R.I.P.: KoKo
With a really interesting mix of Latin-fusion slash Caribbean items on the menu and a cool, yet not too hip dining area, KoKo was a culinary treat.
My one and only visit there was in March 2008. We were sitting around a friend's house trying to decide which great St. Louis restraurant to visit. Once KoKo came up, we jumped into our cars and rode off. Sitting in the same house this month (May 2009), in the same seat (but sipping a different dring - a martini made with an Oregon artisinal gin - thanks again Doug!), I heard that KoKo klosed! So sad.
On my visit, our table started with Zydeco Fries (an appetizer of white-cheddar grits battered with cornmeal and deep-fried) which were really good.
For my entree, I had the pork osso buca, which came with a side of beans. The pork was fork tender and spiced just right.
There was an excellent wine list and great service. Glad I got there before it closed.
More photos.
Meal: Dinner
Rating: ****
Date: 27 March 2008
Date Closed: June 2008
Address: 3257 Ivanhoe Ave., St Louis, MO 63139
Website: N/A
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Imo's: IMHO, thumbs up!
Imo's Pizza
I must admit to a bit of trepidation when I decided to go to an Imo's. My usual St. Louis foodies dismissed Imo's as "not even serving pizza, but some substance." On the other hand, a transplanted St. Louian swears by Imo's and always sends me messages when I'm in St. Louis to make sure I go there.
So this time, I was pretty sure I would find an Imo's and stop in. My decision was sealed when the previous night, pulling into a parking space by Sasha's on Shaw, we parked accross the street from the original Imo's!
Since I was planning to hit Forest Park after lunch, I decided on the Imo's nearest Union Station at 2001 Olive St. A dusty and bleak stretch of Olive (far from the trendier spots closer to downtown). Commanding the corner with a large suburban style restaurant look, I was prepared for the worse! Going in the doors, I was greeted by banks of arcade games.
I went up to the counter and after a quick glance at the menu, went with the 8" pepperoni with olives. Oh, and a bottle of Bud (I think this was the first Bud I've had in the 21st century, but hey, I was in St. Louis, what should I order, something Belgian?!).
I took my seat the the pizza arrived a little while later. Looked pretty good, Smelled good. And, cut into little squares, just like the much higher end "pie" at Sasha's on Shaw.
Ah ha! That must be a secret to the St. Louis style pizza, square cut! That explains the Imo's taglines, "Original St. Louis style pizza" and "The square beyond compare."
So how was it? Pretty good! I like the thin crackery crust and the sauce was nice and flavorful. The pepperoni were a bit skimpy, but overall, pretty good.
So how did the square cut come about? According to the Imo's website, here's the story:
So, how was it? Who's side in the great Imo's debate am I on? Well, it's pretty hard to mess up anything with tomatoes and cheese, but even in the Pizza Hut-like atmosphere of this Imo's on a dusty bit of urban wastingland, there was something there! I really liked the crispy crust and the square pieces were really easy to handle and kept you from eating too big of bites.
I feel the need to return to the original on Shaw, would it be even better there (think of the poor franchised shadow's of the great Pizzaria Uno in Chicago that populate the suburbs of America!).
So yes, Ginger, I like Imo's, and think I could come to love it. Adding "St. Louis style" to New York and Chicago in my pizza quiver.
More photos.
Meal: Lunch
Rating: ****
Date: 11 May 2009
Address: 2001 Olive St., Saint Louis, MO 63103-1627
Website: http://www.imospizza.com/
I must admit to a bit of trepidation when I decided to go to an Imo's. My usual St. Louis foodies dismissed Imo's as "not even serving pizza, but some substance." On the other hand, a transplanted St. Louian swears by Imo's and always sends me messages when I'm in St. Louis to make sure I go there.
So this time, I was pretty sure I would find an Imo's and stop in. My decision was sealed when the previous night, pulling into a parking space by Sasha's on Shaw, we parked accross the street from the original Imo's!
Since I was planning to hit Forest Park after lunch, I decided on the Imo's nearest Union Station at 2001 Olive St. A dusty and bleak stretch of Olive (far from the trendier spots closer to downtown). Commanding the corner with a large suburban style restaurant look, I was prepared for the worse! Going in the doors, I was greeted by banks of arcade games.
I went up to the counter and after a quick glance at the menu, went with the 8" pepperoni with olives. Oh, and a bottle of Bud (I think this was the first Bud I've had in the 21st century, but hey, I was in St. Louis, what should I order, something Belgian?!).
I took my seat the the pizza arrived a little while later. Looked pretty good, Smelled good. And, cut into little squares, just like the much higher end "pie" at Sasha's on Shaw.
Ah ha! That must be a secret to the St. Louis style pizza, square cut! That explains the Imo's taglines, "Original St. Louis style pizza" and "The square beyond compare."
So how was it? Pretty good! I like the thin crackery crust and the sauce was nice and flavorful. The pepperoni were a bit skimpy, but overall, pretty good.
So how did the square cut come about? According to the Imo's website, here's the story:
As to cutting their pizza into squares, legend has it that came about because Ed used to lay tile for a living and he was always cutting tiles into squares. So naturally, the pizza would be cut into squares too. Over 40 years ago, Ed Imo opened the first Imo’s Pizza on the corner of Thurman and Shaw in the heart of South St. Louis. A tile installer by day and a pizza maker by night, perhaps it was his day job that made him subliminally cut his pizzas into strange, tile-like suares instead of the traditional triangle slices.The other "secret" seems to be the use of Provel processed cheese (Provel is a trademark for three cheeses, provolone, swiss, and white cheddar blended into one).
So, how was it? Who's side in the great Imo's debate am I on? Well, it's pretty hard to mess up anything with tomatoes and cheese, but even in the Pizza Hut-like atmosphere of this Imo's on a dusty bit of urban wastingland, there was something there! I really liked the crispy crust and the square pieces were really easy to handle and kept you from eating too big of bites.
I feel the need to return to the original on Shaw, would it be even better there (think of the poor franchised shadow's of the great Pizzaria Uno in Chicago that populate the suburbs of America!).
So yes, Ginger, I like Imo's, and think I could come to love it. Adding "St. Louis style" to New York and Chicago in my pizza quiver.
More photos.
Meal: Lunch
Rating: ****
Date: 11 May 2009
Address: 2001 Olive St., Saint Louis, MO 63103-1627
Website: http://www.imospizza.com/
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Sasha's on Shaw: Fierce Prosciutto and more!
Sasha's on Shaw
There's not really too many places to eat around the Missouri Botanical Garden. Well, there is World's Fair Donuts, but, you can't really make a meal of out donuts - well, I suppose you could, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
So, the neighborhood's local foodies were pretty pleased - so they told me - when the owner of Sasha's Wine Bar (in Clayton) opened an outpost on Shaw.
Located on a corner lot, there's a nice outdoor seating area (filled on the night I was there), and two nice spacious dining areas and two bars.
The decor is 21st wine bar. Lots of wine bottles everywhere, including hanging lights made from bottles. And lots of granite. Lots of granite!
We ordered a bottle of Cosentino Sangiovese (2006) which was just delightful and started with the prosciutto and Parmesan platter. The prosciutto was from the local (and nationally known) Volpi Foods. The Parmesan was shaved thick and served along with cornichons, French bread toast and a nice spicy mustard. A good start!
Around the table were ordered a pepperoni pizza, a prosciutto crepe, and the brisket French dip (me).
Before we get to the Dip, a note on the other two dishes. The savory crepe was nicely done and served with the same mustard at the prosciutto and cheese platter. The pizza was quite interesting (I got a taste of both dishes). A very thin crust, a good spicy sauce, and generous pepperoni slices. Though a round, it wasn't cut into the usual pie-shaped wedges, but rather into
squares. I've seen this every now and then and thought it was interesting. Little did I know, this cutting style is a St. Louis tradition!
So, what about the Dip? Nice thin meat, a very chewy and slightly toasted French roll. The dipping sauce was also spiced to compliment the meat. Served with a side of potato salad and pickle, it ranked as a very good French dip.
Service was good with our waiter offering wine suggestions (when our first choice wasn't available). Some reviews have noted that the service was below par and verging on surly. I asked my companions about this (they're regulars) and they said that the first round of
staff hired were a bit problematic, but that they hadn't noticed any problems lately.
Here's to hoping that Sasha's on Shaw will stick around!
More photos.
Meal: Dinner
Rating: ****
Date: 11 May 2009
Address: 4069 Shaw Ave., St Louis, MO 63110
Website: http://www.sashaswinebar.com/ (not working 13 May 2009)
There's not really too many places to eat around the Missouri Botanical Garden. Well, there is World's Fair Donuts, but, you can't really make a meal of out donuts - well, I suppose you could, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
So, the neighborhood's local foodies were pretty pleased - so they told me - when the owner of Sasha's Wine Bar (in Clayton) opened an outpost on Shaw.
Located on a corner lot, there's a nice outdoor seating area (filled on the night I was there), and two nice spacious dining areas and two bars.
The decor is 21st wine bar. Lots of wine bottles everywhere, including hanging lights made from bottles. And lots of granite. Lots of granite!
We ordered a bottle of Cosentino Sangiovese (2006) which was just delightful and started with the prosciutto and Parmesan platter. The prosciutto was from the local (and nationally known) Volpi Foods. The Parmesan was shaved thick and served along with cornichons, French bread toast and a nice spicy mustard. A good start!
Around the table were ordered a pepperoni pizza, a prosciutto crepe, and the brisket French dip (me).
Before we get to the Dip, a note on the other two dishes. The savory crepe was nicely done and served with the same mustard at the prosciutto and cheese platter. The pizza was quite interesting (I got a taste of both dishes). A very thin crust, a good spicy sauce, and generous pepperoni slices. Though a round, it wasn't cut into the usual pie-shaped wedges, but rather into
squares. I've seen this every now and then and thought it was interesting. Little did I know, this cutting style is a St. Louis tradition!
So, what about the Dip? Nice thin meat, a very chewy and slightly toasted French roll. The dipping sauce was also spiced to compliment the meat. Served with a side of potato salad and pickle, it ranked as a very good French dip.
Service was good with our waiter offering wine suggestions (when our first choice wasn't available). Some reviews have noted that the service was below par and verging on surly. I asked my companions about this (they're regulars) and they said that the first round of
staff hired were a bit problematic, but that they hadn't noticed any problems lately.
Here's to hoping that Sasha's on Shaw will stick around!
More photos.
Meal: Dinner
Rating: ****
Date: 11 May 2009
Address: 4069 Shaw Ave., St Louis, MO 63110
Website: http://www.sashaswinebar.com/ (not working 13 May 2009)
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