I love sitting at the corner of Euclid and Maryland in the Central West End, and I've only got one more corner to go before I'm a fixture. This week, thinking I would sushi my cares away, I instead opted for a splurge, and spent my first of many evenings to come on the patio at Liluma. The service was extraordinary, the meal was a delight, and I'll most assuredly be back.
I started with a basic meat and cheese plate, a small bite of a splendid blue cheese, chevre, and fresh strawberries and apple slices. My only issue here was the house bread - while tasty, with satisfying overtones of rosemary, it was overly oily, and a thin water cracker would have been much more palatable. The star of the evening was the Mangalitsa Pork Ribeye, served with a beautiful combination of green beans, heirloom tomatoes, sliced carrots, and balsamic. Mangalitsa's are a fattier pork product, so some trimming was in order once it arrived at the table, but the flavor was unmatched - a more robust, marbled, sensuous slice of pork I have never had. Take care - this was a large serving of meat, enough for two, so either pack up half before hand, or be prepared to split and fill in with some veggie-rich sides or small plates for the healthier experience.
I finished off with an espresso panna cotta, and was thrilled to see a reasonably sized dessert portion. I was so ensconsed in the best corner in the city, I even had some coffee while I watched the people walk by. My bill was a bit much for a single diner (hey, there was a nice red zinfandel thrown in there too - they do "quartinos", equates to about a glass and a half - great way to make your own flights, if you're enjoying with a group), but a lovely date spot, a warm and inviting friend spot - what's a couple extra pennies here and there, eh?
Reservations strongly recommended for patio seating on the week-ends, especially at this time of year in St. Louis!
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