Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
5356 Daggett
314-772-4893
Dinner nightly
Average Main Course: $13 to $28
Reservations: On weekends
Dress: A little nicer than what you’d wear for Sunday dinner at Mamma’s
Chef: Tony Catarinicchia
It’s amazing how Gian-Tony’s has managed to stay out of the spotlight for so many years. It certainly isn’t a local secret: On a recent Saturday night, it was packed, with all 125 seats occupied and reservations running 30 minutes late. Plenty of servers were on hand on our most recent visit, though that did not translate into better service.
As we sat down to discuss the menu, we ordered the seafood-stuffed mushrooms, a special that Gian-Tony’s has offered for years. Five large caps filled with minced seafood, cheese, and minimal bread crumbs arrived in an exceptional chunky tomato sauce. We also ordered the eggplant involtini—delicious slices of grilled eggplant wrapped around a ricotta-spinach filling and anointed with more of that great tomato sauce—and requested it be delivered with the house salad.
The salad, comprising mostly iceberg lettuce, is covered in a garlicky vinaigrette with strands of red onion and carrots. The dressing raises the salad above most—but in true St. Louis style, it was overdressed. The tomato was surprisingly good, though, for the time of year. A busser arrived with a pepper mill. We never say yes automatically—sometimes the salad needs it, sometimes it doesn’t—but before we could answer, the employee disappeared. Noticing our wistful glances, another server solved the problem. (As for the involtini? It was nowhere to be seen.)
For the main course, we decided on a stuffed filet of beef and Fettuccine Alla Gian-Tony’s. Entrées arrived—along with the involtini. Despite its late appearance, that appetizer was delicious, perhaps the best eggplant dish in town. The Ripieno Filet—described as “stuffed with prosciutto ham, cheese, and mushrooms, finished in a reduced red wine filet sauce”—was tender and as rare as we’d wanted. Rather than being stuffed inside, though, the mix was spread atop the meat and popped under the grill for finishing. As a result, it became more about chewy texture than taste or eye appeal. A lackluster sauce also showed little evidence of red wine.
For years, we’ve felt the secret to St. Louis’ family-owned Italian restaurants is the pasta. We’ve had some great examples at Gian-Tony’s, including the Calamari Rossi and Pasta Milanese with sardines—very Moors-in-Sicily. The Fettuccine Alla Gian-Tony’s arrived with a Parmesan cream sauce that’s close to a proper Alfredo, along with mushrooms and shrimp. The mushroom flavor permeated a sauce flecked with black pepper, every mouthful prompting mutters of happiness. The only exception to a collection of exciting flavors was the tomato-meat sauce on a side of properly al dente pasta—it was meaty, but otherwise exceptionally bland.
Tiramisu, soft and cloudlike, is our dessert of choice here. The cocoa top absorbs the liquid to form nearly a soft glaze. And coffee? A cup of decaf arrived promptly, though a cup of regular coffee was MIA until several raised eyebrows and pointing garnered action.
For those who suspect we get special treatment because Joe has been known around town for many years, we offer this evening. Yes, we were recognized. Yes, it was a busy night. Yes, it can happen to anyone on any evening. But no, we will not strike Gian-Tony’s from our list of favorites, because the food continues to be outstanding.
The Bottom Line: Explore the pasta possibilities, and don’t neglect the eggplant.
By Joe and Ann Pollack
