Fun times. Ok, so if you're here, where should I review next?
This weekend will surely see the anticipated (by my mouth) review of Blueberry Hill. I have a growing list of places to visit. Chime in, or forever hold your peace. Well, or just wait until you think of a place you really want me to try.
Peace, love, and burgers.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Food & Burgers for Thought - Where should I sit? The bar or a table?
This is actually a really important question. Most people wouldn't consider it...but there is actually an appropriate time to do each. I am a firm believer that the joy of eating out isn't just the food or the luxury of not cooking, but it is the joy of having an experience. Eating out is just as much about the type of social experience you are looking for as it is whether you are looking for a burger or a vegan pizza (OMNOMNOM, I <3 you, Pi.) Most people limit this to "Do I want to be fancy or slum it at a dive tonight?" But really, even once you decide if you are going to Tony's or to J.P.'s Corner, it's still important to decide where you're going to sit when you get there.
So, I'm going to give you the way that it would be in Sarah's Perfect World. I should put a disclaimer here that other things in Sarah's Perfect World include (but are not limited to) 6 weeks of paid time off per year (most of them spent camping), world peace, flying monkeys - and the legalization of murder for people who fly up the lane that is going to be closed in road construction zones.
If you're alright with that, then here are the rules for bar vs table sitting in Sarah's Perfect World.
Rule #1: Just because you don't want to wait, doesn't mean the bar is for you. Seriously. Kids don't need to be sitting at the bar. Couples who are fondling each other's naughty bits don't need to be sitting at the bar (or probably at the restaurant, unless you've invented a cloak of invisibility, in which case, SHARE IT WITH ME!). Angry folks don't need to be sitting at the bar - this is the big important one. If you are having a bad day, and you want to be left alone, or you want to bitch, please isolate yourself. We don't want to hear it.
Rule #2: The bar is a social place. Engaging is good (but not required). Do not be rude to those who try to talk to you. Did you ever live in a dorm room? Visit a youth hostel? Survive the military? The bar of a restaurant is the adult-version of communal living. When you take a seat, you are sitting down in someone's living room. The bartender is your host, but everyone else at the bar is in that living room too. If you're sitting there, expect to have your conversations overheard. Expect that your neighbors will talk to you.
Rule #3: Don't be a jerk. Shouting across the bar is (usually) obnoxious. If you want to talk to someone that is sitting on the opposite side of the bar - get your butt up and go talk to them. If someone says hi to you - say something back.
Rule #4: If you want a private dining experience, the table is for you. This includes honeymooning couples that can't behave themselves, parents with small children (I am going to try my kid out at a bar situation - for the social aspect, and chocolate milk, obviously - when he is about 11. Depending on his maturity level).
Rule #5: Don't try to change the atmosphere, go to where the atmosphere is appropriate for you and your mood. Don't get irritated when you go to a dive bar and it's noisy. Don't go to a quaint restaurant and act like you own the joint. Find a place where you fit, and your mood fits, and let the place enhance your experience rather than hinder it.
Anyway...I hope my rules make some kind of sense more than, "Sit at the bar for social, sit at the table for private."
The bar is an awesome place to hear stories and meet friends.
Other stuff:
Info #1: Sitting at a bar - and becoming a regular - doesn't mean you're an alcoholic. It means that you are a part of the neighborhood. Becoming a regular of a restaurant will introduce you to a whole group of people and beliefs that are ready to be opened and learned. It can be the greatest experience you ever have.
Info #2: Your bartender is your local historian. They've been around. Some of the best bars in St. Louis (O'Connell's, McGurk's, the Dubliner) have bartenders that have been around. They know St. Louis better than you or I will ever hope to; they know people better than I even can imagine. Ask them what you want to know. Most of them will answer you - most of them will tell you stories you can't find in a history book.
Info #3: Restaurants - LOCAL restaurants - are your key to discovering the city. Or one of them. You never know a place until you know the local business. Until you understand the clientele of somewhere other than the corner chain store and the local WAL-Shope of bland. Fall in love with your city. St. Louis has a lot to offer; just not in the chain-store strip malls.
So, I'm going to give you the way that it would be in Sarah's Perfect World. I should put a disclaimer here that other things in Sarah's Perfect World include (but are not limited to) 6 weeks of paid time off per year (most of them spent camping), world peace, flying monkeys - and the legalization of murder for people who fly up the lane that is going to be closed in road construction zones.
If you're alright with that, then here are the rules for bar vs table sitting in Sarah's Perfect World.
Rule #1: Just because you don't want to wait, doesn't mean the bar is for you. Seriously. Kids don't need to be sitting at the bar. Couples who are fondling each other's naughty bits don't need to be sitting at the bar (or probably at the restaurant, unless you've invented a cloak of invisibility, in which case, SHARE IT WITH ME!). Angry folks don't need to be sitting at the bar - this is the big important one. If you are having a bad day, and you want to be left alone, or you want to bitch, please isolate yourself. We don't want to hear it.
Rule #2: The bar is a social place. Engaging is good (but not required). Do not be rude to those who try to talk to you. Did you ever live in a dorm room? Visit a youth hostel? Survive the military? The bar of a restaurant is the adult-version of communal living. When you take a seat, you are sitting down in someone's living room. The bartender is your host, but everyone else at the bar is in that living room too. If you're sitting there, expect to have your conversations overheard. Expect that your neighbors will talk to you.
Rule #3: Don't be a jerk. Shouting across the bar is (usually) obnoxious. If you want to talk to someone that is sitting on the opposite side of the bar - get your butt up and go talk to them. If someone says hi to you - say something back.
Rule #4: If you want a private dining experience, the table is for you. This includes honeymooning couples that can't behave themselves, parents with small children (I am going to try my kid out at a bar situation - for the social aspect, and chocolate milk, obviously - when he is about 11. Depending on his maturity level).
Rule #5: Don't try to change the atmosphere, go to where the atmosphere is appropriate for you and your mood. Don't get irritated when you go to a dive bar and it's noisy. Don't go to a quaint restaurant and act like you own the joint. Find a place where you fit, and your mood fits, and let the place enhance your experience rather than hinder it.
Anyway...I hope my rules make some kind of sense more than, "Sit at the bar for social, sit at the table for private."
The bar is an awesome place to hear stories and meet friends.
Other stuff:
Info #1: Sitting at a bar - and becoming a regular - doesn't mean you're an alcoholic. It means that you are a part of the neighborhood. Becoming a regular of a restaurant will introduce you to a whole group of people and beliefs that are ready to be opened and learned. It can be the greatest experience you ever have.
Info #2: Your bartender is your local historian. They've been around. Some of the best bars in St. Louis (O'Connell's, McGurk's, the Dubliner) have bartenders that have been around. They know St. Louis better than you or I will ever hope to; they know people better than I even can imagine. Ask them what you want to know. Most of them will answer you - most of them will tell you stories you can't find in a history book.
Info #3: Restaurants - LOCAL restaurants - are your key to discovering the city. Or one of them. You never know a place until you know the local business. Until you understand the clientele of somewhere other than the corner chain store and the local WAL-Shope of bland. Fall in love with your city. St. Louis has a lot to offer; just not in the chain-store strip malls.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Still Champion.
As previously posted, my big 3 burgers are at Blueberry Hill, O'Connell's Pub, and the first place title holder right now is Concord Grill. Went tonight to Concord. It's Super Late, so I'm going to try to finish this up before I lean on the *pass out* button. Let me put it this way: It is a Wednesday night - in South County - and the place was packed.
Now, being an avid "Sit at the bar" person, this wasn't really a problem. I'm just saying - they're that awesome. (OH! I'm supposed to make a post about sitting at the bar versus a table. Tomorrow! Bwahaha.)
I have better pictures! Concord has decent lighting...but alas. I was too distracted by the food to take many. So, I'll post what I have!
First, an ode to the menu. There are 40 - count em - FORTY - burgers on that menu. Each is an inspired piece of genius. It is my personal goal to eat every single one of those 40, and challenge them to keep coming up with stuff to impress me. You can't see it from here, probably...but I think I've eaten about 1/4 of those burgers.
Now, last time I went in, I'd had the #24 burger, and I am a repeat garlic-burger fan. I have continually stated that these two burgers are the best burgers in town. So, here is my review, so that I can finally explain WHAT is so great about this place - because if you didn't know it was there...now you have no excuse not to.
Tonight, I ordered something made MY way. I couldn't decide which to review, so I made my own concoction. I started by ordering a garlic burger (garlic butter and provel) and added port wine cheese and bacon (the #24) and threw on some onion straws, because it made sense in my head at the time.
This is what I got:
How the Burger Stands Alone:
First, I need a better picture.
Ok. So it was a stroke of brilliance that she sealed the ingredients under the provel. It sort of sealed in the juices, and the flavors, and allowed the burger to really become a myriad of taste. (First, I should say, when I experienced the regular hamburger here almost 13 years ago, it was great. I've been experimenting with their toppings for years, but I can always depend on a plain-jane day for their burgers to be juicy and done the way I like them).
The burger was seared just right, where you get that perfect combination of meat and juice taste (and yeah, you don't lose the meat taste) with just a little bite of charred flavor at the edges. The cheese was put on either on the grill or so shortly after that it was dripping. The bacon was crispy. The onion straws were delicious. I'm not actually sure how they fit it all on the burger and it came out so...put together. I could actually still eat it with my hands.
Even the bun was good. Not as crispy as I like, but it didn't stand in the way of the masterpiece beneath it.
This burger is my Xanadu.
And it gets the highest score I've ever given a burger (and still it would be impressive if I ever do). It rests solidly at a 9.5. Boy, it is going to suck when I start reviewing restaurants (I've got a few in mind) that get like 3s and 4s on their burgers.
How the Sides Stack Up: I need to branch away from the fries. Not because they suck. Quite the opposite. But as many burgers as I've tried, I've only ever tried their fries as a side (ok, maybe a salad a long time ago). Because their fries are the right kind of crispy. Now, you'll have to ask the cooks exactly what they put on them - maybe just salt and pepper. But the pepper adds a nice bite to their fries - and it HAS to be more than that, because they're addictive. Like, give you a heart-attack addictive. The fries are (despite whatever that place that says they have the "best fries in town" that they cut straight from their WEEKS old bags of potatoes) the best in town, and as far as I'm concerned, the best in the state (or at least between here, KC and Springfield).
So, the fries, on account of their own merit, earned the restaurant my first (and only, as far as my eye can see) 10. I promise that next time I go, I'll try a new side.
How the Service Stacks: Good. In a couple hundred visits, I've only had exceptionally bad service twice. I've had great service a few times, too. Mostly, the waitresses are extremely competent, pretty fast, and sweet. They don't rush you, they don't make you feel unwelcome if they're busy. If they're having a slow night, they're good people who will take the time to talk and joke with you.
The bar for this has been set by a kid at (ugh) Macaroni Grill (ugh, nassty chain, we hatess it, yess, precious). But he was the best waiter I ever had, and earned a 10...
Tonight, the lovely lady at the bar took great care of me. She never let my tea run dry ( and omg, such good sweet tea! Sue me. I get my southern love from my mama ). She was having an !insane! night, and still managed to take my order quickly, and managed to have a smile on the whole time, despite my crazy ordering. You can tell everyone there really loves their restaurant and takes pride in it. I am going to give a 9 to the service.
Atmospheric Conditions: Concord is a little building off of Lindbergh and Tesson Ferry (back on Concord Village Avenue, across from Mr. B's pools). The building isn't amazing - but it is homey. It is well loved, and taken care of. They make an effort in their limited space to allow for an intimate dining experience. What I'm saying, hopefully well, is that - the space has it's limitations, but they do their best with it.
Cool stuff: If you are looking for a place to watch a sports game - this is it. Huge screens that are only turned up when appropriate.
If you're looking for a great place to chill outside and eat and drink in the warmer months - this is also it. Their patio area is awesome, and like it was made for summertime in St. Louis. The service doesn't go downhill while you're outside, either.
The local fauna are a hodgepodge. The place is sort of 'redneck sports bar.' You get a lot of rednecks, but you get a lot of south-county family folk, too. It's acceptable for kids, and acceptable for families. Even parties, but it would be good to give them notice that you're coming; otherwise, expect a wait.
Giving the atmosphere an 8. If you are looking for fancy - this ain't it, sweetheart - but if you are looking for homey, comfortable and friendly - this place scores it, big time.
Overall Awesome-Meter: Ok. Let's average these puppies out. 9.5, 10, 9, 8. It gets an average of 9.1. They also have earned points for: their sweet tea, and I'm giving them points for the love they have for their own place (yeah, it makes a difference). I'm also giving them extra for their patio area, which is my favorite place to spend a beer-and-burger Friday in the summer time. I'm awarding Concord Grill a 9.4 overall.
I'll say this. It's the only place where this Redneck Hippie feels really at home outside of her own kitchen.
Nomnomnom.
Now, being an avid "Sit at the bar" person, this wasn't really a problem. I'm just saying - they're that awesome. (OH! I'm supposed to make a post about sitting at the bar versus a table. Tomorrow! Bwahaha.)
I have better pictures! Concord has decent lighting...but alas. I was too distracted by the food to take many. So, I'll post what I have!
Now, last time I went in, I'd had the #24 burger, and I am a repeat garlic-burger fan. I have continually stated that these two burgers are the best burgers in town. So, here is my review, so that I can finally explain WHAT is so great about this place - because if you didn't know it was there...now you have no excuse not to.
Tonight, I ordered something made MY way. I couldn't decide which to review, so I made my own concoction. I started by ordering a garlic burger (garlic butter and provel) and added port wine cheese and bacon (the #24) and threw on some onion straws, because it made sense in my head at the time.
This is what I got:
How the Burger Stands Alone:
First, I need a better picture.
Ok. So it was a stroke of brilliance that she sealed the ingredients under the provel. It sort of sealed in the juices, and the flavors, and allowed the burger to really become a myriad of taste. (First, I should say, when I experienced the regular hamburger here almost 13 years ago, it was great. I've been experimenting with their toppings for years, but I can always depend on a plain-jane day for their burgers to be juicy and done the way I like them).
The burger was seared just right, where you get that perfect combination of meat and juice taste (and yeah, you don't lose the meat taste) with just a little bite of charred flavor at the edges. The cheese was put on either on the grill or so shortly after that it was dripping. The bacon was crispy. The onion straws were delicious. I'm not actually sure how they fit it all on the burger and it came out so...put together. I could actually still eat it with my hands.
Even the bun was good. Not as crispy as I like, but it didn't stand in the way of the masterpiece beneath it.
This burger is my Xanadu.
And it gets the highest score I've ever given a burger (and still it would be impressive if I ever do). It rests solidly at a 9.5. Boy, it is going to suck when I start reviewing restaurants (I've got a few in mind) that get like 3s and 4s on their burgers.
How the Sides Stack Up: I need to branch away from the fries. Not because they suck. Quite the opposite. But as many burgers as I've tried, I've only ever tried their fries as a side (ok, maybe a salad a long time ago). Because their fries are the right kind of crispy. Now, you'll have to ask the cooks exactly what they put on them - maybe just salt and pepper. But the pepper adds a nice bite to their fries - and it HAS to be more than that, because they're addictive. Like, give you a heart-attack addictive. The fries are (despite whatever that place that says they have the "best fries in town" that they cut straight from their WEEKS old bags of potatoes) the best in town, and as far as I'm concerned, the best in the state (or at least between here, KC and Springfield).
So, the fries, on account of their own merit, earned the restaurant my first (and only, as far as my eye can see) 10. I promise that next time I go, I'll try a new side.
How the Service Stacks: Good. In a couple hundred visits, I've only had exceptionally bad service twice. I've had great service a few times, too. Mostly, the waitresses are extremely competent, pretty fast, and sweet. They don't rush you, they don't make you feel unwelcome if they're busy. If they're having a slow night, they're good people who will take the time to talk and joke with you.
The bar for this has been set by a kid at (ugh) Macaroni Grill (ugh, nassty chain, we hatess it, yess, precious). But he was the best waiter I ever had, and earned a 10...
Tonight, the lovely lady at the bar took great care of me. She never let my tea run dry ( and omg, such good sweet tea! Sue me. I get my southern love from my mama ). She was having an !insane! night, and still managed to take my order quickly, and managed to have a smile on the whole time, despite my crazy ordering. You can tell everyone there really loves their restaurant and takes pride in it. I am going to give a 9 to the service.
Atmospheric Conditions: Concord is a little building off of Lindbergh and Tesson Ferry (back on Concord Village Avenue, across from Mr. B's pools). The building isn't amazing - but it is homey. It is well loved, and taken care of. They make an effort in their limited space to allow for an intimate dining experience. What I'm saying, hopefully well, is that - the space has it's limitations, but they do their best with it.
Cool stuff: If you are looking for a place to watch a sports game - this is it. Huge screens that are only turned up when appropriate.
If you're looking for a great place to chill outside and eat and drink in the warmer months - this is also it. Their patio area is awesome, and like it was made for summertime in St. Louis. The service doesn't go downhill while you're outside, either.
The local fauna are a hodgepodge. The place is sort of 'redneck sports bar.' You get a lot of rednecks, but you get a lot of south-county family folk, too. It's acceptable for kids, and acceptable for families. Even parties, but it would be good to give them notice that you're coming; otherwise, expect a wait.
Giving the atmosphere an 8. If you are looking for fancy - this ain't it, sweetheart - but if you are looking for homey, comfortable and friendly - this place scores it, big time.
Overall Awesome-Meter: Ok. Let's average these puppies out. 9.5, 10, 9, 8. It gets an average of 9.1. They also have earned points for: their sweet tea, and I'm giving them points for the love they have for their own place (yeah, it makes a difference). I'm also giving them extra for their patio area, which is my favorite place to spend a beer-and-burger Friday in the summer time. I'm awarding Concord Grill a 9.4 overall.
I'll say this. It's the only place where this Redneck Hippie feels really at home outside of her own kitchen.
Nomnomnom.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Hitting up the Big Three...O'Connell's Pub
So. I've eaten probably thousands of burgers in dozens of restaurants around the city. In my wanderings, I have found the top 3 burgers in the city. (I can't wait to take the challenge to Chicago at the end of next month for my weekend trip. We'll see if Chicago comes even CLOSE to the awesome which is St. Louis).
In all of my searching, these are my 3 favorite burgers:
3. Blueberry Hill - the 7 oz burger with bleu cheese, soft spread cheddar, and sauteed mushrooms. Brilliant! Such a complex taste.
2. O'Connell's Pub down on Shaw at Kingshighway. It is a very simple cheeseburger (I get mine with American and grilled onions), but man, they can make them juicy and they always make the best crispy buns.
1. Concord Grill - the #24 burger. Or the Garlic Burger. They are tied for first. They are both amazing and brilliant. Whoever is in the kitchen there...they make me happy every time.
So, I'm gonna hit the big three as soon as possible, so you have pictures of the AWESOME! These places set the bar in StL as far as I'm concerned.
Today I landed at O'Connell's Pub. This place is down at the corner of Kingshighway and Shaw - a few blocks from the botanical garden...maybe 15 minutes from Forest Park. I discovered this place one day when driving around in the city. In an effort to not eat my passenger, I pulled into the first place. Turns out O'Connell's was the greatest thing I could have found near the park (or so far. I mean, for a burger...I love Vitale's Bakery for cookies.)
Here we go:
How the Burger Stands Alone: The burger, frankly, is freakin amazing. O'Connell's doesn't have a lot of variety, but they're a pub. But the sheer amount of juicy joy that comes out of their burgers is amazing. LOOK at this thing. It's enormous. And somehow, just dripping with flavor and juice. The bun is so crispy that it adds the perfect crunch to complement it.
I always choose to get mine with grilled onions - O'Connell's really GETS how to do grilled onions. They come back so brown that they aren't just caramelized - they are practically caramel.
My biggest gripe about O'Connells burgers really is that there is nothing - complex about them. They have the art of burger cooking down to a science. But if you want anything beyond onions, mushrooms, swiss or American cheese...well, look at the menu.
But if this thing is standing on it's own legs, I STILL give their simple burger an 9.0.
How the Sides Add Up: Hrm. Well...with my burger (oh no! I must be more vigilant about food pictures) I ordered fries, onion rings, and a salad. The fries are: appropriately crispy (not too thin and just fried potato, nor too thick. They're actually made correctly). But they don't really have salt or seasoning. The salad...I'd comment on it, but I never got my salad. *Sigh*.
The onion rings are great though. I think the chef must understand what onions are supposed to taste like. They are cooked on the right temperature so that the outside is a nice golden brown, yet the inside had enough time to cook so that the onion is soft enough to not come sliding out of the breading. Simply great. If you have to decide, I'd go with the rings.
Overall, on the ones I actually got to taste, I give the sides a 7. The fries get a 6 and the rings get an 8. (The rings, again - are cooked great...but there isn't anything unique about them).
How the Service Stacks: There is going to be a random post about sitting at a bar versus sitting at a table. O'Connell's is the type of place you really should sit at the bar. The bar tenders here have been here forever. There are 2 that I particularly like, I wish I could remember names. The gentleman that was working this weekend was great (I was there on Sunday at around 2...who was it??? Anyone go to O'Connells? Maybe if I send this to Jack.)
They. Rock. My. Face. I am on a quest to discover all of St. Louis's secrets - and I asked the best restaurants around town to go exploring. The bartender was juggling busy waitresses and giving me a story of the history of St. Louis. He was telling me great restaurants, and telling me funny stories. There was a couple down the bar from us who was obviously having a very quiet, personal lunch - and he would very politely serve them and then leave them be. His awareness of his customers' moods was amazing.
He did forget my salad. *Shrugs* I didn't mind much, since he was so brilliant about everything else.
Meanwhile, I asked about when the antique store was open upstairs. He said, "Whenever Jack [the owner] is here." I do suppose they have official times...but Jack was at the end of the bar, watching the football game. He was awesome! He watched the end of the quarter (Poor Greenbay :( ) and then went upstairs - just to let me see the store. I've been in there a million times and never saw Jack's brilliant collection of Native American art (practical and visual art. Brilliant, I tell you).
I'm going to give the service a 9. Really, only because of the salad incident. These bartenders could give lessons about how to be kind to customers.
Atmospheric Conditions: My biggest bitch about O'Connell's is that it is dark. So dark that it blinds you like you just woke up to the sun when you go back outside. Other than that, it's really a nice place. The local fauna is an eclectic mix. You get 90 year olds that have probably been going to O'Connell's since it was in Gaslight - and you get hipsters. Almost everyone is friendly, but no one invades your privacy. It's warm - no matter what time of year it is; the heater is right above the entry door, keeping the cold out and the laughter in.
Mostly, the atmosphere is calm, laid back and friendly. You get occasional drunks, and sometimes you get hit on if you're single and sitting at the bar - but really, where doesn't that happen?
I rate the atmosphere at an 8, giving bonuses for friendly people and the feeling of safety the place has. It isn't over the top, it feels like I could be sitting in Ireland when I'm in there. Sweet!
Overall Awesome Meter: Ok. I'm sitting here trying to calculate the stupid 1-20 thing, and decided that it shouldn't be 1-20, it should just be you know, degrees of 1-10. Like what I'm going to give O'Connells. Ok. So, they scored an average of 8.25 when you factor all the scores together and divide. But...extra points! They get an extra bundle factored in. They get a little bump for location, a little bump for their bartenders awesome knowledge, and a little bump for their bar. I should have gone in more detail on Fitz'. Retrospect, dahlin. *sigh*
So, I am awarding O'Connell's an extra 1 point total, because overall, I feel like the place is really about a 8.8. Brilliant!
In all of my searching, these are my 3 favorite burgers:
3. Blueberry Hill - the 7 oz burger with bleu cheese, soft spread cheddar, and sauteed mushrooms. Brilliant! Such a complex taste.
2. O'Connell's Pub down on Shaw at Kingshighway. It is a very simple cheeseburger (I get mine with American and grilled onions), but man, they can make them juicy and they always make the best crispy buns.
1. Concord Grill - the #24 burger. Or the Garlic Burger. They are tied for first. They are both amazing and brilliant. Whoever is in the kitchen there...they make me happy every time.
So, I'm gonna hit the big three as soon as possible, so you have pictures of the AWESOME! These places set the bar in StL as far as I'm concerned.
Today I landed at O'Connell's Pub. This place is down at the corner of Kingshighway and Shaw - a few blocks from the botanical garden...maybe 15 minutes from Forest Park. I discovered this place one day when driving around in the city. In an effort to not eat my passenger, I pulled into the first place. Turns out O'Connell's was the greatest thing I could have found near the park (or so far. I mean, for a burger...I love Vitale's Bakery for cookies.)
Here we go:
I always choose to get mine with grilled onions - O'Connell's really GETS how to do grilled onions. They come back so brown that they aren't just caramelized - they are practically caramel.
My biggest gripe about O'Connells burgers really is that there is nothing - complex about them. They have the art of burger cooking down to a science. But if you want anything beyond onions, mushrooms, swiss or American cheese...well, look at the menu.But if this thing is standing on it's own legs, I STILL give their simple burger an 9.0.
How the Sides Add Up: Hrm. Well...with my burger (oh no! I must be more vigilant about food pictures) I ordered fries, onion rings, and a salad. The fries are: appropriately crispy (not too thin and just fried potato, nor too thick. They're actually made correctly). But they don't really have salt or seasoning. The salad...I'd comment on it, but I never got my salad. *Sigh*.
The onion rings are great though. I think the chef must understand what onions are supposed to taste like. They are cooked on the right temperature so that the outside is a nice golden brown, yet the inside had enough time to cook so that the onion is soft enough to not come sliding out of the breading. Simply great. If you have to decide, I'd go with the rings.
Overall, on the ones I actually got to taste, I give the sides a 7. The fries get a 6 and the rings get an 8. (The rings, again - are cooked great...but there isn't anything unique about them).
How the Service Stacks: There is going to be a random post about sitting at a bar versus sitting at a table. O'Connell's is the type of place you really should sit at the bar. The bar tenders here have been here forever. There are 2 that I particularly like, I wish I could remember names. The gentleman that was working this weekend was great (I was there on Sunday at around 2...who was it??? Anyone go to O'Connells? Maybe if I send this to Jack.)
They. Rock. My. Face. I am on a quest to discover all of St. Louis's secrets - and I asked the best restaurants around town to go exploring. The bartender was juggling busy waitresses and giving me a story of the history of St. Louis. He was telling me great restaurants, and telling me funny stories. There was a couple down the bar from us who was obviously having a very quiet, personal lunch - and he would very politely serve them and then leave them be. His awareness of his customers' moods was amazing.He did forget my salad. *Shrugs* I didn't mind much, since he was so brilliant about everything else.
Meanwhile, I asked about when the antique store was open upstairs. He said, "Whenever Jack [the owner] is here." I do suppose they have official times...but Jack was at the end of the bar, watching the football game. He was awesome! He watched the end of the quarter (Poor Greenbay :( ) and then went upstairs - just to let me see the store. I've been in there a million times and never saw Jack's brilliant collection of Native American art (practical and visual art. Brilliant, I tell you).
I'm going to give the service a 9. Really, only because of the salad incident. These bartenders could give lessons about how to be kind to customers.
Atmospheric Conditions: My biggest bitch about O'Connell's is that it is dark. So dark that it blinds you like you just woke up to the sun when you go back outside. Other than that, it's really a nice place. The local fauna is an eclectic mix. You get 90 year olds that have probably been going to O'Connell's since it was in Gaslight - and you get hipsters. Almost everyone is friendly, but no one invades your privacy. It's warm - no matter what time of year it is; the heater is right above the entry door, keeping the cold out and the laughter in.
Mostly, the atmosphere is calm, laid back and friendly. You get occasional drunks, and sometimes you get hit on if you're single and sitting at the bar - but really, where doesn't that happen?
I rate the atmosphere at an 8, giving bonuses for friendly people and the feeling of safety the place has. It isn't over the top, it feels like I could be sitting in Ireland when I'm in there. Sweet!
Overall Awesome Meter: Ok. I'm sitting here trying to calculate the stupid 1-20 thing, and decided that it shouldn't be 1-20, it should just be you know, degrees of 1-10. Like what I'm going to give O'Connells. Ok. So, they scored an average of 8.25 when you factor all the scores together and divide. But...extra points! They get an extra bundle factored in. They get a little bump for location, a little bump for their bartenders awesome knowledge, and a little bump for their bar. I should have gone in more detail on Fitz'. Retrospect, dahlin. *sigh* So, I am awarding O'Connell's an extra 1 point total, because overall, I feel like the place is really about a 8.8. Brilliant!
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