Ah sorry to hear that. I’m not sure this is actually there place or a licensing deal. I did ask Mario how they could manage a location so far away. He sent a large staff over to get it open but it has to be very difficult to do. As for the original it was one of the best meals we’ve ever eaten.
Agreed, “toasted ravioli”. Loved this when I was growing up there, but this is primarily a reflection of my very limited taste at the time. Just too greasy, certainly very far from refined…
St. Louis pizza often uses “Provel” cheese, which again I liked as a teenager, but this is something that most (refined) adults would not be able to stomach…
I have the same question about many chefs that end up opening restaurants in many countries - i.e. Nobu, amongst others (I’m not criticizing Nobu, it’s just an example). There needs to be a lot of co-ordination to get the restaurants open, and while the Executive Chef often has their name on the restaurant, their Chef de Cuisine needs to run the day to day. It takes a lot to run one restaurant, imagine five, ten, or more in different countries and keep the quality levels at the highest standard.
I don’t know the exact relationship between the Iaccarino family and the restaurant group here in Toronto they “partnered with,” but some of the press and accolades they’ve received here are suspect. For example: "The City’s most internationally acclaimed restaurant, Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto has been named as the 2nd Best Italian Restaurant in the World by 50 Top Italy. "
I can easily think of ten better Italian restaurants just in Toronto.
Looking at the menu in St. Louis, the concept looks a little more “traditional,” whereas in Toronto they’re really pushing the tasting menu with more experimental dishes. Maybe the St. Louis venture ends up being more successful?
This thread is as necro as the fish in St. Louis sushi.
Ate at the St. Louis Don Alfonso location last night - it’s the toughest reservation in town since the Forbes piece came out in June.
Beautiful room - all the copper in the open kitchen is stunning. And it never hurts to be inside the Ritz-Carlton (though it has a separate exterior entrance).
It was very nice. It was not a Michelin 2-star experience, but it wasn’t trying to be and wasn’t priced that way. Certainly more of a “traditional” menu rather than pushing anything with more experimental dishes. But “traditional” can still be unusual - for example the lasagna they say is traditional to their area (or family) but which is hardly what an American diner would consider “traditional” lasagna - it has beef instead of sausage, it has hard boiled egg and peas, but excellent (sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it works).
No tasting menu option. $25 corkage. Quality wine glasses and decanter. I did not peruse the full wine list so can’t comment on that.
The 5 of us shared three apps, one pizza (shaved black truffles), two pastas, two entrees (one of which was the most expensive on the menu - the rack of CO lamb for $6x), and one dessert, plus one corkage (some non-drinkers at the table) and it was just about $380 all-in, including a 20%+ tip. My only significant disappointment is that they play up the Sorrento connection, and have lemons all over the menu, but they don’t actually use Amalfi lemons in their dishes, including the lemon dessert (which we skipped because of that). Stanley Tucci has me craving those lemons and of all the things they’d go out of their way to just fly in from back home, you’d think it would be that. (Apparently they do source the tomatoes from back home).
For me, it met expectations for the price. I’d be happy to go again, but I wouldn’t make a special trip and I wouldn’t be disappointed to miss out if we went somewhere else next time instead.
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Yep, old thread. Nonetheless, now that resurrected, if anyone is looking for a great steak house in the western suburbs, I had a FANTASTIC meal here a couple years ago. Nice wine menu too.
Yes, serious wine cred on the Annie Gunn’s team if the location/drive works for you. Need to get out there again soon!
Also corkage friendly and a great butcher/gourmet shop adjacent.