Annie Gunns - The Closest Thing to Heaven in Saint Louis

Date Dined: May 22, 2014

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

The weekend of our wedding which meant it was time for a foodfest! Of course we had to take people to our favorite steak joint, Annie Gunns.

Décor Rating: 5 Stars

What isn’t there to love about Annie Gunn’s décor? It’s classy without being snobbish, romantic without being completely dark, and lively without being too loud to hear yourself think. We love the inside of this place, but the enclosed patio is slowly becoming our go to place. Natural wood and dark greens are what you’ll find inside. An eclectic mix of nostalgic paintings line the wall, reminiscent of those classic Guinness posters. Outside a permanent tent and large wooden tables are placed on the patio with plenty of space of spare.

Price Rating: 4.5 Stars

For a quality steakhouse, you definitely get your bang for your buck. Not to say that the steaks and fish aren’t going to be thirty, forty, or even fifty dollars, but it’s worth it. If you’re coming here for a special meal then be prepared to spend.

What I do love about the menu is that you can get in and out for a very affordable price if you want. Want some of their delicious naked wings? Only about twelve bucks for a heaping plate. Hamburger and fries? Only 11 bucks for some of the most wells seasoned and moist beef you’ve ever had.

Service Rating: 5 Stars

I will say that we have never had bad service here, but on more than one occasion it has been amazing! Combine the friendliness of family, the knowledge of a experienced sommelier, and the attentiveness of an amazing server.

Let me say that while I usually tip well, very few servers wow me. That’s because most have only one way to serve and that’s it, but you have to read your table. If you’re a guy with a table of flirty cougars you have to be willing to get arm fondled. If you have a group of giggly teenage girls then you smile and play along. And above all, please do not disturb that romantic couple in the corner trying to be friends.

At Annie Gunn’s your drinks will always be full, your food will come out on time and with enough time for you to enjoy each course, the servers will know about whatever you ask them on the menu, and they will make you feel like family for the entire time you’re dining. And once in awhile, they’ll excel all your expectations.

Food Rating: 5 Stars

Now you’re probably thinking, Chris, not everything here can be phenomenal and you’d be right. In fact, this last trip I had two dishes that were probably 4 stars at best, but some things are so good we could give them 6 stars.

First up, the house smoked seafood sampler. I didn’t even known that you could smoke jumbo shrimp in a maple glaze, but apparently you can and it causes your tongue to explode with happiness. Along with the shrimp you had some ridiculously tasty sea scallops, tasty and moist Missouri trout, and satisfyingly smoky sturgeon. Top this all off with some sturdy Guinness Rye bread and you have a mercury filled plate of goodness.

Next we must take a moment and speak about the chicken wings. They are crispy, savory, not too greasy, and naked as the day you were born (but less gross). There’s not a lot of actually say about the wings other than you should try them. If you’re not then you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Of course, I also had to order my standard Caesar and it was likewise delicious. Not the best Casesar I’ve ever had, but I’ll never find that again since the place closed. To their credit they used dark green romaine as an amazing Casesar should have. The dressing tasted like it was made in house, anchovies yum. Not too overly sauced, but just enough that you could tell it was a Caesar. Overall, I salute the people of Annie Gunns for knowing how to make a Caesar.

Now we come to the saddest part of the review, the lack of a cowboy cut. The cowboy cut is a dry-aged wonder of meat and flavor, soft enough to cut with your knife, and flavorful enough to turn a vegetarian back on meat. Except, they didn’t have it. What they did have is a normal locally farmed ribeye. It was cooked perfectly, but just not as tender or flavorful as the cowboy. For the price, I’d give this steak a four, but it really lacked the savory flavor of a dry-age. It was really only slightly better than something I could get at Tuckers. As I said, as sad day, but life is hard (for those who don’t know me, this is sarcasm).

My groomsmen and best friend from college ordered the Mahi which turned out to be very moist, but not nearly flavorful enough. The meat was tender, not too fishy, and expertly cooked, but it definitely required a few pinches of salt. I think if they had just placed the same seasoning they use on the wings on the fish it might have brought out the flavor all the more.

We ended the night with two tasty desserts. A Riesling cake which (pardon for using this term so much) was incredibly moist, not sickly sweet, and complimented with a delicious strawberry sauce. The ladies of our table seemed intrigue by the bread pudding which is not my cup of tea, but even I had to admit it was tasty. The rum sauce was far and above the highlight of the dish. Nothing wrong with the bread pudding itself, but I’d be just as happy with a cup of that sauce.

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to spend $100.00 or $15.00 there’s something here for everyone. For a first visit, try and get a steak or at least a burger, but go hungry because the portions are generous. So if you’re feeling ignored then go to Annie Gunns and get some pampering. And on the way out go to the market next door and pick up some of the most delicious blueberry pie you’ve ever had.

Bogarts - If I Had to Choose Just One

Date Dined: May 23. 2014

Overall Rating: 4.0 Stars

For ages a time tested battle has taken place in Saint Louis. The ancient BBQ lords of old long have struggled for the coveted Lee seal of approval. Although each gazed upon the brilliant glare of my adulation, only one reigns supreme.

Two days before the wedding and we had to take our family to what I think is the overall best BBQ in Saint Louis. Now before the hating starts I will say this: Pappy’s has amazing pulled pork, Sugarfire is all about the brisket, and Ropers is untouched as far as snoots go, but Bogart’s has my heart.

Décor: 3.5 stars

Bogart’s décor matches the rest of the meal, casual and first come first serve. There is no hostess, there are no reserved tables and you might even be more comfy grabbing a to go order and eating your meal at home. Inside you’ll find a long row of tables that seats about 30 and a few tables on the side that seats another 12 or 16. Outside there’s a row of picnic benches that accommodates a large number of people. Like any popular local joint there’s going to be a lack of seating, luckily people eat quickly so it’s not to hard to snag a table usually.

Service: 4 Stars

Again, we’re grading this on a casual dining scale, but if you don’t walk in expecting a fine dining experience then the service is actually pretty good. If you go during the lunch or dinner rushes then you’ll be standing in line a half hour or more. When you get up to the front then your order will be promptly taken and you can start scouring the premises for a seat. Your food will arrive hot and delicious within five to ten minutes. If you need a box for leftovers you’ll get it right away with some generous to go sides of whatever sauces you want. All in all, not a bad deal.

I will add one caveat. Typically I have no complaints about this place, but this last time (which also happened to be when we were showing it off to our out of town relatives coming in for the wedding) we had kind of a sour experience. Bogart’s has a rule. You can’t sit at a table until your order is placed. Makes sense right? Except in this one scenario. We were actually in line placing our order and there happened to be three empty tables. Two that were together and one to the side. My father-in-law who happens to be an elderly gentlemen and can’t stand for long periods of time went to sit at one of the tables. The guy in the picture above immediately shooed him away. Really? Come on guy. He’s old, it’s 80 degrees and he’s just been standing in line for 30 minutes, and we are literally completing our order. There are THREE open tables. No one else is placing their order before us. Let the poor guy sit down… Not cool bald guy, not cool… I was especially embarrassed after I had gone on and on about how friendly they were.

Price: 3 Stars

Average BBQ price. A half rack of ribs will cost you about $13.00 and a full rack around $24.00. It’s not cheap and it’s not worth it if you don’t like BBQ, being messy, or have a lot of disposable income. I am not insulting the quality of the food, but it can be an expensive meal depending on what you order. On the other hand you can get away with a pulled pork, brisket, or burnt ends sandwich for under $10.00. The price here isn’t ridiculous, it’s just standard pricing for BBQ and you won’t find any great meal deals.

Food: 4 Stars

Okay, the food is why you really come to Bogarts and they have some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had outside of a ribfest I’ve ever had. So why four stars? Because while some of their items are amazing, some are only above average. Let’s delve into the wonderful world of Bogarts.

Jess has always been a fan of pulled pork, and Bogarts knows how to do it right. Their pork isn’t even the best in Saint Louis, but it is tender with a slightly smoky flavor. My only wish is that it was shredded a little more finely. Sometimes the chunks of pork are pretty well connected which makes them difficult to eat and if you hit a large chunk of an outside piece then it can be a little tough. I will also say that the flavor isn’t enough without some sauce to accentuate it which is what makes it only good.

I of course ordered the ribs and for the first time the burnt ends. The ribs are why are come to Bogart’s and what I judge most BBQ by. Bogart’s ribs are everything you could want them to be: nicely smoked, dry rubbed, fall off the bone, tender, slightly sweet, with no need for sauce. I have had multiple people tell me that these are the best ribs they’ve ever had and while I have no illusions that I’ll eventually find better, this is my go to for now. They give you a plastic knife, but you can literally rip these suckers off the rack with your fingers. The dry rub has melted into a delicious glaze sealing all that meaty goodness inside. (Someone told me that they use an acetylene torch to get that result and I might have to try the same thing with one of my browning torches).

Burnt ends were well done, much better than the last three places I’ve tried with just the right amount of “burning” done to the meat. The sauce was well used to offset any of the more tough bits. This is definitely something I’ll be ordering again.

For the first time, we also decided to get an order of wings with the understanding that everyone would have at least one. People did not fulfill their end of the bargain… which was okay! The wings have been smoked, like everything else, with a nice char on them. Nothing special, but still delicious. The smoking process really sealed in the juiciness of the wings and they were a nice alternative to more greasy fried wings or soggy oven baked wings. Nicely done, but if you only have a little room stick with the ribs.

Time to talk a little bit about the sides (all pictured above). Almost everything was made in house and it shows. The baked beans are possibly my favorite and I typically don’t like beans. The beans have been placed underneath the smoking racks in the smoker, you’ll find little pieces of pulled pork swimming innocently in a sweet BBQ sauce. The applesauce is refreshing and light with real minced pieces of apple that will send you reaching for more. The deviled egg salad is just what it sounds. Takes some delicious deviled eggs, mash them up, and you have an addictive salad. The BBQ pork skins are fine, but lacking. They take some pork rinds, sprinkle some BBQ rub on them and then serve them up on a plate.

I won’t get into all the sauces because that would take me forever, but I will highlight some of my favorites. The sweet maegan ann is perfect for sweet BBQ lovers. You’ll be reminded of a KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce, but of much higher quality. You won’t get the ketchup taste you will from mass produced products. The pineapple express is heavily laced with its namesake and is a little spicier, more liquid, and tangier than its sweeter counterpart. The Voodoo is for heat lovers, this thing will definitely catch your tongue on fire, although it’s cut with just enough sweetness so that even people who fear heat can try just a little bit of it.

In Conclusion

If you don’t mind eating in an incredibly casual setting then definitely check out Bogarts. You won’t be disappointed. Now depending on what you order you may not be wowed, but you’ll walk away at least satisfied. The one negative is that it’s impossible to try everything. I do wish they’d put in a sampler with just a bit of everything, but beggars can’t be choosers. Again, if BBQ isn’t your thing, the food here isn’t so good that you must try it out, but if there’s even a little smoked meat lover in you then try this joint. Just don’t bring anyone sickly that needs to sit down or else that bald guy is going to shoo you away.

Shaved Duck – So Much Wasted Potential

Date Dined: May 17, 2014

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Décor Rating: 4 stars

There is something cozy and comforting about Shaved Duck’s décor. Cozy booths in dark reds line the walls and wooden tables are interspersed at comfortable distances. It has many of the hallmarks I like in a restaurant: dark wood, exposed brick, and tasteful unique decorations. Shaved Duck is a nice place to meet with a group of friends or have a romantic, but not intimate dinner.

Price Rating: 3 stars

Prices at the Shaved Duck are mostly reasonable, but a little high on some items. Five dollars per side is a little high for the amount of food you receive, along with a nine dollar Caesar salad. All in all, you won’t leave broke but if you go for a full meal including drinks, appetizer/side, entrée, and just one drink you can wrack up a hefty thirty-plus bill. Again, not outrageous prices, but just not a great meal deal.

Service Rating: 2.5 stars

Let me say that my low rating was caused by the host, not our server. I found our server friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable about the menu. My only two minor complaints was that he often didn’t know what items the kitchen had 86ed including: what desserts were still available, and what beers were available, and that he was a little forgetful about refilling of water.

The host however, needs to learn that no matter how popular you get, a smile and some courtesy is always appreciated. Upon walking in I asked for carry out, with which I was met with a loud sigh and informed that they don’t do carry-out on the weekend. Okay, that’s fine, no need for the attitude man-child.

I then asked how long the wait was and was informed that it was forty-five minutes. Since it was already nine and that’s a daunting wait I didn’t give him an answer right away. Again, more sighs and foot tapping this time. After about 20 seconds I told him okay (we had an ice cream cake in the car).

Thinking we had forty-five minutes and since we only live five minutes away we decided to run home, store our perishables and return. On the way out I noticed there were about 4 empty tables inside and 2 on the patio, and there were only three names before ours. We managed to get home and back to the restaurant in fifteen minutes and we were informed that he had called our names and our table had been given away.

Now I have worked at a restaurant for many many years. Wait times are not always possible to calculate exactly, but to be thirty minutes off? Come on. I might have been more accepting of the incompetence if he had a better attitude, but no mercy for this chubby little man.

Food rating: 3.5 stars

When Shaved Duck still opened I thought they were a mixed bag. They had some items that were mind blowing including the cornbread skillet, loaded potato skins, and duck confit. They also had some items that were just disappointing like stringy-dried ribs, and kind of bland gumbo. The restaurant has done a very good job of improving on its lesser items, but has lost some of its flair in the amazing highlights.

We began the night with an order of cornbread. I remember this thing being just right: thick, slightly sweet, and oh so moist. What was brought out to us looked the same on the outside, but the chef has made some weird changes to the dish. First of all, there was a very strong taste of egg, so much so that it tasted like egg whites in bread form. Second of all, while not dry by any means you really needed the honey butter to complete the dish. The honey butter by the way is just as good and may cause someone to just eat butter straight out of the ramekin.

Jess ordered the duck confit appetizer as her entrée, another staple that we used to get. Back in the old days the dish was on the smaller side, but after taking a bite you forgot all about that. The skin was crispy and as light as edible paper, and the meat was moist and bursting with savory flavor. They’ve increased the size, which is nice, but I found some things lacking. The skin was moist, which wasn’t unpleasant, but I likened it to more of a rotisserie chicken skin than anything else. The flavor was the same, slightly seasoned, likely brined, and allowing the duck to speak to itself. However, while the meat near the bone was moist, the meat just under the skin was actually a little dry. Not unedible, but like the duck confit of old.

I ordered a half rack of ribs and the burnt ends appetizer for my entrée. The burnt ends were okay, with the appropriate amount of char and soaked in a nice smoky sauce, but some of the pieces were tiny which resulted in just tough, burnt pieces of meat. The ones that were sized correctly were wonderful, but for every one of those there was a small tough piece. However, they’ve definitely raised the quality of their ribs. Still not Bogart’s quality, but slightly above a Bandanas. If I had to give them a couple more suggestions I’d say they need to more carefully monitor the removal of the membrane from the back of their ribs and smoke them just a little longer. These things won’t fall off the bone, but if have a hardcore craving for ribs (like me yesterday night) then they’ll satisfy. One mystifying thing to me was that you don’t have free access to the sauce that they actually put on the ribs. On the table there is a smoky, gritty sauce, a mango habanera sauce, and a vinegar sauce. But no sign of the sweet, slightly smoky finish they use on the ribs which is quite good.

We both ordered a side of mac and cheese and while you won’t be wowed, once again it’s above average. It’s white mac, which I enjoy on occasion, and it appeared that they used real cheese which was nice, but if you don’t like your sauce thick then don’t order it. Imagine melted cheese, poured over noodles, and you’ll understand what the mac and cheese tasted like. Again, not bad, but unique and not for everyone.

For dessert we settled on the blueberry bread pudding, as I love blueberries and Jess loves bread pudding. Also it was the only dessert left. For people who love traditional bread pudding this won’t be their favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Imagine making a muffin out of chunks of bread, pour a metric crap ton (yes that’s a measurement) of blueberries into the mix, and then breaking it up and bringing it out to the table. Not enjoying the decadant rich sauces that bread pudding is usually drenched in, I really enjoyed this dish, excellent mouthfeel!

Final Thoughts

I would say only go to Shaved Duck if A) you are aiming go to the Shaved Duck B) if you are looking for some nice duck dishes that aren’t cooking Chinese style C) it is Saturday night at nine pm and you want some BBQ. The wait will be daunting unless you arrive at the right time, and if you’re looking for any mixed drink more complicated than a seven and seven this isn’t the place for you (although the beer list is four pages long and stocked with a hefty amount of microbrews).

Hopefully you won’t have to deal with the same host as we did, but if you do just remind yourself that he’s probably a very lonely young man. The servers however will be friendly which makes up for it. If you don’t walk in expecting the food to be amazing then you will be amazed, but be prepared for a fairly hefty bill if you want to make a night of it.

Mission Taco Joint – I Wanted So Badly to Worship It

Date Dined: May 4, 2014

Rating: 3.5 Stars

We were on the way to the airport on a Sunday so we figured we’d stop by in the loop and try the Mission Taco Joint. Not only is there menu diverse and filled with delicious sounding items, but it was a favorite of ours at

the Iron Fork so we decided it was the place to be!

Decorations there are simple and nice. Tables are spaced an appropriate distance and there’s even an outside picnic bench area where you can eat with your animals. Nice little place to stop for a bite, at least décor wise. Service likewise was excellent. Our water glasses were never more than half empty and we were both greeted promptly and our orders taken right away.

Since the tacos were tiny enough to sample we decided to get a spread of six, but of course Jess wanted to start with some guacamole. I swear she’s addicted to the stuff. She enjoyed it, but then again she’s not as picky as I am. To me it was just a little too smooth and tasteless. Now the texture part is totally just my opinion, but it was just a little too bland for me. Some salt, some seasoning, a little more tomato and onion, anything would have made it just that much better. I think the biggest issue I had was that it came out in a tiny little molecajete and it was priced at $7.00, kind of pricy for so little.

The tacos themselves ranged from yummy to kind of meh. Each was served with a regular sized corn tortilla. I’ll list them in order of my favorite to least favorites, and there were some I will likely not be ordering again unfortunately:

1) Far and above my favorite was the cochinita pibil or pork shoulder, it was just the rights amount of moistness, flavor, and all the ingredients from the queso to the bbq sauce complemented the dish well. This will likely become a staple for me.

2) Second on the list was the baja fish tacos. There wasn’t anything fancy here, just some good fish and tasty chipotle baja sauce. A nice light taco.

3) The roasted duck was my third favorite although I think that if they had used just a strip of duck meat rather than shredding the duck it would have been better. It just made the dish taste like slightly drier pork. A few more pork belly chunks might help too.

4) The cactus was okay, we got it as more of a novelty item. Jess liked it a lot more than I did, to me it just tasted like they counted on the cactus to get people to order the dish (which in my case well done).

5) The brisket was disappointing, at least the batch I tasted was kind of dry and bland. This could have definitely used a higher infusion of sauce and maybe a little less smoking time.

6) The carne asada was extremely disappointing. The meat wasn’t tough, nor was it extremely tender. The larger problem was that it was extremely bland. The sauce did little to add any taste and the meat hadn’t been seasoned. It tasted like they sliced the steak first, stuck it onto a charcoal grill and then served it. Next time just cook a tiny chunk of steak whole, dash some salt on it, and then slice it up nice and tender.

By far the best part of the meal was the churros. Not the churros themselves, but the sauce was more delicious than anything I had had in a long time. The actual churros were fine, but the middles hadn’t been fried long enough. Instead of being light and airy they were just sort of uncooked, heavy, and doughy. Not bad, but if you don’t like uncooked dough you won’t like these. The sauce on the other hand I had to buy some to go. It just some sort of cinnamon, hazelnute deliciousness that I would much rather have had on some vanilla ice cream. Get the churros just for this sauce, trust me.

I will say you can get a very affordable meal here. Three tacos will cost you about $10.00 plus tax and tip and you’ll leave surprisingly full. I am a little disappointed you have to pay for chips and salsa. Even if they brought out just one serving it would be a nice gesture. I will definitely be going back, I just won’t be calling it my favorite taco joint. They do many things well, but very few things were outstanding.