The Libertine - Clayton Restaurant Week

Unfortunately, the Libertine has closed.

Now that Chef Matt Bessler has taken over at The Libertine, Patience really wanted to go and support him.

Since it was Clayton Restaurant Week, they were serving a prix fixe menu that included an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $25! Of course we got a cocktail so it ended up around $35 per person by that time, but still a great price.

The best part about going a week before the new menu was officially released, we got to try a few new menu items!

Here are are our cocktails: Lennon in Almeria and Big Sur Reverie, which is made with the Big O!

Lennon in Almeria

Big Sur Reverie

Our appetizers, which are also on the new menu: Beef Carpaccio and Mussels & Bacon Brodo

Beef Carpaccio

Mussels & Bacon Brodo

Now our entrees...The Diner Burger...

Diner Burger

Acqua Pazza...that day's fish was Snapper...

Acqua Pazza

And I got the Warm Weather Risotto....

Warm Weather Risotto

Can't forget about dessert!

Blueberry Pie with Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream

Hazelnut Chocolate Torte
(Madagascar Chocolate Mousse and Homemade Coffee Ice Cream)

Milk and Cookies

Photos by Patience Scanlon

Resources:

The Libertine = http://www.libertinestl.com/

Clayton Restaurant Week = http://www.claytonrestaurantweek.net/

STLwinegirl Fifth Biz Birthday Party at Libertine

Since I had so much fun last year, I could not WAIT for this year’s STLwinegirl 5th Biz Birthday party at The Libertine. Yes…I went back there AGAIN and it did not disappoint since the night’s menu was made up of Angie’s “favorite things”…well at least Josh Galliano’s version of them.

Again, this was a night where I wanted to order one of everything from the special menu and I definitely needed to make sure I had plenty to eat before the cocktail tasting.


STLwinegirl 5th Biz Birthday Menu

For $5, you got to taste five unique cocktails in a competition amongst popular local bartenders. I’m sure I was plenty biased as my top two favorite cocktails were the sweeter drinks made by the ladies: Denise Mueller (Robust) and Mandi Kowalski (Planter’s House). The guys’ drinks were a bit too boozy for me, although Kyle Harlan’s (Mission Taco) cocktail came with a chocolate-dipped strawberry, certainly a plus in my book! The winner was Tony Saputo (Eclipse) and Ben Bauer represented The Libertine as well.

The five cocktail tastings went well with the rich appetizers and dishes that I selected. I started off with the Beef Tartare and Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs. All deviled eggs should have cheese in them!! If that wasn’t cheesy enough, I did order the cheese flight as well: Raclette, Gorgonzola, Sottocenere Garratxa, and Prairie Breeze.

Beef Tartare, Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs, and a cheese plate

Since the “plates” were reasonably priced at $5 too, I ordered the Shrimp Noodles and the Creole Gumbo, definitely a pair to warm me up. Unfortunately, the Bajan Hot Sauce made the shrimp noodles way too spicy for me to eat, while the Creole Gumbo hardly had a kick at all. The gumbo was very filling so I couldn’t order any more, but luckily friends gave me a bite of the Chicken & Biscuit (YES…Josh Galliano’s fried chicken is really that good no matter how it is served) and believe it or not, the Fried Bologna Sandwich was amazing with a slick hunk of beef between toast. My bologna never tasted that good when I was a kid!

In addition to much eating and drinking, we also had fun together at the “Fernet Face Photo Booth” where you got to show off the face you make after taking a shot of Fernet. Props to anyone who can take one down without make a face!

Always a party with the STLwinegirl!

Resources:

STLwinegirl = http://www.stlwinegirl.com

Libertine = http://www.libertinestl.com

Libertine for Dinner

Unfortunately, the Libertine has closed.

I finally made it back to the Libertine for dinner but I forgot that Josh Galliano's famous fried chicken is only served on certain Sundays of the month. So I will have to go back again. Yet, this really worked out well because I got to check out the full dinner menu. Let's just say I was quite overwhelmed by all the choices listed. Even my friend who I was with changed her mind several times before she finally decided.

My friend probably did it the best way by choosing a smaller dish first and then a main course. She started with the She-Crab Soup that was just as thick as any bisque. The pan roasted cauliflower was also delicious with a light balsamic-like dressing.

I was very tempted by the fish courses on the menu but I wanted to test Chef Galliano's southern style cooking so I chose the Shrimp & Andouille. The three shrimp were cleverly hidden inside crawfish heads, while the sausage chunks were already cut into a proper size and weren't too spicy for me!

I did think both “main courses” were on the small side, so I do wish I had also picked a “starter”. The smaller courses really aren't designated although you can tell more so by the prices. Instead the menu is separated into meat, seafood, and vegetable. 

Another tough choice we had was whether or not to go with cocktails or wine. I was really curious about their cocktail list so I tried the "Tom Waits For No Man". The citrusy flavors helped to smooth out the dry finish.

One advantage to the smaller portion size was that it meant I had plenty of room for dessert and I immediately knew I wanted The Libertine Candy Bar one more time. Since I had company, I also picked out a second dessert, the Pumpkin Pie. It was incredibly soft and creamy, and came with a Maple Bacon and Bourbon ice cream. Now I'm all ready for Thanksgiving!

Resources:

The Libertine = http://www.libertinestl.com/