You have to go a long way before finding something as rare as Stone Soup Cottage in Stinktown.
A long, long, way.
Like hundreds of miles of way.
Which probably explains why Jay and I were so excited to learn about this small, fine dining establishment not too far from our own backyard. Of course, being the completely aware and with-it individuals that we are, it took a friend in San Diego to draw our attention to the restaurant before we even knew it existed. But once our food radar was spinning and we started poking around the internets and reading reviews and looking at menus, we knew we just had to pay Stone Soup a visit and see for ourselves how they stacked up against other fine restaurants we've been fortunate enough to visit.
Initially we were set up to dine at the Cottage on our anniversary in May, but due to an error we were bumped that night. We were both pretty upset and neither one of us thought that the owners were sincere when they promised to bring us back for a complimentary dinner. In retrospect this was very unfair of us, but we've had some bad experiences with restaurants not delivering on their promises and had no reason to suspect this situation would be any different.
I mention this only because I want all of you reading to know how entirely wrong Jason and I were about Stone Soup Cottage and its ownership. They bent over backwards to show us how much they regretted the mix-up and treated us so kindly and so generously despite a rather strong email from me, that we will never forget our experience at their hands. Chef Carl and his wife Nancy deserve all the praise that's been heaped on them since the restaurant opened in 2009 - the food and service are top notch and the setting is both intimate and charming. We are thrilled to have such an amazing fine dining establishment so close to home and look forward to sharing this culinary delight with our foodie friends when they come to visit us.
Before I get into our menu, I'd like everyone to remember this: Chef Carl is the only person working the kitchen. He does this all on his own - the man doesn't even have a Sous Chef, which makes the product he turns out just that much more amazing. He and his wife, along with one other lady who assists them, serve the meals, explain the courses, pour the wine, and do everything they can to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of their guests. There really is nothing that compares to Stone Soup in all of St. Louis - if you're a local who loves fine dining you simply must pay them a visit. And if you happen to be out-of-town friendies of Jay and Bendy, well, let's talk about making reservations!
The Cottage itself is a restored 1850s farmhouse that seats about 24 guests on a given evening. Jay and I dined there on a Friday night in June - it was a lovely, relaxing way to end a crazy work week. The dinner menu is a six-course fixed price delight and can be paired with wines for an additional charge; the restaurant also has a small bar area that manages to mix some potent cocktails (I know from firsthand experience!).
Place setting
Bendy and the tastiest Blood Orange Martini in Stinktown
One of the nicest aspects of a fixed menu is that you don't have to do much but wait for each course to arrive - you don't even need to order, so it's a lazy diner's dream! Jay and I were fortunate enough to pass the time with our martinis and some wonderful fresh sourdough bread with the most amazing homemade butter we've ever had the pleasure to sample. It was light and creamy with just a hint of fresh herbiness - the stuff was downright addictive. We actually had to ask for a second bowl later in the evening because neither of us could stop slathering it on bread or anything else that appeared remotely butter-able.
Fresh Bread & House Made Herb Butter
All of the guests that evening were presented with an Amuse Bouche before the first course was served. It's the sad irony of my culinary life that it featured mushrooms, so I just passed it right across the table to Jason. He said it was terrific and I guess we'll just leave it at that!
Morel Mushroom w/Prosciutto & Beurre Blanc
Our first course of the evening was a chilled Lemon Basil Soup finished with Blue Crab. I am going to exhaust my supply of adjectives before I'm finished with this review ... this was simply amazing. In the past when we've been served dishes with a lemon base the other components tended to be smothered by sour / citrus overtones; not so this night. The soup was a lovely blend of subtle flavors that truly complimented each other and set a high level of expectation for the rest of the meal.
Lemon Basil Soup w/Blue Crab
The second course was a warm Eggplant and Smoky Tomato Tartlet served with Micro Greens and Shaved Gouda. The first thing Jason and I noticed about this dish was a wonderful, hickory aroma that wafted up from the plate - that was the smoked tomato, and did it ever pair well with the eggplant and the gouda. In a word: delicious!
Eggplant and Smoked Tomato Tartlet
Our third course was one of my favorites of the entire evening: Pan Seared Digby Bay Scallops with Champagne Sabayon. We don't order scallops in Stinktown - there's no point because they just end up being a chewy, disappointing gack-fest - we save our scalloping for visits to the east or west coast where fresh seafood abounds. However, these were two of the most delicate, smooth, outright delectable scallops we have ever had the joy of eating ... anywhere. Chef Carl explained to us that his local seafood supplier takes daily delivery at the airport and then drives directly to the Cottage to ensure the freshness and quality of their tasty creatures from the sea.
This dish sang - there's no other way to describe it. The scallops were melt-in-my-mouth tender and the champagne sabayon somehow made their texture seem even silkier, while a smattering of diced cucumbers lent just the right amount of crunchy contrast. I could have happily eaten four more courses of scallops, they were just that good.
Pan Seared Digby Bay Scallops
Imagine our surprise when a palate cleanser was then delivered to the table! In keeping with the drink of the evening, Chef Carl had prepared a Pomegranate / Orange Vodka Sorbet that managed to be both delightful and boozily refreshing. One of these days I will have to attempt a recreation here at the house.
Pomegranate Sorbet w/Orange Vodka
The fourth course of the night was Potatoes Mousseline with Shaved Black Truffles. Chef Carl shaved the truffles table-side and was kind enough to give my extra shroom shavings to Jason. I loved the light, fluffy potatoes and thought they had great flavor; I even humored my husband and tried a small piece of his truffle shavings. I must admit, these were surprisingly good and didn't taste at all like dirt, which is one of my biggest complaints about mushrooms in general.
Potatoes Mousseline w/Shaved Black Truffles
Nekkid Potatoes Mousseline Sans Truffles
The fifth course was Tournedos of Beef with Bearnaise and Demi Glace, served with Petite Summer Vegetables. The beef was perfectly cooked, very tender, and quite flavorful. Jay and I both found the demi glace to be a bit salty for our taste, but not so much so that it detracted from our enjoyment of the overall dish.
Tournedos of Beef w/Bearnaise
This next course was not part of the standard menu, but was the result of a conversation that Nancy and I had earlier in the week. Somehow we both ended up talking about our love of cheese at one point and she and Chef Carl were kind enough to provide us each with a cheese plate for our anniversary gluttony. We were given a fabulous local Missouri goat cheese, a brie, and a manchego - they were all so wonderful ... I wish I was eating them right now. It was such a thoughtful gesture on their part and as my husband well knows ... the quickest way to my heart is with a chunk of cheese!!
Surprise Cheese Plate!
Surprise Cheese Plate, V.2
Dessert was a Lemon Curd with Chantilly Creme and a homemade Ladyfinger - an absolutely perfect ending to an incredible meal. We started with lemon and ended with lemon, and in both cases it was light and refreshing and delicious.
Lemon Curd w/Chantilly Creme
Jay and I finished off the evening with some pressed pot coffee and discussed how much we'd enjoyed our experience. Before long we noticed that all the other guests had departed, which gave us a chance to tell Chef Carl and Nancy how incredible the meal and evening had been. We also took the opportunity to thank them again for their kindness to us - Chef Carl then pulled a bottle of wine off their wine rack and handed it to us, telling us to enjoy it with his compliments.
The lengths he and Nancy went to in order to make up for our initial disappointment in May went so far beyond anything we ever would have expected or asked for that words can't adequately describe our gratitude. Stone Soup Cottage is a St. Louis experience not to be missed - the accolades they've received are well deserved and it's truly the shining star of the local dining scene.
2 comments:
Wow. Knowing you and Jay and your culinary LOVE I can't help but feel this place is extra special! I was wondering how one man can do all that but then saw it was a fixed menu. That has to help a little.
But seriously, to be able to prepare and perfect that many dishes to be distributed to 24 patrons is amazing. I must look for little places like this in our own little town. :)
This. looks. amazing.
Having moved away from a larger city recently (Austin, Texas) to a much smaller college town, my fine dining options have been SEVERELY limited.
This made me miss yummy food!
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