Appealing in every way, Ernesto’s in Benton Park is celebrating its fifth anniversary this fall. The ultra-urban spot is attractive, with boxed-wood paneling on a couple of walls and deep goldenrod paint on others. Photos of the restaurant’s namesake, Ernest Hemingway, are everywhere, and with about a dozen tables, the ambiance is warm and cozy.
The menu is small and changes periodically. Its focus is mostly on simple comfort foods: Steak Frites, Grilled Cheese, Pulled Pork, Pork Loin and a host of flatbreads. The sides are inventive and add a lot to the dishes. A starter of Tips & Chips ($15 for two) is a good example. Clearly a way to utilize the small tips of the tenderloin offered on the entree menu, the tasty morsels were pan-sauteed and served with a little bourbon mornay sauce and a handful of delicious, thick-cut homemade potato chips. You just scoop up the rich meat and sauce with a chip, and savor the combination of fat and crunchy, cheesy and salty.
A Waldorf chopped kale salad came with thin slices of apple and candied pecans instead of the traditional walnuts. It was well-dressed with a lightly creamy dressing and was all-around satisfying. Celery, a traditional part of this legendary salad, was present, but in long sticks way too unwieldy to eat with a fork.
The Petite Bistro Steak ($23) was heavenly: a 6-ounce fillet beautifully crisped on the outside (the key to this cut) and red on the inside. Without that outer sear, fillet can taste mealy, almost like liver. The accompanying browned potatoes were memorable, oilcrisped and well-seasoned.
There’s a nice flatbread menu, by which I mean nice toppings. They’re inventive, like our ‘Middle Eastern,’ which had harissa, roasted cauliflower, feta and golden raisins. The flavors were grand, the crust not so much since it was on naan, the soft, pita-like dough that might be a great shortcut, but doesn’t compare to a well-oiled, crisp pizza crust.
Well-conceived all around was the Herb Roasted Chicken Breast ($18), an entrée with a stellar side of white beans with kale and house-made sausage. An herb-covered breast was sliced on top of creamy beans well-flavored with both cayenne pepper and a German-style sausage. It would have been perfect, if the chicken had not been over-cooked and too dry.
Desserts didn’t quite live up to the savories. Tasting only like a blend of whipped cream and mashed bananas, the Banana Pudding was too thin to be considered a true pudding. A cobber of mixed dark berries was tasty—not too sweet—and came covered simply with a bit of pie crust—nothing special.
[amuse bouche]
THE SCENE | Intimate neighborhood restaurant
THE CHEF | Jimmy Hippchen
THE PRICES | $5 to $10 starters, $8 to $11 flatbreads, $15 to $23 entrees
THE FAVORITES | Tips & Chips, Ahi Tuna, Kale Waldorf Salad, Petite Bistro Steak
[chef chat]>>jimmy hippchen
PEDIGREE | Self taught, working around good local chefs
FAVORITE INGREDIENT | Butter
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | St. Louis Wine Market & Tasting Room
FAVORITE COOKBOOK | Le Pigeon by Gabriel Rucker
MOST MEMORABLE DINING EXPERIENCE | Hog and Hominy in Memphis, for my 27th birthday
GUILTY PLEASURE | Reese’s peanut butter cups
2730 mcnair ave. | 314.664.4511
Photos: Bill Barrett
