Modesto
5257 Shaw Ave.
314-772-8272
Price Range: $10-$30
The journey begins at the Italian district known as “The Hill.” Il Hill (for the Italian/gangsta reader) is known to many as a quiet place, troubled only by the occasional hair gel shortage or episode of emphysema due to inhaling a lifetime of cheap cologne. Some theorize that this historical district may be home to a graveyard of millions of life-sized ceramic Chinese warriors. You might be asking yourself why the Chinese built a tomb underneath fabulous Italian eateries, but we’ll leave scientific inquiry to those crazy Confucians. Maybe they erected Modesto as their Italian-defiant monument, something to really stir things up.make things out of sorts if you will. Jake, Chris, et al. think otherwise.
When we arrived at Modesto we were welcomed by the charm of a Spanish guitarist and an authentic flamenco dancer who was shaking it como un foto Polaroid. The sound of her shoes on the hardwood floor sounded something like a horde of rhythmic bulls all charging at us, the proverbial Matadors (ole!). Once we took our seats, we ogled our newfound menus.
Before we describe all of the delish, let it be known that Modesto is renowned for its tapas. Tapas are small, traditional Spanish dishes similar to appetizers, but Spanish culture fanatics tend to enjoy them both eaten as a side or several together as a meal. Imagine them as mini entr‚es without any veggies, fries or onion rings. Tapas are served both calientes (hot) or frias (cold) or Connery style (with hot sauce and scotch). Prices range from $5 to $8 a piece, varying in selection between vegetarian dishes, carnivorous delights or one might venture into the ultra-diet domain and hunt for “water with ice” – risky. The tapas selections were outstanding and crazily delectable. Like el Zorro and his whip, everything had a hint of mystery, spice and next-morning C. Zeta J, the good kind. If the idea of side dishes for a meal isn’t floating thy boat, there are a few pricey meals on the backside of the menu. But we recommend you suck it up and give tapas a shot.
With five people in our par-tay, we decided to use our recommended, patented tapas-ordering formula in which you multiply the number of people in your party by 1.5 to decide how much to order. You math majors will realize that this left us with 7.5 tapas to order. Instead of hassling our kind waiter with half-orders, however, we just decided to load up on the awesome free bread to account for the phantom half-tapa.
Typically once you’ve ordered, the tapas will come one or two at a time with a good portion of bread and olive tapenade. Heed our warning: some of them are extremely hot temperature-wise and you’re likely to burn down your house if you don’t take heed. Please heed. But don’t wait to dig it, spread the word of the flavor lord and share your tasty wealth with your friends. Or be greedy, you heathen, todo es bueno. Take in the atmosphere – indulge in the rhythmic heel thumping, the aromatic air and the Hallmarkr moment. If Modesto made greeting cards and we loved people, we’d send them to someone we loved.
Being able to order seven things off the menu gave us a near-telekinetic insight into Modesto’s immodest offerings. One of our favorites was the pork and veal meatball dish, coming with about 6 medium-sized succulent meatballs in a sweet tomato-onion sauce (ideal for dipping free bread into). Also of note were the chicken empanadas, little flaky pockets of heaven which melt in your mouth. Finally, and perhaps most delightful, was the tender hanger steak which literally fell apart when we touched it. Served in small strips with an unbelievable sauce, it was absolutely mouthwatering.
Perfect for dates, Modesto’s combination of atmosphere, flavor and uniqueness makes the restaurant a must for anyone wishing for a taste of Spain, or just a wonderful meal. It is high-quality cuisine at an incredibly affordable price (each person in our group paid $10), and is highly recommended by Jake, Chris, Zorro and Confucius.