It's a little surprising that it took this long to make the trip for a visit to Hendel's Market Cafe in Florissant. Somehow, there always seemed to be somewhere else that needed to be investigated. But my pal, soon to move to a home in the Alps, had heard of it and yearned therefor. Excuse provided. Thank you.
The neighborhood clearly goes back to the days before Florissant was a suburb of St. Louis, the streets narrow, the hills a reminder of the rivers' activities over millennia, and many modest homes of a certain age. And while people park on the street in an easy small-town style, there's a parking lot behind the restaurant; the entrance is there, too.
Inside the 19th century store, the windows across the front and the interior decor bring to mind an equivalent establishment in rural Virginia, tasteful and genteel. There's a covered patio, and an open one in the back, centered around an immense tree. It was the first truly warm night of the year, and impossible to resist.
An order of calimari, arriving with a spicy, citrusy aioli, kept us company while we considered entrees. The breading was light and just a little crunchy, with no excessive oiliness. Housemade rolls topped with cheese before they went in the oven arrived warm, giving even more distraction from the task at hand.
Entrees come with a salad or soup, and a house salad wore the signature lemon-poppy seed dressing. Alas, another sugary dressing but the greens were fresh and crisp, although swimming in said dressing. The evening's butternut squash soup was an absolute winner. Very thick, just a little lumpy, piping hot and seasoned with curry, it surprised and pleased.
Cajun carbonara pasta used spaghetti to go with shrimp and andouille sausage, a few chunks of tomato thrown in along the way. On a technical level, there were quibbles – no apparent cheese in the carbonara, way too generously sauced – but the fact is,it tasted really good, the spiciness of the cream sauce vigorous, the shrimp not overcooked.
The same could be said of the salmon. It was cooked all the way through. But the Asian-esque glaze on it was tasty, the asparagus alongside (offered as a substitute when the still-damnably-ubiquitous vegetable medley was declined) was perfectly cooked, and it, too, arrived properly hot. The orzo pasta underneath wasn't overcooked, either.
Four dessert options, including a chocolate cupcake with a ruffle around it, and a cheesecake, which the server pointed out was from de.lish Cheesecake Bakery nearby (and points for that unprompted bit of openness), but it was lemon meringue pie that won. Good crust that had survived what was obviously not more than a few hours in the fridge, tall, elegant meringue, and a illing that was properly tart and at the right point between sloppy and Jello.
Good service from a young but quick-witted guy who didn't blink an eye when his offer of vegetable medley was met with, "Couldn't I get a Beatles medley instead?" (We used to ask for a Cole Porter medley, but got too many blank stares from nextgen servers.) And as we left, up through the tree branches, beyond the roofline, there was a church steeple and the moon. A pretty nice evening.
Hendel's Market Cafe
599 St. Denis St., Florissant
314-837-2304
Lunch & Dinner Tues.-Sat., Brunch Sun.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Tricky
Smoking: No
Entrees: $11-$30