With its emphasis on the first half of the Spanish word for midnight, Mike Randolph’s restaurant, MEDIAnoche, calls attention to its split identity: the restaurant is called Half & Half in the daytime and MEDIAnoche at night. Half & Half was conjured to indicate a double: half breakfast, half lunch. And with the addition of MEDIAnoche (a Mexican restaurant), it’s apparently become “half dinner,” too.
“Media” also recalls its Latin root, medias, often heard in the expression in medias res, which translates to “in the middle of.” Think of an epic poem like The Odyssey, in which one is thrown into the middle of the action at its start. Dining at MEDIAnoche is a bit like being thrown into the middle of the action—chaos surrounding some authentically delicious food.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
The chaos begins with trying to make a reservation. Calling during Half & Half’s open hours will surely result in a busy signal, and once you finally make contact with a human, you might be hung up on. Keep trying because your patience will be rewarded. If you’re visiting for the first time, you might drive past your destination a few times because the only sign says “Half & Half” and is so whitewashed, it’s difficult to read at night. Any attendant stress from not being able to find the place will be quickly soothed away by a margarita; with three types on the menu, head straight for the most expensive, the MEDIAnoche Margarita (below left), Espolon Reposado tequila blended with Grand Marnier, fresh lime, and fresh orange.
Also required is the guacamole, prepared tableside (above right). You will find yourself cursing the rough, porous molcajete (below left) as you try to scoop out every last bit of the avocado bliss.
Two recommended starters are the Atun Fresco (seared tuna, corn, jalapenos, and standout oyster mushrooms, above right) and the Sopa de Aguacate (chilled avocado soup with grilled shrimp, apples, and cilantro). The soup’s delivery brought the first of a couple service missteps, since it’s no longer a soup but a mousse, and the server forgot to mention this until he was placing the dish on the table. No major worries, however, since all the ingredients married well as a mousse.
Of the four entrees we tried, the Carpa Roja a la Mole Verde (red snapper in a mole verde with radishes, carrots, and cilantro, at left) was the best. Cooked to perfection, the snapper made an ideal pairing for the mole verde’s subtle heat. Not so subtle was the heat accompanying the Lomo de Cerdo (pork tenderloin with mojo de ajo, serrano sultana puree, and kale). Whatever flavors the dish had to offer were overpowered by the spiciness of the puree. The Chiles Rellenos, a solid entrée, came to the table deconstructed with the accompanying tomato broth and beans and rice served separately. Then there were the Tres Tacos de Cachetes (beef cheeks, at top).
Here’s where the biggest non-service misstep of the night occurred: the tacos themselves with the tender beef cheeks were stellar, but they were served in the same paper boats the food trucks use. All the other entrees arrived on oversized plates one usually finds at an upscale restaurant, juxtaposed with the tacos spilling out of the paper boat. The server explained that they’re going for authenticity—both the tacos and churros are served in paper—in a nod to street food. The intention and result, however, do not jibe, as my friend felt more like a child restricted to paper, while the adults at the table were trusted with real plates. Of the two desserts on the menu, the flan is highly recommended with a silky smoothness that will have even those with texture issues digging in. The chocolate churros, reflecting the incongruent duality of the place, were a bit burned on the outside and doughy on the inside, but the Oaxacan chocolate dipping sauce they come with should be bottled and sold.
The popularity of Randolph’s The Good Pie and Half & Half suggests that MEDIAnoche will prove to be equally successful. What’s key is following Odysseus’s lead and embracing the chaos for the payoff at the journey’s end.
MEDIAnoche
8135 Maryland (same as Half & Half restaurant)
Clayton
314-725-0719
Dinner only Tue-Sat
