Eleven Eleven Mississippi

It's a long name for a restaurant but the good thing is you won't have to remember it's address since that is their address. You are fortunate if you live in St. Louis, Missouri because this is where you will find this great restaurant which was recommended by the Trinidads (foodie friends of mine).

Sandi and I got there early which was nice since the restaurant was still quiet. We were led upstairs. We were impressed with the ambiance. White table cloths and multi-colored plates and napkins.  We of course preferred sitting upstairs since the downstairs was more for the younger crowd with it's vibrant bar scene.

It was love at first sight when we met our server Russell. He couldn't have been more professional, articulate, and warm. It was refreshing not to have some "dingbat" or "Hollywood" type guy that recites the menu like a robot or answers "no problem" when thanked, instead of "you're welcome". He served us their special Rosemary bread with caramelized onions with a side of olive oil and lots of parmesan cheese which I normally ask for when served oil and vinegar. The bread was so good that we had to promise ourselves not to eat all of them which was difficult to do.

We were torn between the Artichoke Bottoms and Fried Calamari. Russell suggested the Calamari with cherry tomatoes, pepperoncinis, chili flakes, spinach, carrots and red pepper aioli. In all my calamari days, I have never had it served with all these ingredients. Sandi and I loved them. They were feather light and crunchy. All the other ingredients were perfectly synchronized with the calamari. It was the best calamari ever.

We split two entrées between us. We had the 12 oz. Char Crust Dry Rubbed Ribeye with Tillamook cheddar-potato gratin & Gorgonzola butter and the Lasagna Bianco (house-made pasta) with butternut squash, pecorino, kale, porcini breadcrumbs & bechamel sauce. Both were outstanding. The ball of gorgonzola  served on top of the steak, melted nicely and made the juicy and tender steak even better. The lasagna was delicious as well and went well with the steak.

Though we were both full, we left a little room for dessert. We already knew we had to order their signature Crème Custard Napoleon; layers of crispy phyllo creme custard with caramelized bananas and chocolate shavings.  The crispy phyllo was genius. The custard was not too sweet. The only way this could have been more perfect was if they had the very crispy phyllo on top which they did and added more layers of phyllo like the traditional Napoleon and less custard. This is just my personal preference.

At the end of our meal, I asked Russell if I could take a picture of him and he graciously agreed and sat next to Sandi. It was a lovely evening which we enjoyed. It is unfortunate than I am back in Los Angeles and there is no Eleven Eleven Mississippi here. If you ever get a chance to go to St. Louis, Missouri, make it a point to visit this restaurant.