quick shot: nadoz cafe

After an unsuccessful attempt to use my 30% off Ann Taylor loft coupon, an iced coffee was in order.  I popped into Nadoz Cafe in the Brentwood Boulevard area.

Cannot tell you how impressed I was.

I ended up ordering the Whole Wheat English Muffin sandwich.  With a perfectly balanced soft/crispy muffin, an egg, fresh spinach, a tomato slice and an herbed cream, it was Saturday morning bliss.  Yum, yum, yum.

The wall of a menu with crepes, paninis and sandwiches galore simply made my mouth water.  I will be back and soon.

bottom line:  awesome breath-of-fresh-air little cafe. already on the list for the next lunch spot for my mom and me.

station pizzeria

Saturday night the hubs headed to the hockey game, so that left me blissfully home alone for the night.  What's a girl who has seemingly tried every eatery within a few mile radius of her house to do for dinner? Find one she hasn't.

That search landed me at Station Pizzeria on the Hill.  Called in for a takeout order of a small veggie pizza and house salad.  Upon arrival, I was relieved to see that their payment options included "debit" since cash somehow never has a comfortable home in my wallet. However, besides the fact that the "debit" machine involved me retrieving a rounded cash amount more than my total and a $1.65 fee, my bill seemed expensive (my 12inch pizza for $13 and small salad for $4 somehow ended up totaling $19.50ish).

Regardless, the piping hot box was placed in my hands and the aroma was simply wonderful. Oh boy, this will be good.  As I excitedly opened the box on my counter, the sight matched the smells.  Piled high with veggies and draped in oregano, I couldn't wait to dive in. 

.....aaaaaaaaand letdown.

Now, I wouldn't say it was bad (for the record, I have only disliked ONE pizza ever. ahem, Rigazzi's).  But the feast just didn't live up to the hype.  And by "hype" I mean the one I built up in my head driving home. The crust was a nice somewhere-in-between thickness.  Thin, but still with some muscle. However, not enough muscle to support the enormous amount of toppings.  Remember when you were little making your own pizza first time and think 'the more toppings, the better'?  And then remember how disappointed you were when the pizza came out kind of soupy and not at all crispy in the middle? (What? was it just me?).  That's what it seemed like to me. And despite the beautiful sprinklings of oregano, it tasted a bit on the dull side.  Nothing a little dose of garlic powder from my cabinet couldn't fix, but still...

I experienced a similar phenomenom with the salad.  A beautiful mesclun mix was dotted with St. Louis' own pimento-provel-housedressing 1-2-3 punch.   In theory, I loved it.  On the reality of my tounge... it just didn't work. 

However, in spite of my so-so experience, I feel drawn to go back.  Perhaps it's the cute picnic tables with the parmesan cheese and red pepper flake shakers (LOVE. IT.).  Perhaps I just want to love the local pizza place.  Regardless, I think I need another try...

bottom line: the jury's still out.

quickshot: the oakville sports pub

I found myself in Oakville with my mom looking for a quick Sunday lunch.  We ended up heading to the new Sports Pub near Telegraph and Christoper.  Walking in, it was much bigger than I expected, and an overall nice looking pub.

The Pepper Jack Shotz (like mozzeralla sticks, but with pepperjack cheese and in a ball shape) were fantastic: the texture was so much creamier than regular cheese sticks PLUS the spiciness level was just perfect.  I think I would have rather had marinara to dip, but the ranch cup worked instead.

We were also surprised when our Buffalo Chicken sandwich appeared to be cooked on an outside grill.  The char mixing with the buffalo sauce was a nice combination.  The provel cheese could have been left off, and a drizzle of ranch probably would have been more appropriate (damn, I should have save the ranch from the Pepper Jack things... sigh.). But overall, I was impressed.

bottom line: nice atmosphere, solid pub food.

spaghetteria mama mia!

When a Groupon for Spaghetteria Mama Mia popped in my inbox just a few short weeks after my sis-in-law recommended it, I figured "What the heck?"

After a few awkward turns exiting from 40 eastbound, the parking lot appeared full (though the number of patrons did not seem to match).  We were seated right away, and were greeted by a wait staff that all kind of seemed to act like they hadn't really done this before.  Nevertheless, they were extremely down-to-earth and any day would I prefer that than the wait staff that acts like your several notches too far down the 'foodie' chain. 

Definite points in my book when the bread came out soft and oh-so-warm.  The salad was also a nice change of pace from the St .Louis Italian standby.  Garbanzo beans, a roasted red pepper, a rope-y mozzarella and a not-overpoweringly-sweet dressing made for a refreshing surprise (though the red onions on mine stole the show... in a bad way). 

Our entrees came out on what seemed to be the same platters my Grandma would serve the 20lb Thanksgiving turkey on. They were H-U-G-E. Like fed me for three meals huge. The strong waft of garlic exploded as soon as our dishes were served (though most could be attributed to my guest's butter-garlic-pasta side dish, both plates overall could have used a garlic intervention).  Luckily, I love garlic, so I could stomach my Spaghetti Bolognese with ease.  The flavors of the dish mixed well, and a small kick of heat really upped the dish for me.  My only complaint is that I'm pretty sure bolognese is ground meats stewed in sauce (though I am only a wannabe foodie, so you never know).  The meat in this dish seemed more like that the kitchen ran out of bolognese sauce so the improvised by giving a meatball a few rough chops and throwing it in.  Either way it was good, just not what I expected.

bottom line: nice little italian joint (with a few different kicks than your typical STL italian), if you're in the area

square one brewery @ brunch

Let me start off by saying that I love Square One Brewery in Lafayette Square.  I've always had fantastic and delicious experiences there.  But (MAN ALIVE!) my latest escapade left me wondering if this was the same place. Had I not been before, I would likely not go back. 

We walked in and popped on up to the bar while we awaited the arrival of our other guest.  Apparently, this annoyed the bartender.

However, much to the bartender's dismay, my guest asked about brunch-time drinks, and she begrudgingly rattled off a few basics.  Luckily for us, soon after our mimosas came our third guest arrived and we headed for the dining room.

The main dining area was bustling and the late morning sun poured in through the gigantic windows.  We were seated and opened the menu to find a much larger selection of drinks than 'Bailey's and Mimosas' (I'm talking to you, bartender). One in particular caught our eyes. 

As noted on the menu, Square One's 'Beermosa' is recognized as one of the best drinks in St. Louis. With half Square One Spicy Blonde and half orange juice, sure, I guess it's a cute idea, but hardly the best drink (ahem, go to Aya Sofia and get a fresh-apricot-bellini. Now we're talking.).  To me, it tasted of nothing more than a Blue Moon. Want to try one? Pull yourself a draft of Blue Moon, pop an orange slice in it and BLAM! Welcome to Beermosa.

For my meal, I ordered one of my favorites: corned beef hash.....

...and I couldn't even finish it.  Now, as a girl who was taught to always clear your plate, this is a big feat.  But this was one of the most over-salted dishes I ever eaten.  Plain and simple. Bleck.

On the good side of things, however, the waitress was excellent.  On a hectic morning/afternoon, she was flawless.  But for me on this morning, not enough for a saving grace. I promise that Square One is one of my St. Louis favorites but just not this day.

bottom line: i will most certainly go back, but not based on this.

drunken fish, cwe style

Sometimes you walk into the Drunken Fish in the Central West End and no matter what you're wearing, you feel underdressed.  Sometimes it's the place to see and be seen. 

Luckily for me, this time it wasn't like that.  Other than a few Mardi Gras stragglers and a spattering of 'girls' night out' tables, it was a tame - not too fancy - crowd. 

Since it was Saturday night at 7, we made reservations and were quickly seated.  Servers were zipping around us in that frantic dinner-time-rush mode, but we were attended to right away.  On our servers suggestion, I had an off-the-menu martini - of which the name is escaping me - that involved vodka, sake, a peach and some type of peach juice/puree.  It was a solid concoction.  (If you ever find yourself here, just ask the server for the martini that was recently removed from the menu that involves a giant peach slice floating at the bottom.  That should - at the very least - point you in the right direction).

We started off with the basic: edamame.  Now it's hard to mess up steamed, salted beans, but when the salt only lands on the top layer of soy-bean-goodness and several of the beans looked liked a shriveled mess, I would say it was below par.   But of course we still ate it because, hey, who doesn't love edamame?

For my main sushi course, I tried out the Mango roll (one of their new ones): crab, mango and avocado topped with tuna and salmon, as well as a combo of sauces.  One of the reasons I love DF is their crazy selection and variety of rolls, so I was very excited to try this one.  Now I'm a huge fan of having mango in a roll - it's a nice burst of sweet in the sea of salt, spice and meatiness.  But this slice of mango was huge.  Like star-of-the-roll huge.  It hit the upper limit of the correct amount of mango in sushi.  Not to mention, the roll itself was large.  And while I've come to expect having to shove a baseball size amount of sushi in my mouth when I order from the fancy side of the sushi menu at DF, this one was particularly large and messy.  In spite of this, however, the roll was very good.  The flavor meshed well and had the right combination of textures. Though it may not become a regular for me, I wouldn't be opposed if it showed up on my plate again. 

bottom line: as usual, a solid experience with good service and a nice selection. 

tokyo sushi

As one of South County's only sushi options, my friend and I decided to give Tokyo Sushi a whirl.  I have stopped in for takeout now and again, but have never dined in. 

Turns out that I wasn't missing much.

The place itself was cute, yet unimpressive.  Modern Asian decorations surrounded a few booths and tables.  And while we we're warmly greeted by the hostess, the waitress was cold and short with us - almost to the point we felt as if we were annoying her by ordering. 

We started off with the shumai - very elegantly presented on a fan-shaped plate and garnished with greens and shredded carrots.  Beyond the plating, however, there wasn't much to write home about.  Cooked to varying degrees, some pieces were crispy and browned, while others remained softer and white.  The accompanying dipping sauce didn't enhance the dish either.  What I expected to be a slightly sweet soy treat, was on the salty side and appeared to be no more than plain 'ole soy sauce. 

 The Miso soup was on par, with the addition of mushrooms kicking it up a notch.

Then the main course: the sushi rolls.  Their sushi selection was not huge, really just sticking to the basics. So of course, I went with my old standby, the Philly Roll.  It did the trick, satisfying but not a standout.  My dining pal seemed to have made the better choice with Shrimp Tempura, which had a nice drizzling of sauce (granted based on the shumai dipping sauce, it could have been a dagger that killed the dish).

bottom line: good basic sushi to fill your craving in south county, but far from st. louis' finest (sushi or service).