1111 Mississippi Festivals of Italy wine dinner

I love being on everyone's email list so I know when special events come along, such as the Festivals of Italy at 1111 Mississippi. I missed the wine dinner last month, but was actually free this week to be able to try one out! This one focused on the Umbria region.

For a prix fixe, you get two wines and three courses, which was just the right amount for me! This also introduced me to wines I probably wouldn't pick for myself otherwise. This wine theme reminded me of wine dinners at Katie's Pizza and Pasta where she would feature a different region each time.

(This also made me miss the monthly PW Pizza Beer dinners that we attended for years since the hostess at 1111 Mississippi is still there.) 

The first two courses were a little heavy for summertime, but everything was delicious nonetheless.

Since there was no official pairing for the first course, a cup of Braised Lentil & Italian Sausage Soup, Patience ordered a glass of bubbles to start.

Braised Lentil & Italian Sausage Soup

The Palazzone "Terre Vineate" 2023 was light and crisp, which helped to cut through the thick, creamy sauce of the Housemade Tagliatelle covered in Pecorino & Black Truffles.

Housemade Tagliatelle with Pecorino & Black Truffle Cream

The Antinori "Bramito Della Sala" (Chardonnay) 2023, Umbria IGT, had too much oak for us, and didn't pair all that well with the Herb-Crusted Trout. The first glass paired better with this, or perhaps we just prefer a lighter-bodied white.

Herb-Crusted Trout with Cherry Tomato, Olive Relish, Farro & Spinach

No room for dessert at all!

And I'm curious to see what will be next month!

Umbria Region Menu

Resources:

1111 Mississippi = https://1111-m.com/

1111 Mississippi Ten Years Later

I couldn't believe that the last time I went to 1111 Mississippi was for my birthday in 2011! That means it's been ten years since I went back and after a discussion with friends who had never been, it was time to go back. And kudos to the restaurant for surviving all these years!

I still think this is more of a "date night" restaurant, but the food and service are outstanding for any occasion. I'll let the dishes do the talking since my first review here didn't have any pictures!

I wasn't sure any of us would have room for our entrees as we ordered a few starters! All were winners!

Oak Oven Roasted Mussels, White Bean Hummus, and Wild Boar Ravioli (my favorite).

Oak Oven Roasted Mussels

White Bean Hummus

Wild Boar Ravioli

Same goes for the entrees and specials...

The tuna steak on a bed of Israeli cous cous was a special for the night.

Tuna Steak with Israeli cous cous and peas

Eggplant Parm was my pick of course...I was able to get the appetizer size so as not to over due it!

Eggplant Parmesan

Pai went all out with the T-bone steak special and we got to eat the leftovers the next morning in an omelette!

T-Bone Steak

Even the Petite Filet Oscar, off the menu, is just as beautiful on top of all those mashed potatoes!

Petite Filet Oscar

One of several flatbreads on the menu...

Eleven Eleven Margherita Flatbread

And since we were there for a birthday, we HAD to order dessert! The bread pudding was decadent as you'd expect.

Bread Pudding

Definitely birthday dinner worthy! And make sure you don't let ten years pass before you go back!

Resources:

1111 Mississippi = https://1111-m.com/

Photos by Patience Scanlon

1111 Mississippi

I finally made it over to 1111 Mississippi which is a popular, trendy restaurant in St. Louis City. It had been on my list ever since I went to Vin de Set, which I believe is owned by the same management. I couldn’t help but take a sneak peak of their menu here (http://www.1111-m.com/menus.html) before I went.

I was tempted to start with a cheese course and since it is a Tuscan-themed restaurant they had Italian cheeses: fontina, gorgonzola, tallegio, and pecorino.

Instead I went with the sautéed crab cakes as a starter, which is one of my personal favorite foods, and it was mixed with a thyme remoulade and mango chutney. The fish and sweet flavor combination was excellent. Just wish they could have been a little bigger.

Then instead of salad, I tried the butternut squash soup, again one of my favorites. So smooth and creamy – great for wintertime. I was almost full by the time the main course arrived so I knew I would need to box up half for another time.

Since it was a special occasion, I went with the grilled beef tenderloin medallions with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and sangiovese demi glace. The glace tasted like a heavy plum sauce and overwhelmed the meat and broccoli. I probably would have been happy without it. I also got to taste the trout and I thought it was a little bland.

I think the next time I go, I’ll just order several appetizers a la tapas style since there were a few others I wanted to try. That would leave more room for dessert! The gooey butter cake was delicious!

And for tradition's sake, I went with a glass of their house Riesling…luckily a German Riesling.