Major Grandeur: Dave Lowry opines on the recently relocated Tony's restaurant

×

Expand

Kevin A. Roberts

Filet mignon of swordfish, a top seller at Tony's

Editor's Note: This article appeared in the June 2021 issue of St. Louis Magazine.

The sauce for our swordfish, which was served with capers and Kalamata olives, was just a touch too salty. So there—the notion that Tony’s is perfect is absolutely false. That said, you have to look pretty hard to find flaws. The name is synonymous with dining par excellence in St. Louis. Any fears that the recent change of location would diminish the place’s reputation are groundless: Tony’s clearly still has it.

“It” begins when you enter. The luster of polished wood and a gleaming metal staircase, the artwork—the understated opulence of it all grabs your attention. Windows—the walls seem entirely glass—affording a view of downtown Clayton draw in a glorious natural light that mellows as the sun sets. Tables and booths fill two stories of dining space. The bar on the second floor doubles as a dining area. As at the original, the staff bustles with a discreet efficiency. Dishes are warmed and finished tableside. Every staffer seems to have mastered the skill of making the patron feel like the sole object of their attention, being friendly without presumption.

Much of the menu will also be familiar. Old favorites, such as Lobster Albanello, remain, as do several cuts of beef, prepared as before with extravagant embellishment. Fire gives a strip steak delectable tenderness; it’s finished with a sauce of olive oil, garlic, lemon, and basil. Green peppercorn cream dresses another strip that’s been massaged with black pepper before being grilled. A slab of tenderloin goes completely over the top, accompanied by a glossy slice of foie gras and glazed with a thickened port-wine sauce. Tony’s began in the Truman era as a steakhouse; the current cow preparations do the place’s origins proud.

×

Expand

Kevin A. Roberts

Lobster Albanello, a customer favorite for decades

Veal gets the attention that it deserves in a chop, pounded thin in a floured Milanese scaloppini and in a trio of cutlets, each with a different sauce. The most intriguing dish is a luxuriant slice of beef tenderloin matched with a plump roasted quail, the delicate bird aromatically stuffed and accompanied by a nutty side of wild rice. The combination of bird and beef, each done exactly as it should be, is the very peak of flavor.

In addition to that swordfish (which really is outstanding aside from the slight briny excess), there are some other seafood dishes: linguini with lobster and shrimp, roasted salmon, a sautéed Dover sole. The shrimp here are enormous, the fish cooked to retain all of their juices and taste. There are other Italian eateries with secondi equal to the meats, fish, and poultry; none can claim better quality of anything at Tony’s.

Primi are as they should be, restrained portions of rich pastas and rice. A risotto changes daily; on our visit, it was laden with eggplant, red pepper, basil, and fontina. It is entirely possible to lose oneself in its glossy, delectable glory. Even the small primi courses are sufficient for sharing. If you order the risotto or another primi as a full course, you’re in for an exquisite challenge. The ravioli come from a 1949 recipe: Credit card–sized rectangles of pasta are stuffed with spinach and beef and given that simply perfect degree of al dente tenderness and an uncomplicated San Marzano tomato sauce. Asparagus and wild mushroom dress penne spear tips. Fettuccini is paired with duck confit and those same wild mushrooms. Fresh clams and pancetta decorate a pile of linguini. Tutti buonissimo.

Working one’s way through the antipasti is delightful. Luscious seafood broth enlivens the mussel meats. A platter of carpaccio is pure art, with circles of brilliant scarlet beef laid in a pattern around a center of bright frizzy greens and Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings spattered with truffle oil. The meat almost dissolves in the mouth. A selection of pâté, duck and chicken liver, and veal is a tribute to luxurious dining.

The pâté trio pales in richness, however, before a spinach salad that’s unmatched in its lavish excess. Dark-green leaves are tumbled with a few drops of olive oil, along with avocado slices and Roquefort crumbles. It’s impossibly, ruinously rich.

×

Expand

Kevin A. Roberts

Triple chocolate cake

Desserts beckon. You’re unlikely to read past the wedge of fudge cake, the essence of chocolate, with crème anglais, and you should, if only to consider the wedge of ice cream pie that stands so tall it must be deftly steered to the table.   

As it always has, a wine list adds to the Tony’s experience. The Burgundies alone are a tour of that region’s greatest hits.

In short, Tony’s hasn’t lost a step. We hoist a glass of limoncello to the hope that it never will.