If you’ve never been to one of these gaming bars, it’s fun just to have the experience of unfettered competition amid a sea of people doing the same thing. Opened in the former Westport Cinema, the cavernous space has been transformed into an appealing bar room in front, with foosball and shuffleboard tables and a view of a bustling kitchen turning out tacos, skewers, pizzas, sliders and mostly bar fare.
The back room is where things really let loose, with ping pong, bocce ball, shuffleboard, darts and some of the biggest TVs I’ve ever seen mounted high and mostly featuring sports. There is also a karaoke area upstairs, and it’s the only activity you have to pay for. Now you may think this is mostly a guy thing, but you’d be wrong. Plenty of women were testing their skills, and everyone was just having an all-around good time. There is a lot of fried food, but there are some sleepers on the menu that go beyond the usual pub grub.
We tried a few starters under the ‘Shared’ header. The Lobster Ravioli ($12) was the best of the bunch, with large pasta pockets filled with a creamy lobster mash and served on top of a very nice garlic pomodoro sauce. Alas, the ravioli was heavily breaded and fried, which overpowered the delicate lobster filling and completely engulfed the pasta shell. But they were tasty nonetheless. It’s hard to mess up Bavarian Pretzels ($9), yet the ones here lacked the thick, doughy consistency of soft pretzels, and the Empanadas ($9), which had a tasty wild mushroom filling, were simply too greasy on the outside.
The bigger dishes offered more satisfaction. Both slider plates were good and plentiful. The Hot Chicken ($10) had white meat nicely fried and dosed with ‘Calabrian’ sauce, a hot spread that added a little bite. The Pulled Pork ($10) was especially good, with a tangy vinegar slaw, fried onion straws and delicious, slivered pork. Both platters had three mini sandwiches on them, adding up to a hearty serving of food.
Also tasty was the Shrimp Roll ($11), listed under ‘Plates.’ It was crustless bread, oiled, toasted and filled with fried shrimp, vinegar slaw, chopped tomato and a creamy, smoked tomato aioli. On top were some sprigs of fresh dill that added just the right savory punch. We also tried the Fish Tacos ($9), which came with cod instead of the much discredited tilapia. It was OK, but needed some oomph, like a tomato salsa or some other spice.
For dessert, the Funnel Cake Straws ($6) were something new and different. Served as sweet ‘fries,’ they were strips of fried funnel cake batter dusted with powdered sugar, and were surprisingly good.
amuse bouche
the scene | Noisy bar and game room
the owner | Bob O’Loughlin
the prices | $5-$13 shared starters, $12-$13 skewers and pizzas, $11-$12 plates
the favorites | Hot Chicken Sliders, Shrimp Roll Sandwich, Pulled Pork Slider, Funnel Cake Straws
food • ŏ • lō • gy
calabrian sauce | A mix of tomato sauce and Calabrian chiles, which hail from Italy and have a fruity, spicy flavor
shrimp roll | Similar to a lobster roll, it includes shredded lettuce or slaw, cooked shrimp, mayo and spices stuffed inside a toasted bun.
pomodoro sauce | A tomato-based sauce similar to marinara but smoother, with pureed tomatoes
910 westport plaza drive | 314.548.2876
pictured at top: burnt end nachos with wonton chips, avocado crema, cheese sauce, kalamata olives, banana peppers, bean pico
