By Celia Henson
Healthy Planet Destinations Editor
Out and About St. Louis Missouri…
I had the pleasure of dining at a little unknown place (at least to me it was) called Balaban’s.
Balaban’s is located at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield Missouri at the corner of Baxter and Clarkson.
In the front of the restaurant it appears to be more of a retail wine store with 5-6 rows of bottles of wines from all over the world for purchase. There are some tables and chairs in that same area that you can have a nice lunch or dinner. As I walked through to the main event room there were 10 or so tables that sat 7 to 8 people. This room is used for events, wine pairing dinners, banquets, parties, etc…
The most interesting thing I found about this restaurant was the variety of foods they serve. Have you ever eaten Poached Monk Fish with Couscous or Ostrich Tenderloin with Risotto Milanese? Well if you haven’t, you don’t know what you are missing. They paired each of the 5 dishes with wines from Guardian Cellars. The Monk Fish was paired with a 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. The Ostrich Tenderloin was paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. For desert we had Chocolate Pots de Crème paired with a 2014 Syrah. Every plate was presented beautifully and each wine was selected to bring out the favors of the dish.
I don’t know if it was the wine or the food, but the selection was spot on!
I’ve been told on good authority that their salmon is just as good as everything else I got to sample.
What a pleasant evening it was. If you are looking for somewhere new to dine, don’t hesitate to try Balaban’s.
Easter Brunch — Balaban’s will open for a special Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Easter Sunday, April 16. The brunch buffet, priced at $39 per person ($15 for children 12 and under and toddlers at 2 1/2 and younger free), will feature smoked shrimp, an array of salads, a carving station with prime rib, made to order eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs plus bacon and sausage, beef brisket, apple crisp and more, served with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, mimosa or bloody Mary.
Easter week — Starting the week after Easter, Balaban’s will kick off new nights of specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. BBQ specials, $16 and $20, start on Tuesdays with Thursday nights dubbed pasta specials night, $18, thereafter. These special dinners join Balabargain on Mondays when Balaban’s offers three courses for $25 and no corkage fee on their retail wines paired with dinner.
For more information or to make reservations, please call (636) 449-6700.