Located at the corner of Sarah street and Laclede avenue, in the middle of a vibrant, urban area Retreat Gastropub has an exciting energy thanks, in part, to lots of new condos on the street, many with businesses located in the ground-floor spaces. The restaurant is a lively watering hole, with made-from-scratch dishes, mostly small plates, pizzas and sandwiches.
A starter of Cedar Smoked Trout ($12) was excellent, offered with delicate taro chips instead of bread or crackers. The trout had a mild, smoky flavor and succulent texture—not the dry crustiness sometimes found in smoked trout. It sat on lemon caper aioli, a bit of which we scooped up with the chips as we dug into the flaky fish.
Another starter, Pork Toasts ($12), was practically enough for dinner. Three large slices of crusty French bread came grilled and topped with creamy goat cheese, heaping braised pork and microgreens. It was delicious all around, especially the pork, which had a distinctive vinegar undertone.
Delicious also was the Roasted Brussels Sprouts starter, with its well-browned mini-cabbages doused in romesco sauce. The Salmon Cake ($12) was passable, but not crisped enough to be notable.
The four entrees when we visited were Pepper Steak ($20), Seared Salmon ($18), Ragout ($13) and Pork Porterhouse ($18). The steak, flavored with balsamic glaze, came with a great char, adding some crispness to the outside. And it was a generous serving, about 6 to 8 ounces. The accompanying truffled fries were amazing: thin steak frites redolent with musky truffle oil and dusted with parmesan cheese. The steak sat on a piquant chimichurri sauce, slightly sweet and pungent with crushed cilantro.
I’m always amazed when a restaurant makes salmon exciting, as it’s so overdone, but this place put a ½-inch sear on a big, thick salmon fillet that made the fish a standout. It was crispy, with a soft, buttery interior. The accompanying sides were well-executed: roasted fingerling potatoes, fennel jam with slivers of the pungent bulb, and a peppadew coulis that had lots of flavor.
The pork dish was very good, but the meat was overdone, robbing it of maximum flavor. Its marinade, a Middle Eastern chermoula, was notable: citrusy and freshtasting with crushed parsley. The dish came with roasted cauliflower, pickled shallots and tangy orange gastrique. The Ragout here is a superb concoction of black beans, butternut squash, mushrooms and onions prepared in browned butter. We added the trout, a $5 upcharge, and it made for a great dinner dish.
For dessert, Bread Pudding ($7) hit the mark with simple, high-quality ingredients. The bread, Companion baguette, was airy and deliciously crusty/sugary, while the accompanying pecan ice cream (Blue Bunny) was subtle and just creamy enough to complement the comfort food dessert. Thick, buttery caramel sauce rounded out the dish. The Chocolate Brownie ($7), literally baked to a crisp in a ramekin, was less exciting. Even with its ice cream and peanut butter sauce, it was just too dry.
amuse bouche
the scene | Urban gastropub
the chef | Micheal Friedman
the prices | $4 to $12 starters, $12 to 14 sandwiches, $13 to $18 entrees
the favorites | Cedar Smoked Trout, Pork Toasts, Pepper Steak, Seared Salmon, Ragout, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
owner chat » travis howard
What made you choose this location? | It was the right size, fairly close to the CWE with a lot of residential development and to the Cortex district.
How would you describe your place? | A modern American pub with cocktails and American craft food
How did you develop the menu? | Chef Michael Friedman and I looked at familiar, everyday food done really well, with a different spin.
What’s your favorite menu item? | Smoked trout
2 n. sarah st. | 314.261.4497
