Park Avenue Coffee

While walking around in downtown Saint Louis, I wanted to find somewhere that I could try gooey butter cake from, and well, I am also a huge coffee addict. Park Avenue was pretty close to our hotel so we stopped in to check it out. And I of course love visiting restaurants and places that have been featured on Food Network.

 

The inside of the coffee shop was very business oriented. They had a room of seating that was pretty filled, and most people had a laptop open and a cell phone to the ear. Aside from the noise, everything in the bakery counter looked divine. I ordered the Park Avenue iced coffee and we got a gooey butter cake square to share. There was one more table left outside so grabbed it, along with our plastic forks, and dug in. This was my first time ever having butter cake, and aside from it probably being absolutely terrible for you, it was exactly that, a "gooey, buttery, cake". Although my husband didn't think it was anything to write home about, I thought it was amazing. And the coffee I washed it down with was pretty darn tasty too!

Park Avenue Coffee, Website

Cielo at the Four Seasons

My husband and I had a great opportunity while in Saint Louis to get dressed up in fancy clothes and go out somewhere more upscale for dinner. After finally finding the Cielo restaurant (our map sent us through the casino and a few other places first) within the Four Seasons Hotel, we had worked up quite an appetite. Looking around the restaurant, I was surprised to find that many people were wearing casual dress and other than one large table of people that looked straight out of the show "Real Housewives", we were quite overdressed. The decor was absolutely beautiful and we decided instead of picking two items off of the menu, that we would do the four course "Tour of Italy". And since we wanted to try multiple dishes, we both ordered opposites for appetizers, main course, and dessert.

One of the appetizers was a bruschetta style crostini, topped with goat cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes. You can't usually go wrong with the tomato, cheese and bread combination. The only problem I had was that it was lacking more acid and flavor, like a balsamic reduction or fresh basil. The menu stated that there was mint and basil added somewhere but those flavors did not at all come through. For his appetizer, it was quite underwhelming as a start. My appetizer on the other hand was also very simple, but done to perfection. The chicken consomme was almost a play on if chicken soup and Italian wedding meatball soup had a child. The meatball was cooked to perfection,  along with the vegetables. That broth was packed with flavor and the only thing I would complain about is that there was only one meatball and I wanted more!

The next course topped another level for me. The lemon and saffron gnocci was so light in flavor. The biggest worry with gnocci is that it will be dense and doughy but this dish didn't disappoint. I am not even a fan of seafood, but tried a mussel 'by accident' and it was very good. I ordered the Arugula Pappardelle, which was topped with a pork cheek ragout and pistachios. The pork was sweet and pulled apart with a fork like butter, and the arugula pasta was nice and peppery. Everything paired very well together.

Our main course, which sounded so good that we both ordered the same thing, was the short ribs. They were sous vide for 72 hours making them unbelievably tender. The parsley root puree was light and creamy and I couldn't even tell that it wasn't a potato puree. I have never had sunchokes before but they were tender and very earthy. My only hesitation with short ribs is that unlike most people, I can't stand the tiniest bit of gristle and end up cutting it off. I had quite a big piece on mine that my husband ate for me, because to most men "that's the best part". This was hands down my favorite part of our meal.

The chocolate cheesecake was pretty underwhelming. The chocolate used was very bitter. The only aspect of that dish that helped save the flavor was the cooked apricot half. I would have rather eaten a bowl of the apricots by themselves. The gooey butter cake and side of ice cream that I ordered was heaven. It tasted like if you crushed a bunch of shortbread cookies together and then added melted butter and topped it all with powdered sugar. Amazing. The four courses overall were definitely worth the money. Many of the dishes had well thought-out flavors and made up for the underwhelming lack of depth in others. Would we return again while visiting? Absolutely. I think more restaurants should have the 'tasting menu' approach. It is a great way to try multiple dishes in small portions. The short rib dish alone, would bring me back.

Cielo Restaurant, Saint Louis, MO

Insomnia Cookies

This has to be the best idea for a cookie place that I have ever heard of. My husband and I were walking back to our hotel in St. Louis, Missouri after having fun at the City Museum and came across this tiny (and I mean tiny) little cookie place. Got a hankering for a cookie after bar time? No problem! They deliver from noon to 3AM every day! Best part of all is whether you stop in to get some cookies on the go, or get them delivered, they are served to you warm! The owner of this franchise really had a great idea with this one. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it all started in a dorm room in Pennsylvania. Being from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I had never heard of this franchise but there are 90 locations in the U.S. If you happen to be vacationing, or live by one, you should definitely order some of these warm, tasty cookies!

Insomnia Cookies Website

Sugarfire Smoke House, Downtown Saint Louis

On our first day of vacation in Saint Louis, we had to get some authentic BBQ from somewhere. I am a huge Food Network fan and Sugarfire has been featured on multiple shows, and what BBQ contests HASN'T it won? The best part, is that since we picked one of the busiest times to visit Saint Louis and kept our car parked at our hotel, this was in easy walking distance from us.

The bad part of our experience at Sugarfire had absolutely nothing to do with the food. The food was fantastic, as we will get into here shortly. I am the type of person who gets semi flustered in large crowds of people who are all waiting in line so I was pleased when we went at an "off" time after lunch and were the only ones in line. I'm sure to wait on people here and be in the buffet line you have to be a rockstar and are used to dealing with large quantities of people. It doesn't mean, however, that when someone tells you they have never eaten here before, that you roll your eyes and start acting impatient. There was no one else in line! We had ordered the food already which was being made, but the person at the cash register was absolutely rude like we were holding up a line of 100 people. This is why I usually choose a sit down restaurant because I hate the feeling of someone rushing you and belittling you when it is your first time and experience in a new place. No matter how great the food is after that, you have already given me a negative reaction to wanting to eat at that restaurant again because if I end up feeling uncomfortable for no reason other than someone's impatience, why would you go back again? Thank goodness for the waitress who runs food to the table, and how nice they were and made a quick joke about his attitude, because I probably would have thrown my shake at the cashier and just walked out at that point.

Speaking of shakes, I ordered the White Russian shake for a drink. Thank goodness they had alcohol! I not only needed it at this point, but it was the hottest day that we were there and it was very refreshing to have a nice cold drink while waiting for food. It was on the stronger side, but once I mixed in the whipped topping with my straw it was perfect.

The appetizer we ordered were the pork belly hush puppies with jalapeno jelly. I couldn't really taste the pork belly part of the description, but the hush puppy dipped in the jelly was really good. My husband ended up stealing most of them because they were his perfect consistency. He liked them still a little bit gooey (or raw technically) in the middle, and I like it cooked all of the way through so it's more like cornbread.

The mac and cheese for my side dish was a melted gooey container of liquid gold heaven. I don't know how much more positive I could get describing a mac and cheese dish. It was creamy, cheesy, not too liquid where you feel like your noodles are swimming, but not dry that it sticks together like paste. It was just great mac and cheese.

We both ordered the special, which was the Ultimate Ham and Cheese sandwich. It was layered with smoked country ham, Swiss and smoked Gouda cheese, Parmesan, Truffle and Arugula. That is a mighty fancy grilled cheese if you ask me, and it was all amazing. The salty ham and the melted cheese with the sharp arugula on top was delicious. It was the perfect combination of flavors and nothing overpowered anything else and every bite was filled with gooey melted cheese and ham.

If someone else picked this restaurant to eat at again, I would totally do it, but I would order it online on the website so that I wasn't rushed and meant to feel like an idiot. All of the food looks amazing, and everything we tasted was delicious, but I can't deal with rude people like that. Going to new restaurants and traveling should be a fun experience and if your restaurant is that well known and famous, they are obviously doing everything right as far as food goes. Was it just an off day for the cashier? Maybe, which is why I didn't say anything back to be polite. However, that experience could have been so much better with a fake smile and polite attitude, even if you didn't want to be at work that day.

Ludington Grill

While heading from the U.P. all the way to Missouri, we needed to stop somewhere quick to eat dinner before kicking off our long day of travel. Although I wouldn't call the experience a "quick" one, it was well worth the time spent in this old state bank building turned restaurant.

I have lived in the U.P. my entire life, and have been in Escanaba quite often, and had I known this restaurant was this good I would have been here much sooner. Even though we were dressed very casual, the decor has a sense of elegance to it (maybe it's the chandelier that was above our table...) that makes you feel very relaxed.

For an appetizer we ordered the Bruschetta. The flavor was almost of a chunky semi sweet marinara sauce with shredded Mozzarella on top, and I am perfectly okay with that. The crunchy baguette and sweet tomato sauce was a perfect meal starter.

I usually stay far away from burgers at restaurants unless it is the number one thing they are known for, because normally it isn't cooked correctly when I receive it and then I am stuck with a burger that I don't want to continue eating. I took a leap of faith regardless of that, and ordered the Quesadilla Burger. This burger is topped with pepper-jack and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce, and is served with a Mexi-ranch dressing. I will be honest and say I took one smell and tiny taste of the Mexi-ranch and was not at all interested on putting it on my burger, but the pico was just enough to make this burger good. Instead of a Mexi-ranch, I think it would have been great with a few slices of avocado or some smeared guacamole on the bun, but that is just my personal opinion. I am not sure if I would call it a "quesadilla" burger either, because the first thing I think of when I hear the word quesadilla is a tortilla shell (which would also have been awesome if the burger was wrapped like a pita sandwich with a tortilla shell....) but regardless of the nit-picking, it was a very good burger.

My husband ordered what looked like the messiest sandwich of all time. He let me try a bite of it as he usually lets me, and I almost asked to switch with him! This Boursin and Bourbon Roast Turkey Sandwich is to die for. It has sliced turkey breast, crisp cooked bacon, tomato, Spring salad mix, roasted bourbon garlic glaze, and melted Boursin cheese on a kaiser roll. The combination of all of those ingredients is literally like a party in your mouth. The cheese is so soft and the bacon is so crunchy, that this sandwich really has every flavor and texture that you look for in a great sandwich. The most disappointing looking part of his plate was that side veggie bowl that looks like frozen bagged veggies thawed out. Note to myself since I usually eat with my eyes first and like things that look pretty: This sandwich may look like a bad hangover, but it is a dish that will literally keep you coming back to this restaurant.

I will say, the service was great and our waitress was very nice, but this is not a place to expect to be in and out of quickly. If you have a ladies lunch or family outing where you are already planning on catching up and having some down time between bites to eat, it is perfect. The food is amazing, the ambiance is elegant and cozy, and the staff is very prompt and welcoming. We will definitely be coming back again.

Ludington Grill, Main Site
Ludington Grill, Facebook Page

The Duck Pond

Trail's Best is now a thing of the past, and The Duck Pond is very welcome with open arms. What a transition! I was only here twice before when it was a dingy bar, and one of those times I literally opened the door, got grossed out by the cleanliness of the bar and old creepy locals, and turned around and walked out. Now it is a total transformation! The bar is clean, trendy, and attracts all different types of people. I was here out of season for the U.P., but there is also a "beer garden" which in the nicer months offers a fire pit, stage for local bands, and a TV for sporting events. The menu, although not huge by all means, gives you a wide range of options such as smoked whitefish dip, to pizza, to BBQ sandwiches.

My husband and I stopped here on a very rainy gloomy day and were starved. We ordered a half order of boneless wings coated in the Honey Red Adobo sauce. They were cooked to perfection, had a sweet note with the honey, followed by a great kick with the pepper and adobo.

I ordered the Canvas Back sandwich for lunch. It was packed with smoked ham, turkey, perfectly cooked bacon, lettuce, tomato and a garlic mayo. The garlic mayo made this sandwich be elevated to an entire new level. I also ordered the sweet potato tots instead of fries for a side dish and they, as odd as this sounds, were adorable, and of course tasted delicious.

The restaurants in this area all might as well disappear if the Duck Pond can keep up the great work. No offence to the casino or to Foggy's....but there is no comparison as far as I am concerned. This place has fresh, great quality food that tasted as fresh as the ingredients are. That really doesn't compete with mostly frozen foods with jacked up prices. I look forward to watching this place take off even further!

The Duck Pond, Main Website

Alibi

While down in lower Michigan on a family related trip, this restaurant was highly suggested as a place for us to try while visiting. Alibi is known for it's amazing pizza, burgers, steaks, you name it. The style to me was as I would describe, a cross between rustic and Italian decor. Besides the fact that we got seated in the bar area, with a very, very loud group of parents who were obsessively drinking with their children with them, the food was definitely worth stopping here for. 

For a starter, I ordered the French Onion soup. Now, I have been a judge of this soup since I was little, ordering it on every family vacation that I went on whenever it was on the menu. Although I wish there was less bread and more onions ratio wise, it was delicious. Not over salted, Not too much greasy cheese, it was all pretty well balanced.

I ordered the Alibi Delight for dinner, which is spaghetti with meat sauce, smothered with Mozzarella cheese. The bowl may look small compared to the fork, but I felt like I ate for a good half an hour and barely touched half of the bowl. The meat sauce with the pasta was really good. There was just enough sauce to mix in with the pasta and it wasn't soupy. My only negative point would be that the cheese tasted like two deli slices of Mozzarella processed cheese that was melted on top of the pasta under a broiler. I mean, it's still technically pasta with Mozzarella, but I would have liked to have seen fresh Mozzarella, or at least some form of cheese that doesn't look like it would have gone better in a sandwich.

Overall, the experience was pretty, not bad, but not very memorable. Part of it may have had to do with the loud obnoxious crowd that we got stuck next to, but part of it was that the food was just decent. Although the soup was very good, the pasta I could have made better in my kitchen at home, and with better products. If you are going to the Alibi to meet friends for a few (or many) drinks and watch a sports game in the bar, that seems to be more of the style, at least it was when we were there.