Phil's BBQ- Located on Gravois in South County, this popular restaurant is always filled. Maybe it's the pig decorations or the service, but my money is on the food quality. The owners of Phil's are Italian and know how to make a mean spaghetti; my advice: order spaghetti as your side to your rib eye or pulled pork and you will not be disappointed.  They could have a larger selection of beers, but beggars can't be choosers - they practically let you eat a feast fit for a King on a peasant's salary. The one thing I notice about Phil's that makes it stand out is that the barb-b-que seems to be a tad vinegary tasting which adds a nice zing. If you are looking for a tangy bbq and awesome spaghetti, Phil's is your kind of place.

Today I happened to venture on a place not so fabulous for dining; its more like a potential death wish. The Galleria's own Johnny Rocket's was a joke. The servers looked high and didn't know what they were doing. Technically they weren't even servers, they stayed behind their wall the whole time, I guess I should call them cashiers. Hmm...funny that they are even called that because I was able to walk away without my debit card even being charged. Don't get me wrong, I love getting things for free, its just the fact that they had no clue what they were doing that just astonishes me! Where it normally takes a mall food court meal around 3 minutes to be served, ours took 24 minutes! The food itself was kind of pathetic, I wasn't even sure my friend's cheeseburger had cheese on it. I think it was like melted tan colored plastic...hopefully she doesn't die.

Mmm..beer....

One of my newer favorite dinner hang outs is Schlafly Bottleworks in South County. I'm not much a beer drinker most nights, but I love the Hefeweizen and the Pilsner. If you are not a huge beer guzzler, try the Hefeweizen; if you are a Miller kind of guy/gal, go for the Pilsner. The drink glasses are large, filling and satisfying. The prices aren't bad either! If you like pizzas, you can order your own style mini pizza - and  bison, goat cheese and bbq are options! I personally like the BLT with olive oil instead of globs of mayo.  The servers are nice, the food comes up quick! Never a complaint from me. If you are looking for more of an intimate setting, go to the Schlafly Tap Room. It has a larger area for pool or darts and has 2 bars as opposed to the Bottlework's single bar. However, the menu at the Tap Room varies from that of Bottleworks. You cannot order the BLT or mini pizza at the Tap Room. My two favorite dinners a the Tap Room are the Corned Beef Sandwich and the Beer Battered Cod & Fries. Again, never a disappointment at this location either. Their food is always fresh and tasty!

Now we all know St. Louis is famous for its toasted raviolis, however, I must warn others about the the Pasta House located in Afton. The first and only time I ventured there nearly resulted in me upchucking my delightfully tasty lasagna. The service was slow and our waitress tried to short us of our complimentary rolls and butter. However, the worst part came towards the end. My boyfriend likes to collect all the utensils and plates and place them into one, neat pile for the server. He noticed a knife on the windowsill and as he picked it up we noticed a large swarm of ants covering both the knife and a fork, also on the windowsill. This meant those dirty utensils were sitting there for at least a day. I almost became sick at the table. The manager tried to resolve the issue by grabbing at the ants and trying to carry them away in a napkin - dropping ants on the table and floor as he went. While I understand he was in a panic, you'd think a manager might react a tad different. I felt bad for him, but I felt worse physically. He tried to make it up to us by giving us free dessert, but after that I wasn't hungry for the remainder of the day. I'm not sure if that is a common happening there or not, but beware of this restaurant's window sills!

If you are looking for a nice patio dining experience, the Corner Pub & Grill on Big Bend is the place for you! While your date may not enjoy the increasingly chilly weather, the Corner Pub & Grill has several heat lamps sure to keep you both warm and toasty. The prices are low enough of to satisfy you as well! I went with a small group and all of us enjoyed what we ordered: the burgers were cooked perfectly to our orders (medium rare and medium well) and the fried pickles were practically right out of the fryer. If you are sports fan and must watch your football, fear not, there are large flat screens inside the restaurant, however, seating is a bit harder to come by as the indoor section is not as roomy as the patio. Either way, look forward to pleasant and cheap evening without sacrificing taste or service.

Another guilty pleasure of mine - Dickey's Barbeque . It is set up Hardees (Carl's Jr.) style in the sense that once you place your order, you pick your seat and wait for a cook to bring your baskets to you - no tip expected. If it were cheaper, I'd eat here all the time. It has a drive through making it even more attractive. My favorite plate so far is the 2 meat (smoked chicken and turkey), green beans or the onion ring pieces, mashed potatoes and corn bread. They even offer free all you can eat ice cream everyday. I have not yet dinned their with anyone who has been unsatisfied by their meal and I have some pretty picky friends.The cool part about their beverage bar is that all their cups are BIG and plastic (like the cups you get from promotional giveaways such as Maryville, Tan Co, Bank of America, etc.). Its like you get to take home a cool, re-usable gift each time you go. For the record, Dickey's does offer alcohol beverages!

 

Who has not been to Texas Roadhouse ? You are missing out! To those who have been, chances are you've been more than once - its that good! Its western style set up makes for a pleasant, relaxed and casual evening. My favorite non-menu item are the peanut shells that litter the floor and my favorite menu item is their rolls and butter! If you do not have time to dine in, call ahead and pick it up. This particular menu is a bit on the pricey side, but definitely worth the price. I had a fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and green beans (and rolls!) and it was the best meal I had experienced while dining out in quite some time. It's a great place for a group of friends or double dates!

Tonight I had dinner at Terrene, and I thought I might as well use it for my first blog post here on HotSpotVibe.com.

Terrene is one of those places that has been around for a bit but I never heard of.  Of course, when mentioning it to friends, it seems that everyone knew about it but me.  My impression before I even stepped foot into the place was that it was vegetarian-friendly, expensive, and that they liked to recycle.  More on that to come.

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Ok, Saturday night I could not figure out what to do and I was pretty bored.  My friend and I decided to go down to Mosaic on Washington and just sit outside and drink.  As we were sitting there people watching, it made me realize how a lot of people who don't live in the city don't even know about this place.  They honestly have the best food and sangria EVER!  For those of you who have never been there, it's a tapas style restaurant that serves everything from hummus and pot stickers, to tandoori chicken and a pork apple that is to die for.  The service is always excellent, and the food has never let me down.  I can honestly say that it's in my top 5 restaurants in St. Louis.  To make it even more convenient they offer valet (which is a dream in the city) and an outside patio.  It's located at Washington and 10^th, right in the middle of Washington.  Let me know if you decide to give it a try!

Don't judge a book by its cover...er, *ehm*, don't judge a restaurant by its décor. I'm not sure if it was the jungle-esque theme or the enticing prices on their platters, but I can tell you, I will not be eating at the Elephant Bar again. I've had the misfortune to experience this restaurant's disappointments twice now, thinking it might have deserved another chance, but this Elephant of a Bar does not live up to its standards.

 

I actually went to the taste twice over the weekend, it was just that good.  My favorite by far was Joseph's downtown.  They had a gnocchi that was to die for, with a chipotle cream sauce and Italian sausage.  I would highly recommend anyone who is looking for a new restaurant to go there.  I was also impressed by all the restaurants that were from Lumiere Place, I would have never thought to go eat there.  But the Burger Bar and The House of Savoy both were wonderful!  I had really hoped there would be more of the Washington Avenue restaurants down there, but overall it was pretty good and a lot of people showed up to taste.

 

 

 

In the recent months, the area of Arnold near I-55 and Hwy 141 has REALLY been building up, like a lot and fast.  Kind of starting to remind me of Gravois Bluffs in Fenton - gosh I hope it doesnt get to that point, that place is a zoo...  Among all the buildings that have been popping up, near the Walmart in Water Tower Place; 54th Street Grill.