The new kid in town is located at the St. Louis end of the Delmar Loop, east of Skinker and giving off feelings of its deeply urban setting. It could be in Chicago or New York—ah, but wait, what’s that in the glass-fronted cabinets near the hostess station and throughout the dining rooms? It’s toys and souvenirs and all sorts of interesting, memory-triggering things, the trademark of all of Joe Edwards’s establishments. This is themed stuff, all aimed at space, because the new restaurant, Eclipse, is at home in the Moonrise Hotel, and the cabinet fillings range from Christmas ornaments of space ships to astronaut action figures.
But don’t get the idea the effect is kitschy. Aside from the cabinet contents, the whole feeling hits the sweet spot of Right Now, with an occasional homage, like the very comfortable dining room chairs, to the futuristic Fifties. Lots of wood and glass, an outdoor eating area, a lounge-y bar, and plenty of room between tables, even glowing multicolored stars on part of the ceiling, all work together.
A soup du jour was spicy chicken and rice, and it definitely was spicy, and properly hot, too. The broth held darker notes than just chicken, maybe roasted vegetables like onion, and both long-grain and wild rice, perhaps a little light on the chicken, but long on flavor. Chef Brendan Noonan, who made his mark at the Scottish Arms and the Shaved Duck, likes food with real flavor, and he introduces herbs and spices with a generous hand. If he occasionally errs on that side, he can be forgiven, because his dishes taste so good.Cubes of slow-cooked pork belly marched across an oval bowl, sitting in a clear, lightly sweet sauce and riding atop a few small leaves of cooked greens and julienne of what may have been peeled stems of the greens. It was the pork-iest flavor we’ve ever come across in a belly, and had relatively little fat. Relative is the word, too; face it, lean pork belly is an oxymoron.
Lobster pot pie turned out to be a deconstructed version, which was fine, since that always gives a better chance for the crust to remain crisp rather than soggy. It was probably no accident that the puff pastry arrived in the shape of crescent moons, two tall, puffy, crisp pieces, perfect for using to scoop up the bronze sauce, tasting like a deeply reduced lobster bisque. A good amount of lobster, diced sauteed potatoes , some slightly tough peas, but overall delicious and handsome. Joe, grumpy ever since the parking lot valet asked for $6 up front when many hotels comp diners' parking, prefers the traditional pot pie, even if the crust does become soggy, or a warning of a change. Pasta muffaldi, described as spinach and ricotta dumplings, were gnocchi-like, with a quick saute in olive oil and garlic to crisp up some of the outsides, a spoonful of ricotta decorating the top of the dish. The taste of spinach was marked, but the dumplings should have been tender rather than very chewy, a considerable surprise with the first bite.
Kudos to our dessert, which managed to be both simple and imaginative. Described as a mixed berry trifle, we found several kinds of berries layered with whipped cream and broken-up shortcake biscuits, yummy and easier to eat than attacking and taking apart a shortcake.
A serious cocktail list, and an interesting by-the-glass wine list, including a sparkling Alsatian rose, very dry, from Lucien Albrecht, a Central Coast viognier (a wine you’re going to be seeing a lot in the next year) from Alban, and a grenache-syrah mix from the Cotes du Ventoux’ Chateau Pesquie.
Plenty of servers who seemed to keep things moving well. And to top it off, there’s a late-night menu that’s served until 2 a.m. Aside from the problem with the texture of the dumplings, we were very happy. And by the end of the meal, Joe was his old sweet self once again.
Eclipse
Moonrise Hotel
6177 Delmar Blvd.
314-726-2222
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Just so you guys have the full count:
Maurice Reed, Executive Chef
Wes Johnson, Chef de Cuisine
Claire Robberson, Pastry Chef
thanks,
Brendan