Eleven Eleven Mississippi

January 6, 2007 Cuisine: Tuscan, Californian 1111 Mississippi St. Louis, MO Phone: 314-241-9999 Website: http://www.1111-m.com --

Appetizer I: Oak Oven Baked Flat Bread - Shrimp & Portobello creme fraiche, rosemary & smoked gouda ($9.50)

Appetizer II: Butternut squash soup w/ creme fraiche ($4.95)

Entree I: Honey roasted duck breast w/ ginger-cilantro vinaigrette & wild rice pilaf ($19.95)

Entree II: Braised lamb shank w/ natural braising jus & saffron risotto ($21.95)

Entree III: Stuffed pork chop w/ smoked gouda, mushrooms, raspberry veal reduction & yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes ($18.95)

Entree IV: Eeleven Eleven “BLT” bourbon apples, maine lobster, thyme remoulade & watercress with a side of potato salad ($11.11)

Side: Beet and butternut squash risotto with goat cheese ($5.25)

Dessert: Gooey butter cake w/ ice cold glass of milk ($4.95)

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Prior to visiting St. Louis I did a bit of research to find the best eateries in town. I stumbled upon an online publication called Sauce Magazine devoted to all things food in St. Louis. The folks at Sauce voted Eleven Eleven their Favorite Restaurant, Best Place to Recommend, Best Business Lunch, Best Place for a Large Group, Best American Cuisine and runner-up in a number of categories including Best Chef and Best Wait staff. As if that weren't enough, their prices were unbeatable (especially coming from the East Coast). The Astronomer and I took his grandparents to Eleven Eleven on our last night in St. Louis.

The decor inside Eleven Eleven is a cross between warehouse, wine cellar, and trendy lounge. I really liked the soft lighting and concrete floors. We were seated on the restaurant's second level, right next to the staircase.

We were served some fresh foccacia with olive oil and parmesan cheese while we were perusing the menu. The olive oil was especially flavorful. I love quality olive oils.

We started off our meal with a flatbread course because Audrey Claire taught us that they are delicious. I picked the Portobello and shrimp because it sounded like a unique combination, plus I love smoked Gouda. The Astronomer's grandfather ordered the butternut squash soup as a starter. As predicted, the flatbread was amazing. The chef's did not skimp on cheese and there was also plenty of shrimp and mushrooms. The flavors were all mild and thus worked together nicely. However, the Gouda could have been a bit smokier. The Astronomer's grandfather cleaned his bowl and enjoyed the soup's sweetness, which he was not expecting.

Oak Oven Baked Flat Bread with Shrimp & Portobello

For our entrees I split the BLT with the Astronomer's grandmother and ordered a side of the risotto. The BLT was phenomenal, everything about it was perfect! The bread was toasted well, there was a hardy portion of fresh lobster, the apples were just the right tartness, the thyme remoulade was creamy, and the watercress was mild and crispy. Yum! I don't think I can ever go back to a regular old BLT. The Astronomer's grandmother thought the sandwich was superb as well. The BLT came with a side of potato salad that tasted like pure bacon fat, which was pretty great but a bit too strong to be paired with the lobster.

Bacon flavored potato salad

The beet and butternut squash risotto was also outstanding, but it was difficult for it to compete with the BLT. I took most of it home to enjoy the next day. Reheated in the microwave, the goat cheese melted beautifully and I was able to enjoy it without the BLT competing for my attention. It was so delicious! Beets are my new favorite vegetable.

The Astronomer ordered the braised lamb shank and thoroughly enjoyed it. To his delight, the meat was so tender that it fell off the bone. I had a piece of the meat and thought it had a classic, rustic taste. The saffron risotto was very mild as intended.

The Astronomer's grandmother shared a bit of her honey roasted duck breast. The meat was tender and flavorful. The Astronomer's grandfather ordered the stuffed pork chop and commented that the mashed potatoes were particularly good.

For dessert our waitress recommended a St. Louis classic: Gooey Butter Cake. The gooey butter cake tastes a lot like a pound cake, but much gooier in texture, hence the name. It was served with some blueberries and strawberries and a glass of milk. The cake was very sweet, but I like that quality in a dessert. The Astronomer wished that the cake was served with more fruit to balance out the sweetness.

A St. Louis classic: Gooey Butter Cake

Cunetto House of Pasta

January 4, 2007 Cuisine: Italian 5453 Magnolia St. Louis, MO Phone: (314) 781-1135 Website: http://www.cunetto.com/ --

Appetizer: Toasted Ravioli ($6.10)

Entree I: Melanzane Parmigiano - Sliced Eggplant baked with Tomato Sauce, Provel and Parmigiano Cheese ($5.35)

Entree II: Ditalini con Piselli - Small cut pasta with Creamy White Butter Sauce, Fresh Green Onions and Peas ($7.95)

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Cunneto House of Pasta was highly recommended by David Chaplin AKA the Astronomer's dad. Cunneto is located on The Hill , which is a predominantly Italian neighborhood in St. Louis with a large number of Italian eateries.

We started off our meal with an order of Toasted Ravioli because they are unique to St. Louis and it's not very often that we find ourselves here. I have tried T-Ravs on a number of occasions while visiting the Astronomer at his home. As far as deep-fried food goes, T-Ravs are pretty good, but nothing spectacular. On the other hand, the Astronomer grew up eating T-Ravs, so they hold a very special place in his heart.

I tasted little difference between Cunneto's T-Rav and the frozen Louisa brand the Astronomer's family mail orders. However, the Astronomer thought the restaurant's T-Ravs were more delicate and softer than the frozen variety. I thought the marinara sauce was quite tasty.

For my entree I ordered the Melanzane Parmigiano, which was an appetizer selection. Two layers of sautéed eggplants were topped with plenty of cheese and tomato sauce and baked to perfection. The eggplant was soft and sweet, the cheese was creamy and rich, and the marinara's tartness balanced out the entire dish. Needless to say, the eggplant parmesan was excellent and more than reasonably priced!

The Astronomer could not pass up the opportunity to order pasta at a restaurant that proclaimed to be the "House of Pasta" and settled on the Ditalini con Piselli because he loves cream sauces. The Astronomer enjoyed the combination of flavors brought about by the peas, cream, and onions. I helped the Astronomer with his pasta and thought the green onions were an especially great touch because most Italian cooking uses white onions. Also, fresh green onions have spectacular flavor! The pasta portion was very generous, so we took a doggie bag to go.