New music

It's about time that some of the more 'mainstream' artists that I'm a fan of released new records. Well...a few are out now, and more to come shortly. The new Beck and Bloc Party albums are both worthy of $14. But this post is about something else....a really cool, yet sooooo simple visual that The Killers did at the MTV Europe awards show. Check it out. Whether you like them, or the song, it's still worth your four minutes.

The Killers - MTV Shows

Blood & Sand - Cocktails like no other in St. Louis!

Okay...it's been a while, and now I'm making a commitment to dedicating this blog to the best new spots in St. Louis that you may not know of, or find out about through the crap which is STL publications, save Sauce.

Over the past two years, I had the great opportunity to learn from and drink with Ted Kilgore. Ted is a true genius of the spirits and cocktail world, and recognized as such. He regularly garners praise from national publications, but rarely are his concoctions the focus of local media. Well, I think Ted's time is nearly here. He has picked up steam over the past year, working on many freelance consulting projects, getting local write ups, all the while further honing his skills as a 'Master of Spirits' or Master Mixologist, if you will.

The time has come for St. Louis to see what a real cocktail is. Enter 'Blood & Sand.' Every other Monday night, 33 Wine Bar in Lafayette Square becomes a speakeasy style cocktail club. There is a set menu each night of roughly eight cocktails, different each time. The bar magicians would also be happy to mix you up a classic Manhattan, fizz, flip, or other other classic. There will be no junk served here though. No extra dirty vodka martinis. No Red Bull and vodka. Actually, no vodka whatsoever. How great is that?!?! The true form of finely paired spirits with freshly squeezed juices, measured out to the most accurate of measurements. That's right...no free pouring here.

Tuesday through Saturday, you can experience Ted's skills at Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood. Every other Monday at 33 is a sign of what is to come. I think St. Louis may be ready for it's own speakeasy, and this is just a teaser. The next event will be Monday, October 13th. See you there!

Cielo = WOW!

On Sunday night, I made my first trip to Cielo, the new restaurant located on the 8th floor of the Four Seasons at Lumiere Place. Spectacular in every way. The food, the service, the view, and the wine!

First off, it must be said that the view is one of the best in St. Louis. The patio, situated eight floors above street level, looks directly south at the Gateway Arch. This patio should truly become one of the best spots for an evening cocktail during the warmer months of the year.

We started off with an appetizer 'to share,' as the menu put it. It was an Italian meat assortment consisting of Mortadella, Bresaola, Soppressata, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Watercress, and a fennel-apple relish. Delicious, and definately for sharing.

Next, we had the most amazing beef carpaccio I have ever experienced. It was covered with a caper-olive tapanade, and the kitchen was kind enough to split the order for my date and I, without us asking. We also had a proscuitto and buffalo mozzarella salad. This was tasty as well, but was a MASSIVE salad for one person. Who am I to complain for oversized portions? Well, I won't complain, but I will say again....it was a MASSIVE amount of proscuitto.

After a pleasing intermezzo, we had our entrees. I had a massive rack of Colorado lamb chops, while my date dined on a scrumptious and warm cioppino featuring scallops, mussels, shrimp, and lobster. The main course did not dissappoint!

It was a special occasion, and to help us celebrate, the kitchen sent out a Bananas Foster Sundae on a plate decorated in cursive with the word "Congratulations." A great touch and tasty finish to a wonderful evening. The highlight of the dessert is not the sundae or the presentation; it is the freshly prepared cinnamon zeppoles that accompany the sundae. Think tiny doughnut holes, straight out of the fryer and on your plate. So mouth-watering delicious!

I highly recommend Cielo. It's one of St. Louis' newest, brightest spots for dining, or just having a cocktail and enjoying the view. The wine list is short, but diverse, with some true gems such as the bottle of 2004 Qupe “Bien Nacido Hillside Estate” that we consumed....oh so slowly! It was, without a doubt, one of the best California syrahs my tongue has ever had the pleasure of touching.

The Studying is over....for now!

What a great time for my first post! A month ago, I decided to pursue getting certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers as a Certified Sommelier. Well, after two weeks of studying and going through the intro test and Certified test, I'm done! I passed! It was much more difficult than I was prepared for and, at the end of the day, I didn't think I had a snowball's chance in hell of having passed the exam...but I did! So now comes the two to three year wait for the Advanced exam. I've got PLENTY of time to study.

So for now, it's back to just worrying about the restaurant. We will be opening a new location, either in the Central West End or downtown, in the next few months. A decision on the new location is imminent. My trip to Paris is booked, and that'll probably be the only vacation I take for a while once the new place is open. I'll stay on as the GM at Monarch, but will run the wine program for both Monarch and the new restaurant. Let's hope more responsibility brings more money!