Cole Bishop | Student Life

Majestic Restaurant and Bar hosts trivia evenings in this room on select evenings.

The Central West End offers a variety of dining and entertainment options, from Indian food to movies at the Chase Park Plaza. Only at the Majestic, however, can one pit one’s wits against others’ in fierce cerebral combat. Quick! What do the letters CMYK stand for? How comprehensive is your knowledge of ’80s pop music? Can you make a pun at a moment’s notice? If so, the Majestic should be your bar of choice, and its Wednesday night trivia games a weekly pilgrimage.

The food at the Majestic is pedestrian but reasonably priced; its menu attracts regulars or anyone walking through the Central West End. It boasts Greek selections such as gyros and saganaki, a cheese appetizer served ablaze in a frying pan. The rest of the food, though, is typical bar fare. The patty melt arrived straight from the grill, the cheese still sizzling, and proved delicious. The veggie pita serves as an excellent choice for vegetarians.

The Majestic has a proud tradition and plenty of history behind it. The restaurant has been in the Central West End since 1951. My father, a medical intern at Washington University in the late 1970s, would grab dinner there occasionally. The restaurant’s location is best for residents of the Central West End, those with jobs at the University’s medical school, or anyone looking for a quick meal before a movie at the Chase Park Plaza.

On Wednesday nights, the Majestic comes alive with energy as the patrons organize into teams for trivia night. Team names vary from profane innuendos to references to local landmarks. Most of the teams act like seasoned veterans, laughing at each other’s jokes and trading the occasional good-humored insult. The first round consists of a dozen questions distributed on paper to every group. These questions are themed around something topical; last March, for example, the questions concerned a notorious Roman ruler’s assassination and kite flying. Later rounds are read to the groups over microphone. There are 10 rounds in total, and the scores get pretty competitive. Our group managed to remember some basic biology but failed to identify media from the ’80s.

The Majestic provides an adequate atmosphere for both trivia or a more quiet dinner. The bar serves a limited variety of American and imported beers. However, the restaurant prides itself on a variety of Greek wines. The decor is nothing special; expect wooden booths, tiled floors, condiments and sugar on the table, and large vistas of Greece or kitschy bas-reliefs that adorn the wall as you walk in. The service is eager to please and responsive to any issues that may arise.

All in all, the Majestic is a reliable choice for good food. On Wednesdays, it has an energy no bar in St. Louis can match. So whether you have a craving for Greek food or are desperate to put your knowledge of weird and obscure facts to the test, give the Majestic a chance.

Genevieve Hay | Student Life

Fozzie’s offers a diverse selection of sandwiches and shakes, such as the Fozzie’s Turkey Club, featuring smoked turkey, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and a rich basil mayo on wheat.

Though petite, it offers an extensive 20-sandwich menu, rightfully claiming the title “sandwich emporium.” The food is sourced locally; if you have any doubts about freshness, Fozzie’s has its own garden replete with fresh herbs and even with benches ideal for basking in a natural setting during warmer seasons. Since the place was originally a Chinese take-out restaurant, it almost has to be carry-out-only, as seating indoors can be fairly cramped.

My first trip there begged for a second one and then a third. For people looking to vary their lunch, there are salads, hot dogs, gyros and burgers, including the Juicy Lucy, a half-pound burger stuffed with cheese. The cheese oozes from within after your first few bites. One of their sandwiches is called The Pretzel, and it contains ham, pepper jack cheese and honey mustard served warm on a pretzel roll. It was hearty; the salty, yet juicy meat was sliced thick. The pool that formed around the sandwich suggested there was arguably both too much sauce and cheese. Also, quite disappointingly, don’t expect the bread to be like an Auntie Anne’s pretzel. It was instead a slightly sweet roll. The Club Veg—grilled zucchini, squash, spinach, roasted peppers, baba ganoush, veggie bacon and goat cheese served on a flatbread—was diversified and hit more taste buds. If you’re skeptical about trying veggie bacon, definitely give it a shot. It stays true to the bacon taste but forgoes the grease and regret. A major qualm is Fozzie’s tendency to saturate the sandwiches in sauce; this one had a lemon-oregano vinaigrette that overpowered the sandwich in a citric pungency. If you’re a pulled-pork lover, the Miss Piggy is actually a good balance of very tender meat, standard barbeque sauce and crunchy, tangy coleslaw. Lastly, each aspect of their Eggplant Parm, from the fried eggplant to the fresh mozzarella to the zesty tomato sauce, was executed well, though toasting the hoagie would have added that additional pizzazz to an otherwise unvaried texture. Overall, most of their sandwiches hit the spot; just don’t mind the possible mess.

Now that real food is out of the way, the unsung heroes are actually the shakes. Quite delightful is the Chocolate Julep, an Oreo shake made with fudge and fresh mint (cue their outdoor garden). The Crunchy Monkey, a granola, banana and fudge shake, is subtler for a slightly healthier taste, as is the Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake, which only hints at blueberry and lemon while parading heaping clusters of granola. The Salty Kisses, a chocolate kiss, pretzel and caramel milkshake, possesses a lovely duality in salty and sweet, but don’t expect chocolate pieces or caramel swirls. They are blended into one flavor, creating a great taste, but a mushy pretzel experience. My personal favorite is the pumpkin with pecan and bits of heath bar; it’s basically autumn in a cup.

All in all, just go. The sandwich combinations are inventive and fresh, though, truthfully, thinking about that scrumptious pumpkin shake keeps me up at night.

608 Eastgate
St. Louis, MO
63130

Open 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Closed Wednesdays

(314) 862-4429

Cole Bishop | Student Life

Thai Pizza Co. is one of four Thai eateries off the Delmar Loop. The restaurant features pizzas topped with Thai noodles (and mozzarella) as well as traditional Thai dishes.

Located on the less-congested end of the Delmar Loop is Pi Pizzeria’s younger, less experienced Asian stepbrother. Thai Pizza Co. has a novel concept of food as quirky as its decor—a matrimony of pizza and stir-fry.

This particular visit yielded a mix-up with the order, which for an empty restaurant on a Tuesday night, is hard to excuse. However, the staff was highly apologetic and eager to please. They promptly produced the correct order.

Those courageous enough to order the unique pizza concoctions should be prepared to guzzle water. The absence of tomato sauce means nothing can dilute and contrast with the savory, greasy toppings. These pizzas consist of a salty mess atop a dry crust. Avoid the pad Thai pizza, which includes chunks of tofu that absorb loads of salt and soy sauce. Instead, order something like the mischievously named Drunken Pizza, which offers highly appreciated slices of tomato.

Diners can order either a thick- or thin-crust small personal pizza to share between two or three people for less than $10. Thai Pizza does not offer delivery services, and no outdoor seating is available. One must either order carryout or find a seat among a host of mismatched chairs and tables. I don’t claim to be an expert on Thai interior design, but I’m pretty sure that plastic ferns and Christmas lights do not evoke a sense of Thailand. Calling ahead to expedite orders is encouraged, but expect a busy dial tone or a thick accent on the other end.

Thankfully, Thai Pizza Co. does offer a standard pad Thai, as well as other traditional Thai dishes like soba noodles or thom yum soup.

Although the restaurant leaves much room for improvement, with a name like Thai Pizza Co. it is clear that the least appetizing item on the menu is here to stay. Those who love Asian and Italian foods equally should keep their passions separate. At Thai Pizza Co., order a peanut-sauce pasta, then have an affair with an East Loop pizza at Pi, just a short walk down the road.

Despite its creativity, Thai Pizza Co. is an example of how an Asian-Western fusion can go awry.

Address

8148 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130

Hours

9:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m., closed Tuesday

Phone

(314) 432-8389

In a world in which a greasy box of orange chicken is often mistaken for traditional Asian cuisine, there is a small haven called Olive Boulevard.

A 20-minute bus ride will take you to a particular section of Olive Blvd. dedicated to truly authentic Eastern food, offering everything from chic restaurants to Eastern grocery stores, and representing every nationality from Vietnamese to Korean. On this street, wedged between a China Town Market and Herbs & Acupuncture is a quiet little bakery called J & W Bakery.

Danielle Wu | Student Life

Milk tea, egg tarts, and sweet bread are just a few of the many treats available at J&W

The Hot Dog Bread, for example, is a hot dog rolled in sweet dough that is baked, sprinkled with herbs, and served cooled. The result is something like a mildly sweet pig-in-a-blanket.

J & W Bakery also makes custom-order cakes for multiple occasions. Asian-style cakes are more like an angel cake in terms of sweetness and density, iced with a fluffy, whipped cream-like frosting and customarily topped with colorful sliced fruit for a wonderfully delicate, deceptively healthy dessert.

Walking in, there was no greeting or acknowledgement from the staff; in fact, they seemed annoyed and confused to even have customers in the middle of a Friday afternoon. Equally disappointing was the fact that the “bubble tea” did not contain any Boba, the tapioca pearls that gives the popular drink its name. Requests for Boba were met with a hostile glare.

Like most smaller stores in the area, J & W Bakery only accepts cash, which might be inconvenient to those who rely on credit cards. Dining in seemed to be discouraged; two of the 12 chairs available were marked “Employee only!” (with Chinese translations, of course) and another six were carelessly stacked with merchandise yet to be stocked. Most of the bread is neatly and conveniently packaged, and there is no option of having food served on dishes. The bright lilac walls and modern artwork were certainly cute and refreshing, but very obviously in need of cleaning and repair.

As for the taste, it was hit or miss. A favorite from the large selection would definitely be the modestly named egg tart: a delicious, moist gelatin baked into a light and flaky crust. However, the Pineapple Bun was a little dry, and my colleague with more classically trained taste buds declared that the Hot Dog Bread “needed ketchup.” The portions are small, but most treats are under 90 cents. This permits sampling of even more options to determine favorites according to personal preference.

Discourteous staff and outdated decor aside, J & W is the type of place that you want to be successful, because the recipes have so much potential. But for now, it is an adequate place to grab an afternoon snack if you want to experience a unique, yet satisfying taste without making a huge dent in your wallet.

J & W lacks the variety in drinks and dishes offered at Bubble Tea on the Loop, but makes up for it with superior pastries.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

Three Kings provide traditional pub fare such as burgers, wings and sandwiches.

The bar at Three King’s offers a wide selection of beers, including local favorites like Schlafly’s and Urban Chestnut. The bar is up front and there are plenty of tables in the back to mingle with friends over drinks. Three Kings boasts strong drinks for the best prices. Wednesday through Sunday nights feature live music and often a lively crowd that ranges from the early 20s to the mid-40s.

Student Life sampled the lunch menu, which consists mainly of sandwiches and burgers. The pub’s signature Three Kings Burger, a half-pound beef patty topped by bacon, bleu cheese and balsamic relish on sourdough, proved delicious. While no one proclaimed it the world’s best burger, for eight dollars, it was more than enough for lunch and was well priced. Unfortunately, we did not sample the Captain Crunch Shrimp, our server’s suggestion, but when we return, we’ll order it immediately.

The decor and ambience of Three Kings are its strongest features. The bar, paneling and furnishing are mahogany. Three Kings is smaller than competing bars on the Loop, like Cicero’s and Blueberry Hill, which gives the pub a more intimate atmosphere. Three Kings tries to evoke the look and feel of an English pub and for the most part, it succeeds. The pub’s best assets are large prints of photographs of University City from over 100 years ago. Despite being a new establishment, Three Kings succeeds in feeling like a part of University City and the culture of the Loop largely because of these photos.

In older English, an ordinary was an inn that offered regular meals at fixed prices. While it does not let rooms, Three Kings Public House otherwise suits this definition. Whether a customer orders a draught or a sandwich, he can expect a good return on his dollar. However, besides the inexpensive drinks, nothing about Three Kings makes it particularly attractive to people looking for a new favorite bar. But with the right friends, this ordinary has the potential to be quite extraordinary.

3.5/5 stars

Netta Sadovsky | Student Life

Eleven Eleven Mississippi offers a pecorino flan with honey-dressed beet and pear salad. The restaurant has entrées at around $20.

I ordered the stuffed artichoke with sausage, spinach and Parmesan, which sounded promising. Unfortunately, the sensitive flavor of artichoke was pushed aside in favor of heavy-handed sundried tomato and Parmesan. The sausage seemed unnecessary, adding even more flavoring on top of an already overwrought dish.

I then tried the honey-dressed beet and pear salad that came with a pecorino flan. A light and fluffy substance usually found on the dessert menu, the flan managed to caress and confuse my taste buds. Pecorino, a cheese seen often in Italy but rarely here, has a slight bite to it, and was skillfully employed to offset the sweetness of the orangey honey dressing.

Another interesting combination: wild mushroom with artichoke, polenta, arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano. These items were all piled into a mound for my entrée, making for an objectionable-looking pile of food. Oil both glistened on the top of this mess and pooled at the bottom of it. Though the taste of the wild mushroom and polenta did not disappoint, there was just too much grease. However, the dish’s flavor was on point: The fancy Parmesan (that is Parmigiano-Reggiano) melted pleasingly over sautéed mushroom, and though the artichoke again fell by the wayside, the polenta was soft and welcoming beneath it all.

Don’t let the oil-happy nature of some of Eleven Eleven Mississippi’s dishes dissuade you from trying the restaurant’s dessert—like the cream-cheesey chocolate cake served inside an almond lace basket, decked with fresh berries and ice cream. The cream cheese was an inspired choice, and the entire dish was focused on the delicious chocolate and the berries, which weren’t lost among the other flavors.

I should note that the restaurant’s liquors and wines seem extensive and carefully chosen. There is a “liquid dessert” menu with choices like hot cocoa and butterscotch Schnapps, which sounded delicious.

Eleven Eleven Mississippi makes up in good cheer and rich, cheesy goodness what it lacks in subtlety, though at around $20 an entrée you may consider waiting for Parents Weekend to check it out.

Lane S. Goodman | Student Life

Gokul, a vegetarian and kosher Indian restaurant that opened a new location on the Loop, offers a buffet for lunch and dinner. Diners can also order á la carte in the restaurant or for take-out.

Hungry vegetable lovers will find sanctuary in Gokul’s all-you-can-eat buffet, which is available for lunch and dinner. The buffet is a rainbow of green, yellow and orange curries, with warm naan, white rice and even fire-engine-red sweet rice.

The one-room restaurant has pale yellow walls and white tablecloths that are made all the brighter by light provided by long windows.

With its welcoming aromas and relaxed feel, this restaurant would be a nice study-spot. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Jim Sandhe, who has been in the restaurant business for almost 30 years. He hopes that Washington University students will use Gokul as their hangout place, but hastened to explain that by “hang out,” he means study (like the good students we all are). In fact, Sandhe is working toward his goal by taking steap to enable students to use meal points at his restaurant.

As for the food, it’s excellent. Meat eaters may worry about a vegetarian restaurant’s ability to satiate their appetites. But Gokul pulls through in this way, partially due to a generous helping of heavy cream, which bolstered my two favorite dishes. These were the palak paneer and the vegetable korma. The rich green palak paneer, a spinach-based dish with the consistency of a creamy yogurt, reveals itself step by step. The cream is the first taste to hit the palette, followed by a leafy, earthy spinach flavor. Just as you swallow, the dish delivers a swift kick to finish, a spiciness that lingers and begs for a bite of the sweeter vegetable korma.

The korma sits in a mild coconut sauce, which contains various sweet vegetables including carrots, potatoes, green peas and lima beans. It seemed like the korma had been left to simmer awhile—all the vegetables were very soft. Though the softness was comforting, I would have liked for some of the vegetables to be crispier or firmer for a little variety.

In spite of the textural monotony, the korma pulled through in flavor. It was richer than what I am used to, and had a little kick and a slight sweetness

Those who enjoy heat will like the restaurant’s spicy dishes. The spicy chickpea dish warranted immediate tongue-basting in kheer, aka rice pudding with cardamom. Less heat-oriented myself, I was still able to enjoy a variety of dishes that were mildly spicy, though those who cannot handle any heat whatsoever may find the brunch somewhat exclusory.

Overall the dishes at Gokul’s brunch were sensitively spiced and pleasantly varied. Though I opted for the creamy ones, healthier options are present among the various lentil- and chickpea-based dishes. But who goes to an all-you-can-eat brunch to exercise self-control? I say pile on the saag paneer until you burst into a giant green puddle of cream.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

Pujols 5 Westport Plaza offers a number of signature dishes labelled “Albert’s favorites,” such as the chicken flautas appetizer. The restaurant combines a sports bar atmosphere with an after-work crowd.

Pujols 5 may confuse new patrons upon arrival. To the right is the sports bar; 15 feet down a corridor to the left leads to the hostess. She led our party back through both the corridor and then the sports bar until we reached our table. A window and wall separated the seats from the neon signs and barstools. Yet, it’s difficult to take a restaurant seriously knowing that arcade games are around the corner. Considering the menu, it was clear that most of the appetizers and entrées were aimed at the sports bar crowd, yet here we were in a restaurant setting. Pujols 5 needs to commit to one or the other, and keep them separate.

One of the restaurant’s signature entrées, Arrozo Con Pollo, is Albert’s favorite chicken dish according to the menu. This meal proved delicious thanks to its home-style quality. However, it was not significantly better than what anyone could prepare at home, and was not worth the steep $14. The ribs, allegedly “Rubbed with Pujols’ own Special Blend Rib Rub,” were flat; better ribs can be found elsewhere. The margherita pizza featured brittle crust and a soft center. Among the scant options for vegetarians were a rubbery penne and a mushroom burger. While discussing our meal, we agreed that the fries were pretty good. Whether or not they were even better than Bears’ Den’s fries remained a point of contention as we ate.

Even if these problems weren’t sufficient to dissuade a diehard Pujols fan, the distance itself to the restaurant is a drawback. Westport Plaza is 20 minutes away by car. Most patrons were 30-somethings from nearby business parks. The scene is not really intended for students. Most meals cost between $14 and $22, but this seems to be for the Pujols brand name rather than the quality of the food. All in all, if you pass Pujols 5, intentionally walk on by.

Caroline Lee | Student Life

The London Tea Room offers a variety of teas from around the world. Diners can enjoy scones with clotted cream and jam.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there aren’t promiscuous members of the Catholic Church hanging around this delightful downtown cafe (as far as I can tell). But there is a wonderfully floral black tea by that name available to anyone so inclined to order it. Welcome to the London Tea Room, self-proclaimed “tea merchant & cafe,” the perfect refuge for the tea connoisseur looking for a great loose-leaf selection or the homesick Brit hankering for a no-nonsense, classic tea time experience.

As far as teas go, the London Tea Room has all your classics, such as the London Cuppa (Yorkshire Gold black tea), Darjeeling, Earl Grey, etc. In addition to the basics, they offer copious choices your inner tea snob could desire and your outer American would fear pronouncing, from oolong to green to roiboos to white. But perhaps the tea room’s best picks are from their selection of quirky tea blends with even quirkier names, such as the Fifth of November (a heavy and aromatic Lapsang Souchong with elements of gunpowder tea, berries and vanilla), the Queen of Hearts (a surprisingly lovely mix of Earl Grey, Darjeeling, and black currant) and even the new Duke and Duchess blend, an ode to the engagement of Kate and Prince William.

But if you are interested in more than getting your caffeine fix, don’t fret—their food selection is just as expansive as their tea selection. It might be a decidedly British establishment, but their love of Her Majesty did not stop the London Tea Room from serving me a scrumptious version of the French classic croque monsieur. I heard similarly good reviews of their apple-cheddar salad from my friend as she happily chomped away. And, of course, you absolutely cannot come to the London Tea Room without trying one of their scones with Devonshire cream. Baked fresh and with flavors varying by the day, the scones are perfectly dense but fluffy, making the overly sweet scones of other St. Louis staples like Kaldi’s and Bread Co. seem like Hostess cakes, and the cream is as close to the real thing as you can find in the Midwest.

Like England itself, the London Tea Room is not the easiest place to get to from Wash. U. if you are without a car. Still, those not averse to mild physical activity will find that it’s possible to take the Metro to Union Station and walk a jaunty eight blocks to the Tea Room’s Washington Avenue location. Once there, it’s only minutes before you will be served a perfect brew on a set of china more charmingly mismatched than a set of British teeth. Cheers!

Adam Tsao | Student Life

Located in Maplewood, Monarch serves Southern-inspired cuisine. The blackened fish (pictured above) is served over a field pea and okra fricassee.

With an all-star team heading up the kitchen and the front of the house, Monarch shines as a hip suburban restaurant offering multiple menus and styles of dining. Executive Chef Josh Galliano is a New Orleanian who studied and worked in some of the Crescent City’s best kitchens, including Commander’s Palace. His background and expertise are apparent in Monarch’s menu, most notably in the extensive list of snacks and appetizers.

My group sat in the main dining room, a quieter alternative to the bustling and music-filled bistro area. The room is well designed, with more than a hundred larger-than-life metal butterflies suspended from the ceiling.

The kitchen generously brought out a complementary off-menu taster of pickled yellow beet over quinoa, with what seemed to be a cane-sugar-syrup drizzle. The earthy beet tasted like it had been grown in rich midwestern soil, and it paired nicely with the al dente quinoa and lava-like syrup. Monarch would do well to add this as a regular menu item.

Next, crawfish bread, boudin balls, hush puppies, lima bean hummus and several cheese platters descended upon the table, all served on wooden cutting boards with custom Monarch-printed butcher paper.

Although each one rightly earned its spot in my stomach, the star of this group was the pillow-like, cheesy crawfish bread. A close second was the boudin balls. Boudin is a traditional Acadian sausage filled with spicy pork and rice. In boudin balls, the sausage is rolled, coated with breadcrumbs and fried to a crispy dark brown. Monarch’s version was served with a creamy tartar sauce that increased the tanginess of each bite while cutting the peppery-spiciness of the boudin.

The next dish I had was slow-roasted pork gumbo. The pork was tender and tasted like it had cooked over an open fire for hours. The gumbo contained a dark roux, which worked brilliantly with the pork. Roux is flour cooked in fat, such as butter or oil. It can be browned to different degrees, the lightest being a roux blanc and the darkest a roux brun. Lighter roux typically pair well with seafood while darker roux, nuttier in flavor, go well with red meats.

For my main dish I had the heavily blackened fish. The fish du jour was sheepshead, a delicious white-meat fish notorious for its rather comical human-like set of teeth. The sheepshead’s diet of barnacles and crustaceans gives it a rich, complex flavor that you won’t find in cod or tilapia. As it is commonly caught in more southern and salty waters, I was impressed that it was being served in landlocked St. Louis.

While the fish was a treat, it was slightly overcooked and its accompanying field pea and okra fricassee came a bit dry. Fortunately, the decadent and creamy truffle grits made up for the parched fricassee. The grits were buttery and came as a side order in a mini cast iron terrine. They were full bodied and seemed to cover every inch of my tongue in a warm blanket.

So many intriguing Southern-inspired dishes fill Monarch’s menu that I anticipate many trips back. Next time I hope to try the Bloody Mary oyster shooters, cane-syrup roasted pork belly, third coast bouillabaisse and the café au lait beignets. With starters ranging from $4 to $12 and entrees from $16 to $32, Monarch is a great option for both casual dinners and special occasions. Whether you’re well versed in Southern cuisine or the closest you’ve come is fried chicken, Monarch is well worth trying.