1 of 2
2 of 2
You may have (and if you follow @stlmag_relish), should have) known that the first annual Restaurant Week on the Hill began on Monday night and runs through next Sunday. You may have known that a dozen restaurants are participating. Chances are you've not been to one of them in a while, or at all. So go. Pick one. Make a reservation.
Restaurant Weeks are a chance for restaurant owners to squeeze some flesh, hug old friends, say hello new ones. It's a chance for them to show off. To reemphasize who they are and what they do.
On Monday night, Charlie Gitto. Jr., did just that. He threw a party to celebrate the completion of the renovation of the his 32-year-old restaurant, Charlie Gitto's on the Hill, the former Angelo's on the Hill, the place where a certain scribe had his first taste of toasted ravioli at about age 8. Gitto's on the Hill is one of several alleged birthplaces of that pillowy part of our heritage.
The famous "Charlie Gitto" corner booth was restored; gold and black chandeliers were hung; bathrooms were spiffed up. But the most dramatic improvement was to the bar. The back bar was raised, graciously, to the ceiling, and the wooden bartop replaced with one made from red onyx. Subtly lit from below, the effect is dramatic. Mesmerizing is not an overstatement.
And that's the reason for this missive. Make a reservation for Restaurant Week on the Hill. Gitto, Jr. (below, leaning on the new bartop) would love if you chose his place, but even if you don't, stop in for a glass of wine, or just to check out that onyx. If you're lucky, Charlie will tell you the provenance of the toasted rav. He might even let you try one. Ah, but nobody can eat just one.
Photo credit: Diane Anderson Photography.
