Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
79 Forum Center
Chesterfield
314-523-7374
Lunch Tue–Fri, dinner Tue–Sun
Average Main Course: $20
Reservations: You betcha.
Dress: That outfit you wore to President Hu Jintao’s state dinner at the White House is a 10. Dial it back to about a seven.
Chef: Kevin Smith
Yes, you’ve been there. Except no, you haven’t. Yes, it was Seasons. Only now it isn’t. Well, it is. Kind of. But definitely not.
Why would a new restaurant—Seasons American Cuisine—choose a name so close to the failed predecessor occupying the same location? Particularly given that the previous place had more problems than a Lifetime movie. No longer Seasons St. Louis, it’s now Seasons American Cuisine. It’s making every effort to provide an upscale dining experience. And it’s succeeding nicely.
Wedged into a strip mall, the restaurant’s exterior is unprepossessing. A miniscule bar beckons to your left when you enter. On weekends, with live music there, it’s more crowded than riding shotgun with Yao Ming in a Smart car. To the right is a small, pleasant dining space, full of linen, comfortable chairs, and tables that accommodate up to six diners. But not much more. It’s a great restaurant a for a two-, three-, or foursome, but if your Cats fan club is looking for a dinner meeting spot, then pick someplace else (like Nepal).
The menu is restrained, with about half a dozen starters and around twice that many main courses. Among the former, a bright romesco sauce, smoky with what tasted like roasted tomatoes, does much for crab cakes that are satisfyingly meaty. A garlicky aioli is mellowed with a splash of white truffle oil; it’s splattered over wisps of delectably chilly beef carpaccio and tangy greens. The winey smack of sherry is strong in a nicely baked onion soup capped with a puddle of runny Gruyère, enlivened with garlic croutons instead of the usual toasts of bread. A generous toss of candied walnuts and crumbles of apple-wood bacon is strewn into the best salad offered, along with baby spinach and a sweet-and-sour poppy-seed dressing.
Main courses bounce around the culinary landscape. A glossy glaze of Jack Daniel’s and molasses lends a pungent, Chinese five-spice–like tang to a dauntingly thick double-cut pork chop. When it arrived, we expected to find the interior dry; it’s challenging to cook a portion of pig this size without compromising the texture. Every bite was juicy, though, the meat done just the distant side of pink. Green-apple chutney on the side is a properly piquant accompaniment.
Sweet nuggets of lobster, big flakes of crabmeat, and shiitake mushrooms folded into crepes constitute arguably the best dish on the menu. The lobster and crab are swaddled in airy, spongy crepes cooked until golden and not a second more. A sherry supreme sauce is an amped-up version of a velouté, a delicious topping to the crepes. The side of field greens in a light vinaigrette balances the dish’s richness.
Both the grilled New York strip steak and the filet mignon are fine. The quality of the meat is good, and the grilling is superior. It’s not uncommon to have a restaurant like this—one that doesn’t specialize in such meats—produce way-above-average steaks. A spoon of tarragon butter decorates the strip steak; the filet is dressed in a more typical sauce of cracked pepper, roasted garlic, and cabernet. Ever regretted ordering the modiga take on chicken? You won’t here, either. The breast, pounded flat, then dusted with bread crumbs and sautéed, is presented along with baked mozzarella in a syrupy chardonnay, lemon, and garlic sauce.
There are a couple of unexpected choices at Seasons. The first is calf liver. If it’s your thing, by all means, indulge here. Roasted onions, bacon, and apple cider share the plate with a generous portion of the sautéed liver. The other surprise? Fish tacos. They were good, tortillas wrapped in hefty cylinders, stuffed with grilled grouper and shredded lettuce and spiked with a fragrant roasted-tomato salsa. A ramekin of chorizo and pepper-jack cheese and a side of black beans offer some contrast to the tacos. Such fare seemed out of place; Seasons is obviously aiming for upscale dining. The tacos, though, along with a selection of sandwiches, appear to be an effort to make things a bit more casual. Chicken, grilled or blackened on a sandwich; burgers; and Italian beef sandwiches, loaded with juicy meat and gloppy mozzarella in a garlic-scented hoagie, all provide for some interesting dining distractions. (And while it wasn’t exactly a surprise, we are not the first to note that there doesn’t seem to be much “seasonal” at Seasons.)
Desserts don’t disappoint. A warm, spiced pear cake, apple crisp, and pumpkin cheesecake vie for attention. The chocolate crème brûlée is a crème brûlée in the sense that Mo Rocca is, like, you know, funny. More accurately, it’s mousselike in consistency, magnificently smooth, rich, deeply chocolatey, and big enough for two.
The wine list isn’t as expansive as those at many other eateries of this caliber. Even so, there are lots of excellent choices. One of the soon-to-be hot Argentine Malbecs is the Altos las Hormigas. It’s full, fruity; it tastes like an entire evening spent flirting, and there isn’t a better selection for those massive pork chops. A Honig cabernet sauvignon matches the steaks beautifully. You could find a better match for the crepes than that ’07 Domaine la Manarine Côtes du Rhône, but how can you pass on a wine that good—and with crepes? You’ll feel delightfully French.
Service is sometimes shaky; profuse apologies were made when the wrong salad came. But there is a strong sense of family here, and a feeling that this place wants to do it right. That odd name—and the unfortunate pasta jambalaya—aside, the restaurant is on its way.
The Bottom Line: Mostly upscale fare—with some lunch-type burgers and sandwiches. Lovely setting. Good wine. What more could you want?
