had a bit more char it was indeed perfectly cooked temperature-wise. The broccoli wasn't anything special (maybe the cheese would have improved the dish? I almost asked for it on the side). I was passed a plate of mushroom risotto which was much better - I was just trying to save some of the calories and have something green.

Overall, I thought the steak was just about perfect, the sides mediocre and the appetizer yucky. However, based on the excellent beer and the steak, I still think this restaurant is worth visiting and giving a try, especially if you happen to be downtown. Also, the service was excellent - I don't remember the server's name but she was quick, answered our questions and was very patient with a couple of visitors to this fair city.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Sugarfire Smoke House - St Charles - St Louis Missouri

You can find Sugarfire Smoke House at 150 Elm Point Industrial Dr, St Charles, MO 63301 on the corner of Elm St and Elm Point Ind Dr, not too far from highway 370 (exit off Elm). This is an interesting Mid-Century Modern building with an up-swept roof- I'm not sure what it was originally built for, perhaps a diner or filling station? In any case, the building does the BBQ justice by providing a unique setting and an interesting ceiling for an airbrushed mural.

You get in line and order at the counter (funny how this is now called "fast casual" when most BBQ restaurants have been serving this way since the beginning), first with your choice of meat(s) - many of the items are portioned out as you work through the line so by the time you get to the end everything is on a tray - literally. They forego the normal plates and serve the meats on brown butcher paper with the sides in small paper-fry baskets. There are several veggie options that don't seem to be mentioned on the menu boards - look it over and grab what grabs you! You can pick up from a few different pickles and there's plenty of sauces to try on the tables, along with rolls of paper towels, which you will need.

Once you find a spot, pick up anything that you missed (a toothpick would be a good idea) and head to the drink station - I wasn't familiar with anything on the fountain and was told that they were all local brands from nearby Wisconsin - seems it all had sugar too so I choose the unsweet tea mixed with a splash of sweet tea - it tasted fresh-brewed and quite good to this Georgia boy.

This is a classic Southern style BBQ joint with lots of rind and smoky flavor throughout the great variety of meats. I didn't get to sample everything, only having a short time for lunch, but I did manage to order a combination that included some delicious pork ribs (St Louis style, appropriately) and some super moist beef brisket. My order included 4 bones, about 4-5 ounces of brisket, a side of coleslaw and a side of succotash (fresh saute of green beans, yellow and zucchini squashes).

The service was quite good with the people behind the counter quite accommodating - seems they're used to visitors that might not know what to order. They were also quite proficient in getting the meats on the paper so you can move to the sides - some of the sides take a bit longer, also some items may need to be cooked up so you might want to ask if you're in a hurry. Next time I'll try some of the other items but for today, what I had was quite filling. The sandwich portions appeared to be ginormous.

Overall, this rates as some of the better BBQ I've had and if you know me, you'll know I've had more than my fair share. The brisket rivals some of the best I've had in Texas and the ribs were quite good. I was told that this was one of the better local BBQ and I believe it lives up to that claim. I'll be back.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)

Il Bel Lago - Creve Coeur - St Louis Missouri

You can find Il Bel Lago at 11631 Olive Blvd, St Louis, MO 63141 in a suburb called Creve Coeur almost due West of St Louis as the crow flies. The restaurant is in a protruding part of a shopping center almost hidden by lit trees (not sure if it's due to the holidays or if they're always lit). Entrance is to the right as you go around the corner and parking is in the lot out front. The interior is upscale with an elegance usually reserved for fine dining, but the atmosphere had a younger, frenetic feel that I found quite refreshing. Apparently the restaurant's original name was Bellagio but there was some dispute with the owner's of the hotel that ended in a name change - lucky for me the food retained it's very good quality.

The menu has many very classically inspired Italian dishes to tantalize the diner - I saw many items I would like to try and hope to at some point.

This is perhaps the best meal I've had throughout several visits to St Louis on business the last few years. Sue T (a friend and coworker) and  her husband Carl graciously took me to Il Bel Lago and introduced me to the chef, Frank Giovanni. Afterwards we were sent a nice "combo" style appetizer that featured a delicious lobster ravioli and a  veal tortellini with shitake mushrooms and peas. The flavors were both unusual and offered great contrast to each other.

As I always do, I tried some of the local craft brews rather than going with wine - in this case the Schlafly's Pale Ale won the lottery as my initial try - honestly I didn't care for it much, preferring the hoppy bitterness of an IPA - this was a bit too lagerish to me with a bit of an oily mouth-feel that didn't work for me. I also ordered a Caesar salad that had an anchovy nicely sandwiched in parmesan crustini. For my second brew I switched to a standby Ranger IPA.

For dinner I ordered the Spaghetti Gamberi, Cozze & Vongole - homemade spaghetti (almost an angel hair) with gulf shrimp, fresh mussels and clams in a white wine light san marzano sauce. This was quite delicious with a good amount of fresh garlic that provided little bursts of flavors as you eat the pasta and sauce. Also, the shrimp were quite large and filling - absolutely love this dish.

We forwent the dessert but ended up with these little chocolate and creme (with some type of booze) parfaits that were quite good. Not on the menu, I think they called them chocolate cows or something similar?

Service at Il Bel Lago is quite exceptional - our server was knowledgeable, courteous and quick to deliver. We couldn't have asked for or expected better. Thank you Sue and Carl for introducing me to this place - I hope to be back!

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)

Beers of the World - Lambert Airport St Louis Missouri

Beers of the World is located in the main terminal of the Lambert International Airport in St Louis. If you haven't experienced Lambert it's quite a treat with high modern design everywhere by Eero Saarinen. Too bad the food at this restaurant isn't as spectacular as the airport architecture.

We had about an hour before boarding began on our flight back to Atlanta - looking for something to do, the Beers of the World looked interesting - it was also packed so the food must be good, right? Unfortunately like us the other patrons must have been captive of the system. It took us about 10 minutes to find a table - 3 adults around something designed for 2. After we were seated it was another 10 minutes before someone came by. We quickly ordered and while the beer hit the table fairly quickly we almost got up and left waiting on the food - it arrived about 10 minutes before boarding so we woofed it down. Honestly, it was little better than those sandwiches you can buy at stands along the concourse.

The menu actually doesn't look that bad - many items that would seem very pub-like.The beer menu - ugh. Obviously this is an Anheuser-Busch operation by all the crappy mainstream brews. Lucky for us Boddingtons and Goose Island were available on tap - I choose the Goose Island which is a fairly decent IPA.

Sangam ended up with a chicken sandwich with fries - he said the sandwich was OK but the fries were limp and with that mass-produced quality we all enjoy so much.

Sid ordered the chicken and waffle salad, sans chicken which sounded much better than it was - he didn't each much of it.

I ended up with the Turkey Po Boy - it was OK but nothing special. Certainly not worth the long wait. Even though was starving, I didn't finish the fries (yes they were that bad).

So some advice? If you're lucky and Beers of the World is really, really empty you might be able to get out in 45 minutes or so - otherwise give yourself at least an hour and maybe more. Don't set your expectations too high and you should be OK. In general I give this place 1-1.5/5 stars. We finished up quickly and boarded our plane - cya St Louis!

-- John

 

India Palace in Bridgeton - St Louis Missouri

This location of India Palace is located at 4534 N Lindbergh Blvd, Bridgeton MO 63044 on the 11th floor in Bridgeton. I'm not sure if it's related to the location in downtown St Louis. The restaurant is located at the top of a low-rise at the end of a hotel - it was a bit difficult to get to based on the Google Maps directions from the main highway. Parking is in the regular lot then you go to the opposite end from the hotel lobby to access the elevator.

I was visiting our St Louis offices for a work summit with two members of our team. Having had limited success with Indian cuisine in other cities (see my reviews for Salt Lake and Providence) I figured we had a 50/50 chance of finding something good. The convoluted path to access this restaurant did not lend itself to my having much confidence in India Palace, even with a solid 4 star Yelp rating, however I was pleasantly surprised!

Walking into India Palace you feel more like you're walking into a tree-top grotto - there's a stone wall covered by vines and obligatory shrines. The main dining room features tatami covered ceilings and interesting rattan pendant lights invoking the George Nelson bubble lamps you see at Lambert airport - the room is a bit cramped (long and narrow) however the large windows more than make up for that. The view in a word, is spectacular providing great panoramas of the airport landing field.

We were seated quickly (it was a Sunday evening) and provided extensive menus. There's quite a bit on the menu to study including diner specials to towards the back (per-person preselected feasts that include multiple entrees).

I spotted something interesting from the beer menu - Flying Horse Royal Lager Beer - supposedly from Bangalore. Funny, the entire time I visited India I never saw any other local beer than varieties of Kingfisher (Blue, Premium, Draught, etc) - I even asked for Taj Mahal which can be found in many US Indian-food restaurants but no one I asked had ever heard of it. No mention of "Flying Horse" even while visiting Bangalore. The beer was a typical lager about on par with Kingfisher Premium and nothing special - that didn't keep me from drinking it. We were also brought a platter of pappadum with chutneys/sauces that were very good.

For dinner we selected:

Mulligatawny Soup - I decided to try it since I haven't in a while - it's basically a watery dal with a bit of coriander and cumin. This version was quite good.

Chicken Tikka Masala - this is the classic "stand by" that most Americans know as "butter chicken" (I found while in India that every different region had their own "butter chicken" and that all of them tasted different).

Kadai Paneer with onions and chilies - this vegetarian dish was very delicious with nice homemade chunks of paneer (cheese).

Garlic Naan - above par - none of that powdered garlic junk I found in St Louis

Came with jeera rice - not your usual long-grain basmati and without that yellow color - lots of whole cumin seed and very good.

We all enjoyed the food immensely - considering I was with two native Indians, I think that says a lot. There was a good level of spice to everything we tried - not that it was hot, but not as watered down and Americanized as you usually find in the states. If you're looking for Indian food that's fairly authentic you can do much worse than India Palace. In general the service was exceptional with frequent visits to the table and water/beer refills. Add in the great views and ambiance and you get one of the best meals we had while visiting St Louis.

-- John

(also posted in shorter form on Yelp)