Visitors from Manhattan last weekend deserved to be shown the Missouri countryside. So we drove down to Ste. Genevieve for some French Colonial architecture and then had lunch at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery. The joint was jumping, tables full on the front porch with live music, a few folks on the rear patio, the tasting area busy and – wait, were there tables open in the dining room? Yes, there were. Did we have a reservation? No – we had no idea what time we would be arriving. So there would be a 45-minute wait.
I go into this to talk about why this happens at restaurants. The folks there were very hospitable, made sure we had a place to sit and wait comfortably, and offered us a cold drink on the hot day. But it was clear with a few minutes' observation that they were stretched staffing-wise to their limit. Servers flew by. If they had seated us, we would have had to wait a long time, and with heightened expectations, probably, like why haven't they taken our order?or where's our food? There are no easy answers at a time like this, and it's go with the flow or go somewhere else. And if it makes any difference, yes, I was recognized.
But that's not why I'm telling you about this excursion. The food from Adam Lambay's kitchen was good, no surprise. Visitors oohed over the beautiful greens picked this morning and lightly dressed. They ahhed over a roast beef and cream/bleu cheese sandwich. But, oh, my, the hit of the meal was a vegetable wrap. Vegan, in fact, I suspect. Mixed mushrooms from Ozark Forest Mushrooms were sauteed and, along with grilled asparagus the size of a #5 knitting needle, baby spinach and some watercress, the latter two wilted down by the heat of the mushrooms, laid out on a roti, the whole wheat Indian flatbread akin to a tortilla. It was fabulous, the watercress adding just the right note of mystery to it, the mushrooms hearty and satisfying. Amazing that something that virtuous could be that good.
It's on the current menu – that sandwich was a daily special. But you probably will want to make a reservation if you know what time you'll be there.
The Grapevine Grill
Chaumette Vineyards and Winery
24345 Route WW, Ste. Genevieve
573-747-1000
Lunch & Dinner Wed.-Sun, Brunch Sun.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No
Entrees: $20-$24