Story & Photos by Leah O’Donnell
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor
Our focus is 100% on customers,” explains Ann Lemcke, owner of The Art of Entertaining, about the benefit of the recent expansion of their building and extended hours. If you have not stopped by The Art of Entertaining lately, you are missing out. It looks like a completely new place with a remodeled front customer area and an addition to the back of the building that now enables staff to prepare deliveries and large orders away from the store front area. With this new renovation comes new hours. The Art of Entertaining is now open weekdays at 7 a.m. and offers a large assortment of carry out breakfast items as well as coffee, hot tea, and bottled soft drinks.
The breakfast selections include daily fresh baked scones, muffins, and bagels. Options to purchase and heat up later include delicious breakfast burritos (filled with eggs, cheese, bacon, and salsa), bagel sandwiches, French toast sticks with sausage links, yogurt parfaits, fresh fruit, cottage cheese with pineapple, the breakfast bowl (a large serving of scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese), and my personal favorite – the croissant breakfast sandwich with butter and brown sugar. You can also use the in store microwave to warm your choice immediately. The coffee bar has three different varieties of coffee in addition to decaffeinated coffee. Different flavors are available to add to your coffee as well.
The best part about The Art of Entertaining opening at 7 a.m. is that you can pick up lunch or dinner on your way to work or when you are out and about in the morning. “We had calls all the time from people who wanted to be able to pick up food earlier in the day. Now we provide this for our customers,” Ann said. The focus at The A of E truly is on the customer. The convenience of being able to stop in early and pick up breakfast, and/or lunch, and/or dinner is such a treat. Now that all of the deliveries and large orders go out the new addition in the back, the staff can focus fully on serving you, the customer.
Exceptional food and service have been and still are the things that make The Art of Entertaining the best place to go for a delicious lunch, to get dinner for yourself or a family friend, or to order from for a group or large party. When it comes to picking up lunch, a new option is the Lunch Special that includes a sandwich or wrap, bag of chips, and a bottled soft drink for just $5.95. Another super deal is the Family Dinner Night on Mondays that comes with your choice of two freshly made casseroles, a loaf of Italian bread, large garden salad, and four homemade cookies for only $25! Dinner specials are available throughout the week as well, so be sure to visit www.TheAofE.com to see the monthly calendar. If you are planning a luncheon, graduation, or any kind of gathering, check out The A of E’s Spring Party Menu. They literally have something for everyone. Even if you need a specialty diet, this is the place for you. Low sodium, gluten free, and low calorie options are available for pick up. Thank goodness there are three meals in a day so customers can try it all!
Superior food and unparalleled service are the reasons I come back again and again to The Art of Entertaining for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and events that I host. If you do the same, you won’t be disappointed.
Visit their web site at www.TheAofE.com, give them a call at 314-963-9899, or stop in their newly remodeled pink building at 8796 Big Bend (just off of Elm and HWY 44) in Webster Groves, MO 63119.