Josephine's Tea Room - Godfrey, IL

Just a couple of miles north of Alton, Illinois, lies Josephine's Tea Room.  The Tea Room has been around since 1979 and it grew from a gift shop to a tea room and eventually into its current incarnation. A maze of connected buildings adds a full-service restaurant to the mix.  I didn't know anything about Josephine's before I stopped in, but I quickly saw a theme.  Nearly all of the patrons were women.  Now I am secure in my manhood and so I was not intimidated.  Undaunted, I was seated in a large atrium-style room.

The menu seemed limited at first as it is mainly composed of salads and sandwiches.  Between the feminine decor, all the ladies drinking tea, and the light menu, I could feel my testosterone draining.  Where was the steak?  The deep fried foods?  I was beginning to feel a little faint.  Just then the server greeted me and saved me.

While the menu wasn't expansive, the server began describing a number of different daily lunch specials.  Then it all made sense.  While they keep a certain amount of items on the menu all of the time, they rotate the entrees seasonally.  This was a good sign.  It meant that regulars get variety and things change with what is in season.  A sign that ordering the specials means that you are ordering fresh food with the freshest ingredients.

As the server described the specials of the day, I found myself drawn to one particular dish.  Perhaps it was the estrogen that overcame me, but I ordered the crab and spinach quiche.  I am a real man and if you ask my wife she will confirm it, but on this day I ate quiche. 

When the food arrived, I could tell that I made the right choice.  Man or no man, I knew this would be good.

The quiche was good.  Full of cheese, spinach and warm crab meat.  It was hot, it was moist and the crust was light and flaky.  The salad was good as well.  Crisp, cold vegetables that were all fresh and the house dressing was nice.  A little tangy and it complimented the meal well.

So despite the fact that I was enormously outnumbered by women, I held my ground and earned a safe passage for all the men who would come after me to Josephine's.  Man or woman, if you enjoy fresh food for a good price then head right over.  You won't be disappointed.

Carmine's Steak House - St. Louis, MO

Last night I went to Carmine's Steak House for dinner.  My boos and I were in town for a meeting and decided to find a fine dining solution for our craving.  Steak and a potato was the mission.  With the help of the concierge at our hotel, we decided on Carmine's Steak House.  According to the hotel staff, Carmine's is a fine dining steak house in the heart of downtown.  the restaurant is connected to the Drury Plaza Hotel on the corner of Fourth and Walnut.

Carmine's Steak House was opened in 2000 and is run by the Lombardo family.  The Lombardo's have a proud tradition of operating restaurants in st. Louis dating back to the early 1900s.  Carmine's is the newest restaurant in the Lombardo family.  

When we arrived, the atmosphere was decidedly traditional.  The place settings were nice, but the walls, lighting and floral arrangements seemed a bit dated.  The staff was dressed professionally, however upon arrival for our 7:30 p.m. reservation we found the host station abandoned.  After waiting for several minutes, the host appeared.  He first seated us right near the door at a table right out in the middle of the action.  We sat there for a minute before the host came back and offered us a better table.  We accepted it and moved.

As for the menu, the options were pretty standard for a steak house.  A variety of chicken, pork, beef and seafood options abound.  Since I had steak on my mind, I perused the beef portion of the menu.  When it comes to steak, I always enjoy a good New York strip steak.  The lean cut is one of my favorites and when aged correctly and cooked to perfection, slices will melt in your mouth.  So I ordered up the most petite New York strip available, which still weighed in at 14 ounces.  The entrees include a salad and a choice of one side.  So I selected a house salad with blue cheese dressing and gorgonzola crumbles.  For the side I went with a twice baked potato.

I was excited to see the arrival of my steak after reading in the menu that Carmine's ages their steaks for a minimum of 21 days.  Spending that time aging the beef, helps break down the fat and melt it into the meat.  the result is a greatly enhanced beef flavor and a very tender piece of meat.  Watching the tables around us get their meat, just helped build the anticipation.

My salad arrived and it looked at first as if it had no dressing on it.  After taking a closer look, I saw that the salad had blue cheese dressing.  The greens were fresh and it was piled high with gorgonzola crumbles and lot's of black olives.  The salad had a crisp bite and tasted great.

After polishing off the salad, I ordered a glass of pinot noir and it arrived just as my entree arrived.  The steak looked great and it was appropriately accompanied by a huge twice-baked potato.  The potato was hot and so creamy.  Each bite of the potato was filled with fluffy goodness.  I sliced off my first bite of steak and was in heaven.  The meat melted in my mouth and I could taste all that aging.  There wasn't much conversation going on at the table. 

After polishing off my steak, I thought it would be nice to cap off a great meal with something for dessert.  While I was eavesdropping the dessert options at the table next to ours, I heard about a lemon cake.  Our own server didn't mention the lemon cake in his dessert presentation so I inquired.  He said that he knew the lemon cake was available, but he couldn't describe much about it.  While it was disappointing from a service standpoint that he didn't know the menu options completely, I ordered the lemon cake anyway.  And I am glad that I did.  The cake was tart and light, but the whipped cream topping was the best part of the dessert.  It was light, fluffy and refreshing.  What a nice finish to a meal.

The steak was priced at $34 including the salad and side.  So overall the price was appropriate for what we got.  While the service could have been better, the steak was great and the lemon cake was exceptional.  Updating the decor for a more modern touch and improving the knowledge of the staff would bring Carmine's to the top.  Given all of that, it is still a great place to get a delicious steak in downtown St. Louis.

Iron Barley - St. Louis, MO

I first discovered Iron Barley on television when Guy Fieri made a stop there on his show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  I was intrigued by the owner, Tom Coghill's, attitude about producing great food in a laid back environment.  I also like the fact that Coghill is a big fan of home brewing beer.  So when the opportunity presented itself to dine at Iron Barley, I just couldn't pass it up.

My journey began as the man himself surveyed his kingdom from behind the bar.  Coghill was very approachable and he was more than happy to discuss his cooking style and how he makes the barbecue items on his menu.  So before I even offered, I was already feeling good about my experience.

 

 The atmosphere inside Iron Barley may seem eclectic and uninspiring, but for folks that know the area of south St. Louis would appreciate that the decor perfectly fits the clientele that Coghill serves.  And the staff at Iron Barley is no exception.  My server had the perfect mix of smart ass sensibility and classic charm.

When I first heard of Iron Barley I was intrigued by the barbecue on the menu and the preparation of it I saw on television.  While I am always interested in good barbecue, on this particular day another entree item caught my eye.  As I surveyed the diverse menu, the good ole German boy in me was awakened to see Schnitzel and Spaetzle.  My decision was simple.  Go with the old world charm of a classic German combo.

When my meal arrived, it looked delicious.  I took my first bite from the spaetzle and found myself perplexed.  While it had the texture I always remember and love, the flavor was not exactly what I remembered.  I began to fear that I may have overplayed the fond memories of this dish and made it impossible for me to enjoy Iron Barley's version.  That's when I decided to turn my attention to the Schnitzel.  After squeezing a generous supply of fresh lemon juice on top, I sliced off a bite and took my chances.  The schnitzel was flavorful, with a proper texture and the meat itself was very juicy.  So despite the rocky start with the spaetzle, I was in heaven.  Sweet, German, toss a stein of beer, heaven.

After polishing off my entree, I decided that I couldn't leave without trying dessert.  While I was waiting for my meal, my server made sure to entice me by describing the super cold blaster pies on the menu.  So based on her recommendation, I ordered a peanut butter blaster pie.  The pie itself was peanut butter and was extremely frozen.  It was topped with whipped cream flavored with cayenne pepper.  It was covered in a chipotle, chocolate sauce and a strawberry, habanero sauce.  The image of the sweet with the heat sounded great.  I hate to say it, but the low point of the meal was definitely the low point of the meal.  There was just too much going on and the pie was way to frozen.  You could barely break off a bite.  It took forever to eat the pie and I couldn't even finish it.

The pie also just didn't hit the mark with the heat versus sweet.  I think they just needed to include one topping and not three.  Having all three just muddled the flavors and the spices together.  However, I do like it when someone is adventurous enough to give new things a try.  And it wasn't inedible.

So while my meal wasn't entirely fantastic, I did find Iron Barley to be a good stop.  Coghill and his staff are great, the decor is fitting and the schnitzel was incredible.  If I find myself on the south side of St. Louis around meal time in the future, I am confident that you will be able to find me dining at Iron Barley.