Pi Delmar Loop

Pi in the Delmar Loop claims to be "sustainably delicious". While The Green Restaurant Association is more qualified to speak to their claims of sustainability, I can certainly verify the delicious claim.

I was joined, once again, by my dear dining friends Holly and Tracy. Being the only Pi virgin at the table I was given a "moment" to drink in the menu and myriad of pizza choices. As our very patient and capable waiter, Ryan (a dead ringer for Shaggy from Scooby Doo), pointed out to us, we were not limited to the pizza choices listed on the menu. Ingredients and toppings could be added, made up, moved from thick to thin, served on half, and I believe we were even given the option to have it served to us on the moon. Had that been a genuine choice, I think its the only thing that would earn this place higher marks from me.

The ingredients were fresh, and real. As I served up my slice of Western Edition (on thin not thick) the fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and feta cheese stretched beautifully away. On top of the cheese sat mushrooms (you know the kind that DON'T come in a can), Spinach (actual leaves of spinach) and sweet onions. While I thought every ingredient delightful and harmonious, Tracy did have the dissenting opinion that the mushrooms tasted like cardboard.

The pizza that Tracy chose to order for us was a classic deep dish pizza with the cheese on the bottom and the sauce on the top. In between were large chunks of pork sausage, bacon, and chiuaua cheese. While it rang very clearly of a perfect dish of deep, I indulged in only one slice to save myself for the Western Edition.

The atmosphere of Pi was funky and eclectic, even where we chose to sit outside. While we were approached twice by those claiming to need money the staff quickly did their part to disperse them as soon as possible. We didn't mind giving up a slice of Pi to one of them though, to be blessed means to bless. If this is not the kind of blessing that you are into, sitting inside quickly solves this problem.

"Green" restaurants are becoming more and more popular and pizza is a perfect landscape for that new frontier. Pi does it right with a great atmosphere, real ingredients, perfect crust, and wonderful service. I would rec this to anyone looking for a casual but indulgent date night or lunch with fabulous friends.

Beatniks New Town St. Charles

My experience at Beatniks is thanks to a couple of great lunch friends Holly and Tracy. We all love to try new foods, new places, and most of all we love to visit with each other. Generally that means when we go to lunch we are there until juuust about dinner time. After a long hiatus from each other we headed out for a day of shopping and eating. Purposefully roaming off the beaten path to something unique, we headed to Beatniks.

Sitting in a neighborhood that is just shy of step-ford quality is Beatniks. It has the feel of a restaurant at the end of a pier and is decorated by iron sculptures and mannikin's dressed in every manner of funky clothing. The manikin that greeted us at the door was even holding a baby with a cigarette in its mouth. Holly removed the cigarette from said babies mouth ;)

The bar area is separated from the porch area that has several more iron scultures. Each table has an iron flower arrangment centerpiece. The porch area was walled in with glass garage doors making the entire area convertible from indoor to outdoor dining. Since the weather was unseasonably cool for May the doors were closed and since it was Monday were among very few diners.

Our waiter was a tall, red beared young man with an affable personality who admittedly hadn't been with them long but was eager to please and to visit with us when we invited him to do so. We asked what he recommended and ordered accordingly.

The Chipotle nachos were scrumptious. Not being a nachos fan, these were ones I would order again in a heartbeat. They were pretty simply prepared with a chipotle cheese sauce, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and chunks of brisket, over multi-colored chips. To accompany our nachos we opted for the large bavarian style soft pretzels with three kinds of dipping sauce. The girls and I agreed that plain mustard was better than any of the dipping offerings made available with the pretzels.

Our main courses were varied; chicken with a truffle brandy sauce, a club sandwich with poorly sliced avocados and a soft fried egg on top, and a Monte-Cristo sandwich with current jelly. All in all it was tasty fair. The exception being the sweet potato fries. They were overcooked, and lacked any real sweet potato flavor.

A standout was the Truffle Mac N Cheese. We did as our waiter suggested and tossed some diced jalapeños on top of the Mac N Cheese for a little added spice. It was delicious if not a tad bit too salty. The sauce was creamy and rich just as it should be.

We thoughroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Beatniks and are eager to return when the garage doors are open!!!

La Casa Mexicana Grill and Cantina

La Casa Mexicana Grill and Cantina

201 Harvard Dr.

Edwardsville, IL

I have had the privilege of dining at La Casa twice now. The first was late on a Sunday evening. The seating was immediate and the waiter was attentive. The second experience was much different, but in both cases the food exceeded my expectations. My expectations were to find an establishment that was like every other Mexican restaurant that drowns its dishes in cheese sauce, and uses meats that are tough, and shredded. This is not what I found at La Casa.

The menu was extensive, authentic, and moderately priced. My biggest gripe with Mexican food is that its generally bland and sauced far beyond what is necessary or healthy. La Casa had neither of those problems as the food was fresh, well seasoned, and beautifully plated. The restaurant itself is beautiful as well. They have a small bar area and several dining spaces with booths set apart from the other diners creating a kind of intimacy in your dining experience.

Now for the picky bits. As I stated, my first experience was near Mexican Nirvana "cielo", but my second was more terrestrial. We went on a busy Friday night and had to wait to be seated. This is not only expected but good to see in a new restaurant. Our first unpleasant surprise came when they seated us in the VERY small bar area without asking if we would prefer something else. We had to stop a couple of times on our way to the table because there wasn't enough room for the servers and passersby. We were also seated about a foot and a half from the actual bar, where a girl and her friend were lamenting over a pitcher of Margaretta's about a recent break up. A few times patrons backed right up to my right side to gather around an amigo at the bar.

To me, this was tolerable, because what will we not tolerate for good food. Our waitress was straight off the set of a Mexican soap opera, perhaps the one that was distracting my dining partner as it played on the tv over my head. The real unpleasantness for me started when my food came very quickly along with my dining partners side dishes. His main dish took 15 minutes longer and 3 servers to make it to the table. Being a polite table mate I attempted to wait for his food to arrive before eating. Some nibbling took place... by both of us. Our waitresses beauty was tempered with a general disinterest in service. We actually had another server approach our table when he saw us looking lost. He was kind enough to refill beverages and agreed to check on our missing dish. There weren't any apologies or explanations made for the mix up or delay. Oh, and to add to the overall joy of the service my cornbread came late and overcooked as well.

Given that negative experience, the food was still delicious and fed my dining partner for days. I would recommend La Casa to anyone interested in delicious, fresh, authentic Mexican food. Just avoid the bar... unless you just broke up with your boyfriend and need a pitcher of Margaretta's.