|
By Linda F.
Jarrett
When the news
broke that Highway 40 would be closed for two years making the
conversion to “I-64,” most businesses in municipalities bordering
the section from I-270 west to Sarah Ave. pictured their bottom
lines diving. After all, this corridor is the gateway to some
of the area’s most popular dining spots, and the thought of making
these destinations difficult to access did not sit well with business
owners.
The communities
mainly affected, Maplewood, Clayton, Richmond Heights and Brentwood,
decided to band together and create an impetus for consumers to
seek them out and keep their economies from suffering through
this project.
Hence, the
Mid-Metro 4 was born and, from that, the Mid-Metro 4 card which
gives the card-carrying patron discounts and special offers at
participating community businesses, including restaurants.
The following
are four Mid-Metro 4 restaurants:
BOOGALOO
Maplewood
Maplewood
has become home to a varied choice of restaurants from white tablecloth
to funky, and Boogaloo with its blue, orange and green decor falls
this side of funky.
General Manager
Josh Keck says the restaurant will celebrate its fourth anniversary
in September. “What it came down to was creating a fun atmosphere.
It all came together and there’s not much else like it in town.”
That is an
understatement. What other bar features swings instead of the
traditional bar stool? To lessen the temptation of swaying into
your neighbors, the swings are tethered top and bottom, but the
fun remains.
“Those seats
fill up fast,” Keck says.
Chef Eric
Erhard has created an interesting menu drawing from Cuban/Creole/Cajun
influences. For starters, he has created a Brazil nut encrusted
Manchego cheese with romesco sauce and chimichurri. Popular entrees
include the blackened tuna with crawfish beurre blanc, and yucca
whipped potatoes, and the Creole jambalaya with seasoned rice,
chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp.
Sandwich lovers
can’t lose with the Cubaniche, a pressed sandwich with braised
pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and a tantalizing blend of mustard and
mayonnaise that pairs perfectly with crunchy dill pickles.
“While most
things have a Caribbean influence, we have a wide variety and
can accommodate most every palate,” Keck says.
Large French
doors open out onto Manchester Rd. giving diners an urban feel
while they enjoy their dinner. Or you can dine on the back patio
for a more secluded atmosphere.
HARVEST
Richmond Heights
A regular
on any “Best of St. Louis” roster of restaurants, Harvest continues
to surprise diners with its changing menu of seasonal offerings
and flavor combinations.
Owner/Chef
Stephen Gontram knew early on that this was the business for him.
“My parents had been in the restaurant business, so I had this
exposure and I enjoyed it.”
He graduated
from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and then
studied with such chefs as Wolfgang Puck and Bradley Ogden before
returning to his hometown to open Harvest.
“Harvest was
at the forefront of seasonal cuisine,” he says. “There were very
few, if any, restaurants that changed their menus on an almost
daily basis. We did this based on what we could get from local
farmers and what we felt was of good quality. To this date, we
change our menu entirely eight times a year, besides the mainstays
such as Caesar salad and a mixed green salad.”
He says that
while he tries to get as much as he can locally, he does not restrict
his search. “You can miss out on a lot of beautiful things like
wonderful cheeses from Indiana and Wisconsin, and free range quail
and squab from the South.”
On Sundays,
Harvest offers “Blue Plate Specials” that include buttermilk fried
chicken served with a farm green bean casserole with wild mushroom
gravy and homemade biscuits.
Another Harvest
favorite is the pan roasted Alaskan wild halibut with parsnip
puree, watercress and yellow wax bean salad with a green garlic
emulsion.
For beef lovers
the chargrilled hangar steak stacked on top of Illinois horseradish
hash browns and creamed local spinach serves up a delightful taste
combination.
CAMILLE’S
SIDEWALK CAFÉ Brentwood
Tucked away
near Hanley Industrial Court is Camille’s Sidewalk Café, a charming
little eatery that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a no-rush
atmosphere.
Manager Kate
Kleinhans says the restaurant, which has been open since October
2007, emphasizes “fresh healthy foods.”
Customer favorites
include the Mexican Daredevil which Kleinhans describes as “off
the chart!” Grilled chicken breast, black beans, red onions, pepperjack
and cilantro are stuffed in a jalapeno-cheddar tortilla with roasted
poblano dressing and Daredevil BBQ sauce.
Another popular
choice is the Napa Valley Chicken Panini with grilled chicken
breast, sun-dried tomato pesto, mushrooms, red onions and a balsamic
glaze pressed in focaccia bread. Or the Zorba the Greek flatbread
pizza with basil pesto, feta cheese, black olives, grilled chicken,
mozzarella, and roasted red peppers tossed with herb seasonings.
Breakfast
is served all day and includes, besides an assortment of pastries
and bagels, a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian breakfast
wraps, and English muffin breakfast sandwiches.
The light,
airy interior invites customers to linger, and provides free Wi-Fi
for those with time to spare. Summer days and evenings beg to
be spent on the patio made for relaxing and enjoying icy coffee
drinks or smoothies.
“We have a
great easy-going atmosphere,” Kleinhans says. “It’s a laid-back
kind of place.”
This ambience
also makes it the perfect place for cyclists to stop, relax and
rehydrate with a strawberry breeze or peach paradise smoothie.
Whether it’s
a late breakfast, relaxing lunch, quick dinner or late night treat,
Camille’s won’t disappoint.
REMY’S
KITCHEN & WINE BAR Clayton
Finding a
romantic restaurant with upscale ambience and reasonable prices
is not easy, but Remy’s delivers that combination, and has been
doing so for 14 years. Executive chef Lisa Slay knows how to put
together a menu and, as such, Remy’s clientele returns time and
time again, usually bringing their friends
“We’ve always
strived to not get too pricey so people can afford to come a couple
of times a month, not just for special occasions,” Slay says.
“We do a lot of the small plates so you can graze, which people
enjoy. Plus, it’s healthy, with the Mediterranean influence—not
much cream or butter, but a lot of olive oil and herbs for flavor.”
When I-64
closed down, Remy’s wanted to offer something special to make
sure their patrons would still seek them out. First, they began
“Ecstatic Hour” with Small Plate favorites.
The most popular
of these choices, Slay says, are the “House Specialties”—grape
leaves stuffed with ground lamb and rice in a tomato cumin sauce,
and the hummus with flat bread and feta cheese. “Both of these
are my Lebanese Grandmother’s recipes.”
“Then, we
offered a prix fix menu for $24,” she says. “Diners can choose
soup or salad, hummus or grape leaves, and salmon, grilled with
a soy honey glaze and ginger scallion aioli, or beef tenderloin,
grilled with a triple blue cheese butter and Cabernet reduction.
Both include gorgonzola potatoes.”
“That with
a glass of wine, and you can jump on MetroLink and go to the ballgame!”
she laughs.
The name Slay
conjures up excellence in cooking.
“I began washing
dishes at my father’s restaurant, Slay’s, on Hampton when I was
12, then I worked with my brother, David, at his restaurants,
Café Hampton and La Veranda.”
In 1995, she
helped Tim Mallett open Remy’s, and the excellence continues.
For more information
on the Mid-Metro 4 card and participating businesses, visit www.midmetro4.com.
| |
|
TalkingPOINTS
BOOGALOO
7344 Manchester Rd. Maplewood, MO
(314) 645-4803
www.boogaloostl.com
Monday–Friday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturday: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. to Midnight
HARVEST
1059 S. Big Bend Blvd. Richmond Heights, MO
(314) 645-3522
www.harveststlouis.com
Tuesday–Thursday: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 5 to 9 p.m.
CAMILLE’S
SIDEWALK CAFÉ
1250 Straussner Dr. Brentwood, MO
(314) 647-5700
www.camillescafe.com
Monday–Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
REMY’S
KITCHEN AND WINE BAR
222 S. Bemiston Ave. Clayton, MO
(314) 726-5757
www.remyskitchen.net
Lunch:
Monday–Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner:
Monday–Wednesday: 5:30 to 10 p.m
Thursday: 5:30 to 11 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
|
|
