Review: Taste Bar . STL

Before too long you all are going to suspect I get paid to peddle for Gerard Craft's lineup of St. Louis restaurants*, but with food this good the reviews write themselves. That and the menus are very pork heavy, which speaks to my Midwestern soul (we aren't just corn-fed around here).


Ambiance.
I've been to Taste twice. Once, in the middle of winter, where we sat inside in a room at the back of the joint in a second floor with a view of the shotgun main floor. The lights were dim - so dim that I thought my eyesight was failing me. For some, this is romantic. For others (like me), it provides an opportunity to be paranoid about maladies causing the current symptoms of blindness. But, confessions of hypochondria aside, the place was cozy and the bar was where the real action lay - it sparkled with candles; it glistened with all kinds of bottles and all manners of bartending tools. Weekend revelers and foodies sat together for good food and drink.

The most recent time was just last weekend and -- having found the only summer night in a good, long while where Mother Nature had the decency to realize that 100 degrees was just too damn hot for anything after dusk -- we chose the patio. The patio sits on a massive sidewalk in front of the building and stops just short of the street. The neighborhood is charming with tree-lined streets, adorable retail facades and great people watching. With the sun setting and a nice breeze it made for a fantastic atmosphere.

Service.
I have absolutely no complaints with the wait staff that are quick with water refills, the final bill (something I appreciate) and to back up your selection of food or drink. I guess whenever the whole menu is fantastic, it is easy to say "Yes, that's good." and know you ain't lying.


The Taste test
From the spectacularly unique cocktail menu, Daniel got daring with a cocktail featuring duck fat infused Grand Marnier, lemon, mascarpone and pepper, amongst other liquors (name Ab-duck-tion, in case you are taking notes at home.) He reported the creamy drink was definitely something to try, with the citrus notes really lightening the potentially heavy ingredients. But, if a drink with duck fat, cheese and citrus isn't what you're after you got lots of other options.

A mere 22 food items comprise the menu of Taste - including appetizers, mains and desserts. But quality over quantity ruled. We selected pig popcorn (you heard me right), fingerlings with spanish sauce and manchego cheese plate from the 'Snacks' menu and then got serious with a summer vegetable tart and ricotta gnocchi from the 'Small Plates.' The summer vegetable tart and ricotta gnocchi were all they promised to be and more. Mmmm, mmmm...so much more. The tart pastry was fantastically crisp, the summer vegetables caramelized and piled on; the gnocchi were big, fluffy and savory, becoming the perfect thing to sop up the butter, orange, tarragon and bits of walnuts in the cast iron pan. Realizing we were satisfactorily full, we stopped short of dessert. Perhaps I'll have more to report on this in the future.


*Taste, in its original form, was a Gerard Craft production. My brief online research tells me in late 2010/early 2011 chef Adam Altnether bought Taste by Niche to become the chef/owner. So really this review becomes a quirky love letter to chef Altnether, rather than chef Craft. See, we have variety in our reviews.